“I’ve selected the Brenda Draney piece called .30-.30. I love Brenda’s work. The way she leaves the canvas unfinished intrigues me. What has gone unsaid? What else is happening? What has been left out of the frame? Is it my job to finish the story? There’s also an undeniably Albertan quality to her imagery, which as an immigrant to Canada, I still find exotic. Those enormous skies, an endless horizon, a place still in the making. I’ve had the privilege of spending a little time with Brenda and I confess that I get a frisson of excitement around artists of all kinds. Here they are — extraordinary seers, walking among us, telling us stories, making sense of the world: making it more beautiful. That’s what I like about contemporary art. These are today’s artists, helping us get through the complexities of being human — shining a light, making us laugh, asking us questions, holding up mirrors to our current state. I can’t imagine life without art and without artists. They are my comfort, my ballast, my teachers and an endless source of joy.”
Catrin is the CEO of Edmonton’s Calder Bateman Communications, a team of 30 people offering integrated marketing, advertising, public relations and public engagement services. She has served as President of the Edmonton Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), as a member of the Board of Governors of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Winspear Centre, as Past-Chair of the Edmonton Arts Council, and former Board Director for Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build. She is a former trustee of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation and currently sits as Past President and current Director of the Citadel Theatre, and as an external member of the Board University Relations Committee of the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta. She is a member of the Professional Development Advisory Committee of the U of A’s Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, and of the Business Advisory Council for the Alberta School of Business. She is also currently a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Edmonton Screen Institute Office.