Biography

Chelsea Boos

Chelsea is passionate about art and design co-created with community. She contributed to 3 Community Projects recognized with Edmonton Urban Design Awards; Colour Alley (2011), Dirt City|Dream City (2013) and LIVINGbridge (2013). She coordinated Colour Alley and Dirt City¦Dream City as Coordinator of the Transitory Public Art Program at Edmonton Arts Council from 2011-2012. LIVINGbridge transformed a decommissioned CN Rail bridge on the cusp of three inner-city neighbourhoods with an edible garden of indigenous and perennial plants in collaboration with community volunteers and agencies, lasting from 2013 until 2018 when it was decommissioned by the property owner.

From 2015 to 2019, Chelsea worked for Arts Habitat in the position of McLuhan House Community Programmer and Project Manager, animating the Centre for Art and Ideas and Artist Studio Residency Program. In this role, she also established Edmonton SpaceFinder and undertook to map all local creative spaces. She worked three years in collecting data and co-designed the user-interface with KOBOT.

Her lens-based work has also been published in national magazines BlackFlash, Spacing, SNAPline, and Display Canadian Design. From 2010-14, she explored the urban landscape and documented visual culture for her column called Back Words in a local alternative newspaper called Vue Weekly, as well as working in graphic production, styling, and magazine design.

Chelsea believes in holding safe(r) space for all artists to take risks and learn by doing. She curated the gallery known as Spazio Performativo in her role as Visual Art Outreach Coordinator for Mile Zero Dance in 2015-2016, as well as Edmonton’s Park(ing) Day from 2014-2017.

She was recognized as one of BLOUIN ARTINFO Canada's 30 Under 30 and Avenue Magazine's 2014 Top 40 Under 40.

Chelsea graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Design. Her education also includes Rosza Admin Fundamentals Training, World House Interdesign 2007 by Institute without Boundaries at George Brown College, and and French-Language Instruction at the Commission Scolaire de Montréal.

From May 2013 to May 2016, Chelsea operated The Drawing Room Studios offering accessible and affordable space for artists and designers to develop their practice, engage with the public, and cultivate a supportive network. Chelsea worked as Director of the gallery and manager of the cowork space for creatives in a myriad of disciplines. It became a thriving place for community dialogue and arts engagement. As the curator of its storefront gallery known as The Drawing Room Salon, she planned monthly exhibitions by emerging artists and hosted numerous community groups, discussions, pop-up shops, film screenings, DIY workshops, school tours, and special events. The Drawing Room provided opportunities for personal development and creative collaboration with an interdisciplinary collective of cultural producers.