Chinook Blast

Maria Galura made her dreams come true since being fascinated by balloons at age 8. Today, her balloon art installations have shared smiles, wonder and whimsy to Calgarians. Photos of her balloon art have been shared across Canada, US, Australia, UK, Russia, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico.

Creating one of a kind balloon art as community offerings, she finds delightful color play, various sizes of biodegradable balloons and textures for statement pieces. Maria's design theory begins with optimizing space and layering experiential elements to deliver unforgettable balloon moments for the audience. Be it outdoor in arctic temperatures or the heatwave: she is equipped with grace, parka or sunscreen respectively!

She is a proud Filipino immigrant and is based in Calgary with her husband and 3 daughters.

Foxglove Studio is a creative floral studio that uses fresh flowers as a medium of artistic expression. Zephyr is a multimedia installation inspired by the symbolism of wind and the Greek God of the same name. Zephyr personifies a gentle westerly breeze; powerful and invisible with a strong influence on material elements. Using the art of floral design to convey a message from the wind, this piece, which appears in space unexpectedly, can be interpreted as a symbol of moving spirit, the vital breath of the universe, or a gentle whisper from the gods. A breezy message of gentle transformation, serenity and encouragement. 

Angel and Alex are a 2S BIPOC couple and co-founders of Indi City. In 2017 they became the first global Indigenous Designers to incorporate wearable technology into traditional regalia. Their first piece a Woman’s Traditional outfit called “ The Matriarch Speaks,” exhibited in Calgary, Ottawa and Shenzhen, China. In the same year they both graduated from the Indigenous Women in Community Leadership Program at St.FX University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Together they design and create fashion accessories according to the current indigenization of Turtle Island in contact with their ancestral roots. Indi City has grown from a small business on Instagram to a newly launched online store with products also found in shops and boutiques across the country. With an in-house multi-media productions company they work to curate a 100% Indigenous made brand through visual marketing and story-telling.

Rachael Meckling is a fashion & beauty illustrator living in the Alberta Rocky Mountains. With a strong love for nature, women, fabrics and form, she paints whimsical, feminine subjects with a minimalist approach. With a Bachelor of Design from Ryerson University’s Fashion Communication program, Rachael’s illustrations can be seen in fashion publications such as FASHION and Flare, and she is an artistic contributor to companies including Saks Fifth Avenue, McKinley Burkart and Rockwood Luxury Homes. In 2018 she received support from RBC’s Emerging Artist program, and as a result is quickly emerging as one of Western Canada’s most sought-after multidisciplinary artists.

Vienna Lang is an 18 year old student that has been experimenting with art for as long as she can remember. She has competed and won multiple design competitions across Alberta, and was commissioned to design and paint a series of murals for her local high school. Vienna is currently studying at the University of Lethbridge for a combined degree in Fine Arts and Education.

Leechuts (Leetia Lyons) is a Calgary-based illustrator and designer who works across multiple creative mediums and industries. Since completing her Bachelor of Design fromAuArts in 2019, she has been exploring every opportunity that has come her way, building a creative practice and lifestyle to define her unique sensibilities. Her illustration and design style ranges from conceptual to minimalist, often with influence from East-Asian art and culture.