ARTS & CULTURE AWARD
For enriching the culture of our community through creation or promotion of the arts on a volunteer or professional basis.
Award Presented By: Isabel Van Kuik and James Dannemann, Scotiabank
ARTS & CULTURE NOMINEES
Claudia Aguirre
Claudia Aguirre is a flamenco artist, educator, and cultural leader. Co-founder of CalúJules—Flamenco Plus and the Little KW Flamenco Fest, she has redefined the flamenco community in the Waterloo Region, all while striving for sustainable and inclusive arts practices. Her work nurtures connection, fosters intercultural dialogue, and makes quality flamenco dance and music accessible locally. With academic credentials from York University and Humber College, and as a current PhD student in Community Music at Wilfrid Laurier University—all while raising a young family—Claudia demonstrates a tenacity for hard work and perseverance.
Megha Birmiwal
After successful engineer roles at Google,Linkedin and Oracle, Megha is now a full time artist and the Founder/President of Sushila Goyal Group that promotes Indian culture. She is the former President of Kitchener Waterloo Society of Artists, Academy member for Arts Awards Waterloo Region, Artist in Residence for Laurelwood Waterloo. She teaches art and
cultural workshops for Camino Well Being, Women's Prison, City of Kitchener and cultural centres. Conducts art contests, sit and draw, art showcases, community art, does live paintings and neighborhood community projects to inspire the community towards art and culture. She's been on fire.
Cora Black
Cora Black, founder and director of Moree School of Dance, celebrates 45 years of inspiring students. Locally raised, she trained at Ewalds Academy and earned an Honours BSc in Dance from U of W. A certified CDTA and RAD teacher, she performed with KWMP, at the National Arts Centre for President Ronald Reagan and other professional shows. For decades, she has mentored thousands, sharing technical expertise, a love for the arts, and award-winning choreography while fostering a family atmosphere where students flourish. Moree has supported local fundraising, leaving a lasting impact on the dance community and beyond.
Stephanie Boutari
Stephanie Boutari is a Canadian/Egyptian artist, muralist, and designer renowned for her vibrant, large-scale artworks that
transform public and commercial spaces. Born in Bahrain in 1987, she moved to Canada in 2005 to pursue her passion
for architecture, earning both a Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS ’11) and a Master of Architecture (MArch ’14)
from the University of Waterloo. Her artistic journey began during her graduate studies, where her thesis, "Painting
Architecture," explored the interplay of color, light, and design on spatial perception—an interest that evolved into a fulltime
career in mural art.
Tara Butler
Tara Butler is a classically trained ballet dancer who worked for 20 years as a professional dancer with the National Ballet
of Canada, the Alberta Ballet and as a principal dancer for Ballet Jorgen. Tara is also a dance teacher and coach, and the
Artistic Director and founder of Dust and Soul Dance, a professional dance company in Kitchener. She works as a
dancer and choreographer, as well as a dance programmer and presenter. She seeks out collaboration with artists
across disciplines in the Waterloo region and beyond and produces high quality performances. She has received national, provincial, and local funding for her work, and is the Company Director for Guelph Youth Dance.
Angela Cox-Daly
Angela is a passionate professional violinist performer and teacher. She was a member of the KWSO for 32 years, 15
years as 2nd Associate Concertmaster. Angela conducted the KWS Youth Strings, coached the KWSYO sectionals for
several years and was on faculty at Laurier University (WLU, Waterloo, ON) as a violin instructor. Angela was a founding
member of the Bridge to Music programme teaching less fortunate children. This was a challenging and incredibly
rewarding aspect of her teaching career. Angela is co-founder, director, violin and piano teacher with Daly Music
Academy (38 years). She adjudicates at various music festivals & competitions in Ontario. Angela has three children who have been members of all levels of the Kitchener Waterloo Youth Orchestra program!
Allison Dyjach
Allison Dyjach (she/her) is a musician, educator, radio producer, and community leader in the Kitchener-Waterloo arts scene. Returning to her hometown in 2019, Allison became involved in the local music scene as a member of folk-pop band I, the Mountain. Allison is passionate about elevating and highlighting the local music community through her
dedicated work at Midtown Radio. Through this work, Allison Dyjach has become a leader in showcasing local voices and bringing further credibility to the immense artistic talent in our region. Outside of her community work, Allison spends her days as a Kindergarten teacher in the WRDSB.
Behnaz Fatemi
Behnaz Fatemi is a multidisciplinary visual artist and PhD candidate in Visual Culture at Western University. Born in Iran,
she holds an MFA in Fine Arts from the University of Waterloo, and a BFA in Painting from the University of Guilan, Iran.
Behnaz has participated in over 30 group exhibitions and has had over 10 solo exhibitions both abroad and in Canada. In addition to her practice as a visual artist, Behnaz is an instructor, a speaker, a leader of various public art projects and an advocate for immigrant artists through her art practice and through volunteer support.
Kathie Jordan
Kathie opened the doors to her full service interior decorating studio nearly 15 years ago. Kathie was a stained glass artist for about 17 years prior to that, creating one of a kind installations. Kathies work can be seen across Canada and the United States. Sustainability is the Kathies mantra, now more than ever, the importance of recycling quality furniture is near and dear to her heart. Kathie is known as a women inspiring women in the arts to create their own legacy of creativity, and self expression. "Find your own meaning of joy and express yourself!"
Lauren Keating
Lauren Keating is currently the Director of the Heels and Chair Program and Head of Business Development at the
Underdog Dance Corp. in Uptown Waterloo. She teaches dance to beginner adults who always wanted to try but never had a chance. She also mentors junior dance instructors, manages corporate outreach and dance programming for the
wider community, and is an absolutely unparalleled leader in her industry. Prior to her position at The Underdog, Lauren worked as a Consultant in Corporate Communications, where she specialized in strategic communications planning, reputation and issues management, public relations, and stakeholder relations.
Kathryn Ladano
Dr. Kathryn Ladano, a visionary Canadian bass clarinetist, has redefined the instrument through a blend of traditional and
experimental techniques. With degrees from the University of Waterloo, University of Calgary, and York University, and
mentorship from renowned musicians, she has captivated audiences worldwide. A dedicated educator, she’s served as
Artistic Director for NUMUS, taught at Wilfrid Laurier University, and currently instructs at the University of Waterloo. Her discography includes three solo albums and one duo release. After a traumatic brain injury in 2020, Kathryn now uses her music to raise awareness about brain injuries and advocate for fellow survivors.
Carin Lowerison
Carin is a professional theatre producer, arts administrator, educator, and performer. She is the Co-Founder and
Managing Director of Green Light Arts, a charitable theatre company in Kitchener. With GLA, she has produced over 25
theatrical productions and from 2023-25 she led the team that interim operated the Conrad Centre on behalf of the City of Kitchener. A member of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association, Carin starred in GLA’s 2024 production of 'Late Company' for which she received an Arts Award WR nomination. Carin has taught in the Theatre Dept at University of Waterloo and is a senior teacher and faculty member at The Branches Yoga in Kitchener. She holds a theatre degree from University of Toronto and diplomas from Sheridan College and Trinity College London.
Mary Abdel-Malek Neil
Mary is a community musician and founder of KW Junk Music, transforming discarded objects into instruments of
connection. As Kitchener’s 2019 artist-in-residence, she produced Songs of Kitchener, a community album rooted in local
stories. Her 2022 release, I’m Who I Am, explores local lived experience through sound. Mary also co-founded
Screaming into the Void Waterloo Region, a grassroots movement offering women a safe space to voice collective
rage—fueling her bold podcast, Screaming into the Mic. Through music, vocal expression, and activism, Mary amplifies unheard voices and builds community through creativity.
Pam Patel
Pam Patel is the Artistic Director of local theatre company MT Space. As a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University’s music
program, Pam established a career as a multidisciplinary artist while pursuing her passion for centralizing racialized
voices through theatre. Pam has acted as board chair for both NUMUS and Arts Awards Waterloo Region, participating
in critical strategic planning for both organizations, and also sat on the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee for the City of Kitchener. Pam has received numerous recognitions including: Rotary International’s ‘Paul Harris Fellowship for Service Above Self in Arts and Culture’, the ‘Emerging Leader in Performing Arts Award’ from CAPACOA, Zonta’s 2021 Women of Achievement Award and the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
Kelly Pedro
Kelly Pedro is a Portuguese Canadian writer from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. She is the winner of the 2024 CRAFT
Literary Flash Prose Prize and has been shortlisted for Room’s 2022 Fiction Prize. Her fiction has appeared in CRAFT, PRISM international, The New Quarterly, Cleaver, Archetype Literary, Flash Frog, New Flash Fiction Review, Bending Genres, Fictive Dream, 100-Word Story, Ghost Parachute, Moon City Review, and is forthcoming (June 2025) in an anthology featuring the best new work by Portuguese-Canadian writers that will be published by Arquipélago Press. She is also a past SmokeLong Quarterly Emerging Writer Fellow.
Isabella Stefanescu
Isabella Stefanescu is a painter, media artist, writer, and producer. Originally from Romania, where she studied fine arts in a school for gifted children, Isabella Stefanescu came to Canada in her teens. In grade 12 she was awarded a Descartes scholarship to study mathematics at University of Waterloo, where she also studied fine arts and art history. In 2007 she
was awarded an Ontario Arts Council K.M. Hunter Award for Interdisciplinary Art. Stefanescu’s artwork has been
exhibited in public/private galleries in Canada, France, and the United States, and the films she wrote, produced, designed have been shown at international festivals. She is a founder of Globe Studios and of Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener
and Area.
Sarah Thompson
Sarah Thompson grew up in North Waterloo and has lived here her whole life. A comedic performer herself, Sarah
produces the Lavender Fizz open mic at TWB Brewing, for queer, femme, and non-binary people, to fill the gap she saw in
performance opportunities for marginalized voices in the region. Expanding her stage skills, Sarah also completed a run in the ensemble of KW Little Theatre's performance of Pippin. Sarah continues to provide a stage for distinct voices, and continues to be a voice for comedy and change herself.
Yuehua Wu
Yuehua (Maria) Wu is a highly accomplished music educator with 40 years of teaching experience, including 15 years as a registered teacher with the Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada. She holds a Master’s degree in music and
previously taught at Zhejiang Conservatory of Music in China. She has performed solo concerts in China, Japan, Taiwan, and Canada. She has founded the Maria Wu Music Education Center for 16 years, where her students have excelled in RCM exams and competitions, with many pursuing university studies in piano and voice.she and students have won many awards. A strong advocate for cultural exchange, she is a respected figure in Canada’s music community.