Staff

For general email, you can contact the Gallery at info@kelownaartgallery.com

 

Sumi Ali, Education Coordinator
ext 307, e: sumi@kelownaartgallery.com

Sumi is the Education Coordinator for the Kelowna Art Gallery. Sumi grew up in England on the South coast and completed both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in the UK. Sumi also has a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. Following many years working in public schools in the UK, Sumi moved to Canada with her husband and 2 children 8 years ago. She continued to enjoy working in different educational establishments once she settled in Kelowna and is now at the Gallery and in charge of programming which can vary from School Tours to Family Sundays and Summer Art Camps. When not at the gallery, Sumi can be found cooking, gardening, or reading, preferably on the beach.

 

 

Joshua Desnoyers, Marketing and Events Coordinator
ext 305, e: josh@kelownaartgallery.com

Josh joined the Kelowna Art Gallery as Marketing and Events Coordinator way back in 2012. He leads the marketing, communications, social media, and public relations efforts, assists with the development of sponsorship opportunities, and coordinates gallery openings, events, and facility rentals. Around noon, he eats his lunch.

Prior to moving to Kelowna, he was the Tourism Marketing Specialist at the Vancouver Art Gallery, worked with a team that was awarded the Tourism BC “Marketing Campaign of the Year” while at the Van Dop Arts & Cultural Guide to BC, and managed sales and marketing at Backroad Mapbooks, a best-selling Canadian outdoor recreation series.

When he’s not at the Gallery, he can be found camping, mountain biking, skiing, hiking, or snowshoeing (although I hear he’s really not very good at any of these). If he’s not exploring the outdoors, you may find his nose in a book, his fingers on a guitar, or his head in the clouds.

 

Clea Haugo, Assistant Curator and Registrar
ext 302, e: clea@kelownaartgallery.com

Since 2013 Clea Haugo has been the Registrar at the Kelowna Art Gallery. In 2020 she added the role of Assistant Curator. Clea has a BFA in Studio Art and Art History from Concordia University, Montreal. In 2008 she completed the Applied Museum Studies program at Algonquin College in Ottawa. She became an accredited Canadian Personal Property Appraiser (CPPA) focusing on Fine and Decorative Arts in 2012. In the past she has co-founded an arts collective, had professional experiences in cultural institutions in Canada and the United States, and at a major Fine Art Auction House.

Clea is also a practicing mixed media artist interested in industrial history, urban decay, and sustainable development. A self-confessed museum nerd, she enjoys experiencing art and visual culture while travelling with her family. In her spare time she likes gardening, listening to records, and drawing with her daughter.

Mat Glenn, Preparator
ext 311

Mat Glenn is a graduate from the University of British Columbia Okanagan’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program with a major in visual arts and a minor in art history. Glenn is an emerging artist from Kelowna BC specializing in sculpture, installation, printmaking and digital media. His research is in materialism and ecological theory.

His work with the gallery includes exhibition installation, fabrication and building maintenance.

 

 

 

Joe Lanaway, Membership and Operations Coordinator
ext 306, e: joe@kelownaartgallery.com

Joe is entering his third decade living in the Okanagan and has loved every minute of it. He is a graduate of The University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, where he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in psychology. Outside of the gallery, Joe enjoys many forms of physical activities (mainly basketball, pickleball, and nature hikes). He also has a vast knowledge and love for movies, books, music, and both video and board games.

Joe always tries to learn something new every day, whether that is about another person, the world around him, or even himself. Joe is known to staff for his friendly demeanor, his curiosity, and his laugh (if you are visiting the gallery, listen closely and you will hear it).

 

Christine May, Curator
ext 303, e: christine@kelownaartgallery.com

Christine May holds an MA in Art History from Concordia University, Montréal and a Bachelor’s Degree in Art History and Museum Studies from Arizona State University. Originally from Saskatchewan, she has worked in exhibitions management across Canada, including the Mendel Art Gallery (Saskatoon), the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art (Toronto).

Christine’s curatorial interests focus on socially engaged art, interdisciplinary practices in contemporary art, and community art. She is passionate about showcasing Canadian talent, championing emerging artists, and bringing greater equity to all of her programming.

Christine is looking forward to bringing her knowledge and skills to the Kelowna Art Gallery and living in the Okanagan with her family. Enthusiastic to get acquainted with all of Kelowna’s vibrant art community, Christine welcomes questions from the public.

 

Nataley Nagy, Executive Director
ext 304, e: nataley@kelownaartgallery.com

Nataley Nagy has been Executive Director of the Kelowna Art Gallery for ten years. She moved to British Columbia from Toronto where she worked the Executive Director of the Textile Museum of Canada (2002-2009). And she has previously lived in Ottawa and Windsor, Ontario. Nataley graduated from Carleton University with an honours, Bachelor Arts ( English and Law) and received an Honourary Doctorate from the University of Windsor in 1999. She is an alumnus of the Getty Leadership Institute (2007), where she met her husband John Richard Grimes, and the Banff Arts Administration Training Program (1984).

A native of Montreal, Nataley, and her husband, a Boston native, love to travel, watch movies and are proud, puppy parents, of a little ball of fluff recently welcomed into the family, named Miss Frida.

 

Aidan Peleato, Curatorial and Programming Assistant
ext 309, e: aidan@kelownaartgallery.com

Aidan joined the Kelowna Art Gallery in 2019 as a Gallery assistant and then transitioned to the Curatorial Assistant. She is responsible for assisting the curatorial department with administration, exhibition layout, and exhibition reporting.

Aidan was born in Toronto Ontario but has been calling Kelowna home since 2018.  She received her BFA in Visual arts from York University and is currently completing the University of Victoria’s Cultural Resource Management program. In her spare time, she enjoys cycling, movies, and all things culinary.

 

 

Kyle L. Poirier, Graphic Designer
ext 308, e: kyle@kelownaartgallery.com

Kyle L. Poirier has been the graphic designer at the Kelowna Art Gallery since 1999. During his time with the KAG he has designed numerous exhibition catalogues, as well as newsletters, advertisements, vinyl graphics and signage, and also maintains the Gallery’s website. In addition, he teaches the Studio Sampler Series, an introductory art class for adults. For Kyle, it’s not just a job, it’s an adventure!

When he’s not at the Gallery, Kyle spends his time with his wife, two children and the family dog. He works on freelance projects as well. He enjoys film, all kinds of cycling—including riding his prized Penny Farthing in the park—and is also an aspiring painter with a soft spot for acrylics.

 

Public Programs Assistant
Janine Hall

Public Programming Assistants
Erica Baker
Kylie Millar

Gallery Assistants
Erica Baker
Faith Bye
Talia Derksen
Elly Hajdu
Nujhat Jahan
Mia Main
Emily Myatt
Fern Teleglow

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