Elections Candidates Winter 2024
Executive Committee (EC)
President
Tanya Mryglod (she/her/they/them)
Hello! My name is Tanya and I’m a 3rd year Jewellery + Metals major at AUArts. I’ve been quite involved in AUArts through volunteering. I direct The Vortex Gallery (4th floor, Jewellery + Metals, Student Run Gallery) and I frequently participate in take down/set up in the Main Mall. Some of you may know of me as the 2023-2024 Jewellery + Metals Department Representative (SLC) but I’m looking to advance my role within the AUArts SA.
If elected, I intend to look into expanding: the Student Pantry, available Mental Health supports on campus, and improving communications for students between AUArts and AUArts SA.
Some of you may be aware that the President position has been vacant for two years now. I believe this is greatly impacting the functioning of the Students Association as it is forcing the other Vice-Presidents and AUArts SA Staff to take on additional duties. By filling this role, I can work towards correcting some of the issues I’ve identified. I’ve been working quite closely and diligently with the AUArts SA for my recent term. I was (and intend to continue being) a part of Events Committee and Finance Committee as well as fulfilling all other SLC duties which mostly included attending Student Leadership Council meetings. I believe my time during my 2023-2024 term has helped pave my way towards this more involved role and do not foresee any transitional issues because of my scope of work thus far. If elected, I will be looking into restarting Policy Committee as I’ve already helped to identify several issues of word choice or clarity within the Bylaws and Procedures of the Students Association.
If you have questions, concerns, or comments do not hesitate to contact me. I’m typically running around the school every day and you’re always welcome to say hi!
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Vice President of External Relations:
Murray Wittmeier (they/he/it)
Hi! My name is Murray, and I’m a third year ceramics major. I am a queer, neurodivergent, and disabled person, and I am passionate about inclusivity and disability rights. I am a member of the accessibility task force, and hope to use my voice to create change as well as amplify the voices and opinions of others. If I were to get elected, some of my goals are to upgrade the accessibility of the school; things like having more power operated doors and accessible/gender neutral bathrooms. I would also like to work towards accommodations being available to all students, regardless of having a diagnosis or not. If you think I would be a good representative of your voice, please vote for me!
Student Leadership Council (SLC)
School of Communications Design (SCD)
Character Design: Abbey Leach (she/her)
Hello, AUArts! I am running for re-election as your SLC representative for Character Design. I am a second-year student studying Character Design and Illustration at the university, and I have experience at three other post-secondary institutions through my previous degree. I have always been a passionate advocate for student interests, specifically regarding institutional transparency, accessibility, and celebrating diverse identities in our community. I am interested in continuing my work with the Student Leadership Council (SLC) to voice the concerns of my fellow students and champion student rights at the university and in the surrounding community. I have previously worked with non-profit organizations to collect feedback from community members to generate better educational tools, improve pre-existing programs, and develop new strategies to address community needs. As a student in the Character Design and Illustration program, I am specifically interested in working with the SA and the university to expand options for students when it comes to creative exploration and electives; removing barriers to make program information more accessible; and advertising opportunities to learn about new software and technologies to equip students for a wide array of career opportunities after graduation.
When I’m not at AUArts, you can find me playing D&D or exploring new stories in a wide range of media. In my (limited) spare time I am also working with Lean Into Love, a new local production company, as an assistant producer. We work to support and produce creative projects that centre neurodiverse, 2SLGBTQIA+, and other diverse stories from local emerging artists. We are dedicated to producing art that has a meaningful connection to love at all times!
A vote for me is a vote for your strongest advocate and a champion for open communication and collaborative change.
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Illustration: Serena Williamson (she/her/they/them)
Hi! I'm Serena!!! I'm 21, and I go by she/they pronouns. ^__^ I'm a 4th year Illustration major and I'm really interested in further supporting our community and growing connections between both students within this specific major and overall in the school. I have previous experience within many team environments and I'm a very flexible and multifaceted person. Overall, I’m very interested in furthering the quality of life at the school and other teambuilding initiatives-I want everyone to feel welcome here, no matter who they are! Within the Illustration stream specifically I'd like to focus on heightening the quality of our shared studio space, focusing on issues in regards to the overall feeling of disconnect many design students feel with the rest of the school, and otherwise. I hope to be able to communicate the needs of people in this stream and make a change for the better within the community. Yay!
Student Leadership Council (SLC)
School of Craft + Emerging Media (SCEM)
Ceramics: Aynslee Sneddon (she/her)
Hello! My name is Aynslee Sneddon. Currently 3rd Year Ceramics Major I am from Sacramento, California but have been living in Calgary for most of my life. My art focuses on Neurodiversity, Modernism and a bit of spunk mixed in, I want to connect with people by using my art practice or to open their eyes to something new. I would love to rerun to be ceramics representative, be more involved within my AuArts community and to represent the ceramics Department I want to be the voice for my fellow students.
I was first introduced to ceramics in high school (2018-2021) and have fallen in love with it ever since I am now majoring in ceramics and love to be in the studio ALL the time, its like a second home I have taken 101 215,216 NASC, and now in my third year. I am getting a BFA in Ceramics, trying to get my branches out there in exhibitions and shows more within the community.
I want to make a difference and be able to communicate with fellow peers on subjects that may arise within the community, ceramics we feel needs more inclusion in the school community. Also would love to be able to create a safe space within the community.
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Fibre: Nicole Ostojic (she/her)
Hello there! My name is Nicole Ostojic. This past semester, I have been the Fibre Representative on the Student Leadership Council. My continual interest in this position lies in an eagerness to connect with and support my peers by ensuring that their needs and interests are met. In my short time as an SLC Representative, I have gained a deeper appreciation for this opportunity to advocate for the voices of AUArts students. I hope to continue to gain insight on the affairs and developments of the Students Association in order to better communicate with and represent the AUArts Fibre community.
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Glass: Sophie Eslinger (she/her)
Hi friends, it's Sophie once again looking for your votes to get re-elected as your Glass department representative! During the last year I've done my best to stay available and approachable for whatever concerns my peers in the glass department or otherwise have brought forward so that I can look into them for you. If re-elected, I plan on continuing my work, as well as raising more awareness on how easy it is for y'all to use your dental benefits!
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Jewelry + Metals: Maya Davis (she/her)
Hi all! My name is Maya Davis I am a third year jewellery and metals major. I am passionate about my major and excited to get to know everyone in the department. I moved to Calgary from Maine in order to draw inspiration from the mountains. I am hoping in this role I can help foster a sense of community in the department and also help fundraise for jewellery and metals specific opportunities. Please vote for me! Thanks in advance :)
Student Leadership Council (SLC)
School of Visual Arts (SVA)
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Drawing: Sasha Terway (she/they)
My name is Sasha Terway (she/they) and I am currently completing my third year as a drawing major at AUArts. I have been the representative for drawing for nearly a year now and I am eager to continue this role and participating in events, and finance committee. I pride myself on being a readily available resource for my peers and maintaining a friendly and positive attitude as I also navigate the path of a BFA I want to be a resource to assist my fellow students in a enriching experience of learning and development. I enjoy being a voice for student concerns within my department, I find that there is no problem we cannot solve together through communicating needs and concerns of the student body and understanding what resources the Students’ Association has readily available and how I can assist in marketing them to our students. I enjoy the role and I am passionate about our community, I hope to be able to continue this task and hope that others may continue to trust me with it.
Painting: Matthew Gil (he/him)
My name is Matthew Gil, and I am running to be your painting SLC representative. I am a third year painting major, and I have been making whimsical, dreamy, and colourful abstract paintings over the last few semesters. I have helped organize the painting department show along with my peers and even put together a show for myself! My goal as the painting representative is to foster a community within the painting department, because I know that we all can be hermits sometimes. I will do this by working with student-led galleries around the school to put more painting shows on and have our work be seen! Please consider voting for me, thank you.
Student Leadership Council (SLC)
Other Representatives
BFA General Studies: Thea Galang
Hello everyone! My name is Thea Galang, and I am currently attending my First Year at Alberta University of the Arts! In the upcoming Fall Term in 2024, I would be honored to be voted as this university’s Sculpture Representative in this upcoming election. Sculpture has been my passion and so is expressing my identity as a Filipino-Canadian through my works. I often combine these two passions, bringing awareness of my Filipino experiences and the Filipino culture towards the students and faculty of this university.
Allowing me to be your Sculpture Representative will help me bring awareness to the other Sculpture artists wanting for their concerns to be heard and for their practices to be recognized.
Despite Calgary being one of the top cities to have such a high population of the Filipino/FilipinX/FilipinA community, there was a lack of representation of Filipino creatives within the university and a platform to promote their works. A conversation between John Asilo, the current BDes representative, and Marissa Boutet soon emerged to become a growing Filipino art collective known as ""Hawak Kamay"", meaning holding hands in Tagalog! The collective has had its first exhibition in the November 2023 Gallery Crawl, creating a successful platform for 18 of the Filipino/FilipinX/FilipinA creatives who attend this university!
Of course, the collective wouldn’t have existed if it were not for the support of the AUArts Student Association through their micro-grant programs. In the next two years, I want to slowly make way to eventually support future collectives in an Executive position role in the AUArts Student Association!