imagine a world is only 5 days away and all the folks at redseven can’t wait for the second annual event.  If you haven’t gotten your ticket yet, click here to do so!  Can’t make the event? Consider making a donation by clicking here.

imagine a world would not be possible without the extremely generous donations from our featured artists.  To learn a little about each of our talented contributors, read below!  Rumour has it some of these artsy gems will be at the event on Friday eager to meet you!

Danielle Da Silva
Danielle Da Silva was born and raised in Toronto and is currently living in London, England. She is known for creating works of art through unique and positive shooting experiences.She is a professional photographer and aspiring videographer. She is also about to graduate from the London School of Economics with a masters in environment and international development and is also the founder of Photographers Without Borders Canada, an organization that helps charities and organizations accomplish youth-empowering projects worldwide, giving up-and-coming photographers opportunities to expose and sell their work and give back.
This is Danielle’s second consecutive year donating art to imagine a world.

Ajani Charles
Ajani Charles is a published digital photographer based in Toronto–the Canadian city famed for its cultural diversity and the creative dynamism of its artistic community. A graduate of the nationally acclaimed Claude Watson Arts Program, Ajani also apprenticed at the Toronto School of Art and the Art Gallery of Ontario. For Ajani the camera is a medium for self-expression and photography the ideal art form for capturing the ineffable beauty of people, objects, and landscapes.
This is Ajani’s second consecutive year donating art to imagine a world.

Amanda Coffey
Amanda is a 25-year-old Toronto-based photographer who has a passion for teaching all things history. She guesses you could even call her a nerd!  Amanda has been taking photos since… forever and has been told she wears her heart on her sleeve.
This is Amanda’s second consecutive year donating art to imagine a world.

Lauren Shanahan
Lauren is a Toronto based artist and photographer, is well known for her bold, colourful figurative paintings.  Born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Lauren studied at both the University of Western Ontario and the Royal College of Art in London, England.  At the age of 5 she began painting, at the age of 10 she began winning awards for her paintings, at the age of 16 her art started appearing in local publications and wineries and since 2001, her work has been internationally exhibited in galleries & festivals as well as being actioned off to raise money for various charities. Lauren playfully pushes people to think through her use of colourful expression—figuratively or abstractly.  She finds inspiration in 50s and 60s pop culture, adversity, comics, and the unique qualities of everyone she meets.
This is Lauren’s second consecutive year donating art to imagine a world.

Bill Watterson
Graphic designer and illustrator, Bill Watterson, is a recent graduate of Conestoga College. His work is primarily print-based, yet he likes to dabble in web and motion graphics whenever possible. He is currently trying to break into the design world, and in doing so he brings fresh ideas and a positive attitude.

Tia Hughes
Tia Hughes, who is in her final year at Conestoga College for graphic design, has developed into a multi-disciplinary designer with a passion for patterns, colours, and layouts. Her main focus lies in print design and photography, and is constantly eager to experiment with both to their full extent. She is an enthusiastic and diligent designer who will be experimenting and pushing her limits for years to come.

Rachael Spiers
The artwork of Rachael Speirs depicts a world without rules, boundaries or limitations. Rachael typically works with scrap fabric and embroidery as a method of creating depth and texture to her pieces. Her pieces look like paintings from afar but there is something about them that quizzically and curiously draws the viewer in allowing exploration of the texture, materials and subject matter. All her pieces are framed behind glass, therefore limiting the viewer to fully be able to explore the piece through touch, this supports imagination and desire. As a self-taught artist she enjoys creating images where meanings shift depending on the viewer’s experience. She utilizes her past experience as a counselor to develop a body of work that is a therapeutic connection to folk lore. We are given a glimpse of a scene, without always knowing the ‘why’ or ‘how’ and where some things happen ‘just because’. Rachael is in her first year of showing her artwork and has participated in many shows across the GTA. Her work is valued in many private collections, is carried by Tangerine Gecko Gallery and has been covered by Inside Toronto and Bust Magazine.She is looking forward to her first solo show at the Gladstone Hotel. The opening reception is June 10th at 7pm.

Danielle Hession
Danielle’s artwork is an exploration of society’s relationship with treasured objects and personal memories. She reveres old photographs and found ephemera as time capsules and storehouses of information. Her work is also inspired by an ever-growing collection of found objects and imagery. From various moves to Colorado, California and New York, Danielle’s search for discarded imagery never ceased. There is always an intrigue in the lost story behind each found treasure. There is great satisfaction in recycling discarded items and giving them a new life while still imparting a sense of mystery and nostalgia.

Katrina Schaman
Katrina Schaman is an Canadian artist currently painting from her studio in Toronto, Ontario. Born in Kitchener in 1982, Katrina has always felt a great desire to create. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours from Queen’s University in 2005. Katrina’s unique paintings celebrate the deep connection between abstract and real forms. She uses many complex layers in her search for the perfect compositions. www.katrinaschaman.com

In December, Rotman students held an event at the Thompson Hotel to raise over $2K for redseven. This philanthropic gesture was part of Rotman’s charitable contribution to the MBA Games, where MBA schools from across Canada competed in academics, athletics and spirit. Collectively, over $40K was raised by all schools, in advance of the Games.

“The theme of this year’s MBA Games was ‘Back to Basics’ signifying the need for businesses to learn from the recent past and return to business fundamentals”, says Lucy Di Pierdomenico, Rotman’s 2011 MBA Games Executive Director. “Supporting redseven’s educational initiative was symbolic of the fundamental role education has played in the lives of Rotman students and how important our education will be in shaping the future of business. We hope that one day all children globally will have access to these same opportunities”.

All of the money raised by Rotman will be donated to redseven’s Free the Children initiative and will contribute to the latrines and supplies required to operate the school in Lai Gow, India.

Thank you Rotman for helping to further the cause for youth education globally!