Meet the Artists Behind #CHINOOKBLAST
#ChinookBlast has officially come to a close and we'd like to thank everyone who has come out - even braving a serious cold snap - and shown love to our installs and our talented local artists! We also have to send a huge thank you to everyone involved in making these art installations happen, from the builders and painters, to the artists whose vision lit up the city's downtown core. Read on to meet the incredible artists and creators behind all of our Chinook Blast installs and pop-ups over the last month!
Abstract Aurora
Vienna Lang is an 18 year old student that has been experimenting with art for as long as she can remember. She has competed and won multiple design competitions across Alberta and was commissioned to design and paint a series of murals for her local high school. Vienna is currently studying at the University of Lethbridge for a combined degree in Fine Arts and Education.
Conciliation
Angel Aubichon and Alex Manitopyes are a 2S BIPOC couple and co-founders of Indi City. In 2017 they became the first global Indigenous Designers to incorporate wearable technology into traditional regalia. In the same year they graduated from the Indigenous Women in Community Leadership Program at St.FX University. Together they design and create fashion accessories according to the current indigenization of Turtle Island in contact with their ancestral roots. Indi City has grown from a small business on Instagram to a newly launched online store with products found in boutiques across the country. With an in-house multimedia productions company they work to curate a 100% Indigenous-made brand through visual storytelling.
Winter Gleam
Leechuts (Leetia Lyons) is a Calgary-based illustrator and designer who works across multiple creative mediums and industries. Since completing her Bachelor of Design fromAuArts in 2019, she has been exploring every opportunity that has come her way, building a creative practice and lifestyle to define her unique sensibilities. Her illustration and design style ranges from conceptual to minimalist, often with influence from East-Asian art and culture.
leechuts.com
Colour-Where?
Rachael Meckling is a fashion & beauty illustrator living in the Alberta Rocky Mountains. With a strong love for nature, women, fabrics and form, she paints whimsical, feminine subjects with a minimalist approach. With a Bachelor of Design from Ryerson University’s Fashion Communication program, Rachael’s illustrations can be seen in fashion publications such as FASHION and Flare, and she is an artistic contributor to companies including Saks Fifth Avenue, McKinley Burkart and Rockwood Luxury Homes. In 2018 she received support from RBC’s Emerging Artist program, and as a result is quickly emerging as one of Western Canada’s most sought-after multidisciplinary artists.
Winter Froth & Ice Scramble
Maria 'Dina' Galura is the entrepreneurial artist of Calgary Party 50. She creates delightful community experiences using biodegradable latex balloons. Her installation of Dreams Never Die (UP House), Kalimbahin (Pink Wall at Chroma YYC), and the Central Library balloon series are joyful moments in Calgary. Maria's decade career is in Industrial Engineering specializing in Project Management, however her creative calling made her a self taught organic balloon artist. She is a supporter of memorable celebrations, thus a portion of sales goes towards charities providing birthday kits in shelters. Kicking off 2021, Maria made Avenue Magazine’s list of “Calgarians We Love".
Polychromatic
Tasha Barrie & Lauren Yuriko Plante are the co-founders of Foxglove Studio - a commission-based Creative Studio nestled in the heart of Inglewood. Their medium of choice is flowers, flowers and flowers, providing custom floral design, styling, and install for events of all sizes in Calgary, Canmore, Banff, Lake Louise and beyond. The studio was founded in 2015. In addition to full-service events, Foxglove fulfills daily floral orders, weekly and biweekly residential and corporate subscriptions, and offers city-wide delivery. They are a passionate small business with a huge capacity for high-quality creative floral design.
