Meet the team that works hard every day to make the SEARA magic happen.
2020/2022 – POWERSHARE Team
Krystal Paraboo
Fund Lead
Krystal Paraboo (she/her/hers) is an all-encompassing creative living, working, creating art & building community on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
An Art Historian, Curator, Writer, and Community Builder, Krystal places tremendous value on artistic expression and cultural development based on the foundation of fostering authentic human connection and inclusive practices. She graduated with a Bachelor of Honour’s Degree from Queen’s University in 2013, with a double major in Art History & History. She also attended the Bader International Study Centre in the United Kingdom, with extensive study in Art History and Curatorial Studies on-site at the Courtauld Institute, National Gallery London, and the British Museum.
Krystal has a substantial footprint in Vancouver’s art community. As Guest Curator for the Vancouver Mural Festival, she curated a record-breaking number of murals by local Black Artists, and has curated numerous additional local art exhibitions including “The Great Big Vancouver Paradox” in 2018 for Capture Photography Festival. Krystal has written reviews for various local publications, and volunteers regularly with Hogan’s Alley Society.
Her work has spanned within both public and private art institutions over the years, including the Vancouver Art Gallery and Rennie Museum, working directly with both established and emerging artists. Krystal specializes in: curatorial projects, public programming, art education, research, policy, events, communications, community building, art consulting, non-profit management, and Diversity & Inclusion training.
Muhan Zhang
Operations Manager
Muhan Zhang (she/her) is an emerging writer and arts administrator currently living and working on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.
She has previously worked at Access Gallery and Richmond Art Gallery in Vancouver, as well as the Rubin Museum of Art and Asian/Pacific/American Institute at NYU in New York. As a career arts administrator, Muhan believes strongly in the administrator’s power to advocate and propel change from within institutions. She is fundamentally committed to social justice and accessibility in the Canadian arts sector.
Muhan’s cultural criticism and creative writing have been published in C Mag, The McGill Daily, The McGill Tribune, and The Fine Print Magazine. She has forthcoming works in SAD MAG and Taclanese and is currently a Youth Critic with TACLA x Reel Asian Film Festival. You can also find her chaotic self-published book reviews on readwithmu.com.
Muhan has a Bachelors of Arts in Art History and East Asian Studies from McGill University and a Master of Arts in Visual Arts Administration from New York University.