Virtual Rurality (Paint the Town Symposium, 2025 - Annapolis Royal)
Virtual Rurality: Life and Work of the Rural Artist in a Digital World
66 Victoria St., Annapolis Royal – Legion/Community Centre
Distance and density have always defined the differences between rural and urban life. As the online world evolves, our horizons simultaneously expand and shrink. How are these powerful new tools and opportunities affecting the lives and choices of rural artists?
- Moderator:
Ashlee Conery (Vancouver) – Founder, Cube Commons
- Panelists:
Bonnie Baker (Annapolis Royal) – Artist, Elephant Grass Printmakers Society
Adam Mcnamara (New Germany) - Artist, Adam Mack Wood Art
Andrew Tolson (Annapolis Royal) – Writer / Photographer / Filmmaker
Artist Profile - Ashlee Conery
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As an art curator with over a decade of experience, and a full-stack web developer and project manager, Ashlee Conery has consistently worked at the intersection of art, research, and technology. Her career spans public institutions, for-profit, and not-for-profit organizations worldwide, blending creativity with digital innovation.
She is the creator and project manager of CubeCommons.ca, a database and streaming platform for educational materials produced by arts organizations, artists, and HROs across Northern Turtle Island (Canada) and beyond. This open-source tool, funded by the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Strategy Fund, is the first collectively owned digital infrastructure built in collaboration with this community.
Her expertise in the arts includes producing art interpretation materials, short documentaries, exhibitions in both public and private spaces, community programming and engagement, art acquisitions, and digital learning tools, including product management and R&D. She has contributed to research for multinational collectives, app startups, artists, and locally focused education initiatives, while also lecturing at institutions such as The Courtauld Institute of Art, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, and Central Saint Martins.
Her previous roles include Curator of Interpretation at the Vancouver Art Gallery, Assistant Curator at ICA London, Curator of the Florence Trust, Curator at FormContent (London & Vienna), and Co-Director of PANDO at Enclave Labs. She has also curated exhibitions at Pi Artwork (London & Istanbul) and Nuit Blanche (Paris), And-Co (Vancouver), Bentall Gallery (Vancouver).
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Artist Profile - Bonnie Baker
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The dynamics of experimenting with materials and process, and building on the unexpected, is the central theme that continues to drive my practice.”
Bonnie Baker experiments with cameraless and slow photography processes, pushing the limits of photographic materials with organic and sustainable methods. In addition to drawing, printmaking, and experimental photography, Bonnie is also known for her earlier work in textile. Her work has been included in several invitational group exhibitions in Canada and the US as well as a slate of solo exhibits. Her pieces can be found in the public collections of the Art Bank of Nova Scotia.
An active founding member of Elephant Grass Printmakers, Bonnie believes community engagement, mentorship, and teaching are integral to one’s creative growth. She served as president of NS Printmakers and on the boards for the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, NS Craft Council, Visual Arts Nova Scotia, and Annapolis Regional Arts Council and was a recipient of an Established Artist Award in 2016 recognizing her longtime practice and contribution to art making in Nova Scotia.
She works out of her studio in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
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Artist Profile - Adam McNamara
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Adam McNamara (he/him) is a Nova Scotian wood artist known for his distinctive approach to carving, using aspects of the natural world and modern design. Adam’s journey as an artist began by joining social media sites to connect with an artistic community. This ultimately blossomed into strong local connections within his rural community, across the province, and abroad.
His artistic process is profoundly shaped by local ecosystems, often spotlighting the importance of small creatures in maintaining ecological harmony—a nod to his influences from historical anatomical illustrations and the impressionist movement. A self-taught artist committed to sustainability, Adam responsibly sources his materials and minimizes waste by repurposing all scraps. His work has been showcased in numerous local and international exhibitions, and he actively contributes to charity initiatives and competitions.
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Artist Profile - Andrew Tolson
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Andrew Tolson was director of photography at Maclean’s Magazine from 2003 to 2015, after which he created the in-house Rogers Media video unit. Under his editorship, this multi award-winning team of videographers, editors and motion designers produced content for a variety of Rogers brands. Since 2018, he has been a freelance photographer and filmmaker based in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, and also an award nominated writer of children’s books. His workshops for young writers focus on the power of myths, magic and storytelling.
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