The Team
Executive Producer/Principal Investigator:
Mitch Kern
Originally from New York City, Mitch Kern is the Head of Photography at the Alberta College of Art + Design where he also teaches in Media Arts and Digital Technologies. He has an MFA in Photography from the Pennsylvania State University, an undergraduate degree in Visual Art from the University of Maryland, and 20 years of experience working as a photographer and video artist in North America and abroad.
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Co-Producer/Co-Investigator:
Roger Nason
Roger Nason joined the Community Upgrading Education Division of Keyano College in Fort McMurray, Alberta, in December, 2005. Here he took on the portfolio of Aboriginal Education Strategist to implement new initiatives for the College to become more interactive in communities across Wood Buffalo Region. Over the past two and half years, the strategic priorities for Aboriginal Education have been funded through community-college-industry partnerships that have seen new certificate programs especially in entrepreneurship, environment, trades training and IT communications.
Building on Roger’s 25 years of experience in government, business and aboriginal relations, he now assumes the post of Manager of Applied Research and Development at Keyano starting July 1. Building strong institutional, government and private sector collaborative partnerships will be a hallmark for increasing the College’s presence in the applied research field.
Roger is a native of New Brunswick, hailing from Grand Manan Island in the Bay of Fundy and later migrating to Fredericton in 1967 where he completed degrees at the Bachelors and Masters levels.
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Producer/Project Manager:
Kurtis Lesick
Kurtis Lesick is a polymedia artist, painter, writer, researcher and creative consultant. His work integrates over ten years experience as an archaeologist and anthropologist in Canada, England, and Mexico, and blurs genres between painting, video, digital media (web, mobile, gaming), installation and performance. He has a BA in Archaeology and Anthropology from the University of Calgary followed by a Master of Philosophy in Archaeology and Prehistory at the University of Sheffield in Sheffield, England. Kurtis has worked with several leading organisations including Alberta College of Art and Design, Canadian Heritage, National Film Board of Canada, Horizonzero.ca, Banff New Media Institute, and Union of BC Performers. He has spoken internationally on a variety of topics in social theory, cultural criticism, and philosophy, and has published on the materiality of gender, cultural resources in Canada, and prehistoric ‘design’.
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Line Producer / Project Assistant:
Lisa Polini
Lisa was born and raised in Calgary and attended the University of Calgary. She brings to the project a wealth of experience in accounting and administration. While film and video is a new genre for her, she looks forward to the new working environment, challenges and experiences the process will bring. This includes balancing a family life as mother to 3 energetic boys.
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Production Assistant / Project Assistant:
Shane Mahar
Shane Mahar is a conceptual artist whose focus is on performance and installation. He is currently attending the Alberta College of Art + Design where he plans to earn a BFA in sculpture. Shane’s work focuses on everyday actions altered to create discourse about everyday life. Having transferred to ACAD from Mount Royal College where he completed courses in Anthropology, Archaeology and Sociology, Shane has a passion for diversity and a desire to question the roles involved in history building as well as the construction of cultural identities.
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Project Advisors:
Leo Jacobs
Chair Aboriginal Education
Community & Upgrading Education
Keyano College
Fort McMurray AB
Garry Berteig
Art Faculty
Keyano College
Fort McMurray AB