AIRS Staff

Maggie Milne is a community-engaged artist with a background in printmaking. A past member of the Malaspina Printmakers Society, she holds a BFA and an MA in Visual art, culture and theory.   Maggie taught studio art and theory at the post-secondary level and is doing post-graduate work at SFU.  Maggie is co-founder of the Artist in Residence Studio program, where she continues to advocate to create space for artists to extend their art practice to children in public schools. Maggie's practice interweaves material, collaborative and embodied processes, creating multi-layered works, projections and installations that bring students into resonance and felt connection with themselves and their community, including the natural world.   

"For me, it is a privilege to create and hold space, both literally and figuratively  for diverse, talented, community engaged  artists to work with students in schools, and to support them in realizing the potential of their creative imaginings of what is possible in these spaces, and to witness the incredible  transformation of  artists and school communities in the process."

contact: maggie@airsprogram.org

Yunuen Perez Vertti is a filmmaker and digital media artist from Mexico City with over 20 years of experience in the film and television industry. She has been involved in various roles and projects, producing films for various organizations, including public, private, and non-profit entities.  

In addition to her work in filmmaking, Yunuen has also served as an artist in residence in schools for over 7 years. She is passionate about education through the arts and the importance of the arts as a fundamental tool for education. She believes teaching and introducing kids to all art disciplines as early as possible is essential to a healthy society.  

“I shared AIRS' mission and values, and I enjoy supporting the program in every way I can, whether through a residency in a school, as a mentor to other artists, or through administrative tasks. I feel that every contribution makes a difference. As an AIRS artist, I have experienced firsthand the transformational power of a community-engaged art practice. I would love to see this transformation happening at every community level. I believe programs like this are essential for this realization.”

contact: yunuen@airsprogram.org

Kathryn is an interdisciplinary artist and designer with a BFA from  Emily Carr University of Art + Design. She has collaborated with  contemporary artists, musicians, dancers, curators, educators, and  scientists (in physics, marine biology and ethnobotany) to foster  community engagement that bridges our cultural and social experiences.  Kathryn has been involved with the AIRS Program since 2021 as an  artist-in-residence. She believes that art is a fundamental human  practice that builds meaningful connections across cultures and  communities. In the studio she facilitates and encourages art-making as a  creative process to build self-agency, connect communities and share  our experiences in the world.
 

“With a dedicated art practice in schools, the AIRS Program supports  an environment for students to honour their self expression, creativity  and ingenuity. As an artist-in-residence for the past 4 years, I’m  grateful to share reciprocal learning and work collaboratively with  artists, teachers, staff and students. Working together, we create  ripple effects for future generations. In the studio, art is a form of  pedagogy that invites new ways of being/seeing the world by holding  space for creative agency. As the Communications Manager I look forward  to supporting the AIRS Program, its artists and the school communities  throughout the school year. I believe that art is an essential human  practice that should be nourished and encouraged through all stages of  life; from students to teachers, art practices in the studio create  capacity for growth, connection and new ways of being.”

contact: communications@airsprogram.org