Art Bus: Connecting Communities with Public Art

Katie Green (she/they) is a visual artist creating intimate acrylic ink personas that are eerie and ethereal. These emotionally visceral reflections provide Katie with a healing process that manifests as visual characters and scenes that explore internal emotional landscapes. For Katie, the process of painting is one of searching as they wait for something or someone to emerge. Inside this in-between presence is where surprises come forward and characters from unseen places take shape in visual ways. Being in relationship with the beings that appear becomes a form of therapeutic release, helping to both guide and nurture something within. Using these paintings as the inspirational foundation for their practice, Katie creates murals that abstract feelings and forms into immersive scenes where fantastical beings morph and melt together within imagined worlds. Increasingly, their mural projects involve communities in a process of mask making that result in large-scale public expressions of hidden identities, emotional realities, and internal experiences.

Rawry & Pohly consists of co-founding Calgary artists; Kevin Chow, B.Bus (Mrktg), and Jamie Mason B.A. (Eng), B.Ed. Their journey began in 2010, when Chow gifted Mason a teddy bear, the exact duplicate of his own childhood plushie (Pohly), which she named Rawry, but it wasn’t until September of 2014 that Chow and Mason began toying with combining their styles and stories, armed with dollar store sharpies and acrylic paint on canvas and a sense of fun.

Known for their bright colours and unique linework that awakens the viewer’s inner child, they have created a new visual style they call Contemporary Saturdays, a homage to the artists’ own childhood of Saturday morning Cartoons, and nostalgic family adventures outside of the structure of a school week.

Lyndon Navalta is a professional artist, designer, and queer person of colour, particularly drawn to the subtle details in natural things, which he documents in digital and traditional painting and dry mediums, always with a touch of whimsy, psychedelia, or surrealism. A naturalist at heart, the DNA of his art blends Nature and Magic as he invites viewers to see the world through the lens of memories, admiration, and curiosity. He is passionate about creating art that celebrates the beauty of our natural world through the education of flora and fauna and sharing the spellbinding stories surrounding them. 

Michelle Ku is an artist based in Calgary/Mohkinstsis with family roots in Hong Kong. She mainly creates through painting, animation, & murals. Michelle graduated with a bachelor’s in graphic design from Central Saint Martins, and has worked with Cartoon Network, Giant Robot, BUMP Festival, & CBC Arts. She recently finished directing her first short animated film, ‘Unblending‘ produced by the National Film Board of Canada.  

Natalia Ionescu is a Romanian-Canadian illustrator and designer based in Calgary, AB. She holds a Bachelor of Design degree, with a major in Illustration from the Alberta University of the Arts. With a focus on communication design and visual development, Natalia’s illustrations explore a variety of stories, characters, and environments through a distinctly cute and playful visual approach. Working primarily in digital formats, she infuses natural textures into her work while enjoying the versatility and endless possibilities that digital software provide. Natalia is motivated by the power of visual storytelling, often exploring expressive figures, whimsical settings, and organic elements in her work. She has fallen in love with the process of visual development and is eager to share her characters and stories with the world.

Paityn is a two-spirit, Métis illustrator currently residing in Treaty No. 7, specializing in printmaking and public art. They graduated from the Alberta University of the Arts with a Bachelors in Illustration Design and a Minor in Printmaking.

Paityn’s work is deeply influenced by their Indigenous culture, community, and connection to nature. A significant aspect of their artistry is the inclusion of animals, which hold spiritual significance in their daily life. These representations reflect traditional Métis beliefs and embody Paityn’s direct connections with Turtle Island.

Their work incorporates elements of Cree Woodland art and delicate Métis floral art, resulting in distinctive and conceptual creations. Their pieces are titled in Cree and English, showcasing a unique synthesis of artistic vision.

Beyond creative expression, Paityn is dedicated to community, education, and advocacy.

I’m Phoebe Riel, a Kwakwaka’wakw artist based in Mohkinstsis (Calgary) and a member of the ‘Na̲mg̲is First Nation. I have Ojibway roots, with many close relatives, including my dad, being members of the Batchewana First Nation. I am deeply motivated by the power of visual storytelling, a craft passed down through my long line of Indigenous storytellers. I recently graduated from the Alberta University of the Arts with a bachelor’s degree in design and Illustration, having been on the President’s Roll for the last four semesters. My artwork is a fusion of illustration and visual story development, drawing inspiration from my First Nation identity, childhood memories, and a love for the surreal. With a whimsically adorable yet uniquely odd style, my pieces often delve into themes of memory, childhood, and surrealism. As a toy collector and horror story enthusiast, my work is heavily influenced by these passions, infusing my visual style and narratives with elements that captivate and intrigue me. Whether it’s through the pages of a children’s book or the panels of a horror visual novel, I’m always exploring new avenues of storytelling narratives that resonate.