BOARD

ARTS MILTON BOARD

 

Auleen Carson- 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.

Amy Leask – Vice President

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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.

 

Heather Granger – Secretary

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Heather Granger is a Recreation Therapist with over 20 years of experience supporting children, youth and families in therapeutic and community-based organizations.  With a strong belief in arts and culture as a means to build social belonging, Heather is a strong advocate for community projects that enhance access to arts and recreation for diverse groups. Heather currently works for the Town of Milton as a Recreation Coordinator supporting Inclusion Services. As a Milton resident for over 20 years, Heather is passionate about the rich culture, diversity and strong sense of community that Milton offers.

Lloyd Sison – Treasurer 
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Lloyd Sison is a local musician whose talents span singing, guitar, drums, and piano. Lloyd firmly believes in the potential for everyone to develop their musical abilities with drive and guidance. Music has always been a part of Lloyd’s life and is an expression of who he is.

A self-taught musician, Lloyd finds inspiration in the joy that music brings and the influence of others. He has been an active contributor to his community’s artistic scene, participating in fundraisers and events like Summer Days and Summer Nights as well as Culture Days, both as a solo artist and with various bands. Beyond music, Lloyd served on the Baseball Milton board for 9 years, with 5 of those years as president, and he continues to coach today. Lloyd is thrilled to join Arts Milton, with a vision to create more musical performance opportunities for youth and to elevate the presence of art in Milton.

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    

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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.

Dan Kennedy
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Dan Kennedy is a talented musician and visual artist with a rich background in both fields. He has performed in various local bands and solo acts, showcasing his versatility across different genres and styles. Dan has been a familiar face at Arts Milton events, local music venues, and numerous festivals. As a visual artist, his vibrant acrylic paintings on canvas reflect his passion for music, nature, and cycling. Committed to fostering the arts in the Milton community, Dan is dedicated to supporting local artists and creating inclusive, vibrant creative spaces for all.

Deepti Penkar

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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.”

Josh Wozniak

Josh Wozniak is a passionate musician and educator dedicated to fostering creativity in the community. Beginning his musical journey at just four years old, Josh has since mastered various instruments, performed in numerous school bands, and directed the marching band for the 820 Royal Canadian Air Cadets. Recognized as Milton Youth Artist of the Year in 2024, Josh is committed to nurturing the next generation of artists. He currently teaches at the Rick Imus School of Music and runs a virtual music school, helping young musicians achieve their goals. Josh brings his energy and experience to the Arts Milton Board, continuing the tradition of excellence in youth leadership.

Kris Yun Xie

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Kris Yun Xie, a paper-cutting artist, resides in Milton and is a Shanghai Folk Artists Association member. Her artwork has been displayed in Shanghai, Suzhou, and Milton exhibitions.

She believes that within square inches lies a world of subtleties, representing the inheritance and innovation of Chinese traditional culture.

Paper cutting, originating from China, is a precious intangible cultural heritage of the Chinese nation. As a new-generation Chinese paper-cut artist, Kris is dedicated to blending traditional elements with new ideas to showcase the unique charm of paper-cut art and extend the reach of this ancient Chinese culture to a global audience.

In addition to her artistic pursuits, Kris serves as an art tutor within the Milton Chinese Community. She is the proud proprietor of “Yun’s Art Studio,” where she finds immense joy in nurturing and witnessing the growth of children who share her passion for drawing.

Maha Anand

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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.

Sarah Arfan

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Sarah Arfan’s passion for  photography uncovers the beauty in the world around us. From capturing special moments between family to the intricacies of the fashion world, she strives to elicit emotion, inspiring others to see the world in a new perspective. Her love for the arts extends to animation as well, bringing pictures to life. One of her main aspirations is to teach others how they too can express themselves through these arts and bring their visions to life.

Soumyaa Kansal – Youth Board Member

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Soumyaa Kansal has been part of the Milton community for the past 11 years. During this time, she developed a keen interest in visual arts such as painting, drawing, sketching, crafts, music, and dance. Playing the piano is one of Soumyaa’s favourite hobbies, and she loves performing at various events.   She enjoys a variety of painting styles, including acrylic, oil, and watercolour, and creating 3D crafts for special occasions. At this tender age of 13, Soumyaa has not only demonstrated an insatiable desire to learn new art forms, but she also seeks opportunities to teach and encourage others to learn these artistic skills. After being recognized at various Ontario-wide festivals, she received the Youth Artist of the Year Award in 2022.

Vandana Majithia

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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!

Diksha Pal Narayan – Program Coordinator

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Diksha took over the role of Program Coordinator at Arts Milton in November of 2022, but her association with Arts Milton dates back to 2017 when she joined as part of the Board.

Diksha has a Master’s in Broadcast Journalism and has produced/reported on seven TV shows, one documentary and one short film. She has written four children’s books called the Ved and Friends Series. She hopes to ensure South Asian children can see themselves and the lives they lead in Canadian literature.

As Program Coordinator, Diksha hopes to continue the legacy of fantastic and diverse programming that Arts Milton is known for in the community.