Silvia Alfaro is an Ottawa-based art promoter, consultant, publisher and architect.
Since 2004 she has been promoting writers, musicians, visual artists and others in the artistic world in various organizations and through the independent publishing house she founded called Art and Literature Mapalé & Publishing Inc. (Mapalé).
Mapalé has published the books of many Hispanic Canadian writers. More recently, Mapalé has published When We Are Bold, Women Who Turn Our Upsidedown World Right, for the Nobel Women's Initiative. In When We Are Bold , 28 activist women write about the woman that inspired them. The book was launched in September 2016 at the Ottawa International Writers Festival where CBC broadcaster Lucy van Oldenbarneveld moderated a conversation with Nobel Laureate Jody Williams, who is featured in the book, and with some of its contributors – Cindy Blackstock, Aja Monet, Casey Camp-Horinek and Madeleine Thien. In October 2017, Silvia was invited to present this book – now translated into Spanish – at the International Book Fair in Mexico City where she also presented on publishing in Spanish in Canada.
Mapalé is the only Hispanic Canadian publishing house that has participated in international book fairs. Mapalé also participates in local and national cultural and literary events.
From 2008 to 2011, Silvia played a major role in the creation of the not-for-profit organization the Coalition of New Canadians for Arts and Culture (CNCAC), where she worked as Sector Development Coordinator and then Consultant. Thanks to her contributions which included organizing cultural events, the organization was able to apply for and receive grants, including one for $200,000 from the Trillium Foundation.
In 2012, Silvia helped to create an organization for the Latin women entrepreneurs living in Ottawa and Gatineau. Her work was key to giving this group a very good start. Along with two other entrepreneurs, she was in charge of organizing the first EXPO for which she produced a catalogue –featuring the 63 members at the time– which was the first of its kind in Canada.
Like many small business owners. Silvia has been carrying out many tasks including financial management, public relations, graphic design, photography, sales, marketing and promotion. She has organized public art exhibitions, concerts and other cultural events to complement the publishing house’s mission of promoting art and culture.
Before launching Mapalé, Silvia worked as an Architect at the National Capital Commission in Ottawa. In her native Colombia, she worked in various areas of her profession including design and building project management. She was also a professor of art history and architecture at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana.
Since 2004 she has been promoting writers, musicians, visual artists and others in the artistic world in various organizations and through the independent publishing house she founded called Art and Literature Mapalé & Publishing Inc. (Mapalé).
Mapalé has published the books of many Hispanic Canadian writers. More recently, Mapalé has published When We Are Bold, Women Who Turn Our Upsidedown World Right, for the Nobel Women's Initiative. In When We Are Bold , 28 activist women write about the woman that inspired them. The book was launched in September 2016 at the Ottawa International Writers Festival where CBC broadcaster Lucy van Oldenbarneveld moderated a conversation with Nobel Laureate Jody Williams, who is featured in the book, and with some of its contributors – Cindy Blackstock, Aja Monet, Casey Camp-Horinek and Madeleine Thien. In October 2017, Silvia was invited to present this book – now translated into Spanish – at the International Book Fair in Mexico City where she also presented on publishing in Spanish in Canada.
Mapalé is the only Hispanic Canadian publishing house that has participated in international book fairs. Mapalé also participates in local and national cultural and literary events.
From 2008 to 2011, Silvia played a major role in the creation of the not-for-profit organization the Coalition of New Canadians for Arts and Culture (CNCAC), where she worked as Sector Development Coordinator and then Consultant. Thanks to her contributions which included organizing cultural events, the organization was able to apply for and receive grants, including one for $200,000 from the Trillium Foundation.
In 2012, Silvia helped to create an organization for the Latin women entrepreneurs living in Ottawa and Gatineau. Her work was key to giving this group a very good start. Along with two other entrepreneurs, she was in charge of organizing the first EXPO for which she produced a catalogue –featuring the 63 members at the time– which was the first of its kind in Canada.
Like many small business owners. Silvia has been carrying out many tasks including financial management, public relations, graphic design, photography, sales, marketing and promotion. She has organized public art exhibitions, concerts and other cultural events to complement the publishing house’s mission of promoting art and culture.
Before launching Mapalé, Silvia worked as an Architect at the National Capital Commission in Ottawa. In her native Colombia, she worked in various areas of her profession including design and building project management. She was also a professor of art history and architecture at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana.