Alea Drain has been a proud member of the OCAD U community since 2007 when she started as a fine arts student, graduating in 2011 with a Bachelors’ of Fine Art in Drawing and Painting with a minor in Material Art & Design (Textiles). Returning in 2014 in a supportive role to the CIO, her career at OCAD U has grown from Assistant to Coordinator, IT Services, to IT Communications & Client Relations Specialist. She is now embarking on the role of Project Lead for the GO Forward-sponsored 360 Degree Help Desk Project, to unify service delivery to the OCAD U community. She has been a part of many transformative projects including Project Chroma (ERP Implementation) and the transition to OCAD U 365 collaborative platform. She is the Chair of the Change Advisory Board, which oversees technical changes under the purview of IT Services at the university.
In addition to her work at OCAD U, Alea is a practicing artist with gallery representation at Hashtag Gallery in Toronto. Her first solo exhibition was displayed at Gallery 129 Ossington and consisted of pieces hand-built in an innovative technique she developed called “threadless embroidery”. Since then, her work in pen and ink has been shown across Toronto and in institutions such as the McCann Ad Agency and for ad campaigns for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Her deep love for art, technology and education as well as the legacy in her family at OCAD U (her mother and aunt are alums) are the core reasons why she is dedicated to this institution she has been a part of for nearly 15 years.