Stella Jurgen
Nominated for the award: Arts and Culture
Company: 17 Designs & Stella Jurgen.com
Position: Owner & Creative Director
Biography: Stella was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from Portuguese and Italian roots. Her artistic talent
was recognized with several awards since childhood for the passion and devotion in the plastic-
arts and music fields. Stella had in introduction to Fine Arts in Lisbon, Portugal and graduated
from Graphic Design at George Brown College in Toronto, she is the founder and Creative
Director of 17 Designs, a Graphic Design, Websites and Marketing company now celebrating 20
years in business. Award winner of the Mississauga Business Enterprise Centre Emerging
Business award in 2001, 17 Designs services an array of industries located in the GTA, Peel,
Halton and beyond. Stella loves painting, held her first solo exhibition entitled “Being Woman”
in 2015 at the Casa do Alentejo, Alberto Castro Gallery in benefit of Abrigo Centre. In 2017, a
collaborative exhibition entitled “Reflections” at the General Consulate of Portugal where 50% of
the sales were donated to the Abrigo Centre to assist with programs for women and children
victims of domestic abuse in the GTA. Stella was the featured painter/entertainer at the Luxury
Chocolate Show 2016 and Abrigo Centre Women’s Day 2018. She is also an active participant
at numerous “Art Battles” events around the city. Commissioned artist for the production of a
fine arts collection of six paintings 4ft x 6ft and stainless steel sculptural signage for Perspective
Condominiums located in Etobicoke entitled “Natural Perspective”. Clothing designer and
producer of wearable apparel including purses that were showcased at the “Circle of Friends”
Breast Cancer fundraiser fashion show in benefit of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation
in January, 2018. She is a former collaborative artist for statement clothing at “Stand-up Speak-
up Fashion”. In the music field, Stella was a recording teen-pop artist with her sister in the 80’s
that started in Portugal and settled in Canada in 1986. She was a Co-Producer of a weekly
community radio show for the young audience in the Portuguese Community in Toronto. She is
now a Jazz vocalist mainly with Jazz Plazma. The quartet has performed for numerous events
in and about the GTA such as Art Opening celebrations at the General Consulate of Portugal,
Abrigo Centre, “Arts of the Credit” VIP Opening night 2017 and 2018 and “Art Bites” Book
Launch held at the Artworld Fine Art Gallery. Performed at the Living Arts Centre “New York
Diner Club”, “Colour and Form” Exhibition at the Holcim Art Gallery in Milton and “Dundas West
Festival” in 2016. Stella and Jazz Plazma have been performing at the Benares Historic House
Museum “On the Verandah” Annual Summer music events since 2014 and an occasional Jazz
Club in the GTA.