Alberta’s Artist in Residence and Arts Ambassador

Mallory Chipman is an award-winning musician, songwriter and producer hailing from Edmonton. With 4 full length albums and one EP to her name, Mallory has been gaining momentum as one of Western Canada's brightest stars in folk music, celebrated for her soaring, acrobatic vocals and storytelling that is “gutsy whilst also placing itself with enthusiastic abandonment into the longer tradition of the great singer-songwriters” (Americana UK). She has toured across Canada, Europe and Asia, proudly representing Alberta on the world stage, and was included in Edify Magazine's Top 40 Under 40 for her contributions to music and community building.

Nic Martin, originally from Cold Lake, is an Edmonton-based artist specializing in plein air painting and woodblock printmaking. His work explores social realism, focusing on how people shape and live within their environments. Before earning his BFA from the University of Alberta in 2025, Martin apprenticed in carpentry, welding and heavy-duty mechanics, working in fields that continue to inform his artistic perspective. His work has been exhibited at the Art Gallery of Alberta and SNAP Gallery. He was a Top 8 finalist in the Calgary Youth Poster Competition and received the Natalka Horeczko Scholarship in Painting and Print-Design.

Sharmila Mathur is a community builder who uses the sitar to connect people across generations. With more than 40 years of experience as a performer, composer and educator in Indian classical music, she has taught, healed and inspired people from all walks of life. Her work bridges cultural traditions, including collaborations with Indigenous artists, Western musicians and JUNO Award winners. Whether in schools, senior homes or concert halls, her goal is to create belonging through music. The hunger to represent Alberta’s rich artistic spirit burns bright in every note she plays.

Lisa Matthias an Alberta-based visual artist with an MFA in Printmaking and a background in plant ecology and biology. Her interdisciplinary work explores environmental issues through printmaking, animation, sound and creative nonfiction, combining scientific observation with visual storytelling. She creates artwork that responds to nature, ecology and place, using both traditional and experimental methods. Her work has been exhibited across Canada and internationally, with solo shows in Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Vernon and Vancouver. She is represented by galleries in Calgary and Edmonton, and she balances her studio practice with community teaching, arts governance and spending time outdoors with her family.

Daniel Pelton, an award-winning saxophonist and composer, was born in Tokyo and raised in Calgary. A graduate of the University of Calgary, he draws inspiration from Frank Zappa, blending boundary-pushing creativity with audience connection. His innovative projects include the Composer in Residence at the Calgary Public Library, the Violins of Hope residency at the National Music Centre and leading the University of Calgary Jazz Orchestra. Recognized across genres, Daniel’s work has international accolades, including 2nd Prize in the Caneres International Music Competition Vienna. He currently leads The Daniel Pelton Collective - a rotating group of musicians performing and recording his original works.

Titilope Sonuga is an award-winning poet, playwright and performer. Her poetry concert, Open, has shown to sold-out audiences around the world. She has published 3 poetry collections and released 3 spoken word albums. A Dora Award–nominated playwright and Grammy voting member, Sonuga has written for global campaigns with Google, UN Women and the Gates Foundation. She served as an ambassador for Intel’s ‘She Will Connect,’ a programme to empower women and girls through technological literacy. She made history as the first poet to perform at a Nigerian presidential inauguration and served as the 9th Poet Laureate of Edmonton.