Andy is Co-Artistic Director of Ottawa Valley Community Arts, weaving creative arts into the life of rural community. For over 20 years he has worked at the intersection of community engaged arts, ecology and social change. He holds a PhD from Concordia University in the philosophy and poetics of participation. His artistic practice combines poetry, woodwork, and land-based arts.
Brian ran Green Tomato Productions to support culture and the arts within Pembroke and the Ottawa Valley. The company promoted artists such as Blue Rodeo, Sam Roberts, Gord Downie, Terri Clark, Jann Arden, Bill Anderson and Randy Bachman at the PMC and Festival Hall. In 2018, Brian was elected to Pembroke City Council and in 2022, he was elected to serve as Pembroke's Deputy Mayor.
Rebecca Hope is an award winning Singer Songwriter and Guitarist from Pembroke. Rebecca’s honest lyrics, rustic acoustics, and raspy vocals make her a grassroots artist and performer to remember. From a small town to the big stage, Rebecca Hope inspires and empowers others to chase their dreams and embrace who they are. In Fall 2023, Rebecca showcased at the Folk Music Ontario Conference in London where she was also announced as a recipient of the Taylor Mitchell Bursary Award at the Folk Music Ontario Awards. She has recently released her second single, “Believe in Love,” which has amassed over 3,000 streams on Spotify in its first month.
Melanie is a performer, dance instructor and choreographer. She has been passionate about performing, dancing & teaching her whole life. She began her dance training in Fredericton, N.B., and with a genuine love for performance, she moved on to the international performing group Characters Incorporated and Brunswick Spirit. Melanie was Head of Movement at Theatre New Brunswick’s Theatre School, where she choreographed many works, including A Chorus Line, Cats, Beauty and the Beast and Annie. Melanie moved to the Ottawa Valley in 2010, where she performed and taught dance with Starz In Motion until she returned to Fredericton in 2016. She spent her time in Fredericton as a full-time middle school teacher teaching Fine Arts, directing musicals, and teaching Dance Technique courses to students in the Fine Arts department at St. Thomas University. Melanie is thrilled to have moved back to the Ottawa Valley, where dance and the performing arts world abound with local talent.