Our Mission
Our mission is to provide a global platform for gifted children to showcase their artistic talents, inspire creativity, and cultivate a love for the arts.
Our Story
The Ignite Art Show was founded by a group of high school students who love art and value education. They aim to create a global stage for young artists, helping them express themselves through art and find confidence and direction.
Team Members
President & Founder: Zena Su
Growing up, art gave Zena a way to express herself when words didn’t feel enough. It became her voice when she needed to communicate feelings, dreams, or ideas that couldn’t easily be put into sentences. Art has the power to connect, to heal, and to inspire, and she believes everyone deserves the chance to experience that power firsthand.
That’s why she is passionate about helping this organization bring this event to life. She has seen how transformative art can be, especially for autistic kids. For many of them, traditional forms of communication may be difficult, but through art, they can express their unique perspectives, their vibrant imaginations, and their voices in ways the world often overlooks. This event isn’t just about showcasing artwork, it’s about giving these kids a platform to be seen and heard. It’s about creating a space where their talents are celebrated, their stories are valued, and their creativity is allowed to shine. Zena is incredibly honored to play a part in this effort and looks forward to seeing the amazing art and stories that come from it.
Cici Yao - Founder & Operations Lead
Overseeing the event's operations, logistics, and resource management.
Benjamin Wang - Founder & Vice President
Managing web development, UI/UX design, and technical support for the platform
Judges
Mila Kostic
Mila Kostic is an established artist based in Vancouver, Canada. Her work is represented in corporate and private collections and galleries in Canada, United States, Europe and China. Internationally recognized for her abstract paintings and an interest in cultural identity is at the forefront of her current artistic practice. Mila is known predominantly for her large-scale abstract acrylic and oil paintings on canvas. Her work revolves around the experimentation with lines and colour; and thematically on the processes of creating.
Sally Karimi
Sally Karimi is an art educator and designer with over 16 years of experience in art education and design. She has dedicated her career to inspiring creativity and fostering growth in young artists. As an art and design teacher at Collingwood High School in West Vancouver, she integrates innovative tools such as AR/VR into her teaching to engage students and enhance their artistic expression. Her academic journey includes ranking first nationwide in the Master’s entrance exam for Industrial Design and earning a master’s degree from Amirkabir University of Technology. Beyond education, she has led collaborative art projects and mentored students in creating portfolios that have secured placements in top programs. Passionate about empowering young artists, she strives to help them connect with their communities and develop their unique voices through art.
Cuiping Wan
Cuiping Wan, a graduate of Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, is a renowned painter recognized for her expertise in oil painting. Her work blends figurative and realistic techniques to uncover the inherent abstraction within objects. Among her notable works is the historical illustrated book series Painting the Xinhai Revolution, which vividly depicts the course of China's modern revolutionary history through over 500 paintings. Wan has ventured into various art forms and currently serves as an academic judge for the China Sketching Association, wielding significant influence in the art world and shaping the next generation of artists.
Cherry Qi
Cherry Qi, a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) in British Columbia, holds master's degrees in Clinical Psychology and Language and Literature. With experience at UBC’s Child Cognitive Development Center and Vancouver Coastal Health’s Adolescent Psychotherapy Center, she specializes in child and adolescent mental health.She further honed her expertise through training in the psychotherapy program at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute. A graduate of UBC’s psychology program, she specializes in child and adolescent mental health and cognitive development. As an active member of professional psychology associations in both the US and Canada, she remains a respected figure in the field of mental health.