Fine Arts Educator + Arts Management Consultant.

Artist Biography

Stephanie Strugar is Manitoba’s Trainer for Cultural Human Resources Council, Maintaining Respectful Arts Workplaces. As a Trainer, she educated arts and cultural organizations on how to create safer spaces for artists and arts administrators across all disciplines. She is the founder and President of Difie Inc. (www.difiedance.org) Manitoba’s 1st cross-cultural dance and wellness not for profit organization, a not for profit focused on removing barriers to performing and education services for performers with disabilities. She has served as a governance Board of Director with Arts Accessibility Network of Manitoba, and is the owner of Difinity Dance Studio & Productions (www.ddsp.ca), and ArtWithSas Consulting. She has completed several business programs including Make A Change Canada’s Business Abilities program for entrepreneurs with a disability and has a rich career in management in retail and hospitality. As a visual and performing artist-entrepreneur with a disability her goal is to empower those working in the arts trade with practical tools for creating “safer spaces”.

To live is the rarest thing in the world.
Most people just exist.”

Artist 2017-2019 Collection of Works Statement:

I invite you to tour the world through my works, and discover the glorious colors hidden in the spirit of people, nature and animals from various cultures. My hope is that you will experience joy, healing, and inspiration from my work.

For the past 5 years I have entrenched myself in diverse cultures through latin and ballroom social dance education, and performance in local cultural theatre productions and dance competitions. I did this too discover more about my heritage, and who I am culturally. From my participation in Manitoba's  diverse performance arts scene I became inspired to paint utilizing a wide range of ultra violet, metallic and glitter acrylic paints to capture these cultural moments on canvass.

In 2016 I gave birth to my son, and became an Artist Mother, and was inspired to create. During my pregnancy I created 15 paintings that expressed the emotional and physical awakening that I experienced that gave me life alternating perspectives on the kind of human I wanted to become. It also gave me a desire to reach out to moms. and people with disabilities to show them the empowerment and healing that can come from engaging in art activities.

In 2017 I joined Arts and Accessibility Network of Manitoba as a Board Member with the goal of creating more performance arts and fashion initiatives  that include mentor ship, and exhibit opportunities for artist mothers with disabilities.

My goal with my collection of works is to up cycle the majority of the textiles and materials, and combine digital media, dance, and body artistry to express my paintings and sculptures as a live"storybook". One that can be understood and received by all. Accessibility to my work is very important to me. Whether a person is deaf, parapalegic, uses a wheelchair, or is blind, they should be able to experience my work in a way that captures and awakens their soul.