Board of Directors

Miriam was born in Saskatchewan. She took many art classes and was involved with oil painting in her youth on the prairies. As a young adult, pursuing a career and raising a family became her priorities. She has accounting and business education and has had a lengthy career with a variety of companies and organizations in a range of occupations. In 2017, Miriam relocated to Vancouver Island. She was…

I am excited to be working on the board for The Pearl Ellis Gallery. My family and I moved to Comox a year ago and we are thoroughly enjoying our new home. I retired from teaching secondary art and I am now running my own studio out of Comox. I am a lifelong advocate for the important role art plays in our communities; The Pearl Ellis Gallery is truly a gift and It is exciting to see the gallery membership…

Born in Victoria BC, Mark is not an artist but when he and his partner Mae retired to the Comox Valley after 31 years at ICBC Driver Services they looked for things to do. Mae is a great artist so she joined the PEG and seeing they needed help on the board, Mark joined to help out. Mark’s passion is collecting vinyl records and riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle around the Island.

 Teresa Kachanoski is a multimedia artist who recently moved to Merville, Vancouver Island from Newfoundland and Labrador. Her art practice began in Quebec where she was born in 1956. While raising a family she returned to university and completed a BFA in 2005 where she focused on drawing, painting, sculpture and printmaking. In her current practice she is delving into the many possibilities of felt-making.…

Carol Imai retired to the Comox Valley 6 years ago from North Vancouver. She had been making cards and lots of crafts for friends and family, especially at Christmas. Once in the valley, she started taking classes in drawing, watercolour and acrylic paints. Most classes were in person but Zoom was also used. She has been very active with the Pearl Ellis Gallery in the past 2 years. Currently she is…

Susan Sarada was raised in the Comox Valley, but as an adult she moved to Seattle for ten years, then Orcas Island for another ten years. She then spent 15 years in the Middle East, in Muscat, Oman, before moving back to Courtenay in the fall of 2022. She has a background in restaurants, dentistry and business management. Susan works in acrylic, watercolor and encaustic and really enjoys playing with…