Olga Hewett is a practicing artist, educator and creative director. She received her art degree from University of Northern Iowa with emphasis on painting and graphic design. While living in Toronto, Olga worked as a web designer and a creative director in the IT industry. After moving to Barrie in 2014, Olga opened a private art studio where she offers painting, drawing and mixed media art classes to both children and adults. Olga encourages creative self-expression while helping her students develop a strong belief in their abilities and an avid understanding of the importance of art in their lives. She believes that when it comes to art, the process matters more than the end result.

Parallel to running an art studio, Olga operates a web design business where she helps her clients establish a strong online presence that is both appealing and profitable.

Olga is very excited to be a part of the MacLaren Art Center team as she continues to explore new ways to share her joy of artistic expression and creativity with the community.

Kim Brett (she/her) is a practicing visual artist and educator from Simcoe County. She is a graduate of the Fine Arts program at Georgian College and earned her BFA at the University of Lethbridge, majoring in painting and museum and gallery studies. Furthering her studies, she delved into painting at AUArts and pursued Communications and Media at the University of Calgary. Kim was honoured with the Fine Arts Graduate Scholarship at Georgian and the John Clark Scholarship in Art at UofL, which included a month-long artist residency at the Gushul Studio in the scenic Crowsnest Pass. She taught printmaking at Georgian and is currently a visual arts instructor at the MacLaren Art Centre. Actively engaged in the local arts community, Kim has participated in numerous collaborations, both as a participant and organizer, contributing to events including Open Air Dunlop, Barrie’s Culture Days, Coldwater Steampunk Festival, and the South Simcoe Museum.

Kim has exhibited her art extensively across Canada and her works are held in private and corporate collections. She brings a colourful and energetic approach to her art-making practice, providing the foundation for developing engaging and experimental programming for her classes and workshops.