A CATAPULT Alumni Panel
From finances to time management, marketing to work-life balance, this session will take you through the nitty-gritty of what it’s like to be a full-time artist living in New Brunswick. The diverse group of panelists include a musician, visual artists, and fine craftspeople.
Panelists: Stephen Hero, Melanie Paulin, Anne Stillwell
Moderated by: Jeri Knopp, ArtsLink NB Programming Director and professional writer
📍 Saint John Arts Centre
🗓️ Saturday, October 17
🕐 1pm
Stephen Hero (Matthew Elliott) makes raw, working-class hip hop from Canada’s east coast. His style is influenced by alt-rap legends like Kool Keith and MF DOOM, with a strong penchant for the relaxed and joyous experimentation of groups like De La Soul and Beastie Boys, but with a contemporary feel.
Throughout his career, his art has become more focused on issues of class disparity as he’s moved deeper into telling his own story and the story of his community. Although he likes to keep humor and levity in his music, he never strays too far from his working-class roots, exploring the microscopic details of economic struggle while also being an active member of his community through volunteering with local organizations and organizing food bank fundraisers.
Mélanie Paulin is a multidisciplinary artist working primarily with found and reclaimed materials. She is particularly drawn to textiles, viewing them as materials that carry stories and serve as sensory anchors for memory. Collaborative making plays a central role in her work, where shared gestures become spaces for connection, knowledge-sharing, and reflection.
With a PhD in Environmental Microbiology from the University of Copenhagen, Mélanie brings to her artistic practice an ongoing interest in the relationships between living beings, materials, and ecosystems. Her work has been presented at events across Canada, including the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair (2025), Imaginature at the Palais des congrès de Montréal (2025), the Mactaquac Craft Festival (2025), and the Sudbury Alternative Art Fair (2026). She lives and works in Moncton, New Brunswick.
Anne Stillwell is a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on linoleum block printing from Keswick Ridge, NB. Her influences are rooted deep in her connection to her homestead and surrounding New Brunswick nature. Her work presents itself through mediums such as printmaking, oil painting, metal clay jewelry and ceramics. She operates out of her home based family run collective, Ridge Works Studio.
