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Winnipeg, MB – Today, the Manitoba Arts Council (MAC) announced the recipients of its 2021 Prizes in the Arts, which celebrates achievements in the arts and honours the excellence, resourcefulness, and imagination of artists and organizations working in Manitoba across four categories.
- The Emerging Excellence Prize, which recognizes emerging artists for their achievements and potential, was awarded to melannie monoceros, a Winnipeg-based poet and interdisciplinary artist exploring polysensory production and somatic grief through text and textile.
- The Indigenous Full Circle Prize, which recognizes Indigenous artists and Knowledge Keepers for their achievements, was awarded to Lana Sinclair, a Winnipeg-based fashion designer, Knowledge Keeper and teacher who combines haute couture designs with traditional materials.
- The Rural Recognition Prize, which recognizes rural artists for their achievements, was awarded to Donna Besel, a self-described Boreal writer and teacher based in St-Georges whose work has gained recognition from CBC Literary Awards and won national contests.
- The Connecting Creative Communities Prize, which recognizes professional arts groups and organizations for exceptional collaborations, was awarded to ArtsJunktion, a community-based charitable organization committed to redistributing reusable materials, available take-what-you-need and pay-what-you-can.
“We offer our warmest congratulations to the recipients of the 2021 Prizes in the Arts,” said Randy Joynt, Executive Director of the Manitoba Arts Council. “In a province that is rich with incredible artists and arts organizations, we are proud to celebrate these deserving recipients for their creativity and commitment to community.”
Each prize is valued at $10,000 and awarded every two years. Nominations are made by community members, and assessed by a panel of local and national artists and arts professionals.
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The Manitoba Arts Council is an arm’s-length agency of the Province of Manitoba, established in 1965 “to promote the study, enjoyment, production and performance of works in the arts.” The Council makes awards to professional arts organizations and individuals in all art forms including theatre, literature, dance, music, painting, sculpture, architecture, or the graphic arts, and includes other similar creative or interpretative activity, including arts education.
For more information, please contact:
Elyse Saurette
Communications Coordinator, Manitoba Arts Council
(204) 945-0646
esaurette@artscouncil.mb.ca
