KAGAWONG—Kirsten Nelson has assumed the executive director role at 4elements Living Arts, taking over from outgoing executive director and co-founder Sophie Edwards who stepped down last April.
“I’ve only been involved with 4elements as a community member and participant and I’m looking forward to the chance to get under the hood and co-create these experiences with them,” said Ms. Nelson.
The new executive director grew up in Sudbury and Thunder Bay and her parents moved to Manitoulin 20 years ago, the place they visited for their one-day honeymoon in 1967. When Ms. Nelson had her son, she would bring him to Manitoulin every year to visit his grandparents.
“I really fell in love with Manitoulin and consider it my heart’s home,” she said. She moved to the Providence Bay area herself in 2014.
Ms. Nelson is beginning her tenure remotely as she is currently living in Ottawa and working on her PhD in mathematics. She already holds degrees from Waterloo, York and Carleton universities and is a member of the Ontario College of Teachers.
“The more I’ve been talking with the board, the more I realize (math) is actually eerily similar. Because we’re working in research and looking at math problems with no known solutions. That act of creating is very similar,” she said.
Prior to this position, Ms. Nelson has held the title of director of curriculum at TVOntario. She has also worked at both small and large corporations, for-profit and non-profit companies and within academia.
Ms. Nelson said she has enjoyed partaking in 4elements’ previous activities and hopes to build upon the great work the organization already completes.
“I want to continue to grow our partnerships and get the community more involved. You can create more artistic experiences when the artist and audience aren’t so separate and everyone’s involved in the creation of it,” she said, adding that she hoped to include more younger people in the creation as well.
“Manitoulin has a fairly older population compared to the rest of the province; I think there’s such great opportunities to get seniors involved together in informal relationships and not just the formal grandparent-grandchild role,” she said.
“If I had to choose a favourite 4elements production I’d point to a play done two years ago, ‘There Is No Word for Wilderness’ by Lisa Hamalainen. It was such an interesting experience because it brought people out of the theatre and onto the Billings Trail. The audience moved along with the actors and it blew my mind,” she said.
Ms. Nelson expressed her gratitude to the board members who have been working to familiarize her with her new environment.
“We’ve had tons of phone calls and emails back-and-forth every day. It’s not at all like being dropped in the deep end and more like I’m joining a team. The board has been running everything for the past year; I think it takes a really special organization to be able to do that for so long,” she said.
Board of directors chair Susan Snelling said the board was excited to have Ms. Nelson aboard.
“She brings a rich and diverse set of experiences to the organization. We’re looking forward to renewing the vitality of 4elements together with her,” said Ms. Snelling.
“I am honoured and excited to be chosen to lead the organization into its next chapter. I look forward to applying my pedagogical background to continue the land-based learning programming that 4elements has done so well,” said Ms. Nelson.
The organization was founded in 2002 to provide creative spaces for artists, art exhibitions and programming in local communities. Its goal is to nurture and inspire community engagement in land-based arts on Manitoulin Island.
A popular event that 4elements Living Arts runs every year is its Elemental Festival, which returns from September 26 to 29. Ms. Nelson says she is especially excited to help run the festival in addition to her work maintaining and creating new partnerships.
