Meet Our Caretakers
Chels Addae
Co-Creator ✿ Social Media Caretaker
they/she
Chels Addae, also known as, patchewrk creates unique pieces between the sweet intersections of beauty and function. Her pieces are unique, playful, and functional. Guided by the ideas of rich textures and patterns, shapes, and fun, Chels is not afraid to experiment and go out of her element. patchewrk started as, and will continue to be a martyr that you can use what you have to create what you want. patchewrk is a reminder to go with the flow, and have fun.
Danni Hernandez
Co-Creator ✿ Social Media Caretaker
she/they
Kamusta! I am a characteristic Libra – passionate about art & design, and anything that activates my creativity (in all facets!). I aim to centre my work around health-full care, intentionality, and an ever-growing mindfulness of the abstract/irregular forces that entangle us.
Though I am often suspended in quiet contemplation, conversation with community equally cultivates meaning and joy in my life. Feel free to talk to me about equanimity, what your connection to play looks like, or my endless list of abandoned DIY projects.
Elvin Velasco
Co-Creator ✿ Program Caretaker ✿ Administrator
they/them
Elvin John Malonzo Velasco is a 1.5 generation Filipinx-Canadian migrated & settled in Scarborough and spiritually rooted in Baguio and Tarlac City of what we colonially know as The Philippines. They are a queer non-binary interdisciplinary creative artrepreneur and storyteller passionate in engaging their creative processes of drawing, collaging, poetry and photography through active and participatory storytelling invitations with the focus on inner child healing and honouring. Their practice is rooted in the values of care, compassion, and curiosity in making and creating containers of space for people to unearth their stories through transformative mediumship into reclamation of creativity. Their primary introspection of our mundane ritualistic activities becomes the themes that they explore through their storytelling invitations; from the food we share, the places we call home, the difficult emotions we hold, and how these mutual human experiences connect us all in this lifetime.
Keagan Joseph
Co-Creator ✿ Administrator
he/him
Keagan Joseph is an interdisciplinary leader interested in the intersections of public engagement and political ecology. While studying within a Bachelors of Arts Interdisciplinary Degree at Capilano University, North Vancouver, B.C. they became aware of how socially and/or culturally engaged art is a mode of environmental education (and critical public pedagogy), in which they’ve decided to pursue more relevant studies in the near future. Keagan has had a past working in retail and food service, where he’s excelled in collaborative and organizational management, people skills, and recently, administrative duties. Their hobbies include many creative ventures such as photography, collage work, cooking and recipe development.
Krista Chavez
Co-Creator ✿ Social Media Caretaker
she/her
Krista is a second generation Filipina immigrant, born + raised in Tkaronto, rooting from Batangas, Philippines. Currently working in commercial real estate, she holds a finance degree with a minor in music + cultures at TMU, seeking to disrupt barriers and foster representation for all people in all spaces. As an artist focused primarily on intentional and narrative works, her exploration in multi-disciplinary art practices are motivated by themes of nature, ancestry, and lived experience - its purpose to break generational and cultural cycles but also celebrate their origins and bridge the gaps between them. Within the community, she hopes to continually grow amongst and bear witness to the growth of her peers through love, healing, and friendship.
Lin Velasco
Co-Creator ✿ Program Caretaker ✿ Documenter
they/them
Lin Velasco is a queer non-binary second-generation Filipinx, born and raised in Scarborough. Employed currently as a full-time retail sales associate in a locally owned pet store, they continue to nurture their own self and community by fostering meaningful connections grounded in care for all new and old folks in the area. Taking upon multiple leadership roles in professional work settings from working with children and adults, Lin has facilitated and supported multiple programs that promote inclusivity and representation through their passion for music and the arts. Grounded in the belief in healing through creativity and the arts, they are passionate about creating safe spaces for others to feel empowered and express themselves in ways that speak their truth.
Tho Nguyen
Co-Creator ✿ Documenter
she/they
Thơ Nguyễn comes from the land of year-round heat, scooters, caring strangers and endless breakfast options - Saigon, a bustling city in the south of Vietnam. Early childhood educator by training, Thơ enjoys capturing moments of growth, learning, creating, and simply being.