Memi von Gaza (Lantern Artist)

Memi is a visual artist, festival worker and educator with an extensive experience in celebratory and activist art. She has worked and played in the Edmonton Arts scene for most of her adult life. Memi's love of narrative, particularly folk and myth informs much of her work whether it’s for Edmonton’s First Night Festival, the Muttart Conservatory, The Cultural Capital Project, or countless special events. She is inspired by ancient traditions and myth, local and exotic, urban and rural. Her creations run the gamut from very large inflatables to very tiny sculptures, and her materials range from earth, straw and clay to plastic and led lights and everything in between.  Her Baba Yaga Adventure Trail set in one of Edmonton’s most beautiful ravines charmed and delighted the many families who undertook the hero’s journey into the woods to bring back the light from Baba Yaga’s House. This year she is commissioned to create new work for Big Winter - this exploration for young children leads them to discover tiny little worlds hidden in plain sight in amongst the trees and glades of Jackie Parker Park. Memi is thrilled to be a part of the very creative team that brings Winterlight to life. As a summer person who tended to hibernate through the winter this Festival has brought her out of her studio and into the coldest winter nights with sparkle and joy. Who would have thought?

Joel Higham (Marketing Director)

Joel Higham is a filmmaker, motion graphics animator and multi-disciplinary artist - and also the Winter Light marketing director. Although he never thought he'd get quite so nerdy, he now has several degrees in media, and he is rapidly becoming well known for his media and web-development projects. He has created websites for many individuals and organizations, notably for FAVA, and has his own consulting company, pocobrio.com. In addition to his art and web projects, Joel is also a designer, and will be producing almost all of the Winter Light campaign. Joel is excited to be lured outside again this winter, and is looking forward to the snow and merriment to be had. 

Sherrilyn Jahrig (Star Party Producer)

Sherrilyn Jahrig has been presenting billions of stars to thousands of Observatory visitors at TELUS World of Science, Edmonton since 1996. Sherrilyn coordinates Star Parties and astronomical events that connect science, environment, arts and culture in out-of-this-world ways. Inspired by the fresh perspective and renewed sense of curiosity astronomy creates in people of all ages, Sherrilyn led a team of Royal Astronomical Society of Canada astronomers to the 2006 declaration of the 300km2 Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve with Parks Canada,Alberta Parks, and (2008) Strathcona County. This initiative to create and maintain a pristine nocturnal environment just east of Edmonton is a giant step toward bringing back more natural light to the urban environment. Originally from Vancouver, Sherrilyn brought a strong musical background and a love of writing with her to Edmonton. In the absence of mountains, she fell in love with the big sky and northern lights, broadening her focus to include astronomy. Living at a latitude that requires more waking hours to be spent in darkness and freezing temperatures, writing poetry – especially about light and space, became an obsession and a solace. Sherrilyn produced the inaugural 2006Edmonton Poetry Festival and has created and directed many multidisciplinary events for children and adults. Sherrilyn has received many awards for performance, public education and team leadership. Sherrilyn’s best ‘Summer Light’ experience was spent observing deep-sky objects with a gigantic telescope from a B.C. mountain-top for eight consecutive nights. After the first three nights she no longer had ‘land-legs’ and literally felt more ‘connected with the dots’. She plans to bring the stars a little closer to Edmonton through the vision of the Winter Light Festival.

Kevin Hendricks (Publicist)

Based in Edmonton, Kevin has been a performing arts publicist for over 30 years; working primarily in music, theatre and festivals across Canada. In 1996, Kevin was a founding member of Edmonton’s multi-disciplinary emerging artist festivalNextfest, where he continues to work as their publicist. He co-founded the award winning Canadian ‘Drag Juggernaut’ Guys in Disguise with partner Darrin Hagen in 1987, and continues to produce their works at theatres and festivals across Canada and Internationally. In 2008, Kevin was honoured with an Elizabeth Sterling Haynes award, for outstanding contribution to Edmonton’s theatre scene.

Debbie Houle (Outreach Coordinator)

Debbie is of Cree and French ancestry from the Elizabeth Metis Settlement. She has lived in Edmonton for 19 years and has worked in the Aboriginal community for the past six years. Debbie is a member of Edmonton's Aboriginal vocal ensemble,Asani. They are a circle of Metis and First Nations women who compose and perform music in Cree and English. Their debut cd "Rattle and Drum" was nominated for 11 awards including a Juno nomination for Aboriginal Recording of the Year in 2006. In 2009 they will release their follow up CD "Listen".

Mari Sasano (Communications)

Mari Sasano has lived in Edmonton for most of her life, moving here from Richmond, B.C. via Japan and Toronto. The first few years were difficult, mostly because no one told her family that there is a difference between RAIN boots and SNOW boots. This is important. Once that was cleared up, she became very interested in finding the funnest things in town, which eventually became her profession as the 8 1/2 Things To Do columnist in the Edmonton Journal and a general arts freelancer. Now she edits the Rat Creek Press and freelances for anyone else that seems interesting. Working for Winter Light is a treat, since the festival itself is an excuse to wear snowpants and everyone involved is a friend!