ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC TEAM
Red Pepper maintains a roster of associate artists who work with us throughout the year on our projects. They are experienced in a wide variety of art disciplines and cultural practices, working with us as either production staff or performers, depending on the unique needs of each project produced by our studio.
Red Pepper maintains a roster of associate artists who work with us throughout the year on our projects. They are experienced in a wide variety of art disciplines and cultural practices, working with us as either production staff or performers, depending on the unique needs of each project produced by our studio.
GABRIELLA CARUSO
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Gabriella is a theatre designer for set, mask, costume and props. She also designs and creates large scale puppets, shadow puppets, printmaking projects, and public mosaic art installations. She has been creating and collaborating in multi-disciplinary community arts projects, theatre creation, and arts activism, having participated in the development of some of the earliest accessible public arts programming in the city of Toronto including at the Harbourfront Centre, ArtsStarts, and in Kensington Market.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Gabriella is a theatre designer for set, mask, costume and props. She also designs and creates large scale puppets, shadow puppets, printmaking projects, and public mosaic art installations. She has been creating and collaborating in multi-disciplinary community arts projects, theatre creation, and arts activism, having participated in the development of some of the earliest accessible public arts programming in the city of Toronto including at the Harbourfront Centre, ArtsStarts, and in Kensington Market.
JESUS MORA
FACILITATOR / VISUAL ARTIST
Jesus has studied drawing and painting in both Mexico and Canada. Over the past decade, he has participated in several art projects, exhibitions, workshops, residencies and festivals with his paintings, photography, video, sculpture and performance. In addition to Red Pepper, he has collaborated with Art Starts, SAVAC, Art City, Urban Arts and LACAP among others.
FACILITATOR / VISUAL ARTIST
Jesus has studied drawing and painting in both Mexico and Canada. Over the past decade, he has participated in several art projects, exhibitions, workshops, residencies and festivals with his paintings, photography, video, sculpture and performance. In addition to Red Pepper, he has collaborated with Art Starts, SAVAC, Art City, Urban Arts and LACAP among others.
GISELLE NAVAROLI
FACILITATOR / VISUAL ARTIST
Giselle was born and raised in Havana, Cuba, completed the Elementary School of Ballet, and has a degree in clowning from the National Circus School, and a BFA from the University of Cuba. Giselle came to Canada in 2000 to the World Stage Festival and now resides in Toronto as a performer, children's advocate and painter.
FACILITATOR / VISUAL ARTIST
Giselle was born and raised in Havana, Cuba, completed the Elementary School of Ballet, and has a degree in clowning from the National Circus School, and a BFA from the University of Cuba. Giselle came to Canada in 2000 to the World Stage Festival and now resides in Toronto as a performer, children's advocate and painter.
BEN HERMANN
TECHNICAL MANAGER / VISUAL ARTIST
Ben is a multi-talented musician, composer and carpenter/woodworker. Ben has worked with Red Pepper since 2012 as technical manager for the Kensington Market Winter Solstice Festival, as well as assisting with production and workshop delivery throughout the year.
TECHNICAL MANAGER / VISUAL ARTIST
Ben is a multi-talented musician, composer and carpenter/woodworker. Ben has worked with Red Pepper since 2012 as technical manager for the Kensington Market Winter Solstice Festival, as well as assisting with production and workshop delivery throughout the year.
SONJA CLARKE
FACILITATOR / VISUAL ARTIST
Sonja is an interdisciplinary artist who has been involved in Toronto’s community arts through Red Pepper since 2015 when she began as an intern, and later became an associate artist and administrator. She has designed and led many workshops, including lanterns and mosaics: Gathering of the Clans Mosaic, the Chester Lee Community Garden Mosaic, the Aboriginal Legal Services Christian Morrisseau Mosaic, and others, such as Native Men’s Residence Tikinaagan Project. Sonja has been an integral part of Red Pepper’s festival work, such as the Kensington Winter Solstice Parade, and the Indigenous Arts Festival and Nuit Rose.
FACILITATOR / VISUAL ARTIST
Sonja is an interdisciplinary artist who has been involved in Toronto’s community arts through Red Pepper since 2015 when she began as an intern, and later became an associate artist and administrator. She has designed and led many workshops, including lanterns and mosaics: Gathering of the Clans Mosaic, the Chester Lee Community Garden Mosaic, the Aboriginal Legal Services Christian Morrisseau Mosaic, and others, such as Native Men’s Residence Tikinaagan Project. Sonja has been an integral part of Red Pepper’s festival work, such as the Kensington Winter Solstice Parade, and the Indigenous Arts Festival and Nuit Rose.
ANA RAQUEL RAMIREZ CASTILLO
FACILITATOR / VISUAL ARTIST
Ana Raquel is a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist, of Latin American descent; art educator and mother. She is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design, with a major in Photography.
Her artistic approach and work has revolved mostly around the multiple forms of life and how they manifest themselves through her womanhood and Latin American heritage. The choice of media for Ana Raquel, responds to the subject matter she wants to depict, therefore, her explorations throughout her artistic career have allowed her to experiment with collage, transfers, photography, public interventions, textiles and drawing and painting.
FACILITATOR / VISUAL ARTIST
Ana Raquel is a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist, of Latin American descent; art educator and mother. She is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design, with a major in Photography.
Her artistic approach and work has revolved mostly around the multiple forms of life and how they manifest themselves through her womanhood and Latin American heritage. The choice of media for Ana Raquel, responds to the subject matter she wants to depict, therefore, her explorations throughout her artistic career have allowed her to experiment with collage, transfers, photography, public interventions, textiles and drawing and painting.
CAMILO GIRALDO
PRODUCTION / VISUAL ARTIST
Camilo Giraldo is a Toronto based artist/musician born in Columbia, specializing in Afro Columbian percussion, instrument making, community arts and installations. Camilo’s work is inspired by the relationship between art, music and ancient traditions from around the world. He has participated in hundreds of events through North and South America that includes Blue Skies Music Festival, Mariposa Folk Festival, Cultura World Music Festival, and Mosaiq Multicultural Festival. At Red Pepper Spectacle Arts, Camilo is an associate artist designing and facilitating for various projects including mosaic art, costume and set design for theatre and puppetry and productions for the Annual Kensington Market Winter Solstice.
PRODUCTION / VISUAL ARTIST
Camilo Giraldo is a Toronto based artist/musician born in Columbia, specializing in Afro Columbian percussion, instrument making, community arts and installations. Camilo’s work is inspired by the relationship between art, music and ancient traditions from around the world. He has participated in hundreds of events through North and South America that includes Blue Skies Music Festival, Mariposa Folk Festival, Cultura World Music Festival, and Mosaiq Multicultural Festival. At Red Pepper Spectacle Arts, Camilo is an associate artist designing and facilitating for various projects including mosaic art, costume and set design for theatre and puppetry and productions for the Annual Kensington Market Winter Solstice.
MARTA ORELLANA
PRODUCTION / VISUAL ARTIST
Marta is a Toronto based artist, yoga instructor and community worker. As a Mayan woman, Marta dedicates her time to strengthening Indigenous communities working with various organizations in a social work setting through supportive roles, such as arts facilitator, yoga instructor and support worker. As an artist, Marta focuses her photography and fashion design as a platform to highlight and empower Indigenous peoples through a vibrant lens. Making art with Red Pepper has opened up the possibility of working directly with children and peoples of all ages in the native community of Toronto.
PRODUCTION / VISUAL ARTIST
Marta is a Toronto based artist, yoga instructor and community worker. As a Mayan woman, Marta dedicates her time to strengthening Indigenous communities working with various organizations in a social work setting through supportive roles, such as arts facilitator, yoga instructor and support worker. As an artist, Marta focuses her photography and fashion design as a platform to highlight and empower Indigenous peoples through a vibrant lens. Making art with Red Pepper has opened up the possibility of working directly with children and peoples of all ages in the native community of Toronto.
ALBERTO CRUZ
GRAPHIC ARTIST / DESIGNER
Alberto is a multidisciplinary artist, graphic designer from Alvarado, Veracruz, México, based in Toronto. His artistic practice involves various creative disciplines such as painting, graphic design, murals and illustration. Alberto’s involvement with Red Pepper started in 2017 participating as a volunteer during the Winter Solstice Parade. Since 2019 Alberto has been helping the studio with its graphic design and digital art needs such as website updates, photo editing, video creation, posters and social media content.
GRAPHIC ARTIST / DESIGNER
Alberto is a multidisciplinary artist, graphic designer from Alvarado, Veracruz, México, based in Toronto. His artistic practice involves various creative disciplines such as painting, graphic design, murals and illustration. Alberto’s involvement with Red Pepper started in 2017 participating as a volunteer during the Winter Solstice Parade. Since 2019 Alberto has been helping the studio with its graphic design and digital art needs such as website updates, photo editing, video creation, posters and social media content.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BOARD MEMBERS
Sage Paul
Brian Norton
Maria Abbruzzese
BOARD MEMBERS
Sage Paul
Brian Norton
Maria Abbruzzese
