Featured Artist: Wes Beiko

While Wes Beiko has no formal training in media production, he is quite an accomplished producer. Wes graduated from the Foothills Composite High School in 2014 and has gone on to work on various projects including:

• Director of Photography, Editor, Sound Mixer on "The Owen Hart Foundation: A Look Back", which was an official Selection at the Monaco International Film Festival 2014 and Won 4 Awards (Best Short Documentary, Best Short Documentary Director, The Humanitarian Angel Film Award, Best Film Editing Short Documentary). 
• Director of Photography, Editor, Sound Mixer an Official Selection at the Calgary Entertainment & Comic Expo 2016 & Official Selection Fan Boy Film Festival

Wes is also a winner of the Zooom Student Film Festival and took part in the Skills Alberta 2014 Regionals TV/Video Production and won the Regionals Safety Award. He is skilled in all forms of media production, writing scripts, business, marketing, video editing/shooting, acting, directing, photography and web design. 

Currently, Wes is working with Samm Smith who auditioned for this season of "The Voice" on NBC, and is working on a few feature film scripts. He is also in a production of a mental health documentary that has been in the works since 2015. At this time, the project is in need of more funding. You can find out more here: http://gofund.me/mentaldoc.

Wes's non-artistic hobbies include Mixed Martial Arts, weight lifting, writing poetry, and exploring nature through hiking and Urban Exploration (URBEX).

Learn more about Wes's work at www.528evenings.com, or check him out on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wesbeiko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WesBeiko
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WesBeiko
Snapchat: WesBeiko

Featured Artist: Shawna Koski

Shawna has been animating ever since she learned that it was possible to make objects come to life. She spent her childhood creating films filled with special effects and stop motion animation, and had a fantastic time creating different worlds. Shawna attended school at CalArts, which is an art school close to Hollywood that specializes in
animation. There, she learned many valuable skills and received firsthand experience on a
variety of animation sets. Now, Shawna works as a freelancer and earns funds
through grant applications for films she hopes to send to festivals. She will also also be heading up the ZOOOM Film Festival in Okotoks this year, which is a festival celebrating the
film making talents of local youth in the community. On top of that, she will be offering
animation classes for kids this coming fall in the hopes of cultivating interest in this
fun and expressive art form.

Shawna love all types of animation, but specializes in wire armature puppet animation, a style similar to what is used in films such as "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Coraline".  She begins with building the sets, puppets and props and experimenting with lighting and framing. She then takes 12 pictures to create 1 second of finished footage, moving a puppet a small amount for every picture to create the illusion of movement.

Shawna's latest project, "A Lonely Entertainer”, is about an entertainer who no longer has a venue to perform in. Since performing is so much of who he is, he must do it even if he has no audience.

Besides animation, Shawna loves watching Buster Keaton silent films, drinking chai tea
lattes, looking at autumn leaves, meditating, swimming and collecting pumpkin
trinkets.

You can learn more about Shawna and see her work at www.shawnakoski.com.

Featured Artist: Katie Fournell

As a newcomer to Okotoks, Katie Fournell knew she had to take action to bring more film and theatre presence to the Town. Inspired by the festival scene in Edmonton, the Okotoks Film Festival took shape as a three-day event, offering programming for all ages and will feature film screenings, workshops and galas. The first annual Okotoks Film Festival will take place in 2017, and as Festival Director, Katie plans for the event to grow into a destination for international films.

Katie has her Film & Theatre degree from Red Deer College and a Certificate in Event Planning. She has worked on various projects in prop and set design, production, acting and directing. When Katie isn’t working with the camera, she enjoys yoga, camping, running, cooking, and video and board games.

Find out more about the Okotoks Film Festival at http://www.okotoksfilmfestival.ca.

Featured Artist: Linda Macallum

As fearless leader and President of the Okotoks Arts Council for the last five years, it is no secret that Linda Macallum flourishes in a creative environment. Not only has she been a hairstylist extraordinaire for 30 years, her other artistic talents include event planning, music, gardening, interior decorating and cooking.

Linda loves the community of Okotoks and is thrilled to be a part of the arts and culture in the area. Outside of the arts, Linda’s hobbies include spending time with her friends and family, reading, playing games, swimming, sailing, kayaking and skiing.

Featured Artist: Janifer Calvez

Janifer Calvez lives in southern Alberta, surrounded by the natural beauty of the prairie, mountains and wind. Her acrylic and watercolour paintings are inspired by much time spent outside in nature, her travels and the people that surround her.

Throughout the years, she has been guided and instructed by many amazing artists through courses, workshops and shared time in the studio. Her impressions of the world around her are displayed in her paintings full of character and whimsy, as she plays with light and colour.

Janifer believes that people take care of what they know and love.  She hopes to capture the special moments that surround us in our every day experiences, and help people to notice and appreciate the small pleasures and blessings in the normality of life.

Janifer's work has been displayed in many shows over the years, and you can find some pieces in the Okotoks Art Gallery and the shop called "On a Lark" in Okotoks, Alberta.    Further south, you may find pieces in Pincher Creek, Alberta in the Lebel Mansion Gallery or Harvest Coffeehouse, or the Bluerock Gallery in Black Diamond.

Follow Janifer on her Facebook Page, Janifer Calvez Art, or check out her website!

http://www.janifercalvez.com/

Featured Artist: Robin L. Thibodeau

Okotoks, Alberta has been Robin Thibodeau’s home since birth, and she has lived and traveled to many places, but no matter where she is, she continuously lives and breathes art. Robin has designed logos and brochures for businesses and organizations in both Alberta and Saskatchewan, and she has been completing other fine art commissions of pets, people, landscapes and murals since she was only 15.

Professionally schooled at the prestigious Alberta College of Art & Design by the age of 17, she majored in Drawing and graduated with Honours at 21. Robin has integrated every last bit of her education to take her where she is today. By early 2001, she was well on her way to becoming a household name due to her popular art classes both through the Okotoks Community Programs, as well as her monthly article in a local newspaper. To reach out and become a more integral part of her art community she joined the Okotoks Art Council in 2003 to present. By joining other like-minded individuals, she found herself serving on several major cultural projects such as designing the Councils’ current logo, and variations to suit.

Opening her ‘Inspiration Studio’ in the year 2007, has led to many new challenging and versatile opportunities to further her art career. 2008-present, Robin has become a Preschool Teacher’s Assistant in order to integrate her understanding of fine art at a much younger age. And this prompted her to introduce her wildly popular Fine Art Day Camps (initially through Okotoks Community Programs), and as of 2011 she moved them to her home Studio where classes are smaller, and much more intense for the lucky few who find themselves under her whimsical, yet very much focussed instruction on art education and skill-building. One year later with the excitement overrunning from the Day Camps, found her enhancing the Inspiration Studio into what she’s dreamt about for years: The Inspiration Studio Academy of Fine Art (I.S.A.F.A) through what she splits into: The Artist Leagues for ages 7-10, 9-12 and 12+.

Robins’ free time is spent with her dog Daisy, meditation, friends and family all while finding magic and humour in anything and studying everything that fascinates her, applying any and all to her own personal artwork and instruction. Robin adores the teachings and accomplishments of Leonardo da Vinci, among many other Masters of yesteryear and looks forward to each day for new experiences. 

Check out Robin's website here: robinlisathibodeau.com or follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/TheInspirationStudioOkotoks.