ABOUT
Presence is a year-long program funded by the City of Mississauga. Throughout the program, residents will be invited to participate in workshops, exhibitions, and performances, to explore storytelling and uncover the city’s cultural identities. The final project will be a living repository of contributed Mississauga stories. The project aims to use the city's cultural spaces to amplify young BIPOC creatives to share and collect cultural samples. We would like to hear how you engage with arts and culture in Mississauga.
"Presence relates to the state or fact of existing, occurring or being present in a place or thing."
Meet The Team
Amanda Foulds
Amanda Foulds (she/her) an artist, educator and arts administrator based in Mississauga. She holds a BFA from OCAD University and has worked as an arts instructor and programming coordinator for organizations across the GTA. Amanda is currently the Program Coordinator at Visual Arts Mississauga. She is passionate about supporting creatives in her community and believes in the magic of collaboration. Her artistic practice is inspired by the archiving and sharing of narratives from both institutional and personal perspectives through time-based media and collage. She recently co-founded a platform called You Made It! that showcases creatives and social entrepreneurs in Peel region.
amrita virdi
Amrita Virdi (she/her) specializes in Studio Art and Art History. She was born in Mississauga and has worked as an arts Instructor in her community for the past nine years. She works with young children and adults to create spaces that allow artists to feel confident and comfortable enough to make and exhibit art that truly reflects their own artistic genius. She values the process of art making and assists others to create art that they feel is important and impactful. In her own practise, Amrita works as a painter, photographer, and graphic designer.Her work aims to complicate and question our ideas and perceptions of the social worlds we move through.
Eldiana begovic
Eldiana Begovic (she/her) is an arts manager based in Mississauga. She holds a degree in Art History, and post-secondary certificates in Arts Administration and Cultural Management, and most recently Project Management. Currently, she holds a position on the Professional Advisory Committee for Sheridan College’s Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design and cultural worker and programmer in Mississauga. Her work is focused on strengthening networks in the creative industry in the GTA and providing opportunities for development and collaboration for artists and arts lovers. She is a co-founder of You Made It!, an online platform supporting creatives and social enterprises in Peel Region.
Hibah mian
Hibah Mian (she/her) holds a background in Studio Art and Business Administration. She works as a cultural producer and arts programming manager in the city of York to serve BIPOC. She is an artist, independent curator and youth activist. Hibah works closely with young and emerging artists and commits her time to creatively engage with people from Mississauga and the GTA while establishing relationships with arts organizations across Peel. She is the founder and curator of The Open Gallery which is her initiative to welcome artists of all steps to showcase their talent and give them an opportunity to collaborate and network. Her goal: to have the OG as a commitment to artists that encourage and assist them while unlocking their potential and bringing their work to the attention of the public.