Gallery Welcomes New Members and Celebrates Past Board Service
April 28, 2026
From left: Esa Keltamäki, Andrew Calderone, Louise Thomas, Judith Shulist, Tom Beasley
We are pleased to announce five new appointments to the Thunder Bay Art Gallery Board of Directors. As we look forward to the future of art and culture in our city while celebrating our 50th anniversary, these leaders and community volunteers bring a blend of project management expertise, legal acumen, sustainable entrepreneurship, communications savvy, and business insight to our team. Please join us in welcoming: Tom Beasley, Andrew Calderon, Esa Keltamaki, Judith Shulist, and Louise Thomas to service on our Board of Directors.
Tom Beasley: Tom Beasley is Associate Counsel at Bernard LLP, where he practices in employment and human rights law.
Andrew Calderon: Andrew Calderone is a strategic leader and entrepreneur with experience in organizational growth, operations, and corporate strategy. He has held executive roles across multiple sectors, where he has led early-stage ventures and guided teams through periods of development and change.
Esa Keltamäki: Esa Keltamäki is a communications professional and writer with a background in media relations, digital strategy, and arts engagement. He holds a Master of Arts in English from Lakehead University, along with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in English, and has studied print journalism at Cambrian College.
Judith Shulist: Over her 40-year career Judith held a number of leadership positions, in the early stages of her career as a Product Manager with Bank of Montreal/Harris Bank in Chicago, as a stakeholder and senior leader of a start up financial services technology company, and as an Executive Consultant providing project management and strategic planning services for software and systems development implementation projects to government agencies.
Louise Thomas: Owner and operater of the Ahnishnabae Art Gallery, Louise showcases the work of nearly 200 artists from Northwestern Ontario, Canada, and the United States. The gallery is dedicated to the memory of her late husband, Roy Thomas, who is recognized as one of Canada’s important Woodland artists. An Indigenous woman from the First Nations community of Sucker Creek, AB, Louise is committed to the importance of contemporary Indigenous art.
“Our dedicated Board of Directors provides sound governance, oversight, and strategic leadership both behind-the-scenes and in community, helping the Thunder Bay Art Gallery fulfill it’s mission and mandate in service to Northern Ontario—helping make thoughtful decisions that continue to create impact.” Executive Director, Matthew Hills stated. “We are thrilled to welcome these newly appointed members to the Board, and I am honoured to have their guidance as we move the Gallery forward. My profound thanks to all of our past board members for their service and commitment, with particular appreciation to Christine Bates, whose steadfast leadership and unwavering service to the Gallery at a time of significant change was essential to our ongoing success.”
On Wednesday 21, January, a plaque ceremony was held honouring Christine Bates, the Gallery’s previous Chair. Bates served from 2019 to 2025, following her previous term as chair from 2006 to 2008. This celebration marked the induction of our current co-chairs, newest board members, and parting board members Marty Mascarin and Mark Neisenholt.
When asked about the Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s recent growth Bates remarked “It all comes down to the incredible staff and the board members we have. The astounding commitment we have from everyone is what got us to where we are today—not only with the new build, but in terms of programming, community outreach, support of artists, and the support of our community. That of all comes down to the staff and board.” Reflecting on the Gallery’s half century history she said that “50 years in this community makes the Gallery a cornerstone of not only the cultural community, but the community of Thunder Bay as a whole.”
Co-Chair Shelley Crawford remarked on the strengths of the board’s new found diversity. “I’m pleased to say that the new board members of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery are dedicated, committed and experienced—with a wide variety of talents and networks that I know are going to be instrumental in building our new Gallery and furthering the efforts of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery as it exists today. There’s a great diversity on the board in age, and experience. I’m sure this will be the future of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.”
Image (from left): Co-Chair Shelley Crawford, Co-Chair Dr. John Hodson, Ex-Chair Christine Bates, past board member Mark Nisenholt, past board member Marty Mascarin, Executive Director Matthew R. Hills.
