CLUB STRUCTURE
The Club incorporated in 1922 as a nonprofit, and is governed by a volunteer board of directors comprised of Club members representing a cross-section of artistic practices and other expertise.
Membership is organized by artistic discipline, so members join sections based on their artistic focus. Sections meet to discuss Club business such as planning events and group activities, but also regularly hold workshops and discussions on topics of interest to their members. Members may attend the meetings and workshops of any section in the Club, not just the section of their artistic focus, if the topic of the workshop or discussion is of interest.
Club activities are envisioned, planned and executed by Club members working on a voluntary basis. They are organized and overseen by a variety of committees comprised of Club members. As a result, volunteerism is a fundamental aspect of Club membership.
Membership is organized by artistic discipline, so members join sections based on their artistic focus. Sections meet to discuss Club business such as planning events and group activities, but also regularly hold workshops and discussions on topics of interest to their members. Members may attend the meetings and workshops of any section in the Club, not just the section of their artistic focus, if the topic of the workshop or discussion is of interest.
Club activities are envisioned, planned and executed by Club members working on a voluntary basis. They are organized and overseen by a variety of committees comprised of Club members. As a result, volunteerism is a fundamental aspect of Club membership.
CLUb sections
For information on the activities and membership of any specific section, please click on the section below:
CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Interim President: Marg Wilson
Email: [email protected]
Marg Wilson is a writer and an editor. She has two books of fiction published, and has written for film and television. Marg retired from her business career in 2013 as an executive consultant in IT , legal educator and editor, and governance and project management consultant for complex, large scale IT and infrastructure projects over $50 million for the Ontario Public Service Ministries of the Attorney General, Ministry of Health, Management Board, and Agencies, Boards and Commissions. She is currently working on a book of poetry and a collection of short stories.
Email: [email protected]
Marg Wilson is a writer and an editor. She has two books of fiction published, and has written for film and television. Marg retired from her business career in 2013 as an executive consultant in IT , legal educator and editor, and governance and project management consultant for complex, large scale IT and infrastructure projects over $50 million for the Ontario Public Service Ministries of the Attorney General, Ministry of Health, Management Board, and Agencies, Boards and Commissions. She is currently working on a book of poetry and a collection of short stories.
Vice-President: Kye Marshall
Email: [email protected]
Kye Marshall is a professional composer, cellist and nature photographer. She combines her love of melody with her facility as a classical and jazz / avant-garde improviser to create unique styles of composition. She has written for full orchestra and numerous chamber ensembles. Kye's full length opera Pomegranate was presented by the Canadian Opera Company in June 2023. Her credits also include four film scores, forty jazz compositions, and music for theatre, dance and CBC radio drama. Her work has been performed widely: in the USA, Austria, Italy (I Solisti Veneti) Canada and numerous locations in Toronto including CBC, TVO, Jazz.FM. An eclectic musician, Kye has performed jazz, classical and free music with multiple ensembles including as principal cellist in the O’Keefe Centre Orchestra and the New Chamber Orchestra, the National Ballet Orchestra (assistant principal cellist ), the Kye Marshall Jazz Quartet / Duo, Heliconian PianoTrio, Epic String Quartet, and Heliconian String Quartet. She has six CD’s to her credit. www.kyemarshall.com
Photo Credit: Linda Briskin
Email: [email protected]
Kye Marshall is a professional composer, cellist and nature photographer. She combines her love of melody with her facility as a classical and jazz / avant-garde improviser to create unique styles of composition. She has written for full orchestra and numerous chamber ensembles. Kye's full length opera Pomegranate was presented by the Canadian Opera Company in June 2023. Her credits also include four film scores, forty jazz compositions, and music for theatre, dance and CBC radio drama. Her work has been performed widely: in the USA, Austria, Italy (I Solisti Veneti) Canada and numerous locations in Toronto including CBC, TVO, Jazz.FM. An eclectic musician, Kye has performed jazz, classical and free music with multiple ensembles including as principal cellist in the O’Keefe Centre Orchestra and the New Chamber Orchestra, the National Ballet Orchestra (assistant principal cellist ), the Kye Marshall Jazz Quartet / Duo, Heliconian PianoTrio, Epic String Quartet, and Heliconian String Quartet. She has six CD’s to her credit. www.kyemarshall.com
Photo Credit: Linda Briskin
Interim Secretary: Laura Liu
Email: [email protected]
Laura Liu was born and raised in New York City and is a licensed architect in New York State. She has worked in three countries as a designer and finds it her passion and privilege to engage clients and citizens alike in conversations about place, meaning, culture and other narratives, and the forces that drive our decision-making. Through her current work in the architecture profession, Laura continues to investigate how good design can cultivate care for others and our environment at every scale. She aspires to host informal gatherings for musicians and artists to play and exchange ideas and work out of her own woodshop one day.
Email: [email protected]
Laura Liu was born and raised in New York City and is a licensed architect in New York State. She has worked in three countries as a designer and finds it her passion and privilege to engage clients and citizens alike in conversations about place, meaning, culture and other narratives, and the forces that drive our decision-making. Through her current work in the architecture profession, Laura continues to investigate how good design can cultivate care for others and our environment at every scale. She aspires to host informal gatherings for musicians and artists to play and exchange ideas and work out of her own woodshop one day.
Interim Treasurer: Angie Littlefield
Email: [email protected]
Angie Littlefield is an author (Tom Thomson's Fine Kettle of Friends, finalist for the Whistler Independent Book Awards of 2021, Walking with Oma: A Memoir, Now or Never, 2025, and Painted Out of the Picture: The Wives of the Group of Seven, Cormorant Books, 2026); editor (Ruth Abernethy's In Form: Life &Legacies in Bronze, Firefly, 2024); curator (angelika hoerle: comet of cologne dada, AGO 2009 and Museum Ludwig, Cologne Germany) and educator for 33 years, the last ten as a high school vice-principal and principal. In the latter role and as Executive Director of the Durham West Arts Centre for four years, Angie oversaw financial matters and managed budgets. She has been a member of the Heliconian Club (Literature and Drama) since 2015.
Email: [email protected]
Angie Littlefield is an author (Tom Thomson's Fine Kettle of Friends, finalist for the Whistler Independent Book Awards of 2021, Walking with Oma: A Memoir, Now or Never, 2025, and Painted Out of the Picture: The Wives of the Group of Seven, Cormorant Books, 2026); editor (Ruth Abernethy's In Form: Life &Legacies in Bronze, Firefly, 2024); curator (angelika hoerle: comet of cologne dada, AGO 2009 and Museum Ludwig, Cologne Germany) and educator for 33 years, the last ten as a high school vice-principal and principal. In the latter role and as Executive Director of the Durham West Arts Centre for four years, Angie oversaw financial matters and managed budgets. She has been a member of the Heliconian Club (Literature and Drama) since 2015.
Director at Large: Vivian East
Email: [email protected]
Vivian East has over 40 years of experience teaching art in Toronto. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, a Diploma in Design from Sheridan College, and a Bachelor of Education Degree from OISE/UT.
Vivian taught Visual Art and other subjects for the Toronto District School Board for 20 years. Upon retiring in 2010, she and her daughter opened Freehand School of Art which offers classes for all ages, and workshops and events for adults in North Toronto. In 2022, she joined the Heliconian Club, in the Visual Arts section. In her studio practice, Vivian works in a variety of media and has recently begun to focus on landscape painting in oils to celebrate her travels throughout Canada.
Email: [email protected]
Vivian East has over 40 years of experience teaching art in Toronto. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, a Diploma in Design from Sheridan College, and a Bachelor of Education Degree from OISE/UT.
Vivian taught Visual Art and other subjects for the Toronto District School Board for 20 years. Upon retiring in 2010, she and her daughter opened Freehand School of Art which offers classes for all ages, and workshops and events for adults in North Toronto. In 2022, she joined the Heliconian Club, in the Visual Arts section. In her studio practice, Vivian works in a variety of media and has recently begun to focus on landscape painting in oils to celebrate her travels throughout Canada.
Interim Director at Large: Velma Ko
Email: [email protected]
Velma Ko, is an active violinist and violist. Born and raised in Victoria, B.C. violin has been her life since hearing and seeing Don Messer and his band perform at the local curling rink at age four. There were piano lessons and later woodwind and brass classes while at university at Brandon, Manitoba, but nothing would replace the violin until the viola came along after retirement. Now, she is in demand as a violist in community orchestras, chamber ensembles, and as a soloist. She continues to freelance as a professional violinist and is a Life Member of the Toronto Musicians Association, Local 149.
Along the way, there were some difficult choices. In high school, Velma decided to be on the school's volleyball team, so dropped orchestra to play volleyball. Fortunately her teachers "persuaded" her to rejoin the after-school orchestra program. The volleyball bug returned at university, when she again dropped violin and played for the Brandon University inaugural women's volleyball team. Great year, but tough on the hands. After resuming music studies, she received her Bachelor of Music (Performance) and won the Young Artists of Canada competition in her senior year. Upon graduation, she headed to Juilliard's Meadowmount Summer School of Music, Elizabethtown, NY on a Canada Council Grant for graduating students.
Velma eventually settled in Toronto, working as a freelance musician, teaching as a public and separate school board itinerant string teacher, and starting her private violin studio. She took her Bachelor of Education (Secondary stream) at UWO, London, Ontario. In 2011, she joined the Heliconian Club as a member of the Music Section. Over the years she has been secretary and Head and co-Head of the Music Section (3 years), member of the Music Committee, which develops the Concert Series, served five years on the Board of Directors, as Director-at-Large and Secretary (four years), became a member of Planners Committee, took the Safety Attendant Training, and recently joined the Humanities Section and accepted Co-chair position.
Email: [email protected]
Velma Ko, is an active violinist and violist. Born and raised in Victoria, B.C. violin has been her life since hearing and seeing Don Messer and his band perform at the local curling rink at age four. There were piano lessons and later woodwind and brass classes while at university at Brandon, Manitoba, but nothing would replace the violin until the viola came along after retirement. Now, she is in demand as a violist in community orchestras, chamber ensembles, and as a soloist. She continues to freelance as a professional violinist and is a Life Member of the Toronto Musicians Association, Local 149.
Along the way, there were some difficult choices. In high school, Velma decided to be on the school's volleyball team, so dropped orchestra to play volleyball. Fortunately her teachers "persuaded" her to rejoin the after-school orchestra program. The volleyball bug returned at university, when she again dropped violin and played for the Brandon University inaugural women's volleyball team. Great year, but tough on the hands. After resuming music studies, she received her Bachelor of Music (Performance) and won the Young Artists of Canada competition in her senior year. Upon graduation, she headed to Juilliard's Meadowmount Summer School of Music, Elizabethtown, NY on a Canada Council Grant for graduating students.
Velma eventually settled in Toronto, working as a freelance musician, teaching as a public and separate school board itinerant string teacher, and starting her private violin studio. She took her Bachelor of Education (Secondary stream) at UWO, London, Ontario. In 2011, she joined the Heliconian Club as a member of the Music Section. Over the years she has been secretary and Head and co-Head of the Music Section (3 years), member of the Music Committee, which develops the Concert Series, served five years on the Board of Directors, as Director-at-Large and Secretary (four years), became a member of Planners Committee, took the Safety Attendant Training, and recently joined the Humanities Section and accepted Co-chair position.
Director at Large: Rosemary Tannock, PhD
Email: [email protected]
After retiring at the end of 2019 from a 30+ scientific and academic career [Canada Research Chair & Professor in Special Education, University of Toronto; Senior Scientist, Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children], I rekindled my childhood passion for visual arts, specifically watercolour and photography. Largely self-taught, I have completed drawing and life-drawing courses at the Art Gallery of Ontario, master-classes in watercolour taught by several international artists, including a full year of study with USA Master artist, Thomas Schaller, in his on-line program "Design and The Power of Imagination". I am a long-term supporter of the Al Purdy A-Frame Writers in Residence Program, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Hot Docs Cinema, and Toronto International Film Festival.
Email: [email protected]
After retiring at the end of 2019 from a 30+ scientific and academic career [Canada Research Chair & Professor in Special Education, University of Toronto; Senior Scientist, Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children], I rekindled my childhood passion for visual arts, specifically watercolour and photography. Largely self-taught, I have completed drawing and life-drawing courses at the Art Gallery of Ontario, master-classes in watercolour taught by several international artists, including a full year of study with USA Master artist, Thomas Schaller, in his on-line program "Design and The Power of Imagination". I am a long-term supporter of the Al Purdy A-Frame Writers in Residence Program, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Hot Docs Cinema, and Toronto International Film Festival.
Staff
Amos Boratto
Technical and Facilities Manager
(photo coming soon)
Technical and Facilities Manager
(photo coming soon)
Máiri Demings
Office and Communications Manager
Office and Communications Manager
