About
Elisha May Rubacha lives, writes, and makes small things in Peterborough, ON. She was a finalist for Peterborough's Outstanding Emerging Artist Award in both 2018 and 2025, and has received grant support for her various writing endeavours from every level of government. Elisha has been developing her new artistic practice in miniatures since June 2025.
Born 1989
Artist statement
No artist statement yet.
Details
- Based in
- Peterborough, ON, Canada
- Works in
- Miniature, Craft, Mixed Media, Poetry, Theatre
- Education
- Honours BA, Trent University
Affiliations
Recent CV
2016–Present
Founder, Editor & Graphic Designer, bird, buried press Publishes work by Ontario writers and artists. Specializing in handmade book objects, bird, buried often creates books in limited runs with one-of-a-kind features, sometimes even assembling them live and including unique poems written at the event.
2025
Finalist for the Outstanding Emerging Artist Award, Peterborough Arts Awards
2025
Recommender Grant for Writers to write Caprock Poems, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto, ON, Canada, Recommended by Brick Books
Curriculum Vitae
Education
2013
Honours BA, English Literature, minor in Philosophy, emphasis in Linguistics, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
Awards, Grants & Fellowships
2025
Finalist for the Outstanding Emerging Artist Award, Peterborough Arts Awards
2025
Recommender Grant for Writers to write Caprock Poems, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto, ON, Canada, Recommended by Brick Books
2024
Grants for Individual Artists Component One, to write Caprock Poems, Electric City Culture Council & The City of Peterborough, $1,500
2023
Grant to workshop script-in-progress Loop, Theatre Trent
2023
Two Recommender Grants for Writers to write Caprock Poems, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto, ON, Canada, Recommended by New Quarterly and Book*hug Press
2022
Grants for Individual Artists Component Two, to workshop Loop, Electric City Culture Council & The City of Peterborough, $3,500
2022
Honourable Mention in the August 2022 Arc Award of Awesomeness, Arc Magazine
2022
Explore and Create Research and Creation Grant for Caprock Poems, fully funded, Canada Council for the Arts, Ottawa, ON, Canada, $20,880
2022
Recommender Grant for Theatre Creators to write script-in-progress Loop, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto, ON, Canada, Recommended by 4th Line Theatre
2020
Recommender Grant for Writers to write The Bondar Book, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto, ON, Canada, Recommended by Invisible Publishing
2019
Two Recommender Grants for Writers to write The Bondar Book, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto, ON, Canada, Recommended by Coach House and ChiZine Publications
2018
Two small grants to workshop scripts, Loop and Waiting for Real Jobs, Theatre Trent
2018
Finalist for the Outstanding Emerging Artist Award, Peterborough Arts Awards
2018
Recommender Grant for Writers to write The Bondar Book, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto, ON, Canada, Recommended by Diaspora Dialogues Charitable Society
2017
Grant to produce Capable as part of a bird, buried press triple book launch, Theatre Trent
2016
Shortlisted for Under There, PRISM International Creative Non-Fiction Contest
2013
Barbara Rooke Travel Prize, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada, $3,000 Granted to a graduating English major for travel to a significant literary heritage site or region
2012
Sylvia Cherney Scholarship, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada, $500 Granted to an academically accomplished English major with a demonstrated love of theatre
Residencies
2023
Emerging Writers Residency: Poetry, Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity, Banff, AB, Canada, Poet-in-Residence, working on Caprock Poems under Suzanne Zelazo
2021
Artist-in-Residence, Precarious Festival
Publications
2024
uncharted, it took work to get here (These Days)
2023
star child, ON FIRE, EH? (These Days)
2021
33 Raz Street, Food of My People (Exile Editions)
2019
see, the tuesday poem (dusie)
2018
too much nothing, Apt. 9 Press
2017
model rocket, Bywords
2017
cover letter; Veterinarian's Instructions; laundry room note, illiterature (Puddles of Sky Press)
2015
He Could Have Said Iron, Skirt Quarterly
2015
dot lineage, The Steel Chisel
Positions
2016–Present
Founder, Editor & Graphic Designer, bird, buried press Publishes work by Ontario writers and artists. Specializing in handmade book objects, bird, buried often creates books in limited runs with one-of-a-kind features, sometimes even assembling them live and including unique poems written at the event.
2016–2024
Co-Conspirator, Graphic Designer & Webmaster, Show and Tell Poetry Series
Professional Service
2018–2021
Board Member, Electric City Culture Council
Projects
2025
Mini-Mini 50/50, Artspace, Peterborough, ON, Canada, Sold several small-scale works in support of Artspace’s Mini-Mini 50/50
2021–2024
Short-Forms Mentorship Program, Diaspora Dialogues Charitable Society, Selected Short-Forms Mentee, working on Caprock Poems under Marc Nair
2023
Selected Theatre Mentee, Alternating Currents Program, Public Energy, Working on Loop under Kate Story
2019
Selected Theatre Mentee, Alternating Currents Program, Public Energy, Working on Loop under Kate Story
2019
Playwright of Waiting for Real Jobs, Precarious Festival
2018
Stagehand & Publisher of The Fluff Trilogy, The Theatre on King, Fluff Stories
2017
Selected Theatre Mentee, Alternating Currents Program, Public Energy, Working on Loop under Kate Story
2017
Installation Artist, Precarious Festival
