The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
A proposed $15-million, 20,000 sq. ft. Centre of Aboriginal Art for northern Manitoba is a long way from becoming reality. The proposed site for the centre is north of Thompson on Provincial Route 391, just before the Miles Hart Bridge. Geo-technical testing of the land was to begin last winter and construction was slated to start in the spring of 2013. Not now. Instead, officials recently held an art show and concert in Thompson to raise funds for pilot programming. Thompson artist Jasyn Lucas and his partner Nikki Brightnose coordinated the event; Lucas' band performed; and art from 13 different aboriginal artists was on display. The Thompson Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation (TNRC) has been a continuous supporter of the centre and have provided in-kind support in the form of providing a home. 'The art centre doesn't have a home right now so the TNRC gave them one,' said TNRC executive director Dawn Sands. 'Up until we hired Jasyn (Lucas) and Nikki (Brightnose), the TNRC was doing a lot of the administrative program management tasks and supporting the board to do that as well, but now that Jasyn and Nikki have been hired, they do most of their work in our (TNRC) office.' Lucas and Brightnose have also been provided with e-mail addresses, use of the TNRC board room, photocopier and Internet. Though there isn't an actual centre at present, plans had been made months ago to construct an art centre. But capital fundraising has gone nowhere and has been put on the backburner in favour of programming and trying to generate interest in actually having a centre. Pilot programming for the centre is currently in phase 3. The recent art show and concert was a launching ground to try to garner awareness and recognition for aboriginal artists, as well as to raise money. Works of art by both Brightnose and Lucas were on display, along with works by Thompson artists Angus Campbell and Allan Chapman, and other Manitoban artists such as Eddi Munroe of Stevenson Lake, Edna Nabess of Winnipeg, Irvin Head of Cranberry Portage, Jeff Monias of Garden Hill and Ron Disbrowe of Red Sucker Lake. Other artists whose work was on display came from as far as Whitehorse and Vancouver. _ Matt Durnan, Thompson Citizen
