About the Tamarack
Arts Association
The Tamarack Arts Association is an incorporated charitable organization created to advance public appreciation of the arts in Northern Ontario by producing public art exhibitions, presentations, and performance arts events, and to provide a forum for qualified artists from Northern Ontario to exhibit, present, or perform their artistic works and be paid industry wages.
Meet Artistic and Executive Director, Jessie Bergeron
Jessie Bergeron is a multidisciplinary theatre artist from Timmins, Ontario. After graduating from the University of Ottawa with a BA in Theatre Studies, she trained in acting at George Brown College. She has since branched out into playwriting, directing and producing. She is a proud mama of three and a teacher-mom to many more. As a mother-artist, a feminist, a queer woman, and a person who lives with mental illness, she works to create space for these communities and explore these lived experiences through her art.
Meet Executive Producer, Paige Weir
Originally from Western Canada and now based in Timmins, Paige brings more than 20 years of experience in graphic design, photography, visual storytelling, communications and art direction.
Her career spans award-winning Canadian publications, healthcare communications, film, photography and visual arts. She has developed magazines for organizations including Canadian Blood Services and the University of Alberta, spent 12 years in Toronto as a product, wardrobe and set stylist for major national retailers like Canadian Tire, LCBO, Walmart and Shoppers Drug Mart, and now, serves as a communications advisor with Timmins and District Hospital.
Her work also extends into video, web and social media, album artwork, location scouting and art department collaboration within Northern Ontario’s film industry.
Meet Executive Producer, Karen Thistle
Born and raised in Greater Sudbury, Northern Ontario, Canada, playwright Karen Thistle’s work has appeared at Northern Ontario’s PlaySmelter Festival and at the STC Playwrights’ Junction. She is a founding member of Inklings (Playwrights and Screenwriters), Sudbury Writers Guild. In her time away from writing, Karen is a Producer with Pat the Dog Theatre Creation, and has enjoyed working with public libraries, hat making, rug hooking and more.
Instagram: dark_thistle_sudbury
OUR MISSION, VISION AND VALUES
The Tamarack Arts Association is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible space for audiences, staff, volunteers and artists. This includes programming socially-relevant work that promotes diversity and inclusion, while supporting equity-deserving groups. We believe that the arts are a powerful tool in the pursuit of social justice and we are committed to telling stories that uplift under-served communities and educate the public.
Another key element of the association’s mandate is to provide professional development opportunities to local artists and those from surrounding communities. This mentorship model will build capacity in the north and allow local artists to develop their own arts initiatives in Northern Ontario.