City of Brandon and Manitoba Arts Council Form Unique Partnership

New office to open in September

The City of Brandon’s Community Development Department and the Manitoba Arts Council (MAC) are excited to announce a partnership that will see MAC open an office next month in the Cultural Resource Centre in the A.R. McDiarmid Civic Complex at 638 Princess Avenue, as part of a pilot project.

Under this unique agreement between MAC and the City of Brandon, the Manitoba Arts Council will share space at the Cultural Resource Centre for two days a month, beginning September 2015. Currently, the Cultural Resource Centre houses the Brandon Planning & Building Safety Department’s “Brandon Design Studio” public outreach programming and also serves as a community meeting space when needed.

“Having the Manitoba Arts Council here in our building promotes education about the arts in our Province and in our City and provides cultural support,” said City of Brandon Community Development Manager, Esther Bryan. “Through this kind of partnership, we are transforming our Cultural Centre into a vibrant meeting place that brings resources and programming right into the heart of our community.”

The project is an important piece of City of Brandon’s community engagement initiatives as well as the Manitoba Arts Council’s mission of promoting, preserving, supporting, and advocating for the arts as essential to the quality of life of all the people of Manitoba.

“We are very pleased to open an office in downtown Brandon that will help us serve all of Manitoba and bring MAC closer to the region’s arts and cultural community,” said MAC’s Executive Director, Douglas Riske. “This office brings MAC’s resources and expertise into the heart of the City of Brandon to better support local artists and arts organizations in the Brandon and Westman region.”

The Manitoba Arts Council will hold office hours for consultations and meetings in the Cultural Resource Centre on the third Thursday and Friday of each month. A grand opening reception will be held Wednesday, September 16th, with details to follow. For information about MAC, visit www.artscouncil.mb.ca.

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For more information, please contact:

Esther Bryan

Manager of Community Development
City of Brandon
204-729-2276

L. Nadine Delisle

Director of Communications & Community Engagement
Manitoba Arts Council
204-945-0646
ndelisle@artscouncil.mb.ca