Alberta Craft Council Board of Directors
Natali Rodrigues (Board Chair), Calgary, AB
In 1999 Natali graduated from the Alberta College of Art and Design with a BFA in Glass. After traveling, working and making art and a production line of blown work she was accepted at the Australian National University. She completed a Masters of Arts (Glass) in 2003. She is now an Associate Professor of Glass, at ACAD and continuing her glass and art practice. Natali’s research interests looks at the boundary of silence, transformative, and embodied experience. Natali has served on the board since 2017.
Michele Hardy
I have always been a champion of craft—early on as a maker, then as a scholar and a curator. It is such an honour to work with craft makers—collecting, researching and sharing their work. Since 2019 I have worked closely with the Alberta Craft Council, organizing special tours and workshops that engage members and provoke new understandings of craft. I was thrilled to be awarded the Tom McFall Honour Award in 2023 and join the board in 2024.
Sheila Harrison
Sheila Harrison is an accomplished executive leader with over 20 years of diverse experience spanning government, non-profit, and industry sectors. She is well known for her strategic and creative vision and effective leadership. Sheila has driven transformative initiatives that foster organizational growth and high-performing teams. Her expertise encompasses strategic planning, policy development, project management, governance and community development. Sheila joined the board in 2024.
Dr. Jennifer E. Salahub, Calgary, AB
Jennifer is a Professor Emerita of Art and Craft Histories at Alberta University of the Arts. Her BFA and MA in Canadian Art History were awarded by Concordia University, Montreal and she received a Ph.D. in the History of Design from the Royal College of Art, London. Before moving to Calgary, she taught art history at Concordia University, University of Ottawa and Montreal's Marianopolis College. She is active in a number of professional societies, lectures and publishes internationally, is on the Board of the Alberta Craft Council, and is on the Editorial Board of Ornamentum the magazine for the Canadian Society of Decorative Arts. Jennifer was the recipient of the Tom McFall Honour Award in 2018. Jennifer has served on the board since 2010.
Dawn Saunders-Dahl, Canmore, AB
Dawn has a deep interest in place, genealogy, and reconciliation with Canada's Indigenous communities. Many years of professional arts administration have allowed me generate unique, large-scale ideas, that explore powerful and potentially healing intersections between art, artists, and the community. Dawn has served on the board since 2017.