Meet The Team
Wendy Wacko
Founder, Legacy
Canadian Art has been a passion since childhood. Wendy was influenced by frequent visits to the McMichael collection, home of Tom Thompson, The Group of Seven and Emily Carr.
Further early influences included painters David Milne, Andre Masson, Georgia O'Keefe, Tom Thompson, Doris McCarthy and Joni Mitchel. The poetry of Leonard Cohen and the novels by Robertson Davis enhanced an awareness and devotion to the Canadian creative community.
Wendy is the founder of Mountain Galleries.
John Webster
Senior Art Consultant, Artist in Residence
With an interest in art nurtured from childhood, John Webster chose advertising as his path, graduating with a Diploma in Advertising from Sheridan College in 1982. John first pursued his commercial career as staff artist for Metroland newspapers before being hired to head point-of-purchase marketing at The Canadian Tire Corporation. For the next 20 years he ran his own advertising company tackling a wide range of projects.
John was introduced to the works of Canadian icon Doris McCarthy by Mountain Galleries' owner Wendy Wacko on a ski trip to Jasper in 1999. So began a longtime friendship that culminated in Mr. Webster's move west in 2007 to work at Mountain Galleries' Whistler location.
Beth McLachlan
Art Consultant
With a BFA from the University of Windsor and a Graphic Design certificate from George Brown College, Beth moved from Ontario to the small community of Jasper, AB in 2018. She joined the Mountain Galleries team in 2021 as an Art Consultant and works with local businesses on graphic design, public relations and social media marketing.
In her spare time, Beth coaches volleyball at the local high school, volunteers on a number of local non-profits and is a proud dog mom.
Sharon Smith
Senior Art Consultant, Artist in Residence
Sharon Smith graduated with distinction from San Francisco's Academy of Art College in 1988. Upon graduation, she was honoured to show in the annual New York Society of Illustrators Show. Returning to her home in Vancouver, Sharon promptly attained representation in communication arts, working for ten years in the industry. She has carried on her passion for painting while raising her family in Whistler, participating in numerous group shows and workshops during this time.
A treasured addition to the Whistler Mountain Galleries' team since July 2010, Sharon's extensive art and illustration background bring valued expertise to our discerning clientele.
Jacqueline de Grave
Art Consultant, Artist in Residence
Jacqueline joined the Mountain Galleries Jasper team in 2019 from Toronto, Ontario after receiving her BA Honours Degree in History and minoring in Museum and Gallery Curation. When in Toronto, Jacqueline devoted her time to working and volunteering within art organizations including volunteering at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Gardiner Museum and on Canadian Film sets.
An avid hiker, Jacqueline continues to enjoy her time out West; tackling new trails and taking in the beauty the Rocky Mountains have to offer.
Jacqueline’s affinity for the arts is best represented by the following;
“For the arts epitomize, intensify and clarify the experience of beauty for us as nothing else can.” - Lawren Harris, Group of Seven
Pascale Robinson
Art Consultant, Artist in Residence
After her completion of a public mural in Jasper caught the attention of founder Wendy Wacko in 2020, Pascale was invited into Mountain Galleries as their youngest represented artist. Being raised in Jasper National Park greatly influenced her art and passion for the mountains. This led her to pursue a fine arts education at the University of Alberta. In the spring of 2022, she completed her BFA in Art and Design.
She now continues to paint in Jasper and work for Mountain Galleries as an art consultant. In her spare time, she likes to do various outdoor sports and play piano.
Dominique Schmaltz
Art Consultant
Khalil Martin
Art Consultant
Khalil has always had an interest in taking pictures as a child, with cameras being integrated into smartphones more and more. But he didn't fully pursue photography until 2017 when he bought his first DSLR camera. He had no idea what settings to use or how to edit the photos. Eventually, he started getting the hang of it, and over time going out to take pictures became his favourite thing to do with any spare time that he had.
Now, photography has taken Khalil all across the country to this lovely town in the mountains. He's excited for the future and to turn his hobby into a profession.
Jane Barette-Duckworth
Art Consultant
Originally from Montreal, Jane studied Studio Arts in CEGEP and continued taking art history courses throughout her Bachelor's degree at McGill University. Since graduating, she's spent time painting at the Montreal Art Centre and travelling, by doing painting workaways.
Naturally drawn to art, Jane has joined our team eager to be more involved in the art world and learn from those in it.
"Art and communication are meaningful to me for similar reasons, they allow us to understand and connect with one another more deeply.”
Camille Brack
Art Consultant
Camille was born in Calgary, Alberta and has spent her life living throughout different parts of Canada and the United States. She has worked in a variety of fields, mainly as a journalist who has written about local and international arts communities. Working as an artist, Camille creates art in many media including digital art, painting, and drawing.
"Art is something that invokes my passion for bringing things like nature and community together. Working at Mountain Galleries, I'm excited to make great connections with people and the art community in Banff while building deeper relationships with Canadian artists. It's a pleasure to be at Mountain Galleries where the art focuses on the natural wonders and beauties of the world, and promotes the great artists who make them. "
Darren Maskowitz
Logistics Coordinator