Hosted by Oonagh Proudfoot ('93, '06), Executive Director, Alumni Affairs and joined by Wes Booth (’14), Gabrielle Bailey ('20) and Zack Goldsmith (’20), this Microsoft Teams event will look at the importance of the visual arts in our community, the importance of hiring local, and the impacts that art can have.

Register HERE.

Panelist bios:

Wes Booth ('14)

Wes lives, breathes, and eats the stories he tells. With over 10 years of experience, Wes has been involved with many local success stories. He takes immense pride in his work and where he lives. A graduate of Acadia University, Wes combines his marketing background with his creativity to bring storytelling solutions to clients at his boutique studio, Canopy Creative. Canopy Creative partners with local and international brands to bring more meaning to their stories through strategy, web, content, and distribution. Wes is self-taught and learns best through doing. He enjoys sharing what he has learned and exchanging ideas and approaches with the next generation.

Gabrielle Bailey (’20)

Gabrielle Bailey is the co-founder of the commercial and editorial photography company Studio 224, located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. She produces uncontrived, emotional and intimate work that holds true to the art form of photography, working with clients like Warner Brothers, Dash Hudson, Tourism Nova Scotia, and Parks Canada. Gabrielle spent her education and early career in digital marketing, particularly with tech start-ups, powering a smooth transition to running her own show with her partner - in life and business - Kinnon. Studio 224 is currently building a woodland atelier near Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia, opening in late 2023: a space for visual artists to create and connect.

Zachary Goldsmith (’20)

Zachary Goldsmith is a full-time photographer and proud Acadia graduate (Bachelor of Theology, 2020). His work focuses on people, with his primary subject matter consisting of weddings, portraits and business promotion. Originally from British Columbia, Zack moved to Wolfville in 2017 and fell in love with Nova Scotia. He is now based in Halifax, where he continues to enjoy connecting with the local community and using his work to capture the best of people.