Meet Our Board & Staff

Sara Pippus is a prairie born artist, obsessed with the natural world and an avid wanderer of back roads and trails. She has lived in Estevan for 32 years. She joined the Arts council in the fall of 2022. Sara’s day job, at a local school, for the last 18 years, provides many opportunities to connect the arts to her everyday life. 

The Arts have been the constant, interwoven, undercurrent and creativity has always been what brings Sara joy. Her contribution to organizations consistently relates to being an artist, from being an Events Coordinator and Editor of a grass roots magazine to leading After-School art programs. She has been twice nominated for the local Women of the Year awards both for her contributions at the school providing new opportunities for families and children to be successful.

Art weaves its way through Sara’s life in a terrific number of ways and has taken on many different forms along the way. Sara first picked up a camera when she was five years old and still one of her favourite pastimes is a road trip with a camera packed along. Now most often she carries photos home to be used as reference photos. Beginning with photography, then on to archival scrapbooking, pencil & charcoal sketching, paper collage, wood craft and folk-art, interior design and garden landscapes just to name a few and stretches into upcycling and antiquing.  Eight years ago, she began exploring painting with acrylics and what followed was a flurry of workshops, classes and studying online artists to learn as much as possible. In that time Sara created several bodies of work tending strongly towards her passion for the outdoors and the protection of these precious places. Her commissioned pieces have found new homes across the prairies.

Sara continues to create through acrylics to express her reflections on nature, capturing endangered prairie landscapes and architecture.

Being a part of the Visual Arts committee on the Arts Council board is important to Sara as the committee strives to bring local art to life here in Estevan.

Duncan Cameron is a multidisciplinary artist with a Studio Art diploma from Capilano University and a BFA in Illustration from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Working primarily in watercolour, gouache, acrylic, and drawing, their practice explores themes of spirituality, mental health, and the uncanny. Drawing inspiration from cinema, they blend the eerie and the emotional, creating works that invite introspection and a sense of wonder. Through his art, Duncan seeks to navigate the intersections of the surreal and the deeply personal, offering viewers a glimpse into both inner and outer worlds. Duncan currently lives in Estevan and brings new visions to our Art Council.

Nicole has been a member of the Estevan Arts Council since 2023.She represents the Energy City Film circuit. Nicole is always in the search for a good movie with a great talking point and soundtrack. ( and of course great popcorn)  Nicole and her husband enjoy traveling, camping and attending many sports and culture events Estevan and surrounding area offers. 

Bethany Dittmann is a theatre and visual artists. She loves looking to creation for inspiration in her art making. She loves being creative and connecting with others through the arts. Bethany can be found painting, drawing, often with her daughter, leading art classes for both adults and children, assisting with and acting in local theatre. She loves engaging with others through public art, concerts and preformances. Bethany is excited to serve on Estevan Arts Council and is happy to help bring quality arts experiences to the Estevan community.

Gale has lived in Estevan for the past 26 years after living in Tennessee, Florida, and North Dakota.  Art has always been a huge part of her life, starting with the charcoal set she received as a pre-teen Christmas present, amazing art classes in high school, and permission to always color outside the lines.

Living in beautiful places has inspired her to create beauty wherever she can.  Since moving to Estevan, Gale has been involved with the Estevan & Area Garden Club since its beginning, currently serving as President. This led to her desire to create a beautiful garden spot downtown, and The Garden on 4^th was born in 2011. She designed the garden and has planted and maintained it since. This past year, with the support of the Estevan Arts Council, 3 murals were installed there. Gale painted one and co-painted another. Her thought – “If we can make things more beautiful, why not?!?  Estevan has been good to me. I’d like to be good to Estevan.”

Her other art projects in Estevan include ‘The Band Played On’ steel sculpture at the Estevan Comprehensive High School, a giraffe installation at Hillcrest School and a sunflower mural. This winter, she created a Christmas Tree Lane in the Garden on 4^th. Gale was on the Art in Life Committee which facilitated the installation of 7 murals in Estevan and is currently working with city council on locations and ideas for new murals. 

Gale recently retired after selling real estate and working in the oilfield. She keeps busy with her husband, Kelly, traveling to threshing bees, flea markets, beaches, gardens, and art and food festivals.  She spends a LOT of time and Facetime with her adorable children and grandchildren! She also continues to host a weekly dance session that has been going for 11 years (now virtual) and does real estate staging and photography.

Nancy and her husband Ron were newlyweds when they moved to Estevan fifty years ago.  They have enjoyed being part of this community ever since.  Nancy has always been interested in promoting a variety of arts in Estevan.  In the first year of living in Estevan Nancy joined The Estevan Docents, a local organization that brought famous masters’ artworks, in print form, on loan from the Mackenzie Art Gallery, to the students of Estevan. The Estevan Docents organization was also instrumental in establishing the Estevan National Art Gallery in Estevan.

Nancy was an elementary school teacher for the Estevan Public School Division until her retirement in 2006.  Through the years of Nancy’s teaching career she had many of her classes entered into the Choral Speech category of the Estevan Music Festival. After retiring Nancy looked forward to attending and volunteering each year at the Estevan Music Festival.  For several years, through a combination of being on the Estevan Public Library Board and being a volunteer at the Estevan Music Festival, Nancy was able to arrange to have individuals and/or school classes participate at city hall during the Mayoral Poetry Challenge month.  Nancy has been a member of the Estevan Public Library Board for 42 years and now also sits on the South East Regional Library Board. 

In 1995 Nancy took a pottery class through the Estevan Art Council and has been actively enjoying this art form since then.  Nancy has been president of the Estevan Pottery Club since 2014 and, in that capacity, has worked closely with the Estevan Arts Council board. Nancy enjoys being part of this outstanding organization that promotes and brings such a wide diversity of art to the city of Estevan.

Wilma, along with her husband, live on the farm 20 minutes southwest of Estevan.   They are both retired

from farming and teaching.  They raised three children, who are all married and live in Estevan.  They have 10 grandchildren that can keep them busy.

Wilma joined the Estevan Arts Council in 2010 and became president of the council in 2012.  She continues to act as president, hoping that someone new will take on the job.  She is involved with all the art strands in the arts council but spends most of the time with Stars for Saskatchewan (Estevan Concert Series) in bringing a variety of concerts to Estevan from September to May each year. 

Besides her family, music is a very important aspect in her life and that is why she became a part of the arts council.   She is also very involved in the church with music, playing the organ/piano, singing/directing the choir, and worship planning.   She has been apart of the NWSE Chorus and she also volunteers with the Estevan Music Festival.  She enjoys visiting with seniors and plays the piano for them on a regular basis.

Wilma enjoys being part of the Estevan Arts Council in helping to present a variety of opportunities in the arts to our community.    Thank you to the members in our community who support Estevan Arts Council.

Allicia Hood’s childhood was spent in three different small, rural communities in Saskatchewan: Loon Lake, Spiritwood, and finally, Birch Hills. No matter where Allicia lived, she was involved in extra-curricular activities offered in the community- her newest being the Estevan Arts Council.

From a young age, Allicia has had a passion for the arts. She was seen putting on home shows for her family, whether it was putting on a concert, a dance, a play, or an art show. Her avid interest for the arts continued to grow as Allicia got older. She had a specific interest in writing, drawing, and painting as she enjoyed her English Language Arts and Visual Arts classes the most in school. Allicia also explored the arts through music and singing, dancing, and acting. She was enrolled in piano and dance lessons as well as joined her community’s drama club and her church’s choir.

After graduating from Birch Hills Public School in 2017, Allicia moved to Regina to pursue secondary education. In the spring of 2021, Allicia graduated with a Bachelor of Education with great distinction from the University of Regina. In the summer of the same year, Allicia moved to Estevan to begin her career as a teacher. She is a learning support teacher and is also teaching English Language Arts at Estevan Comprehensive School. Allicia is also an advisor on the Student Representative Council at the school.