Amber Santos

(she/her)

Mural Festival Co-founder and Mural Curator

Amber is a ​​cis gendered, hetero, able-bodied artist, art educator, and curator. She grew up in what is colonially known as Kaslo and Nelson, BC, on the unceded territory of the Sinixt peoples, the Yaqan Nukiy of the Ktunaxa Nation and the Syilx speaking peoples of the Okanagan Nation.

Amber studied Art History and Photography at Concordia University in Montréal, and Studio Arts at Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina. Amber revisits so-called art history through an intersectional feminist lens. She has over 20 years of experience in being part of juries, curating dance and art projects, working as an art director, and collaborating with artists.

Amber has been with NDAC since 2018 and was involved with the 2012 Colours of Nelson event and has also participated in ArtWalk. Her role involves curating a selection of muralists, facilitating jury sessions, announcing selection and liaising with selected artists, meeting muralists, conducting artist interviews, hosting an artist panel, and collaborative visioning.

Within her art practice, Amber draws on her maternal line—German Canadian—and her paternal line—Anishinaabe, Cree, and Metis—to create murals, drawings, stitched paintings, and embroidery that explores what it means to be a settler on the land where she resides as a third generation immigrant and an indigenous person reclaiming and practicing culture and raising a family.

As an art educator, Amber sees creative practice as a place where transformation and healing can happen, where we can find our voices to tell our stories, connect with others, and have fun in community.