Keith Bellamy, Chair (Winnipeg) is a graduate of the Brandon University School of Music and Arts (1998). He has taught privately and as a faculty member at the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Art. He has worked with the Associated Manitoba Arts Festivals, Manitoba Opera, and the non-profit fundraising sector, and has sat on a number of community-based boards. In 2007, he was appointed to the Manitoba Arts Council and has served as Chair of both the Advocacy Working Group and the Governance Committee. Keith is currently the Manager of Conferences & Events Services at the University of Winnipeg.
Cynthia Rempel Patrick, Vice-Chair (Steinbach) (Steinbach) is the Executive Director of the Steinbach Arts Council. She is the founder of the Steinbach Cultural Arts Centre, home to over 60 arts development programs for southeastern Manitoba. Her work and volunteer experience within the Department of Cultural Development, Associated Manitoba Arts Festivals, The Treble Teens, Southeastern Music & Arts Festival, Manitoba Arts Network, Arts & Cultural Industries Inc, is incorporated with her business experience as a florist and creator/manager of Kids R Kute! Custom Clothing. Cindi began her music career as a pianist, accompanist, singer, choral director and piano and voice teacher for over 25 years. She finds it rewarding to give back to the community with her participation on numerous other boards in the non-profit sector.
Yisa Akinbolaji (Winnipeg) is a full-time visual artist (http://www.yisagallery.com/). Yisa graduated from the Yaba College of Arts and Technology in Lagos, Nigeria in 1986, and obtained his M.F.A. in Visual Arts from the University of North Dakota in 2009. Before coming to Canada in 1997, Yisa was recognized as a leading Nigerian artist with his work and biography included in Nigerian Artists: A Who’s Who and Bibliography (1993) by Bernice Kelly and Janet L. Stanley of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries. Yisa has been president of the Manitoba Society of Artists and is the founder of Creative Foundation Inc. Yisa has also been a juror for the Manitoba Arts Council.
Raye Anderson (Winnipeg Beach) walked onto a stage at age three and has been involved in the arts ever since. While at Drama School in Scotland, she taught in an arts program for at-risk youth and became aware of the potential of the arts in creative learning. She has explored that potential throughout her career. Raye was Education Director at Prairie Theatre Exchange for 15 years, and has worked in Ottawa and in Calgary, where she was Director of Arts Learning for the EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts. Raye is presently an active member of the Interlake arts community. She draws, paints, and batiks, and is a participant in the WAVE Artist Tour. She continues to direct theatre projects and supports and develops participatory arts programs.
Scott Baldwin (Winnipeg) is the Chair of the Institute of Corporate Directors, Manitoba Chapter. He is also the Governance Committee Chair of Frontier College Foundation and a Director of Frontier College in Toronto—Canada’s oldest literacy organization. Scott has led a variety of board governance reviews and audits, organizational assessments, and successful start-up board projects. He works with the governance boards of arts and culture organizations, large health-care networks, and professional medical associations, and has provided advisory board services for social media companies. Scott has an MBA and earned professional certifications as a Corporate Director (ICD.D) and Management Consultant (FCMC).
Cheryl Bear (Peguis First Nation) is an Annisinabe of Ojibway heritage. Upon graduating from Assiniboine Community College, Cheryl helped guide young people towards rewarding career paths as a youth employment worker for Peguis First Nation. For the past seven years Cheryl has worked as a project officer for the Peguis Development Corporation and actively assists artists in creating and sustaining their own businesses. Cheryl is a founding member of the Peguis Pow Wow Regalia Class, which was established in 2004 to help revitalize the pow wow traditions. Cheryl approaches everyday using the seven cultural teachings: Respect, Wisdom, Truth, Bravery, Humility, Honesty & Love.
Brenda Blaikie (Winnipeg) is a former teacher who worked with students from Grade 3 to Senior 4 (Grade 12). Brenda is also the parent of four adult children. Throughout her time as a teacher Brenda was struck again and again by the value of exposing students to the arts both through in-school programs and visits to various arts venues. Brenda firmly believes that these kinds of experiences add depth and understanding to the people who experience them.
Jan Brancewicz (Brandon) is an artist, poet and educator who came to Canada from Poland in 1965. He taught at Brandon University for over thirty years and retired from teaching in 2006. He is involved in mentoring young artists and works as art director for Bear Paw Publishings and Canadian Journal of Native Studies. He served on the Council in the early 70′s and late 80′s.
Aimée Craft (Giroux) practices law at the Public Interest Law Centre. Aimée is Chair of the Aboriginal Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association, and was appointed to the Speaker’s Bureau of the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba. In 2011, she was the recipient of the Indigenous Peoples and Governance Graduate Research Scholarship. Her LLM thesis is rooted in the understanding of treaties from an indigenous legal perspective. Aimée is a research adjunct with the Centre for Human Rights Research and seasonal lecturer at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law. In 2009, she successfully argued on behalf of language rights advocates in the first entirely French hearing at the Manitoba Court of Appeal.
The Honourable Glenn Joyal (Winnipeg) is Chief Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Manitoba. Glenn was initially appointed a judge of the Provincial Court of Manitoba in 1998. Previously, Glenn was counsel with the Federal Department of Justice where, along with his academic studies at various universities, he developed his expertise in criminal and constitutional law. Glenn is also an experienced playwright, and a board member of Le Cercle Molière. He served as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for St. Mary’s Academy, and is a member of l’Association des juristes d’expression française du Manitoba. Glenn currently sits on the Canadian Judicial Council and its various committees, and also serves on the Board of Directors of St. Paul’s High School and on the Board of Governors at Balmoral Hall.
Amy Karlinsky (Winnipeg) has a BA in Visual Arts from York, a BEd in Art Education from the University of Calgary, and an MA in Art History from State University of New York, with doctoral studies in Art History at University of British Columbia. She has experience as a guide, art educator, and arts administrator at the St. Boniface Basilica, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, and the Nunatta Sunaqutangit Museum. She has curated for the Winnipeg Art Gallery and St. John’s College. She has published over 100 reviews and essays on the arts for magazines, newspapers, artist-run centres, and public and private galleries. She has served on the boards of Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art and the Richmond Public Library, as well as on juries for arts councils, and civic and national arts competitions. She has taught art and literacy in rural, northern, public, and private schools and colleges across Canada, including Winnipeg’s inner city and the University of Manitoba. Amy is currently an Acting Vice-Principal for the Winnipeg School Division. She lives in Winnipeg with her family and spends most summers close to Hnausa Dock.
Crystal Kolt (Flin Flon) is the Cultural Coordinator of the Flin Flon Arts Council. She is on the Provincial Task Force for Culture Days and on the International Council for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Crystal was the recipient of the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba’s Award for Volunteerism (2007). In 2012, she received the Diamond Jubilee Medal and was invested into the Order of Manitoba. Crystal has produced numerous musical theatre and classical masterworks productions, several of which were collaborations with the Winnipeg and Saskatoon symphony orchestras. Other career highlights include taking members of the Flin Flon Community Choir to Carnegie Hall to participate in the New York premiere of Canadian composer Scott MacMillan’s Celtic Mass for the Sea (2002), and commissioning Aboriginal caribou-hair-tufting artist Theresa Wride to create a Diamond Jubilee Anniversary tufting to present to Queen Elizabeth II.
Dr. Donna M. Michaels (Brandon) is a public educator with extensive experience in Canadian public education. This experience includes as classroom teacher, senior high school principal, superintendent of senior high schools in the Calgary Board of Education (CBE), chief superintendent and chief executive officer in the CBE (Alberta), Greater Victoria School District (British Columbia), and Brandon School Division (Manitoba). In each of these positions, Dr. Michaels has been a very strong advocate for arts education K–12 and has been instrumental in the development of creative arts programs and schools. Dr. Michaels holds a Bachelor of Pedagogy (University of Manitoba), Master of Education (University of Manitoba), and Doctorate of Education (Nova Southwestern University). Personal arts education is an integral part of her background; including fine arts, creative arts, interior decorating, and interior design. As a teacher, Dr. Michaels taught art to grades 7–12.
Etoile Stewart (Winnipeg) is a longtime fan, consumer, and supporter of art of all kinds. She has worked as a cultural policy advisor, author, and researcher, and has volunteered as a grant writer, steering committee member, and gallery help. She graduated from York University and Ryerson University in Toronto with an MA Joint Program in Communication and Culture, with a specialization in politics and Canadian cultural policy. She has deep family ties to the arts community in Winnipeg and Manitoba.
Lea Stogdale (Winnipeg) is a small animal veterinarian who runs her own practice. She has been involved in various community organizations, having previously served on the boards of directors for Hostelling International, the Manitoba Crafts Council and the Manitoba Naturalists Society. She is a part-time professional photographer who has produced the local bilingual book, St. Boniface & Norwood. Lea is an active supporter and attendee of Manitoba’s wide variety of music concerts and festivals, dance and theatre productions, and visual arts exhibitions.