Ottawa Artists
March 2024
Beverley McKiver
Beverley McKiver is an Anishinaabe music creator. A pianist since childhood, in recent years she has poured her passion and energy into contemporary classical composition. Her work, from pieces for solo piano, SATB choir, small ensemble, and art song cycles, draws from the past that she is recouping, as a 60s scoop child; and the present that she is exploring. Beverley’s musical influences include a wide gamut of classical, jazz, liturgical, and Indigenous musicians and composers. In her work and life, she aspires to honour nature, while recalling both the joys and tribulations of her ancestors.
Bella Bowes
Bella is a core member of the Propeller Dance Company and has been dancing with the organization since the inception of DanceAbility in 2002. In 2011, she performed in Montreal at Studio 303 in Tracked. She enjoys working with children and volunteers as a teaching assistant with the Propeller Dance children’s program. She has also volunteered with the Beacon Hill Learning Centre and the Gloucester Food Bank. Bella is an active abstract visual artist and her work has been shown at a number of locations in Ottawa.
Magdalena Jennings
Magdalena (they/them) has a background in high school teaching and youth work. Their passions include storytelling, singing, TTRPGs, spirituality, history, and the natural world. They have recently returned to Canada after living ten years abroad.
Martin van de Ven
Martin van de Ven is a composer, clarinettist and musical director and educator. A mainstay of the Canadian Klezmer scene, he performs and tours with Beyond The Pale. He has published two instructional volumes of Klezmer transcriptions and composed and performed music for film, television, theatre, and dance productions. In 2017 with Jumblies, he composed the multi movement cantata, Under The Concrete.
Robert Chartier
Robert Chartier has been a career dancer with Propeller Dance since its inception, staging My Mother's Mother's Mother's Mother in 2018, based on his Wendat ancestry. In 2023 Robert made an hour long documentary exploring My MMMM's creation, entitled Carrying Each Other Finding Ourselves with filmmaker Carmel Whittle,. He has danced in Liz Winkelaar's Spasticus, Shara Weaver's Frame of Mind and Circuit and Renata Soutter's Living the Desirable Life and Flesh and Spokes. When not dancing, Rob enjoys life at a hobby farm on the fringes of Osgoode, ON.
Kathryn Patricia Cobbler
Kathryn Patricia Cobbler is an Ottawa-based multidisciplinary artist, composer and violaist who has crafted a singular niche in music improvisation and classical performance. She has been featured in Chamberfest, Music and Beyond, NUMUS Concert series, and named one of '3 Classical Musicians You Should Know ' in 2022, by SHIFTER Magazine and the NAC. Kathryn is a performance instructor at Carleton University and an artist on the MASC Artist roster. Most recently, Kathryn was commissioned by the National Art Gallery of Canada to compose a piece of music for Uninvited: Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Moment.
Ruth Howard
Ruth Howard is an interdisciplinary artist and founding Artistic Director of Jumblies from 2001 to 2022. With Jumblies, she created and produced multi-year Toronto residencies resulting in large-scale performances and lasting offshoots, cross-country tours, films, publications, musical works, professional development workshops, and other community-engaged projects. Ruth has a background in theatre design; taught at many schools, colleges and universities; mentored many artists and orbanizations; and won awards for her work. In 2023, Ruth passed the artistic direction of Jumblies on to new leadership and now works as an independent artist and consultant.
Shara Weaver
Shara is Artistic Associate, Outreach Coordinator and Co-Founder of Propeller Dance, an award-winning inclusive contemporary dance organization. She is pansexual, neurodiverse and a MAD artist. With Propeller Dance, she developed a Pan-Canadian Dance and Disability Digital Network in 2021. She has performed/choreographed for the Canada Dance Festival; National Arts Centre; Ottawa Art Gallery; Vertigo Theatre; Registry Theatre and Cobra du Mandingue, a Gatineau-based group directed by Mohamed Diarra. Shie is a Diamond Jubilee recipient.
Áine Schryer-O’Gorman
Áine Schryer-O'Gorman grew up enveloped by the non-profit arts sector and is delighted to be venturing deeper into community arts work as they continue their own career as an artist and musician. Áine has most recently worked for Jumblies Theatre & Arts as a programming assistant, and for World on a String as a fiddle teacher. They have engaged with communities through their work as a fiddle player for over 12 years and have worked with and learned from Thinking Rock Community Arts for over 6 years. They have also been heavily involved with and impacted by AlgomaTrad.