Helen Zenith
Founder + Director
Helen Zenith holds a BFA from the University of Calgary. Initially, Helen was an abstract painter; she participated in the Triangle Residency Open Studio Program in New York City and exhibited in galleries and museums in Canada, USA, and England. During her career as an artist, Helen was actively involved in the promotion of the Visual Arts in Alberta: curating, writing and assembling collections.
In 1992, Helen’s studio in Calgary’s Old Dominion Bridge Factory was transformed into NEWZONES. With over forty years of experience in the Canadian art world, Helen has been invited to participate on numerous visual arts boards, art juries and has guest lectured at the University of Calgary and the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD). She has been a member of the President’s Circle (ACAD), the Chancellor’s Club at the University of Calgary and served on the Board of Directors for the Epcor Centre for Performing Arts. Helen has been a member of and is on the Board of Directors of Canadian Friends of Israel Museum, Jerusalem. She is an active board member for Contemporary Calgary and currently serves on the Arts Acquisition Committee for Bow Valley College in Calgary.
In 2012, Newzones established the “NEWZONES Gallery of Contemporary Art Fund” at The Calgary Foundation, which contributes to a wide range of charitable organizations supporting Calgary’s Arts community.
Tamar Zenith
Director
Tamar Zenith is a pioneering contemporary art dealer and the Owner / Director of Newzones Gallery of Contemporary Art in Calgary, Canada, with thirty five years of experience as a Canadian Art gallerist, collector, advocate for artists, and philanthropist. Throughout her career, Tamar has brought recognition and market success to many contemporary visual and conceptual artists and showcased multiple modern and contemporary art luminaries including Annie Briard, Dianne Bos, Cathy Daley, Yechel Gagnon, Bradley Harms, Deborah Kass, Marie Lannoo, Joshua Jensen Nagle, Alex Katz, William Perehudoff, David Robinson, Julian Schnabel, Kevin Sonmor, Michelle Sound and Deborah Kass, to name a few.
Tamar graduated from McGill University in 1992, and opened Newzones alongside her mother, Helen Zenith. Together, Tamar and Helen have built Newzones into one of North America’s leading contemporary commercial art galleries, specializing in process-oriented artwork including painting, photography, and sculpture by prominent Canadian and international artists.
Tamar has worked tirelessly to promote the gallery’s artists both at home and abroad and is proud of the role Newzones and its artists have played in the city of Calgary; diffusing the image of “the Wild West” into a “West” that is elegant, cosmopolitan, and vibrant – a “West” where contemporary artists live and work while producing world-class art.
An active force in the Calgary, Canadian, and international art scene, Tamar remains committed to the development and enhancement of Canadian visual arts, including Newzones’ role in making Canadian Art a strong contributor in the international art market. She looks forward to the next 30 years promoting leading names in contemporary art.
Tamar’s artistic taste, business acumen, and entrepreneurial spirit have inspired several articles in publications such as the Globe and Mail, Forbes Magazine, the National Post, the Calgary Herald, Azure, Avenue, Western Living, Canadian Art, Border Crossing, Galleries West and many more. Distinguished and best-selling author Joanne Thomas Yaccato included Tamar in her book on female entrepreneurs, Raising Your Business: A Canadian Woman’s Guide to Entrepreneurship, and was most recently included in Michelle McIvor’s The Glow Code: A Cheat Sheet for Feeling, Looking, and Being Your Best at Any Age (June 2024) offering expert advice on art collecting, installing and navigating the contemporary art world from the heart. In 2023, she was interviewed on @Canadianpodcast A resilient west 30 year of Newzones shaping the world class art scene, and in 2024 on @thecalgarysessions podcast with Jeff Humphries for Navigating Art and Business with a Creative Mindset.
Tamar is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Art Dealers Association of Canada, a member of the Leadership Circle at Contemporary Calgary, a Confluence Giving Circle Member at the Glenbow Museum and a contributing Patron of the National Gallery of Canada. She has been an active member of the Chancellor’s Club at the University of Calgary, and a member of the President’s Circle at the Alberta College of Art and Design ( UA Arts). In 2013, Tamar received the prestigious West Island College Alumni Achievement Award, as well as in 2018 Avenue Magazine's “Best Dressed” list!
Philanthropy has remained an important part of Tamar and Helen's work. In 2012, Helen Zenith and Tamar Zenith created the Newzones Gallery of Contemporary Art Fund at the Calgary Foundation. The fund awards the Newzones Gallery of Contemporary Art Graduating Scholarship annually at Alberta University of the Arts and contributes to a wide range of charitable organizations that support Calgary’s arts community and beyond.
Sabrina Sullivan
Assistant Director
Sabrina has been dedicated to advancing the careers of Newzones’ artists for nearly 20 years. Through her involvement in Calgary’s contemporary art community and participation in international art fairs, she has played an integral role in the gallery’s continued growth and its position as one of North America’s leading contemporary commercial art galleries.
In 2012, Sabrina made her curatorial debut with FreshFaces, an invitational exhibition introducing artists new to Newzones.
The success of the first two editions established FreshFaces as an integral part of Newzones’ programming, leading to subsequent editions in 2023 and most recently in May 2026.
Sabrina holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Art History from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Fine and Decorative Arts from Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London, England. Sabrina currently sits on the Board of Directors of BUMP Festival Arts Society in Calgary.
Taylor Carruthers
Registrar
Having joined Newzones in 2021, Taylor takes pride in promoting the gallery’s represented artists and educating art enthusiasts about the processes, materiality, and conceptual explorations behind each artwork. Her passion for art stems from an interest in the ways contemporary art can facilitate conversation and connection. She believes that art as a means of expression applies not only to the artist creating the work, but also to collectors through the art they choose to live with and experience every day. For Taylor, collecting is not simply about décor or filling an empty space on a wall; it is about expressing oneself through a collection of works that resonate and bring joy on a personal level.
Taylor holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in Visual Arts, from the University of British Columbia Okanagan, completed in 2019, where she developed a particular interest in collage and screen printing. She also holds a Certificate in Graphic Design from the University of Calgary, completed in 2021. In the summer of 2022, Taylor completed a Post-Graduate Intensive in Curatorial Practices while living and studying in Venice, Italy. Within Calgary’s broader arts community, Taylor is a member of the Alberta Printmakers Society. She has also served on its Board of Directors and as a jury member for the selection of its 2024 exhibition programming.
John Dolighan
Preparator
John has been passionate about the arts throughout his whole life. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Studio Art from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, where he studied both art history and studio practices across a diverse range of mediums.
In early 2025, John relocated to Calgary and began his involvement within the city's contemporary art community working with Newzones Gallery. His background in the trades, combined with his knowledge and experience in the visual arts, led to his role as a preparator, which has allowed him to pursue his passion for art while engaging and contributing to the Canadian contemporary art scene.
Layla Mercer
Gallery Assistant
Originally from London, Ontario, Layla moved to Calgary in 2023 to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Alberta University of the Arts. She quickly felt connected to the city’s art community and found a deep fulfilment working with and within it.
Layla is a fibre artist and a printmaker, specifically interested in paper making and lithography. At the gallery, she connects with art that displays technical skill and is conceptually complex. She also appreciates artists that have a thoughtful process-based approach to their practice.
Layla Mercer began her internship at Newzones during the summer of 2026. Everyday she spends at the gallery, she feels inspired by all of the art and artists she works with.