Anna Sapershteyn is a dynamic high-energy comedic performer who first joined Hear Here as host at its inception in 2014. She is a seasoned street performer and her mixture of contemporary circus, clown and character driven story-telling has established her as an arts innovator in Toronto. Her work has blossomed under the expert tutelage of David Anderson (Clay and Paper Theatre), Phillipe Gaulier, Francine Cote (Adrenaline, Dr. Clown), Mike Kennard (Mump and Smoot) and Helen Donnelly (Foo, Posey’s Wig). Anna schooled in Improv at Second City and continues to hone her skills through regular stints on public and corporate stages in Toronto and abroad. She is ever so pleased to be hosting B4 this year.

Lara Bozabalian is author of the bestselling poetry collection, The Cartographer’s Skin (Piquant Press). Her next collection, Tourist, was published in March by Tightrope Books. In both 2014 and 2015, Lara was named Toronto’s Best Poet in the Now Magazine Best of Toronto Awards. She has guest lectured at Queen’s University, featured at TEDx, Luminato, Toronto’s Harbourfront, York University, The York School, Lakefield College, and literary festivals across Canada, Ireland, and Singapore. In 2012 a documentary, Crowd The Schoolhouse, was set to her spoken word poetry and awarded Best Writing at the HotDocs Film Festival.

Rocco de Giacomo is a widely published poet whose work has appeared in literary journals in Canada, Australia, England, Hong Kong and the US. His work has recently been accepted for publication in Arc Poetry and Event, and has most recently been published in Existere. Rocco’s poetry has also been featured on the CBC. He is the author of numerous chapbooks including, in 2008, Catching Dawn’s Breath. In 2009, his first full-length poetry collection, Ten Thousand Miles Between Us, was launched through Quattro Books. His forthcoming collection, Every Night of Our Lives, will be published with Guernica Editions. In 2010, Ten Thousand Miles was longlisted for the ReLit Poetry Award. In 2011, it was selected for Poetry NOW’s 3rd Annual Battle of the Bards. From 2008 to 2014, Rocco volunteered on the committee for the Art Bar Poetry Series, Canada’s longest running weekly series. Rocco lives in Toronto with his wife, Lisa Keophila, a fabric artist, and his daughters, Ava and Matilda. He is currently working on his third poetry manuscript.

Andrea Thompson is a poet, novelist, teacher, activist and mentor, who has read and performed her work at venues across North America and overseas for the past twenty-two years. Thompson is the co-editor of the anthology Other Tongues: Mixed Race Women Speak Out, the author of the poetry collection Eating the Seed, and creator of the Urban Music Award nominated CD, One. Thompson is a graduate of the University of Guelph’s MFA Creative Writing program, and currently teaches poetry and spoken word through the Ontario College of Art and Design University and the University of Toronto’s continuing studies departments as well as at Workman Arts. In 2014 Thompson released her debut novel, Over Our Heads with Inanna Publications.

Website: www.andreathompson.ca

The Lemon Bucket Orkestra is Canada’s only balkan-klezmer-gypsy-party-punk-super-band. Born on the streets of Toronto as a busking band in 2010, the original quartet of guerrilla-folk troubadours quickly amassed a battalion of troops armed with brass and bows and started touring the world. LBO has been nominated for several awards, heralded as ground-breaking by international media, and has performed at international festivals across the globe, but their greatest achievement is their ability to embody the dynamic space between “home” and “exotic” and to welcome audiences into the celebration of that space.

Hotter than a sauna in Nevada, Dirty Decibels is the DJ duo of party hosts / ass movers Ben and Dan. Their love of bass-heavy deep house music has led them to shared the stage with the likes of Gene Faris, Super Flu, Desert Hearts, Tube & Berger, Mat.Joe, Mark Oliver, Miss Melera, Christian Martin, Scumfrog and Terrence Parker. This is only paralleled by their monthly party at Round Venue that has been sold out for nearly two years, attracting a bold and creative community from all walks of life, and giving a platform to a who’s who of the buzzing Toronto scene.

Faetal explores the visceral sounds of deep melodic techno. She focuses on exploring the balance between light and dark, and is passionate about telling stories using bass driven, dreamy, enigmatic sounds.

After two years managing the Round Venue, Taliya has found a passion behind the decks as well as behind the scenes, and has taken to curating a variety of events and installations throughout the city.

Faetal is a resident and organizer at Cylelogic, where predominantly female lineups supply groovy house and techno monthly at Bassline. She is also the resident DJ for “Toronto Impulse” and the curator for “Reverie Downtempo Drawing nights”.

When she isn’t behind the decks Faetal works as a full time circus performer with Illuminair Entertainment. Her love of movement and music lends to a deep commitment to keeping the dance floor both moved and moving.

Punch and Judy

Punch, the hand puppet of British and Continental fame,  claims to be  the greatest actor of all time. So does Judy, his counterpart.  Together they destroy any who dare attempt to oppress them. And what could be more oppressive than prohibition?

Warning: the rough social justice of this highly moral tale could  sometimes be mistaken for violence.

David Brown graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design in 1992. He has an award winning career in the international art and design industry, receiving acclaim from institutions like Toronto’s Design Exchange in “Type Culture”, an exhibition of top designers chosen for their pivotal influence on Canadian Typography. He was an OCAD Industrial Design faculty member from 1996 to 2006 and also operated a highly successful product design studio.

David’s abstract encaustic paintings have been shown at numerous galleries and museums across Canada and the U.S. His paintings are held in private and corporate collections in North America, Europe and Asia. The products he designed have been sold across North America, and his work has been published in books and magazines throughout Canada and the United States. His peers hold him in high esteem and his work has won several awards, receiving recognition from local and international art critics.

A leading figure in Toronto’s creative community, David is the founder and managing director of Toronto’s SpeakEasy, which has been networking with established and emerging artists since 1996. In 2013 he initiated the Five Star collective aimed at facilitating member participation in international art opportunities.

David Brown’s Downtown Toronto studio is located in the Lansdowne/Dupont artistic precinct.

Atelier:
1 Wiltshire Avenue
Studio O
Toronto, Ontario
M6N 2V7

Phone: 416.556.1307
Email: david@blttogo.com
Website: www.encausticcollage.com

Dan Browne is a filmmaker, photographer and multimedia artist based in Toronto, Canada. His films and videos have been presented at over fifty festivals and venues worldwide and received numerous awards. He has also collaborated on projects with many other Canadian filmmakers, including Peter Mettler, Carl Brown, Michael Snow, and members of the Loop Collective. Dan is currently a PhD candidate in the York/Ryerson Joint Graduate Program in Communication and Culture.

Andrew is a mixed media visual artist based in Toronto. He studied drawing and painting at both OCAD in Toronto and NSAD in Halifax. Andrew’s current body of work is all about drawing. Each semi-abstract piece incorporates imagined imagery inspired by childhood memories, urban surroundings and themes of dream and reinvention. The immediacy of drawing, juxtaposed against layers of texture or found objects, showcases Andrew’s art making process. Pieces on board are painted and repainted to build up tension. These layers of mottled texture are then shaped by gestural lines and punctuated with colour. Andrew’s smaller pieces on found objects and vintage paper allow his drawings to take full control. The patterning of his hand-drawn etchings on glass reveals form through the subtraction of paint. While Andrew’s works on paper overlap, blot out and redraw lines to reveal his energetic thought process.

Andrew’s been documenting his new work in progress via his instagram feed. You can see it here: www.instagram.com/andrewduff/

Email: andrew@andrewduff.ca
Website: www.andrewduff.ca

Vancouver-native Rob Elliott has been painting since 1998. With his partner and fellow artist Christine Cosby, he operated Toronto’s pop-focused Swizzle Gallery in the early 2000s. He continues to produce painting, illustration, and other creative projects under the moniker Swizzle Studio.

Elliott’s work is influenced by mid-20th century commercial art, and his past jobs as a screen printer and newspaper paste-up artist. The misregistered colour blocks and simplified line work are intended to engage the viewer on an abstract level beyond the representational. Elliott often uses this simplified, idealized drawing style to depict ideas that are complex and satirical in nature.

If you met him at a party, you’d probably say “I like that Rob Elliott, even if he does talk too fast and too much.”

Phone: 647-883-0322
Email: studio@swizzle.ca
Website: swizzlestudio.com

Born in Ottawa and having lived most of my life in Toronto art has always been a part of my life. As a pop artist, Christopher Hayes’s work is best described as flat sculpture. This effect is a result of his unique trans-dimensional approach to mixed media. The work is a construct of material inspired by the urban landscape. Wood, metal and concrete are crafted from the frame up and contrasted against his vibrant pallet of colours, images and themes. Strongly aware of the fleeting nature of this high tech world he is inspired to romanticize not only the current moment but also celebrate the inheritance of the past. He captures a sophisticated vivid kaleidoscope of the urban core.

Christopher lives and works in Toronto. Currently in his 11th year in the gallery’s. His body of work is part of many private and public collections in Canada and abroad.

46 Noble Street, Studio #103
Toronto, Ontario, M6K 2C9

Phone: 647 928 3622
Email: christopherhayes@sympatico.ca
Instagram: christopher_hayes_artist

Uros Jelic was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia where he earned his BFA from Belgrade University of Arts in 2002. Uros immigrated to Canada in December of 2004 where he continued showing and developing his work. His work had received a number of awards and grants and had been reviewed by Globe and Mail, and Art Sync. Today Uros works from his Toronto studio. He is represented by Galerie St-Laurent + Hill in Ottawa and his work can be seen in various Toronto galleries.

Email: uros.jelic@gmail.com
Website: urosjelic.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/urosjelicartist/

Nancy Oakes is a multi-media artist based in Toronto.

Solo shows include Walking Drawings (loop Gallery), Drawing in Ten Seconds or More (Yorkminster Park Gallery), Humans, Humans 2 – Field Studies, and Humans – Walk (Gallery 1313), and Paintings (Visual Arts Centre of Clarington – Clarington Gallery).

Other shows include Bricks to Babel (Lehman Leskiw Fine Art) curated by Gary Michael Dault, Guest Room (p/m Gallery) curated by Kelly McCray and Walter Willems, the First National Juried Drawing Exhibition (White Water Gallery, North Bay), Drawing 2012, Drawing 2013, and Drawing 2016 (John B. Aird Gallery), SpeakEasy Art Fair, and the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition.

Her work has been favourably mentioned in The Globe and Mail and was included in “Favourite Works 2004-2013” on dilettantesdiary.com. Her walking drawing practice was featured on CBC Radio’s “Here and Now”. Her work is in collections in Canada, Europe, Australia and the US.

Phone: 416-929-9016
Email: nancy@nancyoakes.ca
Website: www.nancyoakes.ca

Dave Sheppard grew up in Bishop’s Falls, Newfoundland and studied Fine Arts at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in Corner Brook. He focused in printmaking and, after completing his BFA, recieved the Don Wright Print Scholarship at St Michaels Printshop. Over the next few years Dave would remain active in the visual arts. He designed the Bishop’s Falls municipal town flag. Won an Arts and Letters Award. Was nominated for Emerging Artist of the Year. Was published in Spectrum: The Best in Comtemporary Fantastic Art. Recieved a NLAC arts grant for painting. Completed a printmaking residency at Grenfell College. And began being represented by the Emma Butler Gallery.

In 2005 Dave moved to Toronto and continued his art practice. He was accepted into several art fairs including the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, the Queen West Art Crawl and The Artist Project. He has also shown in several galleries including Engine Gallery, Pentimento, Headbones, and Graven Feather. Dave continued to show in his home provence through regular exhibitions at the Emma Butler, his involvement with the Central Newfoundland Visual Arts Society, and his inclusion in Grenfell Gallery’s ‘Narrative NL’ exhibition in 2015.

More recently Dave’s artwork has been published several times including Creative Quarterly, The Newfoundland Quarterly, Riddle Fence and the cover of Stan Dragland’s ‘Deep Too.’ His ‘Blood in the Snow’ painting was also prominently featured in an episode of Republic of Doyle.

Dave continues to live and work in Toronto.

Email: Squarewheelstudio@hotmail.com
Website: www.davesheppardart.com

Emma Butler Gallery
111 George St. West
St. John’s, NL, Canada
A1C 6K2

Phone: 709-739-7111
Email: emmabutlergallery@nl.rogers.com
Website: www.emmabutler.com

Kirk Sutherland is a Toronto based artist and art teacher. He graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design(OCAD) in 1991.

He has exhibited his work for over 25 years under the representation of many art galleries. Many of Sutherland’s works are represented in both private and corporate collections throughout North America and Europe.

Critically, Kirk Sutherland could be defined as being influenced by the likes of Monet, Matisse, Hofmann, Abstract Expressionism, Post-Painterly Abstraction, and Lyrical Abstraction.

He is influenced consciously, and sub-consciously by his surroundings as well as and the formal elements of art, and the materials he creates with. The two predominant elements in Sutherland’s work hinge between his keen sensibility to colour, and his use of pictorial space.

Kirk Sutherland
330 Alton Towers Cir. Suite 1206
Toronto, ON, M1V5H3

Phone: 647-343-6427
Email: sutherlandartist@gmail.com
Website: kirksutherland.com

TRIO MAGNUS is a Toronto-based illustration collective featuring award-winning illustrators, Clayton Hanmer, Aaron Leighton and Steve Wilson.

Formed in 2007 with the express purpose of drawing in sketchbooks while listening to Zeppelin and drinking beer, the group has gone on to create all sorts of art for all sorts of reasons, including a book titled “Equally Superior” (Koyama Press), editorial illustrations, installations, silkscreened prints and art shows featuring huge collaborative drawings, some up to 18 feet long.

Apart from various galleries in Toronto, TRIO MAGNUS has exhibited their work in Tokyo at Design Festa and in Calgary at UPPERCASE gallery, as well as having done live drawing at both the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, Canadian Beatbox Championships in Toronto and the FIMA festival in Montréal. Recently, their work has been featured on a Zipcar in and around Toronto.

Brought together initially by a love of sketchbooks, characters and visual excess, the members of TRIO MAGNUS continue to unleash creative kung-fu on blank surfaces of all types and taking no prisoners along the way.

Email: info@aaronleighton.com
Website: triomagnus.com

Gillian is Toronto based photographer, artist and educator. After developing her first photograph, Gillian discovered her love for photography in the darkroom at the University of Guelph. Since completing her BA Studio Art, she has continued to work as a freelance photographer and artist educator with with non-profit arts organizations. Her photography work has been show as a part of Contact Photography Festival, Queen west art crawl and Culture days.

I’ve been doing professional photography for almost ten years because it is the most amazing job in the world. I enjoy what I do very much. Getting to know the people I get to know is a wonderful experience. I always say that when I am working I am like a kid in a candy store.

When I’m not working, I am playing with my old film cameras or reading a book from my photography book collection. I draw inspiration from art, music, history, storytelling, and portrait photography. I am also a husband, father, friend, musician, and an excellent cook (ask my wife and friends for references). I like wine, beer, coffee, good food, good company and laughing at jokes (even the bad jokes). I love animals, new adventures, getting to know new people.