Staff
Raneece Buddan | Communications MANAGER
Raneece@latitude53.org
Raneece Buddan (she/her) is a Jamaican visual artist who resides in Treaty 6 territory, Amiswaciwâskahikan (Edmonton). She immigrated to Canada in 2015 and completed her BFA in Art and Design with Distinction at the University of Alberta in 2020. In her work, she focuses on her cultural identity as a Jamaican woman of Afro and Indo-Caribbean ancestry. Her practice includes oil painting, woodworking, clay sculpting, printmaking, and weaving.
As the Communications Manager, Raneece oversees Latitude 53’s communications across various platforms including social media, the member’s newsletter, memberships, and the gallery website. She does a bit of design work for promotional material as well.
JASMINE HOPFE | Fundraising and Engagement Coordinator
JASMINE@LATTITUDE53.ORG
Jasmine Hopfe (she/they) is a queer, Egyptian/European multidisciplinary theatre artist, producer, and arts administrator currently based out of amiswaciwâskahikan (colonially known as Edmonton). Since graduating from the University of Alberta’s BA Honors Drama program in 2023, she is thrilled to continue expanding her experience from theatre into the world of visual arts. They have recently worked as a producer and administrator for organizations like the Nextfest Arts Company, Fringe Theatre Adventures, Common Ground Arts Society, and Latitude 53 as the Gallery Intern from October 2023 - March 2024.
As the Fundraising and Engagement Coordinator, Jasmine is responsible for day-to-day operations and administration related to fundraising, volunteers, and members.
Michelle campos castillo | co-Executive Director
director@latitude53.org / michellec@latitude53.org
Michelle Campos Castillo (she/her) is a local Salvadoran artist, designer, and arts administrator. She brings with her a wealth of experience in the Edmonton arts community, including working for the Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre as Project Coordinator and Community Coordinator. Her most recent exhibits are a solo show, Terremoto, presented in the summer of 2022 at grunt gallery in Vancouver, BC and as part of Imborrable at the National Gallery in San Salvador, El Salvador. She has been the recipient of several public art commissions from the City of Edmonton, including Platanos, a set of three sculptures on permanent display at Belvedere Transit Centre, and is finalizing artwork for the LRT Valley Line in the west end of the city. She is currently working on a graphic memoir titled Colonia, based on her life in El Salvador during the country’s civil war.
As Co-Executive Director, Michelle works directly with the Board of Directors and staff to oversee Latitude 53’s programming, operations, finances, and development.
HANNAH QUIMPER-SWINDERSKI | CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
director@latitude53.org / HANNAH@LATITUDE53.ORG
Hannah Quimper-Swiderski is an artist and curator from Edmonton-amiskwaciwâskahikan. Using combinations of performance, digital and analog video, and more recently, sculpture and puppets, their work often explores concepts of identity and performativity, referencing her adolescence in small-town Alberta.
Hannah completed her BFA at the University of Alberta in 2019, and a certificate in Arts and Cultural Management at MacEwan University in 2022. Hannah has shown work in venues such as the Edmonton International Film Festival, the Art Gallery of Alberta, Latitude 53, and Mile Zero Dance. Most recently, they co-curated THE MALL at the John and Maggie Mitchell Art Gallery in 2023.
As Co-Executive Director, Hannah works directly with the Board of Directors and staff to oversee Latitude 53’s programming, operations, finances, and development.
Adam Waldron-Blain | Program Manager
program@latitude53.org
Adam Waldron-Blain has worked with local, national and international artists to mount Latitude 53’s exhibition programming, and in the past year, he oversaw the relaunch of the gallery's publication program. As an artist, Adam has worked in various performance and video practices, games, writing and conversation, and other objects. He has participated in a number of exhibitions and residencies and in 2018, he was honoured with the inaugural Alberta Role-Playing Game Award.
As Program Manager, Adam works directly with local, national and international artists to develop Latitude 53’s programming. He brings vital and extensive experience in mounting exhibitions and engaging in conversations with artists, and he has recently overseen the relaunch of the gallery’s Publications program.