Christian Carrizo is an Arts for Children and Youth (AFC) artist. He has worked as a youth arts assistant in AFC's developing artist program and more recently, as a lead professional muralist. As an arts educator and muralist, Christian's mural work can be seen in many public schools and within a public context - Toronto Culture, City of Toronto. His strength lies in his versatility, creativity and his way with youth. His collection of work includes: a mural for the DPAA, Amnesty International and recently with the Toronto Transit Commission. He has been with AFC since Dec 2005. (Engaging Communities through Mural Making, Nov. 9)

Elena Dumitru is Amnesty International Toronto's Regional Development Coordinator and Staff Coordinator of Project: Urban Canvas, an initiative that is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights through the creation of 30 human rights murals. Elena has been an active AI member since 1996 and she started her present position with AI in 1998. One of her roles with the organization is to support, nurture and coordinate grassroots activities and projects in the GTA. Project: Urban Canvas reflects and celebrates all human rights and a wonderful sense of community, by bringing together artists, community groups, and local organizations and Elena considers it a joy and a privilege to be part of this project and to work with so many wonderful, talented, dedicated people. (Our Space Our Stories, Nov. 8)

Debra Daly Hartin graduated with an Honour’s Visual Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1976 followed by a Master’s in Art Conservation from Queen’s University in 1979. After internships at the National Gallery of Canada and the Pacific Regional Centre of CCI in Vancouver, she worked privately in Toronto on the conservation treatment of several large contemporary paintings at Toronto International Airport. In 1979 she accepted a position in the Fine Arts and Polychrome lab at the Canadian Conservation Institute.
Debra’s work at CCI involves the examination, treatment and preventive conservation of paintings, condition surveys of fine art collections and training activities such as supervising interns and giving seminars on the Basic Care of Paintings, the Permanence of Artist’s Materials and Care of Industrial Objects and Public Art. She has published several articles on her work and has given talks at professional conferences. (Mural Maintenance and Conservation, Nov. 9)

Karin Eaton has been involved in community arts activities for more than 30 years. As Executive Director of Scarborough Arts Council (SAC), for 11 years, she managed a wide range of arts programming and projects. In 1990 she initiated a community mural project for SAC that developed into the organization, Mural Routes. Karin was President of Mural Routes from its incorporation in 1994. In July 2005, she took over the position of Executive Director. Mural Routes has received international recognition as a leading force in networking, promotion and development of community mural art.
Over the past 12 years, Karin has conducted many international workshops and presentations related to community mural production. She developed the concept of the National Mural Symposium for Mural Routes in 1995 and has designed and helped to coordinate 10 National Mural Symposia since that time. Karin is also an arts consultant for Public Art projects with a focus on outdoor murals and is a former member of the City of Toronto’s Public Art Commission. In addition to her expertise in mural art, Karin also provides creative consulting and facilitation in marketing, fundraising, strategic planning and community arts development.  (Mural Maintenance and Conservation, Nov. 9)

Julie Frost is an arts educator, visual artist and for the past four years worked in the community arts field as the Artistic Director of Arts for Children and Youth. For the past twenty-five years, Frost has designed and implemented arts-based experiences for thousands of young people in schools and under serviced community sites across Toronto.
Frost gained much of her professional experience working as an artist in the schools, arts consultant for many of Ontario's educational boards and as a visual arts educator at the Royal Ontario Museum- Education Department. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Education - Arts education and Community development at OISE. (Engaging Communities through Mural Making, Nov. 9)

John Hood is a artist/art educator born and educated in Montreal, Quebec. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Concordia University in 1986, Hood won a competition to execute a mural in Athens, Ontario in the summer of 1987. He has executed one or more mural commissions almost every year since then, as well as many easel sized paintings. Hood has been employed at a number of professional studios, and worked as a freelance artist in the fields of scenic painting for film and television as well as book and newspaper illustration.
An accomplished speaker, he created the workshop “How to Approach the Wall” for Mural Routes' 9th National Mural Symposium and presented the first Wall Art Workshop for Emerging Artists at Centennial College, Toronto. Hood has been a long time advisor to the Mural Routes Board of Directors and has provided guidance and mentoring to many emerging mural artists.  (HIstory of Mural Art, Nov. 7)

Donna Mayne graduated from the University of Windsor with a major in visual arts. She also attended Detroit's Center for Creative Studies, where she developed her illustration and airbrushing skills. Donna has been painting murals for the City of Windsor Art Studio since its inception in 1998. She became the Studio Coordinator in 2000 as well as Art Director in 2001. (Off the Wall: Working on Alternate Surfaces, Nov. 8)

Mbala has a holistic view of the arts and the world. He believes that there is only one race - the human race - and that regardless of colour, nationality, creed, or sexual or political orientation we all have more in common than we have differences. His talents as poet, musician and visual artist have been dedicated to effect positive change in both the personal and the wider socio political arena.
He has worked as set and costume designer, graphic artist and musician with Sistren Theatre Collective (Jamaica), a grassroots theatre group exploring and influencing the lives of women and youth in inner city communities through dramatic productions and workshops. With Kingston’s Area Youth Foundation, Mbala has been part of efforts to empower inner city youths and thereby reduce the divisions and violence rife in these areas. He has assisted Area Youth mural workshop participants in creating visual expressions of their concerns.
As a performer, Mbala brings to the stage a different kind of performance/dub poetry ranging from comments on the social/human condition to the abstractions of inner space. He is an nationally awarded poet, winning the 'Best Overall Writer' prize in Jamaica’s 2007 National Literary Arts Competition and is Vice-President of the Poetry Society of Jamaica.(Keynote Address: Murals and Community, Nov. 8)

David McClyment graduated from the Ontario College of Art in 1980 with numerous awards and scholarships, including OCA’s Medal in Fine Arts. Since then he has regularly exhibited in Toronto, throughout Ontario, and internationally with notable exhibitions in northern Italy, Sicily and Germany. He is currently represented by the David Kaye Gallery in the West Queen West gallery district of Toronto. His work has been generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council.
As a complement to his exhibition career, McClyment has taught drawing, painting and professional development courses for over twenty years across the Province. Most recently, he developed the first professional practices course for Arts and Design Foundation Studies at The Centre for Creative Communications, Centennial College. He currently is the Acting Co-ordinator of the Fine Arts Studio program at Centennial. (Contractual Agreements, Nov. 8)

Terri Milley graduated (Deans Honour Roll) with a 3 year diploma in Fine Arts from Georgian College.Terri’s 20+ years of experience is broad and varied. Terri has been an art educator for the past 12 years with the Orillia Museum of Art and History where she designs and implements curriculum based education programs for students from JK - University.
Terri is an accomplished freelance artist offering her skills in portraits and other commissions using many mediums for her work including acrylic, watercolour, oils, chalk and pastels. Acting as a colour consultant for residential and commercial prosperities, Terri offers her expertise in faux finishings, including marble and Venetian plaster.
For the past five years Terri has been working on murals for a variety of locations including churches, restaurants, private residences and commercial business. Her restoration work has been focused in the Midland area where eight murals have been restored.
Apart from her busy professional life, Terri finds time to be involved with her husband Dave and their three children. She also offers her many talents to her community by designing and donating pieces of art for fundraising activities.
(Mural Maintenance and Conservation, Nov. 9)

JoAnne Weston holds degrees in Fine Arts and Education, having graduated from the University of Windsor. Her  experience ranges from sculpting murals in relief to airbrushing hockey helmets. JoAnne began painting murals for the City of Windsor Art Studio in 2001 and became Assistant Art Director in 2002. (Off the Wall: Working on Alternate Surfaces, Nov. 8)

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