An Artistic Answer
Rooster Town Kettle by Ian August, photo by Mark Cohoe, Bike Winnipeg
Practicing culture and the beauty it brings communities is an art to be cherished, and thanks to organizations like the Winnipeg Arts council, Folklorama is on a strong course.
Did you know that Winnipeg is fortunate to be one of the few cities in the country that has a program to support individual artists at the municipal level?
Back in the 1990s, the City of Winnipeg commissioned a cultural review – the Buchwald Report – which recommended the creation of an independent body to manage the City’s investment in Winnipeg artists and arts organizations to make it an independent and transparent process. The Winnipeg Arts Council was born.
“Everything we do stems from the fact that arts and culture are a huge part of a city’s quality of life,” states Dominic Lloyd, Program & Arts Development Manager, Winnipeg Arts Council. “The social and economic benefits of the arts have been proven time and time again, and we work to make sure that stays on people’s radar.”
Winnipeg Arts Council provides support for all kinds of arts organizations and creations. From those larger institutions like the Art Gallery, to artist-run centres like the Martha Street Studio. From individual arts – both emerging and established, to world-renowned creations. If you’ve seen, for example, Rooster Town Kettle along the Rapid Transit line or the new Outcroppings near the Waverly underpass, that is the result of the Public Art Program.
In the warmer months, they run Public Art tours all over the city, and if you want to do it independently you can also download their free mobile app and find everything in the Public Art collection, along with photos and stories and tours and history.
The Winnipeg Arts Council also supports many of Winnipeg’s signature festivals including Folklorama from day one.
“Folklorama is fortunate to have the support of the Winnipeg Arts Council”, states Teresa Cotroneo, Executive Director, Folklorama. “Their commitment to enrich and encourage the arts allows Folklorama to continue its mission of celebrating diversity and promoting cultural understanding.”
Lloyd adds what is most important about the Winnipeg Arts Council’s mandate.
“Everything we do reflects the people who live here and their stories. The thing about Folklorama is that it’s so community-driven and it allows people to celebrate all of the cultures that make up our City. We believe that everyone is enriched by the arts, that everyone should have access to the arts, and that everyone should be able to participate in the arts. Events like Folklorama do just that, and that’s why they are important to the Winnipeg Arts Council – and to Winnipeg.”
We couldn’t agree more!
Thank you, Winnipeg Arts Council for enriching the lives of Winnipeggers and the world by allowing the stories of people who live here to live on.
If you want to assist Folklorama in its mission and vision, contact Kim Morphy, Director, Festival Operations and Partnerships at [email protected].