Allison Andrachuk - Director and CEO Close

Allison brings a wealth of experience as a senior leader, with over fourteen years of involvement in not-for-profit organizations as well as ten years in the cultural sector.  She was formerly the Director of Tides Canada Initiatives where she was responsible for program strategy and operational oversight of a range of Indigenous, environmental and social programs across Canada. Prior to her tenure at Tides Canada, Allison was Manager of Operations and Public Programs at the Contemporary Art Gallery in Vancouver.

Aliya Boubard (She/Her) - Curator Close

Aliya is Anishinaabekwe and a member of Sagkeeng First Nation, located on Treaty 1 Territory in Manitoba.

She has been living and working in unceded Salish territory since the fall of 2020. She is an emerging curator and multi-disciplinary artist, exploring photography, digital illustration, and traditional beading.

She completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Manitoba in 2020, and a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Indigenous Studies from Simon Fraser University in 2022. 

Aliya’s curatorial practice is centered around contemporary Indigenous art from across Turtle Island and is dedicated to supporting Indigenous artists at varying levels of their careers.

Amelia Rea - Assistant Curator Close

Amelia is a member of the Tsiits Git’anee clan from Old Massett, Haida Gwaii, and a passionate Haida Nation-based scholar with deep roots in her culture. Raised immersed in Haida language, singing, dancing, and repatriation, Amelia has spent her life learning and contributing to the preservation of Haida traditions.

A lifelong member of the Haida Repatriation Committee, she follows the guidance of her mother, aunties, and elders, and has spent countless hours in museums, potlatches, language classes, and with cultural bearers across the community.

This rich upbringing has instilled in Amelia a profound love for Haida culture and storytelling. Amelia is committed to the preservation and transmission of Haida language and knowledge to future generations.

Currently, Amelia works as the assistant curator at the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, where she continues to blend her love for art, culture, and storytelling.

Beth Carter - Associate Curator Close

Beth Carter is the Associate Curator at the Bill Reid Gallery. Her extensive curatorial career has focused on community involvement and collaboration. From 2009-2015, she worked as Director|Curator at the Nikkei National Museum in Burnaby, BC. Beth was previously Curator of Indigenous Studies with the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, Alberta from 1991-2009, where she worked on many exhibitions, including Honouring Tradition: Reframing Native Art and Nitsitapiisinni: Our Way of Life. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia and a Masters in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge in England.

bcarter@billreidgallery.ca

Daas Sterritt – Xang.ngii Gan Haana (She/Her)  - Development Manager Close

Daas is experienced in the non-profit sector, working in business administration and cultural heritage. Briefly studying Business Administration at Capilano University.

With an upbringing in tourism and Haida knowledge sharing at the Haida Heritage Centre, she has great experience in leadership, fundraising, operational oversight, and film-production.

Daas is from the Taas ‘Laanas people of North-western Haida Gwaii as well as the Naa Saagaas XaaydaGaay of Skidegate, from an unbroken matrilineal line spanning thousands of years. She is a proud leader of her nation, and has a great passion for empowering youth and young women.

She is also involved in the Learning & Healing, Decolonized Education Committee with elders and knowledge holders of Haida Gwaii, also a new member of the Haida Repatriation Committee. Daas looks forward to bringing her expertise and passion to the Bill Reid Foundation!

dsterritt@billreidgallery.ca

(Photo: Roberta Aiken Photography)

Antonio De la Torre (He/Him) - Marketing Specialist Close

Antonio is a Digital Marketer and Filmmaker boasting over five years of experience within the advertising and entertainment industries.

Originating from Mexico, his professional trajectory reflects a profound dedication to the development of communication strategies, and marketing campaigns tailored to diverse audiences.

In recent years, Antonio has directed his expertise towards collaborating with organizations dedicated to the promotion of cultural, historical, and artistic endeavours. Through partnerships with nonprofits, he has facilitated the expansion of their outreach efforts, enabling them to engage with broader audiences and achieve their respective missions.

marketing@billreidgallery.ca

Cheryl Kaka'solas Wadhams - Visitor Services & Gallery Shop Manager Close

Cheryl is a member of the ʼNa̱mǥis Nation with connections to the Maʼa̱mtagila, and Mama̱liliḵa̱la Tribes of the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw Nation and is herself an artist. She has many years of sales and merchandising experience in her own business, as well as working for Lattimer Gallery. She is a double alumni from Langara College and holds a Degree in Aboriginal Studies and a Diploma in Small Business, and her experience includes work with the BC Assembly of First Nations and Native Education College. Cheryl is also an active member of the local Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw Cultural Sharing Group and is participating in a Kwak'wala language program through the First Nations Endangered Language Program at UBC.  She hopes to bring fresh, new ideas forward and support the work already accomplished for the Visitors Services and the Gallery Shop. Cheryl is honoured to have the chance to work at the Bill Reid Gallery. cwadhams@billreidgallery.ca 

Sara Louie (She/Her) - Indigenous Education Specialist Close

Sara Louie is a living member of the Musqueam Indian Band for whom her mother’s paternal father is a descendant of the “people of the river grass”, today known as Musqueam. Her maternal mothers’ family is from the Fraser Valley area also known as Sts’ailes. She received her Bachelor of Education Degree with an Indigenous Specialization from UBC in 2017. She appreciates art and being creative because it allows one to express themselves. She likes how art is a form of healing and lived realities for many of us, and as we find those connections, we strengthen that truth of our very existence. For Sara, art in itself is sometimes a personal and emotional journey, or it can be just that the truth; nothing else; nothing less, nothing more. She chose to work in Education to help teach the truth about Indigenous people across the land because, when it comes to right and wrong or who holds the power, truth is not to be silenced in light of all who and what we have lost.

Alecska Divisadero (She/Her) - Operations and Venue Administrator Close

Alecska is a settler originally from France, where she obtained a degree in Business Administration, then pursued a career in photography and video. As a multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary artist, her work has been exhibited, published & screened at various galleries, theatres, and artist-centers in Europe and Canada. Since immigrating to this land, she has also been active in the non-profit sector, primarily in arts organizations. She is honored to be able to put her skills and privileges in support of Indigenous arts and culture.

operations@billreidgallery.ca
604.682.3455 ext. 225