Auleen Carson- Past President
Dr. Auleen Carson is an arts lover and supporter with a special interest in how creativity is expressed and valued across cultures. She has been an active Arts Milton Board member for more than ten years and currently serves as President. Auleen’s strong belief in the power of creativity has influenced both her participation in the activities of Arts Milton and her work as a marketing professional and educator. In research and teaching, she focuses on how creativity can be used to strengthen marketing and enhance personal satisfaction and effectiveness. Her professional experience includes being a senior market research manager, Executive Producer of Carson Academy, a theatre training company for youth, and as founder and President of Envision Management, a consulting firm that helps organizations improve performance by fostering individual and organizational creativity. As an educator, Auleen has taught marketing to undergraduate and graduate students at three Canadian universities and has coauthored a marketing textbook. She has a PhD in Marketing from the Schulich School of Business at York University and an MBA from the University of British Columbia.
Kaitlyn Patience – Vice President
Kaitlyn Patience is an experienced event planner, program coordinator and advocate for arts and culture. With over 18 years of experience in this field, her focus is consistently on community engagement and bringing the arts to the public through partnerships with individual creatives, groups, arts organizations and municipalities. Kaitlyn’s experience includes working at Ontario Culture Days, Craft Ontario, and Arts Milton – where she developed and implemented award-winning collaborative
Amy Leask – Secretary
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Amy Leask is a philosopher, educator, entrepreneur, and award-winning author. She’s the founder of Red T Kids’ Media and co-founder of Enable Education, and she believes it’s never too early (or too late) to learn how to think instead of just what to think. Amy is passionate about fostering critical thinking in learners of all ages through various media and educational tools. She’s an extreme baker, hopeful gardener, driver’s seat soprano, and a mother of dragons.
Vandana Majithia – Treasurer
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Vandana Majithia is the Founder & CEO of Bollywood West Dance, a Milton based dance school.
She started her professional career as an accountant and further advanced into finance and operations management. While working in office 9-5, she searched for a creative outlet and started her first business; I Do Wedding & Events, an event planning company.
While busy trying to juggle her full-time job, part-time business, and being a mom to two daughters and a wife, she took a leap and decided to leave the corporate world behind to pursue her true passion for dance and the performing arts. She started Bollywood West Dance in 2015 with a small group of children and it has now grown to be a well-established dance school in the Halton region.
The need for community involvement and spreading a rich culture through dance & performance, she decided to close her event planning company and solely focus on expanding Bollywood West Dance.
Vandana is deeply passionate and enthusiastic about the arts and dance. She believes that all forms of art, whether it’s fine arts, visual or performing, can provide individuals with the power to express themselves, build confidence, develop social & emotional skills, improve memory, and give them that overall feeling of happiness!
Sherry Morse- Town of Milton Liaison
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Sherry Morse is the Coordinator of Cultural Services for the Town of Milton and serves as the Town liaison for Arts Milton. With over 20 years of experience in the arts and culture sector, Sherry is dedicated to fostering the arts and expanding the reach and vision of artists and cultural organizations. An artist herself, Sherry has also shared her expertise as an art instructor at the FirstOntario Arts Centre.
Allycia Uccello
Allycia Uccello is best known for her contemporary abstract multi-layered acrylic resin paintings
and cubes of floating optical illusions created through energetic luminous painted layers
of glass. Uccello’s painting practice experiments using resins embedded with paints, powdered pigments and mixed media resulting in optical luminescent light scattering effects.
Born into a family of artists in 1953, growing up in Toronto, England and New York and having her first one-woman show at 14 yrs. in Florida set the stage for a life committed to art. Graduated fine arts program at Central Technical School, Sheridan College for hot glass, Toronto, fused glass residency in Italy with Miriam De Fiore.
For over 50 years, Uccello paintings, sculpture, murals, installations, and glass art has been exhibited across Canada, the United States, and in private collections of South America, Australia, Italy, England, Canada and the US. Influenced by writer Jane Roberts in The Unknown Reality, along with artists David Hockney and Georgia O’Keeffe, set the stage for a deep dive into the foundational questions of existence and what those supporting structures might be created into a visual language to explore and express this. Uccello lives with her partner on their farm in rural Ontario.
David Kirin
A proud Milton resident for over 20 years, David Kirin is a self-taught guitarist who has performed at a semi-professional level for nearly 35 years. Throughout his musical journey, he has had the privilege of sharing the stage with renowned artists, including members of the Downchild Blues Band and the late Jeff Healey.
By day, David serves as a Marketing Manager at a leading global B2B company, bringing strategic insight and creativity to his role. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto.
Blending his passion for music with his professional expertise, David is deeply committed to supporting the arts and giving back to the Milton community. Whether through local events or mentorship, he believes in the power of creativity to bring people together.
Outside of work and music, David enjoys spending quality time with his wife Leah and their two children. His other hobbies include reading, cycling, watching movies and TV, and diving into all things pop culture.
Deepti Penkar
Deepti is a professional HR specialist and a classical dance artist by passion. She specializes in Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form rooted in the rich cultural heritage of India. Over two decades, Deepti has performed worldwide at dance festivals, temples and cultural events, including one at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland. She is a proud member of the SAMM group in Milton, an organization acting as a support system for and promoting the cultural heritage of the South Asian women community.
In Deepti’s words: “Dance is the language of the soul! Not only does it connect you with your spiritual core, but it also has the power to spread its fragrance in the lives it touches. The impact of arts in general, including dance, especially the traditional/classical forms, cannot be underestimated. Apart from being a source of pure joy, it’s a great educational tool and promotes mental health. It enriches society by promoting an aesthetic sense, beautifying one’s outlook toward life and giving insights into the world’s various cultures. It’s my passion to practice and generate awareness of this beautiful art form in people of all ages, especially the younger generation and introduce them to the unlimited benefits it offers.”
Destinee Fernandes – Youth Board Member
Leah Kirin
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Leah has been a proud resident of Milton since 2006. Over the years, she has actively contributed to the community through her involvement in local schools and volunteer programs, including serving on the MCS Nursery School Board and collaborating with the Catholic school board. She has also worked with SNAP and has successfully run her own photography business since 2007, earning numerous accolades through the Milton Reader’s Choice Awards. With a strong foundation in the arts, Leah attended Earl Haig Secondary School for Performing Arts during high school. She is enthusiastic about joining this dynamic group and looks forward to contributing her passion and experience.
Maha Anand
Maha has a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and an MBA in Information Technology. She has worked in multiple roles in different countries and leads an Analytics & Data Management team in Scotiabank. While Maha loves her career and her data work, she is deeply passionate about music and dance. She is trained in Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music, which are Indian Classical art forms.
Maha was an entrepreneur and started a small Technology firm with her husband in Bangalore, India. At the same time, she also conducted music classes with students of all ages. Moving to Canada helped her spread her wings in both Technology and Music. She conducts music classes in person and online from her home in Milton. Teaching children music and connecting them to their traditional roots is a passion. Movies, music, literature and community keep her energized and motivated.
Maha is excited about the opportunity to team with and participate in the diverse range of projects that Arts Milton extends to the community.
Prisha Sharma – Youth Board Member
Prisha Sharma is a passionate young artist who strives to celebrate culture and inclusivity through her creative work. A dedicated dancer, she is currently learning Kathak—a classical dance form of Northern India—at the Taal Academy of Kathak and has performed at various cultural events throughout Milton. In the past, Prisha has volunteered with the Dance Ability Movement (DAM), supporting individuals of all abilities in expressing themselves through dance.
Beyond performing, she is an active member of the Milton Youth Task Force, helping to organize initiatives such as the Milton Youth Market to empower and engage local youth. Having been part of the Milton community for nine years, Prisha is deeply connected to its cultural life. In her free time, she enjoys drawing and crafting, continuing to explore new forms of artistic expression.
Roy Haddad
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Roy Haddad is a Milton-based visual artist working primarily in surrealism. Born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, his passion for art began early through sketching and oil painting lessons at the Russian Cultural Center. Over the years, he has explored a range of media including graphite, charcoal, pastel, acrylic, and oil.
Roy has exhibited in solo and group shows across the Middle East and Canada, and has completed numerous private commissions. Influenced by artists such as Salvador Dali, Van Gogh, and Lawren Harris, his work blends classical and contemporary styles with a focus on meaning and symbolism.
He is currently developing a surrealist series based on proverbs and old sayings. Roy can be reached at info@pictureworld.ca
Taylor Henderson
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Taylor Henderson is the CEO of Country Heritage Park, a charitable nonprofit agricultural society in Milton, that focuses on hands-on education, sustainability and building community. She leads everything from partnerships and grant projects to programs that bring students, newcomers and seniors together in meaningful ways. Taylor loves turning big ideas into real-world impact – and she does it all while balancing life as a proud mom (her favourite title!). She’s passionate about inclusive programming and is always looking for ways to help Milton grow as a vibrant, welcoming place for everyone.
Diksha Pal Narayan – Program Coordinator
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Diksha steers the ship at Arts Milton as Program Coordinator, bringing a storyteller’s heart and a deep love for community to everything she does. With a Master’s in Broadcast Journalism, she’s produced seven TV shows, a documentary, and a short film—and written four children’s books in her Ved and Friends Series series to reflect the everyday magic of South Asian families in Canada.
When she isn’t busy bringing programs to life, she’s dreaming up new book ideas, enjoying time with her husband and son, and soaking up all the creative energy Milton has to offer—because she truly believes there’s no better place to create, connect, and celebrate community.