Mentors in Residence (MiR)
Your Year-Round Guidance & Support
Receive personalized guidance and professional insights designed to meet your specific needs as a newcomer or immigrant arts professional. Our handpicked mentors from throughout Alberta generously volunteer their time and expertise across diverse fields. They will offer you a one-hour session to guide and provide resources to our members.
Our Mentors Are
Handpicked from across Alberta, our generous mentors volunteer their time and expertise to connect with you and share valuable knowledge. Get easily accessible and professional advice tailored to your needs as a newcomer or immigrant arts professional in Alberta.
Carefully selected from diverse backgrounds and disciplines across Alberta.
Personalized to your needs as a newcomer or immigrant arts professional.
Available to provide insights into the arts sector of Alberta, from guidance on grant applications, networking opportunities, or simply a source of encouragement.
Seeking support in your professional arts practice? Our remarkable mentors are committed to addressing all of your inquiries!
MENTORS IN RESIDENCE (MIR)
Current MiR Cohort 5
January - December 2025
More mentors will be added soon—stay tuned for updates.
Dawn Booth
Journalist, Communications Expert, Storyteller, and Poet
Literary Arts
Storytelling
Media + Publishing
Marketing and Communication
Community Engagement
Areas of Support
Dawn Booth is a seasoned journalist, communications expert, storyteller, and poet with over 20 years of experience in print media. She has dedicated 15 years to serving as a newspaper and magazine editor in the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region.
As an ambassador for the literary arts, Dawn serves as the President of the Northern Collective Society of Writers, a volunteer-based organization that publishes the literary magazine NorthWord biannually. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for Arts Council Wood Buffalo (ACWB).
In her poetic endeavours, Dawn has garnered numerous awards and accolades from various organizations, including ACWB, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, and the Wood Buffalo Regional Library. Building on these achievements, she has participated in the judging processes for these organizations, notably serving as an Alberta Literary Arts Judge for the Writers Guild of Alberta in 2021.
Dawn currently works full-time as the Commercial Coordinator for the Fort McMurray International Airport, where she curates the YMM Digital Art Exhibit, which she developed and launched in 2022.
Santosh Korthiwada
Photographer
Visual Storytelling
Portfolio Development
Fine Arts
Documentary Photography
Areas of Support
Santosh Korthiwada is an acclaimed lens-based artist renowned for capturing the essence of fleeting moments. With a unique eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, his work transforms everyday scenes into extraordinary visual narratives.
Santosh’s journey in photography began in the bustling streets of India, evolving through years of dedicated practice and formal education in San Francisco. His photographs have been featured in prestigious exhibitions and publications worldwide, earning accolades for their emotional depth and thought-provoking nature. From evocative portraits to breathtaking landscapes, each image tells a compelling story.
Beyond his artistic pursuits, Santosh is a passionate advocate for using photography as a tool for social change. He collaborates with non-profit organizations to highlight important social issues and document the resilience of the human spirit. His work is more than just photography; it is a testament to his belief in the power of art to connect, inspire, and transform.
Aeris Osborne
Visual Artist
Painting (Acrylic, Watercolor)
Artist In Residence
Grant Assessor
Grant Writing
Newcomer experience
Community Engagement and Networking
Areas of Support
Aeris Osborne is a Hong Kong-born Canadian painter known for her bold impressionist heritage and landscape paintings. She was the 2021-2022 Alberta Artist in Residence (AIR) / Art Ambassador, the first immigrant and self-taught artist to receive this prestigious grant from the Government of Alberta.
A self-taught artist and registered social worker, Aeris moved to Edmonton in 2007 and has been painting for over 15 years. Her Alberta Old Buildings series, created through extensive travel and research, toured across the province and received widespread media attention. She incorporates Augmented Reality (AR) into her exhibitions to enhance audience engagement.
In 2024, she was among three Alberta artists invited to a government arts engagement meeting. Her works have been featured in public art projects, including the Alley of Light Art Boxes in downtown Edmonton. She has received multiple awards, including a Canada Council for the Arts Grant.
Aeris is actively involved in arts leadership, serving on juries and advisory panels. She regularly leads workshops, artist talks, and community programs, with her work collected across North America and Asia.
Bushra Yousaf
Visual Artist
FineArts
Photography
Social Media
Contemporary Art
Areas of Support
Bushra Yousaf is a versatile artist based in Edmonton, Alberta, originally from Multan, Pakistan. Her diverse educational background includes studies in Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Web Development, and specialized mentorships in Canada and the U.S. Her work spans portraits, landscapes, abstracts, calligraphy, and nature, known for its rich textures and bold color palettes.
Bushra has exhibited in solo and group shows across Canada, including The Works International Visual Arts Society, Spruce Grove Art Gallery, and The Genesis Centre in Calgary. Her art is part of international collections in Denmark, Australia, and Canada, with public commissions such as "Colours of Edmonton" for the Edmonton Arts Council.
Beyond her artwork, Bushra has been featured in publications, delivered artist talks, and served in leadership roles, including Director of the Women's Art Museum of Canada. She continues to push artistic boundaries, blending precision with spontaneity to create dynamic and thought-provoking works.
Po Yeh
Arts Leader
Accounting, Budgeting, Financial Reporting
Grant Writing
Presenting, Showcasing, Producing, Touring
Board Governance
Coaching
Change Management
Areas of Support
Po Yeh is a dedicated arts leader with over 20 years’ experience advancing the arts by facilitating artistic creation, production, presentation and touring.
Throughout her career, Po has created opportunities to collaborate on enriching community engagement in the arts and strengthening relationships with the public.
Po is currently the executive director of Prairie Debut. This touring organization links Canadian classical and global music artists to communities of all sizes throughout Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Yukon, especially to areas outside the larger urban centres. Previously, she was director of corporate and community engagement at Honens.
Po enthusiastically supports the creation and performance of Canadian contemporary music, as manager for Land’s End Ensemble and New Works Calgary and actively supports music education as manager for the Calgary Youth Orchestra. Po also serves as a member of the Canadian Music Centre, Prairie Region and national boards.
Monica Gate
Theatre-Arts Professional
Theatre (writing, performance, dramaturgy)
Grant Writing
Curriculum Building (for performing arts)
Producing
Arts Administration
Areas of Support
Monica Gate is a theatre-arts professional both on and off the stage. She has worked as an actor, producer, dramaturg, playwright, and arts administrator with theatre companies across Canada such as Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre, Theatre YES, Theatre By The Bay, Talk Is Free Theatre, Thou Art Here Theatre, Shadow Theatre, and Common Ground Arts Collective. She works full-time as a freelance artist in the Edmonton theatre community, and also operates her own business offering private coaching in the performing arts sector. She instructs theatre and film-writing workshops and courses with Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre and the Film and Video Arts Society of Alberta. Monica is also a registered juror for the Edmonton Arts Council, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and the Canada Council for the Arts. She is very passionate about helping people find their voice through theatre, and creating fully-realized careers in the arts sector.
View Past Cohorts
Mentors in Residence (MiR)
General Inquiries
If you would like to know more about our Mentor-in-Residence (MiR) or would like to volunteer as a Mentor-in-Residence or for any general inquiries regarding the Mentor-in-Residence program, please contact programs@icaionline.org