Rayya Liebich (she/her) is a Canadian writer and educator of Lebanese and Polish descent. Winner of the Richard Carver Award for Emerging Writers (2019), The Geneva Literary Award (2015), and The Golden Grassroots Chapbook Award (2015), she holds a degree in English Literature from McGill University and a B. Ed from The University of Victoria. Her debut full-length poetry collection Min Hayati was released in 2021 by Inanna Publications and her poetry and prose have appeared in literary journals internationally. Passionate about writing as a tool for transformation and changing the discourse on grief, she teaches poetry and CNF to youth and adults in beautiful Nelson, BC.

rayyaliebich.com

Marcus Dénommé was born and raised on Algonquin Temiskaming first nations territory in Ontario, canada. It was here at a young age that Dénommé began to explore street art and artistic interventions on public and private property. Throughout the years, they grew a deep passion for the intersection of art and activism such as civil disobedience, direct action, community level organization, etc. Dénommé honed their craft as communications designer at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, where they discovered traditional printmaking and bookmaking practices. Although their practice includes a variety of disciplines including painting, sculpture, mixed media, they love exhibiting printed work in independent shows and book fairs. Dénommé is the editor of the Veins & Arterys publications and now calls home to unceded Sinixt territory.

Jaymie Johnson  is a visual artist whose work spans drawing, printmaking, and textiles. Her formal education includes studies at the San Francisco Art Institute and Emily Carr University of Art + Design, where she received her BFA in 2015 and later taught as a sessional faculty member.  Her informal education includes mentorship in community engagement and environmental public art from Sharon Kallis (EartHand Gleaners Society) and Cameron Cartiere (Border Free Bees). Jaymie currently resides in her hometown of Nelson, B.C., where she spends her time spellbound by plants: drawing, weaving, growing, spinning, dyeing, listening, and generally enamoured by their magic. 

Brian Lye is a filmmaker and visual artist from Vancouver, Canada, now based in Nelson. His lens-based works are preoccupied with magic, humour, and the everyday. He holds a BA in Film Studies and Japanese Studies from the University of Victoria, a Diploma in Screen Production from Sydney Film School, was a guest student at The Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, and recently completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in visual art from The University of British Columbia.  His films and animations have won awards and screened internationally at venues such as Sundance Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, The Contemporary Culture Centre of Barcelona, and LIVE! Vancouver’s performance art biennale. He has been an artist in residence with the Klondike Institute for Art and Culture and the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.