About IOTA

Mireille Bourgeois (She/Her) is a white Acadian settler from Wolastoq (New Brunswick, Canada). For over 15 years, Mireille Bourgeois has independently curated and participated in art projects in Switzerland, France, Scotland, India, New York and throughout Canada, as well as published critical writing for Visual Arts News, Creative Times Press, C-Magazine, Canadian Art, and the Canadian Film Institute. Her research explores themes on synesthesia, nonsense, the sublime and stupidity, with research currently underway in the field of BioArt with exhibitions presenting in venues such as Dalhousie University Art Gallery (Nova Scotia), Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Museum of Civilization (Ottawa), Bitforms (NYC), Haus Für Kunst in URI (Switzerland).

Amanda Shore is an arts worker, writer, and curator based in Kjipuktuk (Halifax, Nova Scotia) and has held the position as Curatorial Research Assistant and Art Manager for IOTA since 2020. Her past research has tracked pathways of gentrification, and focused on settler responsibility, racial plagiarism, and craft-based actions of solidarity. Since 2017, she has worked as Project Manager on large-scale outdoor installations, international pop-up institutes, and research creation projects through IOTA Institute, Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership, and Flotilla. Selected curatorial projects include Art in the Open (Charlottetown, PEI, 2020), Sound Etiquette (Centre for Art Tapes, 2017), Outside the Box 5.0 (Toronto Offsite Design Festival, 2017). Shore holds a Master’s in Art History at Concordia University, a certificate from the School for Curatorial Studies Venice, and a BA in Art History from NSCAD University. Her art criticism has been featured in Canadian Art, Studio Magazine, Billie Magazine, Visual Arts News, and C Magazine.

Maddie Alexander is a trans artist, arts facilitator, archivist, and educator. They hold a BFA in Photography from OCAD University, an MFA from NSCAD University, and are currently a guest on the unceded territory of Miꞌkmaꞌki. Their work examines representations of queer and trans experience in pop culture and mass media. They approach this through a community-oriented practice and utilize DIY techniques to produce environmental experiences. They have exhibited locally and internationally, have participated in numerous residencies, panels, artist talks, and lectures.   Maddie has extensive experience working in arts administration. Currently, they are the project coordinator for BEING Studio's in Ottawa. In this role they manage and overlook all special projects at the studio. Most recently this has included managing a virtual conference bringing together 6 artistic studios across Canada, and hosting 25 events over a 2 month period. They also work with IOTA studio's as a public art research assistant and art manager. In this role, they manage IOTA's core and public art projects. This includes the preparation and application phase, shortlist, and awarded stages, as well as research into what public art opportunities are available and suited for each artist. They also have held a position on the board of Eyelevel Gallery in Halifax since 2019, and are the chair of programming

Alexis Cormier is a choreographer, producer, and project manager, with 15+ years of professional experience, based in (Kjipuktuk/Halifax). She is founder and Director of The Woods, Atlantic Canada's first and only Professional Hip Hop Dance Company (est 2010).  Career highlights include work featured by Live Art Dance Productions in 2014, 2016, and 2018.  The first independent production for The Woods was “I AM ANNA”, and included original art by 20+ mixed-disciplinary artists, installed at the Anna Leonowens Gallery (NSCAD University).  She continues to be inspired by activated spaces and has been growing with Home Economics since 2020, and continues to grow.