Our Team

PRESIDENT

Lara Kruger

I am proud and honoured to be the inaugural president of the Route 22 Artist Collective Ltd Board and to serve this incredible community of local artists. There is such a rich diversity of artists in our community and it is an absolute pleasure to be a part of building this collective and our collective gallery space for the benefit of our artists and our wider community. I was born and raised in Cochrane and have strong roots in this community. My fine arts education was taken in Calgary (ACAD) and New Brunswick (Mount Allison University) before moving back to the Bow Valley and starting my family in Banff. I worked several years for, and then managed private galleries in Banff and Canmore before relocating back to the rural Cochrane area. I have long seen a gap in Cochrane for a permanent visual arts presence and professional arts opportunities and Route 22 is a project that I co-founded to address this need. It has evolved from dream to reality over the past couple of years thanks to many dedicated and wonderful people. We have really seen this year just how vital the arts are to our mental health, peace of mind and happiness as human beings and though it has been a difficult year, the timing has been oddly perfect to bring this project to life. We have already seen tremendous community support and I look forward to the bright future ahead for Route 22 and the visual arts in Cochrane and area.

SECRETARY

Sherry Willets

Sherry brings twenty plus years’ work experience as a cross-functional business analyst and management consultant. Her work experience includes creating a model for designing, developing and classifying intellectual capital; providing analytical advice, decision support, coaching and mentoring; and co-facilitating systems-thinking workshops across North America, South America, Europe & Asia. She helps the Collective in building a sound business foundation and managing its business information. She also provides strategic guidance and technical support to help streamline gallery operations.

TREASURER

Robyn Jones

Robyn Jones is pleased to offer her extensive skill and knowledge in the business world to our team as Treasurer for 2022. Having most recently founded and co-owned Foothills Insurance Services Ltd along with her husband and Route 22 artist, Alan Jones, Robyn worked for many years previously as a senior agent in the insurance worlds of B.C and Alberta.

She has served with integrity and a strong work ethic throughout her career and is now enjoying retirement after the successful sale of the company she and Alan owned and operated for more than a decade.

DIRECTOR

Karen Chaisson

Karen Chaisson born in Banff, Alberta, raised in Southern Ontario, returned to her beloved Alberta to marry and raise a family. Karen brings a long history of Administrative & Management Experience as well as a Diploma in Cultural Arts and Management. She has been a practicing Professional Artist as well as managing Retail Galleries, for the past twenty-five years. Karen and her family have been active members of the Cochrane community for twenty-three years. Karen has also seen the need for a Community Arts presence and space over the years, both for the artists as well as the community itself. She is delighted and honored to be part of the long-awaited opportunity to help build, promote and sustain Route 22 Artist Collective Ltd. She looks forward to being able to guide, participate and work alongside this great group of creative individuals.

BOOKKEEPER

Wendi Forster

Wendi’s first introduction to the art community in Cochrane was when she joined the Cochrane Camera Club. She organized several photography shows and sales for the club over a two-year period and saw the need to have a professional gallery in Cochrane. When asked to sit on the working committee of the Route 22 Artist Collective Gallery and then as Treasurer, on the Board of Route 22 Artist Collective Ltd, she welcomed the opportunity. Wendi brings to the table a professional accounting designation along with a passion for photography. She is semi-retired and is honored to sit on the board to assist with the financial reporting of the Artist Collective.

LEADERSHIP TEAM CHAIR

Cindy Zampa

Cindy and her family moved to Cochrane in 1999. She first identified herself as an artist after joining the Foothills Art Club in Cochrane. Surrounded by other supportive creatives, Cindy gained the confidence to begin showing, then selling, her artwork.

After decades of teaching and counselling in a Calgary school district, Cindy was granted a sabbatical to pursue studies in art therapy. Working as an Art Therapist (Vancouver Art Therapy Institute), tremendous benefits were observed in sessions she offered at various schools throughout the district. This confirmed what Cindy already suspected based on her own life experience – art heals!

In retirement, Cindy has fully embraced the creative life. Always looking for new ways to build community connections and collaborate with other artists, Cindy was actively involved in the early planning stages of this artist’s collective, even before it established its identity as Route 22 Gallery.

Cindy is honoured and excited by the opportunity to work with fellow artists, as Chair of the Executive Leadership Team, bringing more beauty, art, cultural and educational experiences to the community.

EDUCATION LEAD

Ele Davis

Ele joins us as our Education Lead because she has a strong passion for the visual arts and supporting it in her own community. She has a degree in Fine Art and another in Education from the University of Calgary and has taught high school art for most of her 30 year teaching career.

She has studied painting in Florence, Italy at the Angel Academy of Art, and has also spent time studying in France. Recently, Ele experienced two months in Berlin, the contemporary art capital of the world, on an artist’s residency furthering her understanding of current directions in fine art.

Ele has also enjoyed a successful career painting large scale murals throughout Alberta and Nunavut and hopes, one day, to create one or two in her home community.

Through our education program, she hopes to facilitate the creative growth of our diverse community and artist populace in the Cochrane area.

SOCIAL MEDIA LEAD

Rachelle Kearl

Rachelle is currently the Social Media liason for our collective; her job is to use both Instagram and Facebook to keep our fans in the know and to grow our base of followers and supporters. We have so much to share!

Rachelle is a fellow member of the collective who loves to paint gorgeous florals.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH LEAD

Suzanne Goyetche

Suzanne was born in Bridgewater, NS and moved to Cochrane in her senior years to be with family. East meets West, she quickly fell in love with the beauty of the foothills and the mountains, a true contrast from the oceans and sand beaches of her early years.

Suzanne has tried several mediums, she now works in professional coloured pencil painting which is a very meditative medium. She brings 30 years of skills of a Certified Tour Director to the group. The challenges of planning a perfect experience and being able to pivot to a new direction when plan A hits a road block, knowing how to listen to clients wants and needs, story telling to make an itinerary interesting and captivating for the clients.

She is proud to be a member of Route 22 and looks forward to the challenges the Community Outreach will bring to the canvas.

FUNDRAISING LEAD

Denise Smith

Denise brings to the gallery years of experience from her prior role as a business owner of an information technology and management consulting corporation.

As the gallery fundraiser leader this allows her to connect to the community and beyond, as she supports the gallery in achieving a strong and vibrant Arts Community.

Denise is now semi-retired and is fortunate to be part of the executive team by assisting them to deliver fundraising initiatives for the Artist Collective.

The "Love Our Gallery" Campaign is on now!