STAFF

Executive Director, Rachael Jones (she/her)

Rachael Jones is a recent transplant from Winnipeg (2017) to the Okanagan and the business owner of Tigerlily Clothing, a women’s clothing boutique in downtown Kelowna.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, Rachael spent over a decade working as a marketing and events expert. She spent over six years working in Community Relations at Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, refining her skills in marketing, sponsorships, charitable programs, and public relations. It was during her time working in Community Relations that lead to a passion of helping charitable and not for profit organizations with their events and fund-raising initiatives.
An avid learner, Rachael has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Winnipeg. Rachael is happily married to her husband Glen and has three children: Austin, Cody and Joshua. When not spending time with her family, Rachael enjoys curling up with a good book and happily discarding her potato chips for her new found love of organic spelt sticks and of course, a glass of Okanagan red wine.

Art Educator & Volunteer Coordinator, Amy Bradshaw (she/her)

Amy has dedicated herself to a life full of art since graduating from Emily Carr University of Art + Design 18 years ago, and is now living in Kelowna, BC. Having worked originally with clay, she has transitioned to using fibre as an active felter. Amy’s artistic practice involves layering colourful raw wool, silk, and yarn together to create tactile, three-dimensional tapestries and wall hangings. The inspiration she draws from her relationship to her body as well as her passion for the outdoors can be seen in her designs. She has extensive experience exhibiting and teaching throughout the Okanagan and enjoys working with Cool Arts Artists and learning from them. Amy exhibits each year at the Lake Country Art Walk, and has shown in exhibitions at the Salmon Arm Art Gallery, Lake Country Art Gallery, Penticton Art Gallery, Vernon Art Gallery, and Arte Funktional.

Guest Workshop Instructor, Lucie Parent (she/her)

Lucie is an accomplished artist, specializing in sculpting with recycled materials. She is also a longtime Cool Arts Society volunteer and supporter. As our former Board President, her passion and guidance continue to nurture the Cool Arts community.
She has generously volunteered her time to provide sculpting workshops for Cool Artists. Her most recent workshops for Cool Arts involved an introduction to standing sculptures using paverpol.
Lucie is one of our best champions, and is a fervent advocate for Cool Artists. She lives in Kelowna with her husband, Tommy, and is the proud grandmother of four. We are so fortunate to have Lucie on our team, and look forward to sharing her future projects and exhibits!

Art Educator, Sarah Parsons (she/her)

Sarah Parsons lives in Kelowna, British Columbia. Her recent painting style involves a love affair with acrylic and mixed media on wood. The beautiful swirling landscapes of the Okanagan Valley, are a great inspiration for Sarah’s paintings and drawings.
Many of her paintings depict animal characters with a special fondness for Pigs. Sarah loves fresh air and quiet moments with nature, enjoying snowshoeing and kayaking. We’d love for you to check out Sarah’s work here: http://www.sarahparsons.ca/

Exhibitions & Programming Coordinator, Shimshon Obadia (they/them)

Shimshon Obadia is an interdisciplinary artist and community activist living and working on the traditional unceded territory of the syilx Okanagan people. They hold an interdisciplinary fine arts degree with a focus on performance and education from the University of British Columbia. Their work aims to educate and empower those who interact with it through the collective exchange of mutual empathy. Most recently, they have been doing this through self-advocacy “soft” activism. This work has been focused on organizing within the communities their intersectional identity as a queer trans non-binary, autistic, person of colour connects and defines them by. In 2018 they received an Award of Excellence from Ottawa’s Cinema WorldFest awards for their documentary and long-term eco-justice art project, Daylighting the Classroom. They have toured workshops and presented work across Canada and abroad. Over the past few years Obadia has been one of many artists, scientists and organizations contributing to the Social Life of Water exhibition, working with the Kelowna Museums Society. Currently, they lead the exhibitions and public programming of the Cool Arts Society in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada where they have been collaborating with fellow adult artists with developmental disabilities, using art education as a means for bolstering unique perspectives in a seemingly incompatible world. Most days they can be found writing, reading, working with the Inspired Word Café Society (where they host a monthly podcast of the same name as the society), or the Okanagan Gender Identity Group, and just generally causing (mostly) good kinds of trouble in the world! To find more of their work and what they’re up to, visit their website at: www.ShimshonObadia.com