Iris is an experienced artist and art educator with an extensive background teaching children through ArtSmarts, Perform!, Paints, and Learning Through the Arts Programs. She has taught Drawing and Water Media at Cape Breton University and Art History, Drawing, Animation, Storyboard, Illustration, and Painting at MacKenzie College, Sydney Campus. In addition, she has delivered many years of private art instruction to students of all ages.
An honours graduate and medal winner of the Ontario College of Art and Design, majoring in Fine Art and Illustration, her work has been exhibited in many corporate, university and private collections across Canada and the United States. She has painted the beauty of Nova Scotia and its people in original portraits and landscapes using various media such as watercolour, oil, pastel and acrylics.
Currently, she is Art Director of Gemini Design and Communications. Included in her background are diverse art projects such as court artist for CBC Television; background artist for cartoon series with Hanna Barberra of Hollywood, California; coin designs; fashion illustrations; historical murals, and logo designs for major corporations.
Iris also brings her art background to her lifelong love of puppetry, and often incorporates puppet-making and mask-making into her arts-based educational projects. She was creator, co-host and puppeteer for the long-running Maritime children’s show, Shantytown, produced by CTC Television, and delivered a 15- minute on-air art lesson every week. This maritime production won several Canadian Professional Television Awards and was named one of the top five children’s shows in Canada produced by private television networks.
Iris Currie 