This is the No.9 Team
We’re a committed team of thinkers and doers – who are working together with our partners to give young people the passion, the knowledge, and the tools to make our communities more sustainable.
Our team brings their talents and passion to No.9, delivering our programs to young people across Canada.
Andrew Davies
Founder and Executive Director of No.9
Andrew received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Queen's University, a Master of Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture, and a Master of Science in Cities from the London School of Economics. Through his extensive career in the visual arts, first at MoMA and then as a public art consultant in Toronto, Davies has learned the power and influence that art and culture can have on our society.
In 2006, he founded the charitable arts organization No.9: Contemporary Art & the Environment in support of artists and their quest to bring awareness to pressing environmental issues. Under Davies’ direction, No.9 has produced and commissioned more than 30 public art installations in Toronto and delivered hands-on sustainable design education to over 3,000 students across Canada through the ground-breaking Imagining My Sustainable Community education program. In 2018, No.9 launched a rural Sustainability Centre called No.9 Gardens. This alternative educational facility empowers students through creative hands-on learning to lead a revolution in building sustainable communities.
Davies has taught at Eyebeam Atelier in New York and at George Brown College in Toronto. He has spoken at lectures, reviews and symposiums around the world including MIT Media Lab, Columbia University and MoMA. He served on the Educational Advisory Committee at the Art Gallery of Ontario and currently sits on the Environmental Advisory Committee for the Toronto District School Board.
Elizabeth Lenell Davies
Program Developer, Lead Architectural Educator, Imagining My Sustainable Community
Elizabeth received a Master of Architecture degree from The Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles, California. Over fifteen years, pursuing an interest in art and architecture, Elizabeth assumed the role of a team designer for numerous architecture and design firms in Los Angeles, New York City and Toronto. She assisted the Director of ACE Gallery LA/NYC with drawings and models for a Contemporary Art Museum in Bangkok (1995-1997). She worked for Rogers Marvel Architects in NYC designing the head office for Kate Spade. In 2003, she joined Architects Alliance in Toronto on design work for The Four Seasons Hotel/Residences.
Elizabeth has her own architectural practice. She designed a house on Fishers Island, New York, and is currently co-designing a new Educational Centre for No.9 Gardens and a new Cultural and Language School in the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory in Ontario.
Born from her passion for teaching, Elizabeth co-developed Imagining My Sustainable Community. Partnering with the Chicago Architecture Foundation, the Toronto District School Board, the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board and several independent schools, Elizabeth uses her experience and education in art and architecture to teach the next generation how to communicate ideas for positively transforming future communities through planning, design, and presentation. Elizabeth is a co-recipient of the 2018 Community Art Educator of the Year award from the Ontario Arts Education Association.
Barbara Lilker
Program Developer, Lead Architectural Educator & Project Manager, Imagining My Sustainable Community
Barbara graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Toronto in 1996. She is founding partner of the multidisciplinary design firm Lilker Hecht Design Studio, which concentrates on small-scale residential and commercial architecture. Since 2001, Barbara has developed and taught architecture programs to children of all ages as a faculty member of the Avenue Road Arts School, an outreach instructor for Vibe Arts and for various public and private schools in Toronto. Barbara’s focus has been to use architecture as a vehicle to integrate the arts, science, and social studies objectives of the Ontario curriculum.
Barbara co-developed and is an educator for No. 9’s Imagining My Sustainable Community. This program teaches students about sustainable urban design and architecture with a focus on enhancing eco-literacy. Barbara has taught the Imagining My Sustainable Community program to over 3,000 students and is a co-recipient of the 2018 Community Art Educator of the Year award from the Ontario Arts Education Association.
Sandra Iskandar
Lead Bilingual Architectural Educator, Imagining My Sustainable Community
Sandra graduated from the School of Architecture at Carleton University in 1999. She is a community minded individual who enjoys blurring the lines between art, architecture, and the public realm. As an educator, she strives to empower students to think like city builders. Through her workshops, Sandra encourages an open dialogue in the classroom to allow synergy and collaboration between students to promote ideas for constructing healthy inclusive communities.
As a bilingual lead architectural educator with No.9, arts educator with Inner City Angels in Toronto and Hamilton and her involvement with Waterfront Toronto’s Underpass Park, Sandra has been instrumental in guiding design ideas and supporting the evolution of public realm in this rich urban context.
Sandra has recently founded her own architectural practice, Sandra Iskandar Architect, and has been commissioned by Clear Water Farm for the design of a new Youth Engagement Centre with the intention of serving the local Georgina community. Professionally, she is a licensed architect and project manager, with experience in the fields of arts and culture, adaptive re-use, heritage, community, and sports. As Project Manager for the TO2015 Pan Am Games, she delivered 10 capital competition venues that have greatly added to Ontario’s cultural legacy.
Sandra Tarantino
Arts Educator
Sandra received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the Ontario College of Art and Design and participated in the off-campus Florence (Italy) program. She has also received a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Psychology and Bachelor of Education, while continuing to actively participate in the artistic community. She served as a founder and director of C1 art space from and co-founding director of AWOL Gallery and Studios Co-operative. She is a recipient of the Visual Artist Grant (2007, 2005, 2003), Exhibition Assistance Grant (2006, 2005) and Artist in Education Grant (2008-12) from the Ontario Arts Council.
Her work is in private and corporate collections across Canada, the U.S. and Europe. She currently teaches visual arts at Avenue Road Arts School and brings programming to communities through her work with VIBE Arts organization. Sandra’s artwork incorporates elements of both painting and sculptural modes through her shaped canvases and ceramic sculpture.
Sean Martindale
Arts Educator
Sean is an internationally recognized and award-winning interdisciplinary artist and designer based in Canada. His interventions activate public spaces to encourage engagement, and often focus on ecological and social issues. His playful works suggest alternate possibilities for existing spaces, infrastructures, and materials found in urban environments. Frequently, Martindale uses salvaged goods, and live plants in unexpected ways that prompt conversation.
Martindale’s projects have been featured on countless prominent websites, and in traditional media such as print, radio, broadcast television and film. His practice has a global following and has been written about in countries all over the world, in multiple languages.
Flora Aldridge
Arts Educator
Flora Aldridge (she/her) is an educator, artist, and project coordinator who is passionate about interdisciplinary approaches to climate justice. Flora is a graduate of McGill University and holds a B.A & S.c in Cognitive Science and Anthropology. Through her involvement in multiple community-led projects and organizations, as well as her work as a facilitator and educator within youth programs, she strives to build empowered and diverse communities working towards envisioning a better future.
In addition to teaching the Imagining My Sustainable Community (IMSC) program, Flora currently works as an Outdoor Educator at Evergreen delivering place-based children’s programming. Additionally, Flora works as a Community Connector and Curator on the ongoing Climate Art Web / Web d’Art Climatique project. Flora’s personal artistic practice is centred around place-based care, fostering empathy, and developing a deeper relationship with the natural world through artistic and food-based exploration.
Passionate about expanding the role of the arts in education, Flora has recently become a Director for the Arts Education Network of Ontario. Additionally, Flora is a director and founding member of New Grocery Movement, a non-profit aiming to restructure harmful food systems, based on principles of education, connection, and empowerment.
Sarah Farquhar
Artist / Illustrator Educator
Sarah Farquhar is an artist-illustrator based in Toronto, Ontario. She received a Bachelor of Design at OCAD University where she studied illustration. Since finishing her degree in 2019, Sarah works as a freelancer focusing on editorial/advertising illustration. Her work has been published in The New York Times, exhibited at The Museum of Illustration, and selected two years in a row for the Society of Illustrators annual Jury Selection. More locally, Sarah’s work can be seen on Collective Arts limited edition cans and representing Hillside Music Festival in Guelph.
Her work is mostly drawn, occasionally painted. She largely focuses on subtle textures, retro colour palettes, and dynamic compositions. You’ll most often see her working in coloured pencil.
No.9 Gardens Team
Michelle Lehman
Michelle is the lead chef and a co-lead gardener at No. 9 Gardens.
Being an avid gardener with a great respect for the land and community, and Living nearby in the Rideau Lakes area, she is proud to be part of the No.9 Gardens team. Over the past years, Michelle volunteered to help us harvest and donate vegetables to the Merrickville food bank. She will be sourcing more of these important, local outlets. Another important aspect of No. 9 Gardens, that resonates with Michelle, is our seed to table mentality. She leads in recipes and menu planning for weekends and events, and with the garden in mind, letting it inspire us to create simple, fresh and delicious foods. Having spent many years in the food and drink industry, this idea inspired her to connect the 'garden with the table'. Michelle is excited to be part of No.9 Gardens for promoting sustainability and indigenous dialogue and being part of its growth.
Abi Rideout
Abi is a No.9 Gardens Intern. She is a fourth year Queens University student completing an undergraduate degree in Global Development and Environmental Studies. She will be pursuing an undergraduate thesis next year in agroecology with a focus on seed to table. This is her first year working at No.9 Gardens and she is excited about engaging with the public and partaking in awareness around agroecology and sustainable food communities. Abi splits her time between the garden and the kitchen. She grew up gardening with her family and applies her knowledge from her family farm to her garden work at No.9 Gardens. In addition to this, Abi graduated from George Brown College with a degree in Culinary Management and applies this knowledge to her work in the No.9 Gardens kitchen. Abi is particularly interested in the role seed to table can have in strengthening our local food systems and food security. Abi is looking forward to merging the knowledge and skills she has learned from her time at Queens University. She is excited to engage youth in the sustainable food system and be a part of the solution to help mitigate climate change.
Farrah Sherrard
Farrah Sherrard is a current No.9 Gardens Gardening Intern. She recently graduated from Queen's University with a bachelor's degree in biology, specializing in plant physiology. She aims to pursue a Master's degree in Plant Science to continue studying crops. With both formal and informal education, as well as solidarity with agricultural workers, Farrah wishes to pursue the deconstruction of the agricultural industry and the capitalist mode of production to ensure that people around the world are fed with high-quality, tasty, and culturally appropriate food with the re-establishment of Indigenous practices and other radical farming methods. No. 9 Gardens provides a starting point and provides an undeniable service in producing fresh vegetables for local food banks and kitchens. Farrah regularly volunteers with Blue Huron Books, Katarokwi Union of Tenants, OPIRG, Mutual Aid Gardens, and PSAC 901 all located in Kingston.