Meet the Art Teachers!
Get to know the talented teachers behind New Westminster's Fine & Visual Arts program.
Shirley Chan
Visual Arts, 2D & 3D Studio Arts, Fashion Illustration, Textiles
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Club Sponsor: NDUB Arts Club
Brent Foster
Photography, Social Studies, Human Geography, Hockey Academy
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Club Sponsor: NDUB Photo Club
Brent Foster’s goal as an educator is to empower his students through learning. He works to ensure that his classes allow for active participation because he believes that a practical application of knowledge and skills enhances interest, ownership, and retention of information. He comes from a family of teachers who take great pride in the profession. Brent’s love for photography began during his many travels to destinations all over the world. He now also works professionally as a picture-taker and dabbles in all genres from commercial photography to weddings. The ability to capture a moment in time is an intriguing concept and he appreciates the challenge. Brent is an athletic individual who enjoys all sports, especially hockey and cycling. He likes spending time outdoors in nature where he can provide extended learning opportunities for his own children. Brent teaches photography, socials, and geography courses at NDUB.
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Jeff Meville
Photography, Social Studies, Pre-IB, Hockey Academy
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Club Sponsor: NDUB Photo Club
​Jeff Meville prides himself on being a life-long learner. He works to enhance his knowledge by studying, traveling, taking workshops, watching documentaries, and researching. He is a Canadian history buff and his educational trip to Normandy was a significant experience for him. Mr. Meville enjoys taking photography courses to develop (pun intended) his skills and has worked with industry professionals in New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. He received his Master of Technology Education degree from UBC. Mr. Meville takes great pride in sharing his own learning with his students because he truly believes that education creates powerful opportunities for growth.
Shirley’s love for all things creative began at an early age from hand sewing clothes for her collection of dolls, to taking as many art and textiles classes as she could throughout high school and subsequently at post-secondary to hone her fine art skills.
Graduating with a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Fashion from Ryerson Polytechnic University, she worked in the local garment industry for ten years and subsequently as a small business owner creating upscale dog apparel and accessories that filled the gift bags for the American Music Awards, The Country Music Awards and the Grammys!
Shirley had always aspired to teach art and decided to return to school later in life and obtain her Bachelor of Education degree in Visual Art as well as a diploma in Home Economics after winding down her business of twelve years.
As a lifelong learner and understanding the importance of practicing and learning innovative new ways to create art or design, she actively takes courses and workshops in both disciplines. She has been teaching in the district since 2011 and enjoys learning from and working with youth, hoping to help spark their creativity, whether it’s working with food, fabrics, paints, or other medium.
Amie Le Blanc
Graphic Design, Photography, Visual Arts, 2D Studio Arts, English Language Arts
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Club Sponsor: NDUB Student Press
Though Ms. Amie may be found teaching English or Careers (one time even Spanish!) her area of expertise lands in Photography and Design.
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After successfully completing her Bachelor of Design in Calgary at the Alberta University of the Arts, she worked for a commercial photography studio and learned many tricks of the trade. With this taste for business, Ms. Amie headed back home to the West Coast where she has worked as a freelance photographer since 2012, traveling all around the world to capture weddings and family portraits. Ms. Amie got a taste for teaching after volunteering to teach an Adult Learning course in Manual Photography, inspiring her to apply to SFU and go into teaching long term.
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If you've ever taken one of Ms. Amie's art courses, you'll know how much she loves to talk about lighting, colour and the importance of the design process. She also loves to downhill ski, garden and cuddle with her one-eyed ragdoll cat!
Keith Randall
Visual Arts, 2D & 3D Studio Arts, Graphic Design
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Club Sponsor: UNICEF Club
Keith started teaching visual art in secondary school ‘s in the UK from 2007. Previously he worked for many years as a Community Artist, Professional Artist and Arts Instructor in schools and educational organizations designing and implementing successful Art and Design projects. Keith has delivered projects tailored to different ages and abilities. Keith has continued his own art practice alongside educational work since he gained a BA Hons in Fine Art Sculpture in 1994.
Keith is passionate in his pursuit of creating an equitable learning environment for all students of any age, ethnicity, background and ability. Self-expression is an innate part of how we understand the world around us and share these understandings with others. We learn as a community and art is a most excellent vehicle to enable this realization of lived experience.
Keith has been honoured with the opportunity of teaching in BC for the last 7 years. His first year in Haida Gwaii and the next 6 years in New Westminster. Keith acknowledges that he teaches on the unseeded territory of the Qayqayt People and the Coast Salish Peoples on who’s land we teach, learn, play and create. This is truly a profound time in history to live work and play in a Country that is taking progressive steps towards reconciliation.
When Keith is not working you will usually find him in the “great outdoors”, hiking, camping climbing, skiing and even swimming in the cool coastal waters.
L. Rhead
Media Arts, Animation, Visual Arts, 2D & 3D Studio Arts, Computer Graphics, Film
Mr. Rhead brings a wide range of training, work experiences and interests into his courses. Two college diplomas (General Arts & Sciences and Professional Photography), B.A. degree (Studio Arts major and Art History minor), and Professional Development (Teaching certification). These were gained while attending four institutions in three countries (Canada, U.S.A and Austria). Mr. Rhead has travelled extensively (30 countries) to experience many cultural, historic and scenic sites, and view numerous significant works of art. He participated in a one-week animation workshop at Disneyworld.​
New Westminster Secondary School
820 Sixth Street,
New Westminster,
British Columbia
Canada, V3M 3S9
Phone: 604-517-6220
Fax: 604-517-6204
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The Visual & Performing Arts Department at New Westminster Secondary School recognizes the unceded, traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples of the QayQayt (qiqéyt) Nation, as well as all Coast Salish Nations, on which we live, work and play.
© 2021 Amie Le Blanc / VPA Dept.,
New Westminster Secondary School.