Local Arts

We begin this column with some sadness as we report that Mitch Podolak, the creator of so many folk/roots institutions in Manitoba and across Canada, died August 25.

The NorVA Centre’s walls will soon be filled with art from 50 different artists, but there is still time to get your piece in. The Centre’s annual Square Foot Gallery is returning for another year and is currently accepting submissions.

My, how time flies when you’re having fun! Summer is almost over, kids will head back to school next week and the new arts and culture season is getting underway.

Holly Rees is slowly becoming Canadian. The artist, originally from Newcastle, U.K., is on a Canada-wide tour and made the trip to Flin Flon to play at the Blueberry Jam Music Gathering.

The NorVA Centre welcomed two out-of-town artists for their latest exhibition to display not only their work, but the finished product of renovations to the centre.

This column is our last chance to share the wonder that is going to be, as it was last year, Blueberry Jam Music Gathering. Anyone who was there in 2018 (and there were lots, over 1,000 attendees by some estimations) knows how much fun it was.

Bob O’Connell doesn’t know how he got the nickname ‘Superbob.’ “ People still call me that,” he said sipping a coffee, speaking with a gravel in his voice.

Artist Hugh Howat hopes his new book of sketches will enhance the memories of scenes from Flin Flon’s hard rock mining past. Howat, a miner-turned-artist, has produced a book featuring sketches of Flin Flon’s “hustle-and-bustle” past.

“Hot time, summer in the city…” Perhaps not exactly with the weather we have been getting but, Flin Flon is still a happenin’ place for arts and culture in July. In the next two weeks, we have a couple of fine events for your enjoyment of the region.

We are all about Trout this week in Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach. Trout Festival is our big kick-off for summer fun, although the Main ARTery opening gala gave it a bit of competition last week.