The Manitoba Arts Council (MAC) is a provincial crown corporation whose purpose is to promote the arts. The Council awards grants to professional artists and arts organizations in Manitoba in all art forms; it also provides related creative activity such as arts education.
The Council was founded in 1965 with the passage of An Act to Establish The Manitoba Arts Council and incorporated in 1967. (It now operates under the terms of The Arts Council Act.)The Arts Council Act Remaining at arm’s-length from the Government of Manitoba, it is funded by the Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage and reports annually to the Provincial Legislature through the Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage in its annual report.
Governance Today, the Council operates under the terms of The Arts Council Act, which was amended in 2017."MAC Annual Report 2019-2020." 2020 October. Retrieved 2021 June 2. Remaining at arm’s-length from the Government of Manitoba, it is funded by the Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage and reports annually to the Provincial Legislature through the Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage in its annual report.
The Manitoba Arts Council consists of 9 board members who are appointed for a term by the Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council. The Executive Director is hired by the Council to carry out its policies and oversee operations.
Manitoba Arts Award of Distinction The Manitoba Arts Award of Distinction is a CA$30,000 prize awarded annually to an artist or arts professional for "artistic excellence and contribution to the development of the arts in Manitoba."
Recipients are selected by a multidisciplinary panel from nominations submitted by the community. The award process is administered and funded by the Council.
Year Name Field2002Leslee Silvermantheatre2003Robert Kroetschliterary arts2004Grant Guyperformance and media arts2005Guy Maddinfilm2006Aganetha Dyckvisual arts2007Robert Turnermusic2008Roland Mahétheatre2009William Eakin (artist)visual arts2012J. Roger Léveilléliterary arts2014Robert Archambeauvisual arts2016Diana Thorneycroftvisual arts2018Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millanperformance arts2020Alan Greyeyesmusic2022Daina Warrenvisual arts2023Di Brandtliterary arts2024Jennine Krauchibeadwork2025Ken Gregorymedia arts
Prizes in the Arts Four $10,000 Prizes in the Arts were awarded every two years, opposite of the Manitoba Arts Award of Distinction, recognizing artists or groups working in Manitoba in four categories:
The Connecting Creative Communities Prize The Emerging Excellence Prize The Indigenous Full Circle Prize The Rural Recognition Prize
Recipients were selected by a multidisciplinary panel from nominations submitted by the community. The award process was administered and funded by the Council. The Prizes in the Arts were discontinued in 2022.
Year Connecting Creative Communities Emerging ExcellenceIndigenous Full CircleRural Recognition2019Theatre Projects ManitobaHelga JakobsonMarie-Josée DandeneauFlin Flon Arts Council2021ArtsJunktion mb Inc.melannie monocerosLana SinclairDonna Besel
Operations and grants In the 2019/20 fiscal year, the Council funded 525 arts organizations and artistic projects, which made for a total of CA$8.3 million.
The following is the number of MAC-funded projects by region, per 10,000 population:
Northern Manitoba (NorMan), 4.5 Parkland, 2.6 Interlake, 3.2 Westman, 2.6 Central Plains, 2.9 Pembina Valley, 2.8 Eastman, 1.6 Winnipeg, 3.0
The Council's "Indigenous 360" funding stream offers three granting programs that support professional Indigenous artists, arts/cultural professionals, Knowledge Keepers, art groups, and organizations from Manitoba. In the fall of 2018, the Council began collecting information on the background and identity of individual applicants—this includes Indigenous, visible minorities, females, non-binary, and Francophone applicants, as well as applicants who live with a disability or mental illness or who are deaf. +Organizations and activities funded by MAC in 2019/2020RecipientCity/townAwarded amount (CA$)Aboriginal Music Manitoba Inc.Winnipeg$15,000aceartinc.Winnipeg$89,180Arbeiter Ring Publishing Ltd. (ARP Books)Winnipeg$24,500Art City Inc.Winnipeg$15,000Art Gallery of Southwestern ManitobaBrandon$185,000Art HolmWinnipeg$6,000Arts Manitoba Publications Inc (Border Crossings)Winnipeg$99,470Arts West Council Inc.Brandon$3,000ArtsJunktionWinnipeg$14,792At Bay PressWinnipeg$15,000Association of Manitoba Book PublishersWinnipeg$48,000Bedside PressNarol$6,250Brandon Chamber PlayersBrandon$20,580Camerata NovaWinnipeg$15,000Cancercare Manitoba Foundation Inc.Winnipeg$10,000Canzona Inc.Winnipeg$12,500Cluster: New Music + Integrated Arts Inc.Winnipeg$5,302Company LinkWinnipeg$11,000Contemporary Verse 2Winnipeg$34,500Eckhardt-Gramatte National Music CompetitionBrandon$9,000Fernwood PublishingWinnipeg$4,055Flin Flon Arts CouncilFlin Flon$7,500Gallery 1C03 (University of Winnipeg)Winnipeg$8,700Gimli Film FestivalGimli$20,000 + $5,000Goldrock PressNorway House$7,500 + $7,500Graffiti Art Programming Inc.Winnipeg$10,000Great Plains PublicationsWinnipeg$32,500GroundSwell, Inc.Winnipeg$45,080Gwen Secter Creative Living CentreWinnipeg$15,000Herizons MagazineWinnipeg$6,000Home Routes/Chemin Chez NousWinnipeg$10,000 + $7,500Interlake Art BoardWinnipeg$7,382Jazz WinnipegWinnipeg$10,000J. Gordon Shillingford PublishingWinnipeg$36,700La Maison des artistes visuels inc.Winnipeg$13,250Les Éditions du Blé Saint-BonifaceWinnipeg$26,250Manito Ahbee Festival Inc.Winnipeg$15,000Manitoba African Film Festival Inc.Winnipeg$15,000Manitoba Arts NetworkWinnipeg$12,500Manitoba Association of Playwrights Inc. Winnipeg$53,900Manitoba Band AssociationWinnipeg$6,000Manitoba Chamber Orchestra Inc.Winnipeg$8,000 + $20,000 + $112,000Manitoba Choral AssociationWinnipeg$1,500Manitoba OperaWinnipeg$220,000 + $150,000*Manitoba Printmakers Association Inc. / Martha Street StudioWinnipeg$55,000Manitoba Theatre for Young PeopleWinnipeg$56,250 + $245,000Manitoba Underground OperaWinnipeg$15,000 + $15,000Mentoring Artists for Women's Art (MAWA)Winnipeg$73,000Misericordia Health CentreWinnipeg$10,200NAfro Dance Productions Winnipeg$25,000Northern Juried Art Show 2019Thompson$12,125NorVA CentreFlin Flon$7,572One Trunk TheatreWinnipeg$20,000PLATFORM centre for Photographic Digital ArtsWinnipeg$58,000Plug-In Inc. (Plug In Institute of Contemporary Arts)Winnipeg$166,600Polycoro Inc.Winnipeg$15,000Prairie Comics FestivalWinnipeg$8,840Prairie Debut Inc.Portage la Prairie$5,000Prairie Fire Press Inc.Winnipeg$73,720Prairie Theatre Exchange Inc.Winnipeg$33,750 + $355,000Q DANCEWinnipeg$15,000Rainbow StageWinnipeg$15,000Rosamunde Summer Music AcademyWinnipeg$3,000Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre Inc.Winnipeg$37,500 + $686,000 + $150,000*Royal Winnipeg Ballet SchoolWinnipeg$744,800Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Professional DivisionWinnipeg$10,000 + $130,000Sarasvati Dramatic Theatre Productions and Repertory IncWinnipeg$15,000 + $15,000Sawdon DanceWinnipeg$14,600School of Contemporary Dancers Inc.Winnipeg$32,500Shakespeare in the RuinsWinnipeg$9,000 + $56,050Sick + Twisted TheatreWinnipeg$10,000Signature EditionsWinnipeg$35,000SOUNDYARDWinnipeg$5,880Spence Neighbourhood Association Inc.Winnipeg$15,000Theatre by the River Inc.Winnipeg$7,000Théâtre Cercle Molière WinnipegWinnipeg$175,000Theatre Projects ManitobaWinnipeg$40,000 + $51,500Turnstone Press Ltd.Winnipeg$35,000University of Manitoba PressWinnipeg$34,500Urban Shaman Inc.Winnipeg$65,000Video Pool Media Arts CentreWinnipeg$95,060Window WinnipegWinnipeg$7,850Winnipeg Aboriginal Film and Video Festival Winnipeg$15,000Winnipeg Chamber Music SocietyWinnipeg$17,000Winnipeg Film GroupWinnipeg$95,000Winnipeg International Writers FestivalWinnipeg$8,000Winnipeg Jazz OrchestraWinnipeg$8,000 + $18,000Winnipeg Jewish TheatreWinnipeg$35,000The Winnipeg SingersWinnipeg$29,400Winnipeg Symphony OrchestraWinnipeg$56,250 + $735,000 + $125,000*Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers $112,250WinnipegYoung Lungs Dance ExchangeWinnipeg$15,000zone41 theatre, inc.Winnipeg$15,000 *Special operating grant disbursed on behalf of Manitoba Sports, Culture, and Heritage.
References
External links
The Arts Council Act