CARFAC BC Board
The CARFAC BC Board of Directors is comprised of volunteer CARFAC members who are practicing artists just like our members. Learn more about volunteer opportunities, and how to join our board of directors here.
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Trevor Van den Eijnden was born in Piktuk (Pictou), Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia) and currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia the traditional and unceeded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.
Trevor is a multidisciplinary visual artist, designer, and educator with professional training in artistic research and production. He studied at Dalhousie Univeristy (BA English Literature), NSCAD University (BFA Photography), L’École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris (exchange), and Emily Carr Univeristy of Art + Design (MFA Visual Art). Since 2009, he has taught and provided academic leadership at private and public institutions in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Currently, he is adjunct faculty for the University of the Fraser Valley’s School of Creative Arts.
Trevor’s art practice is rooted in painting, photography, and the photographic, as well as design-based works in text, sculpture, and installation, while his research and production focus on the intersections of grief, nature, and time within the framework of the Anthropocene. He approaches visual art and design as a vehicle for artistic knowledge in conversation with and as a means to shape the world—specifically as a “remembrance of the future, and an anticipation of the past”.
Trevor’s website is: trevorvandeneijnden.com.
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Emily Zhang is an arts administrator with a BA in Art History from the University of British Columbia, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Museum and Gallery Studies. She has been heavily involved in the arts and culture sector within the lower mainland for the past couple of years, was previously the Membership & Communications Coordinator for CARFAC BC, and was closely involved in their provincial projects like the Artist Toolkits series and the BC Gallery Catalogue. She has a background in cultural, arts, and educational programming for the Coquitlam Heritage Society, and has been involved with various cultural organizations like VIFF, the Craft Council of BC, and the Port Moody Arts Centre.
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Tina Overbury is a multi-disciplinary artist and creative entrepreneur. She’s a writer, storyteller, and performer who works with narrative and story structure as a vehicle for human connection. Tina’s art centres around visceral storytelling experiences within a circle-based practice. Always off-the-cuff and spoken from her core, Tina also co-hosts the podcast: Harleys and Hairspray with Madlove Music. Tina has created pieces for film, the stage, and in her solo writing.
Tina is a Story Coach and Facilitator with The Writer’s Adventure community, hosting writing retreats and coaching authors. Her work is rooted in myth and mysticism, and always contains a spirit of PLAY.
Tina Overbury is a Storyteller, Facilitator, and Expressive Arts Therapist (in training) through the WHEAT Institute in Winnipeg. The program incorporates various art modalities, such as the visual arts, drumming, dancing, writing poems, improvisation, and playback theatre.
Tina works with narrative and story structure as a vehicle for human connection. She works in two capacities: As an Expressive Arts Therapist, using story as the path to your healing and Expressive Arts Therapy as the process of work. She is also a Story and Writing Coach working with individuals and organizations who are ready to write their book, craft their signature keynote, and/or create their solo show. Her process for this is called: Story From the Core.
As an artist, she offers visceral storytelling for reconciliation experiences rooted in the principles of restorative justice. She has created pieces for film, the stage, digital storytelling, and in her writing. Most recently, she was published in Poiesis, an academic journal of Expressive Arts and Communication, and her 90-minute solo show, OMYGOD about ‘the women we burned, the babies we buried and Gods we worship’, has screened to global audiences. While her art centres around harmscapes and the imprints they leave, her work is rooted in the healing power of the Arts.
Tina brings thirty years of storytelling in theatre, film, and workshop facilitation and is the founder of Live Your Best Story, a deep listening retreat held on Bowen Island, BC, Canada. Tina’s website is: tinaolife.com.
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Poesis Ilies is a Vancouver-based visual artist whose work traverses a dynamic range of media, from acrylics and mixed media on unconventional surfaces to digital art and assemblages. With a background in drawing and painting from Emily Carr University and urban design from Simon Fraser University, she has developed a distinctive style merging modernist influences with contemporary abstract and representational forms. Her art reflects a profound exploration of new techniques, capturing the emotional echoes of life and its surroundings.
A versatile and forward-thinking artist, Poesis collaborates on projects that blend analogue and digital approaches, delving into the intersection of creative imagination and evolving technology. These innovative collaborations continually expand the boundaries of her artistic expression.
As an active member of various art communities, Poesis fosters connections between artists and audiences to promote a deeper appreciation for visual arts. She is passionate about advocating for the growth and support of contemporary creators, addressing both the challenges and opportunities within the field.
Her work has been featured in prominent group exhibitions and is part of private collections across North America and Europe. A member of the Federation of Canadian Artists and other notable art organizations, Poesis actively contributes to the ongoing dialogue about contemporary art.
For further insights into her work and practice, visit: poesisartjourney.blogspot.com.
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Tara Shushtarian resides on the ancestral and unceded homelands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7meshSníchim speaking peoples and are grateful to be on this territory. As a respected community leader and former Green Party candidate, Tara has demonstrated exceptional skill in developing and advancing policies that support vulnerable communities. Her work with both the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition and the successful advocacy campaign for the Climate Emergency Plan in Burnaby showcase her ability to transform grassroots initiatives into concrete policy changes – capabilities that could significantly benefit CARFAC BC’s efforts to secure better economic conditions for artists.
Her extensive experience with participatory democracy through Fair Vote Canada and her leadership in the West Coast Climate Action Network position her to strengthen CARFAC BC’s advocacy for artists’ rights and fair compensation. As Co-Chair of WE-CAN and a Climate Action Fellow with the Urban Resilient Futures Initiative, Tara understands how to build effective coalitions that achieve meaningful policy reform.
Tara’s deep connections with Indigenous communities and her proven track record in cross-cultural collaboration enhance CARFAC BC’s capacity to support Indigenous artists and foster meaningful reconciliation through the arts. Her work in climate resiliency consistently incorporates expressive arts as a tool for community engagement and social change, demonstrating her understanding of artists’ vital role in social transformation.
Her combination of policy expertise, advocacy experience, and commitment to economic justice ensures a powerful new voice is contributing to the work of CARFAC BC to advance artists’ rights to sustainable careers, lifelong access to a protected natural environment in BC, and fair compensation that ensures a thriving career in the arts. Her proven ability to navigate complex policy landscapes while centring community needs is an invaluable asset to support BC’s visual, multi-media, and multi-modal artists.
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Noora (Zahra) Mohammadiyoun is a Persian artist and community facilitator who weaves creativity into every moment, using it to connect hearts, spark inspiration, and celebrate the radiant joy of life. A cancer survivor, she discovered the transformative magic of art and art therapy, and now channels that energy into her practice, creating spaces where people feel seen, uplifted, and alive.
Her journey began in Iran, where she cultivated a deep love for art, philosophy, and visual storytelling, earning a Master’s in Philosophy of Art and a Bachelor’s in Graphic Design. Since moving to Canada, she has nurtured her growth with a Certificate in Leadership from Trinity Western University, blending creative vision with a dedication to guide, inspire, and empower communities.
She is a published author and audiobook creator, a podcaster, and a designer of art therapy sessions, supporting human beings for a better living experience on this planet. She has also served as an honorary SMA Hope Ambassador in Iran, Turkey, and Canada, uplifting communities and bringing hope and joy to children and families affected by Spinal Muscular Atrophy. A lifelong devotee of Persian poetry, she carries verses like seeds, letting them bloom in her work, performances, and community events. She sings with VanChoir, weaving harmony, connection, and energy into every gathering she touches.
Noora is also a passionate nature lover and environmental activist, having engaged in sustainability and conservation initiatives in Iran. She delights in Persian calligraphy, exploring the poetry of form as much as the poetry of words, and embraces a sustainable lifestyle, living mindfully and consciously.
At her core, Noora cherishes bringing people together, transforming energy into synergy, and creating moments that feel vibrant and alive. As one of Rumi’s quotes beautifully reminds us, we are here to connect, or reconnect. She believes we are here to embrace the joy of life as fully as possible, and hopes to share this spark with communities and spaces that honor creativity, connection, and collective celebration.
instagram : Nooroshadi
https://www.instagram.com/nooroshadi/
linkedIn: Noora Mohammadiyoun
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Sidi Chen, He/They, (b. 1992, Quanzhou, China) is a diasporic queer artist whose interdisciplinary practice addresses the relational shifts at the intersections of the body, communities, and ecologies. Sidi Chen engages with the embodied experience and models from traditional knowledge and natural science as creative vehicles to conduct projects as relational mediation and attunement for the more-than-human agencies, through which Chen searches for catalysts that lead towards queer futures.
Sidi Chen received the Master of Fine Arts degree from Emily Carr University of Art + Design (Vancouver, 2023) and is currently pursuing the Master of Arts in Community Development at the University of Victoria. Chen has diverse artistic achievements, including FLEET:Edmonds Artist Residency (Burnaby, 2025), BC Arts Council Scholarship (2025), and the LIVE Performance Biennale (Vancouver, 2025). Sidi Chen is currently living and working on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim speaking peoples, known as Burnaby, BC, and the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations, known as Vancouver, BC.
CARFAC BC Staff
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Sharon Marshall is an Indigenous leader, writer, storyteller, and digital artist with over three decades of experience in community empowerment and strategic development. As Executive Director of CARFAC BC, she brings a vision rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing to strengthen reconciliation and cultural sovereignty in the visual arts.
Founder of Cree8iv Collaboration Inc. and DEVA Training & Staffing Solutions, Sharon has created programs that blend traditional knowledge with digital innovation, empowering Indigenous women in the digital economy. She has also worked extensively with First Nations organizations, drawing on her MBA from Royal Roads University to bridge Indigenous and Western approaches to leadership.
Based in Lantzville on Snaw’naw’as territory, Sharon brings valuable perspectives on supporting artists beyond urban centres. Her leadership emphasizes decolonial practices, digital innovation, and equitable access to resources for all visual artists in British Columbia.
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Larissa Blokhuis is a Biracial, non-binary, multidisciplinary artist living and working on the unceded Lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations (Vancouver). She brings her passions for anti-racist and decolonised practices, intersectionality and accessibility, and supporting artist development to the role of Membership & Community Services Coordinator with CARFAC BC, as well as 15+ years of experience in arts administration and communications. Larissa is enthusiastic to serve the artist community by increasing awareness and engagement with CARFAC BC.
Larissa holds a BFA from Alberta University of the Arts with a major in glass. She has been a working visual artist since 2009, with experiences including numerous exhibitions, several public art projects, teaching, and curation/project lead for arts events, including a 2D art exhibition, two short film series, and a monthly art conversation series (on hiatus since 2020).