The CATAPULT Arts Accelerator's Launch Day and Reception for the Fall 2024 Cohort was held in Moncton this past December. After months of hard work learning the business aspects of their creative practice, this spectacular group of artists presented their pitches to an engaged audience of local artists and graduates of past sessions. Scroll through to learn more about each of them, and join us in following the next steps of their career!

Alina Karmadanova is a painter born in Siberia (Russia). She holds a Bachelor's degree in Architecture and Design. From 2018 to 2023 she worked and lived in Shanghai, China. From 2022 to 2024 Alina studied at Falmouth University (UK) online and received her master’s degree in Illustration online. She graduated from New Brunswick College of Craft and Design with an advanced studio practice certificate. She exhibited her art in galleries in Russia, China, the UK, the USA and Canada over the past 5 years. 

April Pyne’s abstract geometric paintings are informed by a childhood spent in Brooklyn, New York. Pyne has studied the language of abstraction, looking to past modern masters, and spent a summer studying sculpture at Cooper Union in New York. She has created a language of her own by painting images from her childhood: geometric shapes like buildings against an expanse of sky, unexpected moments of natural beauty, texture reminiscent of earth, stones, and pavement, and fragments like stained glass from her grandfather’s church. Her style embraces modernism, geometric forms, and sculptural elements. She is fascinated with circles (a shape without beginning or end) and with finding the shapes in the painting as a sculptor finds the shapes in wood or clay.

Pyne has had a full-time studio practice for over seven years. She makes her home in Moncton, NB, with her husband. Her work has been seen in The Globe and Mail, The Times, and The Telegraph, and at exhibitions in Canada and the UK. Her art can be found at Partial Gallery (Toronto) and is represented by Gallery on Queen (Fredericton).

Hard of hearing from birth, Janie McLaughlin developed her senses of vision and touch through art and textiles. Her interests led her to study fashion design, she has a diploma from Campus Notre Dame-de-Foy, Quebec, and a Bachelor's degree, UQÀM. 

In 2017, Janie interned at the Théâtre de la Monnaies, in Brussels, Belgium. This experience inspired her to create the "Anthropos" collection, which opened doors in the fashion industry, locally and nationally. Many public personalities wore her designs during events, and in photoshoots, she was on fashion runways. In addition, many of her creations appeared in magazines, including VOGUE Italy, in 2019. 

In 2020, with the arrival of COVID-19 and the slowdown in the economy, Janie temporarily put aside her fashion design ambitions. However, this decision allowed her to return to her first passion: painting. As a result, she discovered the potential of a new niche market as a multidisciplinary artist. Even more, she realized that she could combine her two passions: textiles and painting. Since then, she has exhibited her works in Quebec and New Brunswick. 

In August 2023, the artist took the decision to move from Montreal to her hometown, at Rivière-du-Portage, in New Brunswick. With a fresh start, Janie McLaughlin continues her artistic path by getting mentorships, connecting with the community, exploring her own voice, and sharing her work with the public. 

"Textile is connected with painting and painting is connected with textile” 

Jasmine Violette is a Latina watercolor artist based in Moncton, New Brunswick. Her vibrant and expressive works are inspired by the natural beauty of the diverse landscapes she’s encountered while living in various regions of Canada, including Kitchener, Saskatoon, and now Moncton. Specializing in florals, wildlife, and loose landscapes, Jasmine reflects her deep connection to nature and her love for capturing fleeting moments of serenity in her art.

In 2023, she began teaching monthly watercolor workshops, where she discovered her passion for teaching and building a creative community. Through her workshops, Jasmine encourages others to find joy in the process of painting, just as she does.

Her art aims to evoke a sense of peace, inviting viewers to pause, reflect, and find solace in the beauty of nature. Jasmine’s unique perspective, shaped by her travels and cultural heritage, infuses her work with warmth and authenticity, making each piece a heartfelt celebration of the world around us.

You can find Jasmine's work on her website or find it locally at Made with Love: Janet’s Bake & Craft Shop in Riverview and KEPT on Main in Moncton.

Maxwell Brown (Foghouseglass) is a glass artist and musician from Fredericton, New Brunswick.

He makes simple glass images because it brings him a lot of joy, he hopes to spread that feeling through light and color.

Ranz Jaren Tayo Bontogon is a Filipino artist and photographer based in New Brunswick coming from Taguig, Philippines. In 2013 he immigrated to Canada and settled in the ever-growing city of Moncton. Ranz expresses his deep connection to his heritage with Photography and through his lens, he captures genuine moments and tells powerful stories that celebrate diversity, igniting curiosity about Filipino culture and perspective. Ranz graduated from the Pierre Lassonde School of Fine Arts at Mount Allison University. In 2023, he was the recipient of the Marjorie Young Bell Music & Fine Arts Award that funded his first photobook “Sa Pilipinas” or “In The Philippines”, which received recognition within the Filipino Association of New Brunswick.

DenMother is the experimental electronic music project of Canadian multidisciplinary artist Sabarah Pilon. Her sound is described as atmospheric and ethereal converging with the feral, primal and instinctual, incorporating echoing vocal elements over layers of texture, drum and synth. 

DenMother creates an intimacy with her audience during her performances, which become living extensions of her music and often act as rituals.Pilon first began experimenting with electronic music production in her bedroom, initially self-releasing music under the moniker ‘Orphan’. 

After being discovered on Tumblr by then Maryland-based experimental label I Had An Accident Records, she released several cassettes and participated in collaborations with artists from across the US and Europe. Eventually, Pilon adopted the name “DenMother”.Since then, DenMother has self-released numerous digital albums and EPs, continuing to showcase her ability to experiment within sub-genres under the electronic umbrella, resulting in an evolving yet cohesive discography. DenMother continues to refine and redefine her unique approach to songwriting and music production.

"Frantic Ram" (2021), a concept album structured around Dante's Inferno, explored deep within the psyche during times of chaos and confinement, was nominated for multiple awards including an ECMA for Electronic Album of the Year.

Her most recent work, ‘I Chased The Water’ (2024) is a devotional sacrifice to the Primordial Sea, examining themes of the Goddess, sexuality, quiet rage, tragic romance, and our ancestral relationship with the ocean and all her mythology.

Tina Antle is a ceramic artist and artisanal potter based in Riverview, NB. Her love of pottery began in childhood on the shores of Maquapit Lake, where she would spend summer days searching for wild clay, forming it into fanciful shapes, and leaving it to dry in the warmth of the sun. Her techniques have become more refined over the years, but that original joy has remained the same. She approaches her work with openness, curiosity, and a commitment to quality. She is also committed to infusing her work with calm, grounded energy, holding the belief that the energy we bring into each moment can have a positive impact.

In addition to being an emerging artist, Tina is a Registered Social Worker in both NB and NS, with a specialization in trauma recovery. For over 20 years, her work has focused on helping individuals heal and reconnect with themselves, their loved ones, and their communities. She sees her work inside the studio as an extension of this calling, offering functional art as a tool for self-care and deeper connection. Each piece is created with the intention of helping to transform ordinary moments into meaningful experiences, bringing a deeper feeling of connection to rituals of daily living.

Tina is a member of ArtsLink NB, Craft NB, and the Dieppe Arts and Culture Centre Ceramics Studio.