About the Show:

FutureWilder is an Alberta-based gathering of three interdisciplinary artists who began collaborating in 2024. Brought together by shared interests in rural practice, ecology, and community engagement, the artists recognized the value of combining their independent voices in conversation.

The collective emerged through ongoing dialogue and planning, much of it online, leading to their first collaborative project: an exhibition with the Allied Arts Council of Spruce Grove in October 2025, in the city’s new gallery located inside Heavy Metal Place.

As FutureWilder takes shape, the artists remain open to where the collective might lead, whether through exhibitions, community projects, or other forms of collaboration. This inaugural exhibition reflects both their individual practices and their shared commitment to exploring the intersections of art, ecology, and community.

Biographies:

Lisa Matthias: Residing in Parkland County, Alberta, Lisa Matthias is interdisciplinary visual artist with a Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking from the University of Alberta, a Master of Science in Plant Ecology from the University of Manitoba, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Guelph. Her artwork has been showcased in exhibitions across Canada, the US, and internationally, and is represented by two commercial art galleries in Calgary and Edmonton. Solo exhibitions of her work have been held in Edmonton (2013, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023), Calgary (2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2022), Winnipeg (2024), Toronto (2021), Vernon (2023), and Vancouver (2025).

Lisa spent over a decade as a professional botanist and wildlife biologist in the landscapes of western Canada before transitioning into a career in the visual arts, and this experience deeply influences her work. Her studio practice is rooted in the study of nature and ecology and engages with urgent environmental issues from biodiversity decline to climate change, integrating science-based processes with printmaking and other media. Alongside her studio practice and related professional engagements Lisa balances her time between teaching community art classes, volunteering with various arts organizations, supporting her children and family, and spending time outdoors.

Kelly Jaclynn Andres is an artist, curator, and researcher whose practice entangles ecology, technology, and the more-than-human. Working from Soda Lake Studio in rural Alberta, she cultivates projects that weave together sensory art, environmental humanities, and experimental media. Her work has taken shape as soundwalks, olfactory apothecaries, bio-sonic installations, and speculative alphabets inspired by lichen.

Andres holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Humanities (Concordia University, 2020) where her dissertation Radicle Assemblages explored multispecies companionship, ecological listening, and post-anthropocentric aesthetics.

Brie Adkins is a professional visual artist / muralist working in rural Alberta. She has shown her work in exhibition spaces for the past 8 years and has murals in Canada, France and Spain. Brie explores interrelationships between nature, psyche and soul. Her work often asks viewers to reflect on their own actions and intentions as they move through this world. Through dedication, artist residencies, mentorship and seminars Brie has refined skills in aerosols and acrylics to create a surreal and contemporary collection of animals. Brie has received various awards, grants and publicity in her region for paintings and murals.

Brie has also been a fierce advocate for art in rural spaces, having raised thousands of dollars in funds through murals to go towards youth art programs in her local area. She has advocated and opened a free wall in her hometown because she believes like skateparks and baseball diamonds, artists deserve a space to develop skills, to paint on walls anytime and be able to express themselves publicly. Within these spaces she teaches mural classes and painting skills to aspiring artists.

Brie’s work can be found in The Heart of Edson Gallery, online and @b.adkinsart and in her Entwistle studio for viewing

Lisa Matthias' website

Kelly Andres’ Website

Brie Adkins's Website