On Friday, April 10, 2026, NaAC artists Paul Brain and Carla Salter brought their creative voices to the national stage at the Canadian Arts Summit in Banff. The Canadian Arts Summit is a gathering of senior art leaders, including artistic directors, executive directors and volunteer board chairs of Canada’s largest arts institutions.
Through their respective presentations, Brain and Salter shared insights drawn from their artistic practices and community work, highlighting the role of NaAC artists in shaping meaningful dialogue within Canada’s arts sector. Their presentations concluded with facilitated roundtable discussions, inviting audience members to join the conversation and reflect on the role of the arts in civic growth and belonging, the future of the sector, and how artists’ lived practices can guide thinking around national identity and arts funding.
In her presentation, Carla Salter spoke openly about how deeply her art practice is connected to her mental health and sense of self. She shared that without art, she wouldn’t feel whole, and that her creative practice has given her confidence and expanded her world in ways she never could have imagined. Carla wanted the audience to understand that artists with disabilities should not be limited by outdated perceptions, reminding them that “we’re not just stuck with colouring books, we can be included in all kinds of art practices.”
Carla shared examples from her multidisciplinary portfolio, including her work in film and curation, and highlighted her recent role curating Sparks Fly at Stride Gallery in Calgary. Carla also spoke to the importance of fair compensation, stressing that being paid for her work is a matter of dignity and respect. For Carla, compensation affirms that her skills and labour are valued, stating plainly, “I would feel used if I wasn’t paid for my art.”
Paul Brain, also a multidisciplinary artist, focused his presentation on his work in film and his leadership within NaAC’s Film Ensemble. He walked the audience through the collaborative filmmaking process used by the ensemble, highlighting how artists with disabilities shape projects from the ground up—developing ideas, directing the vision, and making key creative decisions. Paul spoke about how this approach ensures that disability artists are leaders and creators with full ownership over their work.
Paul emphasized how this process challenges traditional power structures in film and media, advocating for models that center disability leadership and meaningful inclusion within the sector.
In Carla’s discussion group, participants spoke openly about how deeply moved they were by her reflections on mental health and the life-changing impact that meaningful participation in the arts can have. The conversation centred on the human impact of the arts sector—beyond outcomes, metrics, or institutions—and the importance of allowing that lived impact to inform decision‑making around civic growth, national belonging, and funding priorities. Participants reflected on how the academic framing of the arts sector has often kept people on the outside, and shared a desire to see those voices welcomed in. The group emphasized the need to create space for more stories like Carla’s, recognizing that inclusion, equity, and lived experience bring greater meaning, relevance, and strength to the arts sector as a whole.
