2026 Barrie Arts Awards

2025 Winners

• Artist Beyond Barriers | Alayna Kellet

  Presented by the City of Barrie Seniors & Accessibility Advisory Committee

  Alayna Kellett is a professional dancer, model and choreographer, currently living in Barrie, ON. Alayna moved to Toronto to attend the dance program at Ryerson University and graduated with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance after four years of extensive training. As a technically trained dancer, Alayna is proficient in ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, contemporary, lyrical, musical theatre, tap and burlesque. Alayna has been performing and choreographing in original shows with Breakaway Entertainment for many years, including ‘Tales of a Cocktail' in Toronto Fringe and for a second run at Alumnae Theatre, which has been nominated for five Broadway World Awards. She has also been performing and choreographing ‘Anatomy of a Dancer', a Broadway World Award-winning show about Gene Kelly, and ‘Scenes from an Italian Restaurant'. Alayna has spent over a decade choreographing regular shows downtown Toronto, special events, live stage experiences and immersive theatre. She has also choreographed and performed in many commercials, music videos and short films.

  She is a highly sought-after adjudicator, registered with the Professional Adjudicators Alliance, and is always excited to share her experience and passion with the next generation. Since graduation, Alayna has worked with international artists like Feist, Joey Stylez, and Juice Bar as well as performing in notable venues like The Royal Conservatory of Music, The Gardiner Museum, Roy Thompson Hall, The Five Points Theatre and many more. She has performed with companies including, DanceFusion, the Dance Migration and Ballet Espressivo, as a company member and guest soloist. She has travelled extensively across Canada, choreographing for productions including ‘West Side Story’ (Bayside Arts & Pinnacle Playhouse), ‘Gypsy’ (many productions), ‘Hello Again’ (The Artillery Collective) and many others.

  Her work has also been on stages recently at HIM International, The Rivoli, the Phoenix and Cake Cabaret. Alayna has worked as the resident choreographer for companies including Big Soul Productions, SilverHouse and The Artillery Collective as well as choreographing and performing for clients like Fuji Film, Henry's, Apple and Bank of Montreal. Alayna is also a working dance model, you may see her images on Yonge Street, for Titika Athletics and at the Art Gallery of Ontario, amongst others.

  Alayna has been teaching for over two decades and travels all over Canada teaching, choreographing and adjudicating. She spent 2 years as the jazz teacher on staff with In-Studio, through the National Ballet of Canada. Alayna has been tapped to create custom pointe and pointe preparation programs, over-the-top production numbers (Star Wars Ballet anyone?), conditioning programs as well as award winning choreography by dance studios across the country.
  During her years of education, she trained under artists like Nadia Potts, Rex Harrington, Roberto Campanella, Kenny Pearl, Allen Kaeja and many more. Alayna trained in BATD, RAD and ADAPT as well as continuing her own education with programs like C.I. Training, Progressing Ballet Technique, Progressing Contemporary Technique, and IDTS.

  Since being diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer in 2023, years of symptoms and health concerns had an answer and Alayna began an intense combination of radiation, chemotherapy and brachii treatment. Through the eight weeks of treatment, Alayna continued to contribute to Scarlett Studios, the local Barrie burlesque school she founded, as well as producing two monthly shows in Toronto. Immediately after that treatment was complete, Alayna began the hard process of regaining her strength and mobility while continuing to produce and perform for three different venues in Toronto, two local Simcoe County Events and the student showcase for the local Barrie burlesque school.

  As 2024 began, Alayna was gaining strength and creating art. Producing sold out Opera/burlesque shows, a sold out run of a Lord of the Rings themed burlesque show and applying to the Simcoe County Theatre Festival with her dance show, ‘In Transit'. ‘In Transit' was originally created by Alayna for the 2020 Toronto Fringe Festival, but Covid had other plans. In 2021, Alayna was commissioned to turn the stage show concept into a dance film and spent three months working with seven dance artists to create a 45 min dance film. In the spring of 2024, ‘In Transit' began rehearsals with a cast of 22 local Simcoe dancers, ranging in age from 18-53, to tell Alayna's personal story of family, addiction, grief and healing.

  The show was well received and beautifully reviewed and has been approached for another run in the future. Alayna was still very much recovering from the intense cancer treatment, and while juggling the cast and festival, was still performing regularly in Toronto, running the burlesque education program at Scarlett Studios, and had been approached by Breakaway Entertainment to choreograph and play the antagonist in their newest dance show, ‘Scenes from an Italian Restaurant'.

  It was not the same body Alayna had spent the last 25 years dancing in, and adjusting to changes in her body, brain and stamina was an unexpected challenge, one that kept Alayna from taking any work as an adjudicator due to the long hours and lightning-quick responses needed for the role. Every three months Alayna continued to get scans and manage the changes, including full menopause at age 39. ‘In Transit' and ‘ Scenes…' had an overlapping run, with two days that Alayna had to run from downtown Barrie to downtown Toronto to perform both shows in one day, but she was excited to begin to rebuild the momentum she had lost when she began to get sick.

  Inspired by the challenging time, Alayna created and performed a burlesque piece about her cancer journey. Debuting it here, in Simcoe County, then taking it to the stage in Toronto, the piece brought invitations from across the country to share this piece of art in Vancouver, Kootenay, Halifax and Montreal.

  Sadly, Alayna was supposed to begin her tour of this piece in April 2025, but life has other plans. Winter of 2024 found Alayna continuing ongoing projects as well as getting hired to help choreograph and headline a brand-new cabaret venue in Toronto, Cake Cabaret! Thrilled to be helping another new venue build their burlesque and cabaret talent from the ground up, Alayna dove into their first show with enthusiasm and was tapped to teach burlesque classes at the neighboring studio, The Pink Studio, but one week into rehearsals for their second show, at the review for her regular scans, Alayna was diagnosed with stage 4 cervical cancer which spread to the lymph nodes in her chest.

  She shared the update with her colleagues as the information became clear and a treatment plan was laid out and she told the owners of Cake Cabaret that she wanted to stay performing and creating for as long as possible, if they didn't mind holding the space for her. So, she opened the show on March 6th and she began chemotherapy on March 10th. She cancelled all other performances, travel, vacations and commitments, focusing first on treatment and family, with an art escape on the side. Alayna lost 20lbs in the first six weeks of treatment, then all of her hair, brows and eyelashes, but she continued to perform and when the spring show ended it's run, she was already working on ideas and movement for the summer show. Cake Cabaret, the cast and the shows became Alayna's escape during the stressful, painful and exhausting treatment. It was a place to be happy, and silly and create beautiful art, while getting a brief reprieve from the realities of cancer.

  Not one to shy away from reality colliding with art, Alayna integrated her new chemo-induced baldness into several burlesque acts, from heavy and meaningful reveals only a few days after shaving her head, to hopping on the ‘wear a bald cap to a Pitbull concert' trend and revealing Alayna as ‘Pitbull' in the summer show. She was also transparent with all her brand new students at The Pink Studio, sometimes teaching from a sitting position if treatment had exhausted her, and using the bald reveals as a lesson on using our greatest insecurities to reclaim our power onstage.

  Alayna is continuing treatment currently, spending hours at Royal Victoria Hospital every three weeks, with a permanent chest port and a lifetime of infusions and treatments stretching ahead of her. Despite all of this, she continues to perform and teach, sharing her gifts with her community.

  About the Artist Beyond Barriers Award

  Presented to an artist, performer, or writer who has demonstrated creative originality through a body of work despite living with a continuous or recurrent mental or physical disability that results in a substantial restriction in their ability to work, care for themselves, or take part in community life. These individuals may be living or deceased. This award is presented by the City's Seniors & Accessibility Advisory Committee.

• Business Champion | Brad Ferguson

  As the Founder and Director of Upchuckle Education, Brad Ferguson brings over 20 years of experience as a professional artist, character designer, animator and director of award-winning animated television shows. In addition to creating entertainment for audiences around the globe, he has served as an Animation Diploma Program Director and Instructor at an accredited art and animation college.

  Having worn many hats throughout his diverse career, Brad is now focused on helping students develop their own skills and creative voice. His passion for teaching—paired with extensive industry expertise—drives him to inspire and support learners at Upchuckle Education: a place where people of all ages and experience levels can feel safe, supported and encouraged as they explore creativity, gain confidence and grow their abilities.

  Upchuckle Education creates diverse, expert-led (and often fun!) arts and animation programs for all ages and experience levels—from six-year-olds to seniors, from total beginners to long-lost creatives rediscovering their spark. Their Cartoon Camps and Upchuckle Creative Workshops are inclusive programs designed to ignite inspiration and help participants feel more confident, expressive and connected through art. Shortly after opening, they launched their Sponsorship Program in coordination with local charities, offering free seats to children, teens and adults facing hardship. So far, they have supported 33 community members through this initiative. They have also collaborated with Aspire Community Services to deliver affirming creative workshops for neurodivergent teens and adults.

  About the Business Champion Award

  Given to an individual or business operating in the Barrie area that has consistently and significantly supported the arts through either financial and/or in-kind means. This award may be granted to a business that has made a concerted effort to build capacity in the arts.

• Contribution to the Community | UPlift Black Artist Collective

  The UPlift Black Artist Collective is a vibrant and dynamic community dedicated to amplifying the voices and talents of Black/BIPOC artists across various disciplines as well as helping them develop skills to attain a sustainable living through their arts and creative disciplines. Their focus is on:

  • Increasing Visibility: They strive to elevate the presence of Black/BIPOC artists in the cultural landscape, ensuring their work is recognized and celebrated.
  • Fostering Creative Development: By providing resources, developmental workshops, mentorship, and support, they nurture the artistic growth of Black/BIPOC creators, empowering them to explore and expand their craft.
  • Providing Paid Opportunities: They are committed to creating pathways for financial sustainability, offering paid artistic opportunities that recognize the value and labor of Black/BIPOC artists.
  • Encouraging Multidisciplinary Collaborations: They promote collaboration among artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, fostering a rich exchange of ideas and creativity.
  • Affordable Memberships: Their BIPOC/2SLGBTQI+ membership gives artists and creatives access to discounted rates on renting sound equipment and instruments for gigs, discounted rates for renting the venue space for video shoots and events, access to free development workshops and more.

  Through these efforts, the UPlift Black Artist Collective aims to create a thriving ecosystem for Black/BIPOC artists, inspiring innovation, solidarity, and artistic excellence to UPlift and spread positivity in any space they enter. 

  About the Contribution to the Community Award

  Awarded to an individual, duo, or collective that has played a significant role in the development of an arts organization or program or contributed to the overall arts community in building capacity and enriching the lives of Barrie residents and the local environment. These individuals may be living or deceased.

• Emerging Artist Award | Omar Chris Canales-Cisneros

  Presented by Georgian College, Design & Visual Arts

  Omar Cristiano Canales-Cisneros is a Barrie-based painter of Salvadorian descent. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from OCAD University (Toronto), where he graduated with a major in Drawing & Painting and a minor in Sculpture and Installation. He has exhibited in TOAF, the Art Gallery of Mississauga, and in 2025, he was awarded the Untapped People's Choice Award at Artist Project Toronto.

  Canales-Cisneros' practice is primarily based in painting and expands into sculpture and installation. As a Latin American man, Canales' work is concerned with exploring issues of identity. Entailing stories of heritage, sexuality, gender, and most importantly, the intersectionality of these fields. His practice implements the artistic methodology of decreation by burning materials that are representative of prejudicial ideologies and incorporating the resulting ashes into a final body of work, using the ashes as pigment for oil paint.

  Beyond traditional gallery settings, Canales-Cisneros also collaborates with institutions such as the University of Toronto, creating artwork in a medical illustration capacity to support and raise awareness for their sex education center's programming. He has also worked with the Consulate of El Salvador, producing pieces centered on heritage, space, and culture, strengthening his connection to his roots while fostering cultural dialogue through art.

  About the Emerging Artist Award

  Awarded to an individual who has begun to develop a body of work in preparation/or pursuit of a professional career in the arts. This award is presented by Georgian College, Design & Visual Arts.

• Excellence in the Arts | Kim Brett

  Kim Brett (1969–2025) was a force of creativity and inspiration in Barrie and the surrounding area. Her journey began at Georgian College, where she pivoted from jewellery design into the Creative Arts program. Under mentors such as Tim Zuck, John Hartman, Ted Fullerton and Marlene Hilton-Moore, she discovered her love for painting, printmaking and drawing, graduating with a three-year diploma and winning the Fine Arts Graduate Scholarship. She went on to complete a BFA in Visual Arts at the University of Lethbridge, where she also enrolled in the museum studies curatorial internship program. Recognized with the John Clark Scholarship for excellence in studio art, she was awarded a month-long residency at the Gushul Studio in the scenic Crowsnest Pass, an experience that strengthened a commitment to the arts that shaped her life and career.

  Her practice focused on the everyday and overlooked. She compulsively collected small plastic items such as dish soap bottles, toothbrushes, disposable razors, pocket lighters and mascara wands, asking what these objects say about us. For her, a toothbrush was a material emblem of self-care and intimacy, a marker of domestic ritual and obligation. A lighter became a meditation on humanity's mastery and misuse of fire. This attention extended to the landscapes in which these objects persist. On walks in national and city parks, she noted with a keen eye how a bread tag or gumpick insinuated itself into what ought to be pristine.

  Her subject matter continuously returned to the paradox that beauty and waste, care and neglect coexist. Her point was revelation, not lecturing, an invitation to look again at what culture simultaneously creates and discards. Kim's exhibitions embodied this spirit, for example, Process Run, shown at Spare Room Gallery, folded the studio back into the finished image by incorporating discarded proofs into the work itself. Object Orientation at PRNT Collective transformed the humble into the iconic, recomposing mass-produced items into visual narratives of wit and seriousness. Across her practice, from painting to printmaking and beyond, she held to one conviction: that process could equal, and at times surpass, the finished work in importance.

  Teaching was integral to Kim's artistic practice. She instructed summer printmaking courses at Georgian College and taught for many years at the MacLaren Art Centre, bringing the same meticulous care to her classrooms as she did to her studio. She thoughtfully arranged tables with unique materials and inks, customizing demonstrations to suit each group's needs, believing that confidence stemmed from practice fostered through consistent and patient guidance. When the pandemic closed the education centre, Kim transformed her home studio into a virtual teaching space using an iPad, iPhone and laptop in tandem, she crafted immersive online lessons. She hosted virtual Family Sundays, virtual art camps and Zoom workshops introducing families and children to art. For youth mental health organizations like New Path, she designed activities with simple materials to help participants explore complex emotions. In a time of isolation, Kim remained engaged. Her leadership also shone in the Sarjeant Co. Design Project, where she guided high school students in creating artwork for the company's concrete-mixer drums. During the pandemic, she pivoted the program to a virtual format, launching a classroom competition that enabled students to draw and submit designs despite restrictions. Kim empowered teenagers to see their ideas scaled up and moving through the city, a lesson in civic presence that many will not forget.

  As a lead instructor for Creative Spark, Kim Brett devoted herself to piloting a transformative program designed for people with Alzheimer's and their caregivers. She worked tirelessly to develop and deliver workshops that used art to foster connection, self-expression and joy. Her thoughtful approach ensured that activities were accessible, engaging participants with varying abilities through simple yet meaningful creative exercises. The pilot program culminated in a celebrated exhibition attended by local news crews, which showcased the remarkable work of participants. Kim was continually amazed by the participants' creativity and enthusiasm. She felt deeply honoured to contribute to such a meaningful initiative, often reflecting on the privilege of witnessing participants' resilience and spark. Inspired by their energy, Kim began exploring further opportunities to deepen her experience in art-based therapeutic programs, aiming to expand her impact in supporting individuals facing cognitive and emotional challenges.

  Through the MacLaren's Community Arts and VanGo programs, she mentored emerging instructors sharing both printmaking technique and a philosophy that valued lived experience as much as the finished work. She insisted that the right to make was not earned but honoured. The PRNT Collective was an artist-run printmaking studio and gallery located in Barrie, dedicated to fostering the art of printmaking through education, exhibitions and community engagement. As a sustaining member of this vibrant collective, Kim not only advanced her own artistic practice but also played a central role in building and nurturing the local creative community. She taught printmaking workshops and tailoring sessions to inspire participants of all skill levels to explore innovative techniques and materials. She also led studio tours for groups like the Barrie Art Club, offering visitors an inside look at the collective's facilities, which sparked inspiration and deepened appreciation for the art form. Her active participation in outreach events further strengthened community ties, while her role as board secretary ensured the organization's mission of promoting printmaking and artistic collaboration thrived.

  Kim served on the MacLaren Art Centre's Programming Committee, which works closely with gallery staff and board members to meet the objectives of the centre's exhibition, collection and education plans. In this role she provided honest, thoughtful recommendations on upcoming shows and programs and advocated passionately for their success. She also volunteered on Georgian College's Program Advisory Committee for Design and Visual Arts, part of a network of committees that guide curriculum development and ensure course content remains inspiring, relevant and responsive to the evolving needs of students and the community. Kim prepared meticulously for these meetings, reading materials in advance, asking pointed questions and offering grounded advice. She championed diverse, community-engaged programs, grounded in real-world experience.

  One of Kim's most proud contributions to the community was Artful Expressions, a program she created for Matthews House Hospice to help participants articulate feelings during life-limiting illness. The measure of this work cannot be captured solely by attendance sheets. Clients spoke, often with surprised enthusiasm, about the joy she helped them discover at the edge of grief, of how materials held in one's hand could communicate thoughts the tongue could not manage, and how a small drawing or collage could hold what felt too heavy to carry. She knew personally the unfairness life can sometimes bring, facing stage-four cancer with a steadiness that still left room for dignity and meaning.

  A passionate supporter of the arts, Kim rarely missed openings, talks or events. She made pilgrimages to Art Toronto and prioritized visits to major institutions such as the National Gallery of Canada. In the Barrie area, she participated in Open Air Dunlop Barrie Culture Days, the Coldwater Steampunk Festival and steamroller woodcut printing at the Simcoe County Museum. Her enthusiasm and laughter marked every gathering. She believed that showing up mattered, that a creative community depends on the presence and support of its members. She listened attentively, asked questions, learned people's names and took a genuine interest in the work of others.

  Even as she endured dozens of rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, facing severe side effects, Kim continued to teach, to make art and support others until a short time before her passing. She would not have had it any other way. At her final oncology appointment, she received devastating news that the nature of her disease progression meant her remaining time with us was limited to weeks. After a tearful embrace, Kim reached for her phone and showed her Instagram account, speaking with delight about her work to her doctor, which she considered one of her greatest achievements. Her doctor told her she would never forget Kim, not for her illness but for her resilience, for her determination to live rather than simply survive. 

  Across decades of exhibitions, residencies, classrooms and collaborations, Kim Brett championed the idea that art is for everyone. She demonstrated that beauty could be found in a bread tag's curve or a mascara wand's bristles as surely as in a museum masterpiece. Her resilience, intellect and joy left an indelible mark on the Barrie community, a mark that will continue to inspire those who create, teach and gather in her spirit.

  About the Excellence in the Arts Award

  Awarded to an established professional artist, performer, or author who has demonstrated through one or more bodies of work creative originality, professional maturity, and artistic leadership. These individuals may be living or deceased.

• Most Promising Youth Award | Tia Nova

  Presented by Larissa Mair Casting & Associates

  Tia Nova is a dynamic singer-songwriter from Barrie, Ontario, known for blending pop, pop rock, and theatrical influences into a sound uniquely her own. Drawing inspiration from artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Gwen Stefani, Tia uses music as a powerful form of self-expression and connection, captivating audiences with her heartfelt lyrics and passionate performances.

  Her talent has earned her notable recognition, achieving top placements at the 2025 Ontario Music Festival Association (OMFA) Provincial Finals—placing 1st in Senior Self-Accompanied Pop Vocals category and 3rd place in the Senior Pop Vocalist category, a nomination for Emerging Artist at the 2024 Barrie Arts Awards and making the finals at Canada's Teen Jam at TD Music Hall.

  Tia has performed at venues across Ontario including Massey Hall accompanying Feura at the Honey Jam 30th Anniversary concert, Meridian Place as an opening act for Hawksley Workman at the Barrie Troubadour Festival and most recently, The Rivoli in Toronto singing for Emma Della Rossa with Sundown Sessions. Often seen performing with her guitar, Tia has also graced local venues such as The Rec Room-Barrie, Grillicious Restaurant & Wine Bar, CW Coops and around the Barrie waterfront. In 2025, she was a featured vocalist in the Canadian Musicians Cooperative's Barns2Beaches Music Tour, touring across Ontario municipalities such as the Ed Broadbent Park Amphitheatre in Oshawa, Memorial Park in Brighton, and Barrie's Meridian Place Stage, performing a 3-hour set of Canadian Hits. Previously in 2024, she was also featured in the Canadian Musicians Cooperative Showcase as a Pre-Professional Artist, performing in Barrie's Meridian Place, Bradford Carrot Festival, and Meaford Hall.

  In addition to her music career, Tia is a versatile performer in theatre and television. She co-hosts the talk show Epic Gen Table Talk and has appeared on stage in roles such as Frenchie in Grease, Lisa in MUTE the Musical at Infinity Performing Arts Studio, and as a chorale member in Lost Heroes of Oro at Toronto's Elgin Theatre.

  Tia Nova continues to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a multi-talented pop star, approaching every opportunity with passion, authenticity, and dedication.

  About the Most Promising Youth Award

  Must be 19 years of age or younger and currently enrolled in a secondary or post-secondary institution. This youth will have demonstrated a superior ability in their art form. This award can be for any form of art, e.g., visual, performing, literary, etc.