Agnieszka Chalas, Manager of Community Engagement

As the Manager of Community Engagement, Agnieszka leads, implements and supports ArtsSmarts' community engagement strategy in both online and offline platforms and is responsible for building and advancing a dynamic community active around the ArtsSmarts model. In her previous position as the Director of Public Programs and Education at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, she managed an expansive schedule of programs for a diverse range of audiences and was responsible for curating annual exhibitions of student artwork in addition to exhibitions using work from the gallery's permanent collection. Prior to that, she worked as Program Director at Studio in a School, a not-for-profit arts-in-education organization in New York City, where she oversaw programs in public schools across the five boroughs. Having a broad base of experience in art education, she has also worked as a gallery educator at the Vancouver Art Gallery as well as an ArtsSmarts teaching artist. Agnieszka holds an MA in Art Education from Concordia University in Montreal, a BEd from the University of British Columbia, and a BFA from NSCAD University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She has published curriculum, resource materials, and articles on topic related to the teaching of art.

Jason van Eyk, Executive Director

Jason is an award-winning, accomplished cultural management professional with a passion for connecting the public to enriching creative experiences. He believes that one of the most important ways to do so is by giving artists, educators and learners of all ages robust, resonant and inspiring channels through which to connect and collaborate, and thus to build strong communities. While his first love is music - Jason holds an M.Mus from the Eastman School of Music - his practice has been aligned with education and professional writing activities for many years. He merged these worlds into one after completing an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University in 2000, specializing in art and media administration, with a concentration in marketing. Since then, Jason has demonstrated his dedication for advancing an expanded role for the arts in Canadian life, guided by an appetite for launching new ideas and exciting ventures wherever he works. You only have to look to the Canadian Music Centre, where he served as the Ontario Regional Director from 2003-2011, or the University of Toronto, where he was Founding Director of the U of T ArtsZone, to find examples of his impact. Add in his experience as an educator with the Regent Park School of Music, guest lecturer in arts management with the University of Toronto Scarborough, and co-developer of the Business of Arts program for the Cultural Careers Council of Ontario, and it becomes clear why Jason can connect with the ArtsSmarts mission in a deeply personal manner. Jason currently shares this same dedication and passion on a volunteer basis with the Board of Governors of the Canadian Conference of the Arts, the Advisory Council of the University of Toronto Scarborough Arts Management program, the Advisory Council of ArtsBuild Ontario.

Karen Harkins, Community Engagement Coordinator

Karen was born and raised in Toronto and received academic training at the Ontario College of Art & Design. Ever since she was a young girl spending her summers in New Brunswick and her school days in northern Toronto, her life has revolved around the visual arts, particularly painting. Her deep interest in people has led her involvement in education and arts programming in the community.  Karen has broad based experience working in different environments with people of all backgrounds including children, teachers, parents and diverse and high-needs community groups in Toronto. Karen is extremely passionate about all arts as a vehicle for social change and community development. Karen has worked for several organizations as an Arts Educator including The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), Inner City Angels, Adelaide Women's Shelter, Visual Arts Mississauga, Blackwood Gallery (University of Toronto - Mississauga Campus), Harbourfront Centre and The Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa. Most recently Karen has been an Education Officer for School Programs and Youth & Family Programs and a studio instructor for students and adults at the AGO. Karen's main focus has been developing and delivering programs to children from Junior Kindergarten to grade 12 in support of the Toronto District School Board's (TDSB) curriculum. Working for Inner City Angels and the Adelaide Women's Shelter allowed Karen to create, develop and implement original programs in the TDSB schools and in the shelter for women who have experienced long-term poverty. In addition to her professional pursuits, Karen has been an active volunteer in the community including an instructor with the United Metropolitan Church's Art Drop-in Centre and contributing to the Ralph Thornton Centre's Black History Month art events.

Frances Shakov, Interim Manager of Fund Development and Marketing

Prior to joining ArtsSmarts, Frances worked on a year-long special project with the Timmins Symphony Orchestra. Before this, she was the General Manager of Ballet Jörgen Canada, and the Executive Director at STAF where she managed several independent theatre and music artists. As the first Executive Director of Regent Park School of Music, she put the music school on the map as Toronto's foremost independent non-profit community music school. With an arts administration career spanning more than 25 years, Frances has worked in senior management for such prestigious cultural organizations as the Canadian Opera Company as the Director of Marketing and the Calgary Philharmonic as Director of Marketing & Communications. She has marketed several tours, including the Calgary Philharmonic's first North American Tour, and she was the UK Marketing Liaison for the Bournemouth Symphony's first US tour. Frances spent several years at the National Arts Centre where she was the Senior Marketing Officer for music and theatre, and she has freelanced for the Canada Council for the Arts and Heritage Canada. Frances has diplomas in Business and Arts Administration, and an undergraduate degree in Theatre from the University of Ottawa where she subsequently taught Theatre Administration for several years. She has given numerous grant writing, budgeting and marketing workshops throughout Ontario and in Montreal, and also co-developed the Business of Arts program for the Cultural Careers Council of Ontario. Frances is Chair of The Chimera Project and Treasurer of Theatre Smith-Gilmour.