Beate (she/her) is the Art Director at Alberta Views magazine. In this capacity, she oversees the magazine’s visual direction and collaborates with a broad network of local photographers and illustrators. Her work is grounded in visual storytelling, with a particular emphasis on photography as a means of fostering emotional engagement and deepening readers’ connection to editorial content.

Before joining Alberta Views, Beate held design positions at Vancouver Review magazine, Serengeti Design in Vancouver, and multiple design agencies in Germany. With over 25 years of experience in the design profession, she brings a keen eye for visual storytelling and a deep understanding of how thoughtful design and photography can elevate meaningful narratives.

Brad Zellar has worked as a writer and editor for various newspapers and magazines. He collaborated with the photographer Alec Soth on the seven-part LBM Dispatch, an irregularly published newspaper that chronicled American community life in the 21st century. Zellar is the author of Suburban World: The Norling Photos, Conductors of the Moving World, and House of Coates (with Soth). His most recent novel is Till the Wheels Fall Off (Coffee House Press). He works frequently with photographers and photobook publishers, and along with Ethan Aaro Jones is the publisher of Nocturno Books.

Chris Amat is a Calgary and Toronto-based Photographer and Creative Director with over a decade of experience in advertising and visual storytelling. With a specialty in lifestyle, luxury hospitality, interiors, and portraiture, Chris is known for creating authentic, emotion-driven imagery that resonates deeply with audiences. His easygoing and collaborative approach sets the tone for a relaxed, productive set - one where creativity thrives. Blending strategic thinking with creative direction and hands-on production, Chris brings a cohesive vision to life, guiding each project seamlessly from concept to final delivery.

David Simmonds is an Associate Professor of Photography in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Calgary. He holds an MA in Photography from the Royal College of Art in London. His photographic practice focuses on long-form projects that explore human behaviour and the connections between strangers, communities, and their environments.

His work has been exhibited in public and private galleries and museums internationally, including The Photographers' Gallery (London), the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), the Triangle Gallery (University of the Arts London), and Space Forth Gallery (Tokyo). Parallel to his exhibition history, his photography has been published in Canadian and international titles such as Blackflash, The Sunday Times, View on Colour, and Elle.

As a founding member of the My Home, My Rights inclusive artists' collective, David’s recent work focuses on participatory research and disability justice. Supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), this work has been presented in New York and at the University of Ghent as part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 75 UN-related programming, as well as at Dalhousie University and the Halifax Central Library. 2025 events include the “Art of Inclusion” with Inclusion Ireland and the “I’m Me Festival” at York St John University (UK).

Dona Schwartz received her PhD from the Annenberg School for Communications, University of Pennsylvania, and is the author of Waucoma Twilight: Generations of the Farm (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992) and Contesting the Super Bowl (Routledge, 1997). Her photographic monograph, In the Kitchen, was published by Kehrer Verlag in 2009. Kehrer published On the Nest in 2015. Her award-winning work has appeared in publications world-wide and has been exhibited at international venues including the Saatchi Gallery, the National Gallery of Victoria, National Portrait Gallery, London, Blue Sky Gallery, and Milwaukee Art Museum, among many others. Her work is included in the collections of the US Library of Congress, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, George Eastman Museum, Musée de l'Elysée, Harry Ransom Center, Portland Art Museum, Center for Creative Photography, and Kinsey Institute. She is Professor, Department of Art and Art History, University of Calgary. She is President and Chair of Exposure.

George Webber’s artful photographs spring from his affection for the people, culture and architecture of the Canadian West.

His books include: Borrowed Time, Saskatchewan Book, Alberta Book, Badlands, Prairie Gothic, In this Place, Last Call, People of The Blood, A World Within and Requiem.

George’s photographs reside in many Canadian and international museum collections including: The National Archives of Canada, Glenbow Museum, The Art Gallery of Alberta, The Australian National Gallery, Museum Ludwig (Germany) and The Bibliothèque Nationale (France). In 1999 he was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in recognition of his contributions to the visual arts in Canada. He has twice been awarded the National Magazine Gold Award for Photojournalism.

Haema Sivanesan is Director, Visual Arts at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. She has held leadership and curatorial positions in public art galleries, artist-run centres and arts festivals in Canada and Australia. She has consulted for arts and heritage organizations in South and Southeast Asia. Her curatorial work focuses on non-western, post-colonial and transnational art histories. She is the recipient of prestigious awards from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, New York (2018) and the Robert H N Ho Family Foundation, Hong Kong (2016). Her most recent exhibition, "In the Present Moment: Buddhism, Contemporary Art and Social Practice" (Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff, 2018-2023) inverted traditional exhibition-making methods to centre the artistic process.

Jasmine Piper is an artist and arts administrator based in Mohkinsstsis (also known as Calgary), with family ties spanning across the prairies—from Cold Lake First Nations to Peace River County. For the past five years she has been working with Artist-Run Centres and artist-led initiatives to lead and support artistic programming including events and exhibitions. Piper aspires to find ways to sharpen her skills as a drum maker, fisherwoman and bead artist. Her practice includes researching decolonization, laughing with friends and exploring reconnection to her Nehiyaw, Métis and Denesuline ancestors by connecting with the supernatural. Aliens, magic and medicine are common themes played with throughout her work.

This artistic practice is intertwined with a passion for supporting fellow artists, community members and arts organizers by collaborating with them to create equitable programming and opportunities.

Julya Hajnoczky was raised by hippie parents, surrounded by unruly houseplants, bookishness and art supplies, with CBC radio playing softly, constantly, in the background. Inevitably as a result, she grew up to be an artist. An MFA candidate at Emily Carr University and a graduate of the Alberta University for the Arts, her research and fieldwork-based practice includes digital and analog photography, and invites viewers to imagine the perspectives of our more-than-human kin. Her work has been published in National Geographic Magazine and has been exhibited internationally, and has been acquired by public and private collections including the Canada Council Art Bank, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Julya has completed artist residencies at Terra Nova National Park, Point Pelee National Park, the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, Kinnship House, and the Empire of Dirt. In 2017, supported by grants from the Calgary Arts Development Authority and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Julya built her mobile natural history collection laboratory (a combination tiny camper and workspace, the Alfresco Science Machine), and she has been working on site in ecosystems across Canada ever since.

Lexi (Lex) Hilderman, a trans-non-binary interdisciplinary artist and settler to Mohkinstsis Treaty 7 Territory otherwise known as Calgary, Alberta. Weaving together traditional techniques in printmaking, sculpture, photography, written word, installation, and performance, their work explores themes of identity, sentimentality, and orientation, queering pathways forward. They hold a BFA in Sculpture with a minor in Social Practice and Community Engagement from Emily Carr University of Art + Design, and a BA in Sociology from the University of Calgary. They have exhibited with Stride Gallery, the Fem Assembly, Calgary Animated Objects Society, Arts Commons, and participated in residencies such as the Agua Viva Water Residency at Santa Rosa Art and Healing, and a Studio Residency at Stride Gallery.

Marc is a co-founder and creative director at Public Eye, a Calgary-based design studio known for its expressive, narrative-driven approach. A 2008 graduate of AUArts’s BDes Photography program, he worked professionally in editorial portraiture and album cover imagery, before shifting focus fully to design and brand identities. He has created work for some of Calgary’s most beloved artists, businesses and institutions, and has been recognized by over 20 national and international awards. Having had one foot in both disciplines, Marc’s commercial photography and design experience continually inform one another, giving him a unique perspective across both fields.

Sanja Lukač is a visual artist, curator, and community activator based in Calgary/Mohkinstsis who is dedicated to creating meaningful opportunities for equity-seeking artists, communities and audiences to create & connect. In her role on the programming team at the Werklund Centre (formerly Arts Commons), as the Senior Curator of Visual and Media Arts, her focus on artist development supports artists across all career stages and disciplines. With a background in public art, publishing and arts education she is passionate about equity in the arts and mentoring emerging, interdisciplinary, and newcomer creatives. She also serves as Programming Chair and Director at the Immigrant Council for Arts Innovation (ICAI). As a strong advocate for sustainable darkroom practices, Sanja is co-author of The Stimulant, an eco-conscious photographic developer. Previously, she founded SEITIES STUDIO, an international gallery and publication dedicated to analog photography. When she is not hiding in her studio at Art House Studio, she enjoys discovering new places, music and festivals.

Shauna Thompson is currently Curator at Esker Foundation, Calgary. She has supported solo projects and exhibitions with many local, national, and international artists, including Oliver Beer, Babak Golkar, Mel O’Callaghan, Ragnar Kjartansson, Fin Simonetti, and Katie Ohe, among many others. She is co-curator of the exhibition 'Like everything alive that we try to hold forever' (currently touring with Independent Curators International) which features the work of Larry Achiampong & David Blandy, Diane Borsato, Stephanie Dinkins, Bridget Moser, Sondra Perry, and Miya Turnbull.

Prior to joining Esker Foundation, Thompson was the Curatorial Assistant at the Walter Phillips Gallery, The Banff Centre. She has also worked with the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery (now the Art Museum at the University of Toronto) and YYZ Artists’ Outlet, Toronto, as well as the Art Gallery of Mississauga. Thompson holds master's degrees in Curatorial Studies from the University of Toronto and in English from the University of Guelph.

Su Ying Strang (she/her) is a cultural worker based in Sikóóhkotok—the Blackfoot name for the region in which Lethbridge, Alberta is located—on the traditional territories of the Siksikaitsitapi, or Blackfoot Confederacy. Strang relocated to Sikóóhkotok in January 2022 after joining the Southern Alberta Art Gallery Maansiksikaitsitapiitsinikssin as the organization’s Executive Director. Strang first came to Canada in 2006 to attend the Alberta University of the Arts, and has been embedded in Alberta’s not-for-profit arts sector since 2010 as an artist, arts advocate, cultural worker, and volunteer. Strang previously served as Director of The New Gallery in Mohkínstsis/Calgary, AB, providing leadership at this artist-run centre for nearly a decade. Her work prioritizes the thoughtful stewardship of artists’ practices, accessible programming for all audiences, and strong foundations for organizations through a people-centred and community-driven ethos.

Will Warasila is an American photographer focused on long-term documentary projects concerning toxicity, the environment, and slow violence. His photographs have appeared in The New York Times, the New Yorker, and TIME MAGAZINE, among many other publications. In 2022, Gnomic Book published his first monograph Quicker than Coal Ash.  

Will also runs a photo space in Livingston called Strata Editions.