Manitoba Arts Council


The Manitoba Arts Council is a provincial crown corporation whose purpose is to promote the arts. The Council awards grants to professional artists and arts organizations in Manitoba in all art forms; it also provides related creative activity such as arts education.
The Council was founded in 1965 with the passage of An Act to Establish The Manitoba Arts Council and incorporated in 1967. Remaining at arm’s-length from the Government of Manitoba, it is funded by the Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage and reports annually to the Provincial Legislature through the Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage in its annual report.
WWW artscouncil.mb.ca𝕏 mbartscouncilIG mbartscouncil

Governance

Today, the Council operates under the terms of The Arts Council Act, which was amended in 2017. Remaining at arm’s-length from the Government of Manitoba, it is funded by the Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage and reports annually to the Provincial Legislature through the Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage in its annual report.
The Manitoba Arts Council consists of 9 board members who are appointed for a term by the Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council. The Executive Director is hired by the Council to carry out its policies and oversee operations.

Manitoba Arts Award of Distinction

The Manitoba Arts Award of Distinction is a CA$30,000 prize awarded annually to an artist or arts professional for "artistic excellence and contribution to the development of the arts in Manitoba."
Recipients are selected by a multidisciplinary panel from nominations submitted by the community. The award process is administered and funded by the Council.
YearNameField
2002Leslee Silvermantheatre
2003Robert Kroetschliterary arts
2004Grant Guyperformance and media arts
2005Guy Maddinfilm
2006Aganetha Dyckvisual arts
2007Robert Turnermusic
2008Roland Mahétheatre
2009William Eakin (artist)visual arts
2012J. Roger Léveilléliterary arts
2014Robert Archambeauvisual arts
2016Diana Thorneycroftvisual arts
2018Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millanperformance arts
2020Alan Greyeyesmusic
2022Daina Warrenvisual arts
2023Di Brandtliterary arts
2024Jennine Krauchibeadwork
2025Ken Gregorymedia arts

Prizes in the Arts

Four $10,000 Prizes in the Arts were awarded every two years, opposite of the Manitoba Arts Award of Distinction, recognizing artists or groups working in Manitoba in four categories:
  • The Connecting Creative Communities Prize
  • The Emerging Excellence Prize
  • The Indigenous Full Circle Prize
  • The Rural Recognition Prize
Recipients were selected by a multidisciplinary panel from nominations submitted by the community. The award process was administered and funded by the Council. The Prizes in the Arts were discontinued in 2022.
YearConnecting Creative CommunitiesEmerging ExcellenceIndigenous Full CircleRural Recognition
2019Theatre Projects ManitobaHelga JakobsonMarie-Josée DandeneauFlin Flon Arts Council
2021ArtsJunktion mb Inc.melannie monocerosLana SinclairDonna Besel

Operations and grants

In the 2019/20 fiscal year, the Council funded 525 arts organizations and artistic projects, which made for a total of CA$8.3 million.
The following is the number of MAC-funded projects by region, per 10,000 population:
The Council's "Indigenous 360" funding stream offers three granting programs that support professional Indigenous artists, arts/cultural professionals, Knowledge Keepers, art groups, and organizations from Manitoba. In the fall of 2018, the Council began collecting information on the background and identity of individual applicants—this includes Indigenous, visible minorities, females, non-binary, and Francophone applicants, as well as applicants who live with a disability or mental illness or who are deaf.
RecipientCity/townAwarded amount
Aboriginal Music Manitoba Inc.Winnipeg$15,000
aceartinc.Winnipeg$89,180
Arbeiter Ring Publishing Ltd. Winnipeg$24,500
Art City Inc.Winnipeg$15,000
Art Gallery of Southwestern ManitobaBrandon$185,000
Art HolmWinnipeg$6,000
Arts Manitoba Publications Inc Winnipeg$99,470
Arts West Council Inc.Brandon$3,000
ArtsJunktionWinnipeg$14,792
At Bay PressWinnipeg$15,000
Association of Manitoba Book PublishersWinnipeg$48,000
Bedside PressNarol$6,250
Brandon Chamber PlayersBrandon$20,580
Camerata NovaWinnipeg$15,000
Cancercare Manitoba Foundation Inc.Winnipeg$10,000
Canzona Inc.Winnipeg$12,500
Cluster: New Music + Integrated Arts Inc.Winnipeg$5,302
Company LinkWinnipeg$11,000
Contemporary Verse 2Winnipeg$34,500
Eckhardt-Gramatte National Music CompetitionBrandon$9,000
Fernwood PublishingWinnipeg$4,055
Flin Flon Arts CouncilFlin Flon$7,500
Gallery 1C03 Winnipeg$8,700
Gimli Film FestivalGimli$20,000 + $5,000
Goldrock PressNorway House$7,500 + $7,500
Graffiti Art Programming Inc.Winnipeg$10,000
Great Plains PublicationsWinnipeg$32,500
GroundSwell, Inc.Winnipeg$45,080
Gwen Secter Creative Living CentreWinnipeg$15,000
Herizons MagazineWinnipeg$6,000
Home Routes/Chemin Chez NousWinnipeg$10,000 + $7,500
Interlake Art BoardWinnipeg$7,382
Jazz WinnipegWinnipeg$10,000
J. Gordon Shillingford PublishingWinnipeg$36,700
La Maison des artistes visuels inc.Winnipeg$13,250
Les Éditions du Blé Saint-BonifaceWinnipeg$26,250
Manito Ahbee Festival Inc.Winnipeg$15,000
Manitoba African Film Festival Inc.Winnipeg$15,000
Manitoba Arts NetworkWinnipeg$12,500
Manitoba Association of Playwrights Inc.Winnipeg$53,900
Manitoba Band AssociationWinnipeg$6,000
Manitoba Chamber Orchestra Inc.Winnipeg$8,000 + $20,000 + $112,000
Manitoba Choral AssociationWinnipeg$1,500
Manitoba OperaWinnipeg$220,000 + $150,000*
Manitoba Printmakers Association Inc. / Martha Street StudioWinnipeg$55,000
Manitoba Theatre for Young PeopleWinnipeg$56,250 + $245,000
Manitoba Underground OperaWinnipeg$15,000 + $15,000
Mentoring Artists for Women's Art Winnipeg$73,000
Misericordia Health CentreWinnipeg$10,200
NAfro Dance ProductionsWinnipeg$25,000
Northern Juried Art Show 2019Thompson$12,125
NorVA CentreFlin Flon$7,572
One Trunk TheatreWinnipeg$20,000
PLATFORM centre for Photographic Digital ArtsWinnipeg$58,000
Plug-In Inc. Winnipeg$166,600
Polycoro Inc.Winnipeg$15,000
Prairie Comics FestivalWinnipeg$8,840
Prairie Debut Inc.Portage la Prairie$5,000
Prairie Fire Press Inc.Winnipeg$73,720
Prairie Theatre Exchange Inc.Winnipeg$33,750 + $355,000
Q DANCEWinnipeg$15,000
Rainbow StageWinnipeg$15,000
Rosamunde Summer Music AcademyWinnipeg$3,000
Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre Inc.Winnipeg$37,500 + $686,000 + $150,000*
Royal Winnipeg Ballet SchoolWinnipeg$744,800
Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Professional DivisionWinnipeg$10,000 + $130,000
Sarasvati Dramatic Theatre Productions and Repertory IncWinnipeg$15,000 + $15,000
Sawdon DanceWinnipeg$14,600
School of Contemporary Dancers Inc.Winnipeg$32,500
Shakespeare in the RuinsWinnipeg$9,000 + $56,050
Sick + Twisted TheatreWinnipeg$10,000
Signature EditionsWinnipeg$35,000
SOUNDYARDWinnipeg$5,880
Spence Neighbourhood Association Inc.Winnipeg$15,000
Theatre by the River Inc.Winnipeg$7,000
Théâtre Cercle Molière WinnipegWinnipeg$175,000
Theatre Projects ManitobaWinnipeg$40,000 + $51,500
Turnstone Press Ltd.Winnipeg$35,000
University of Manitoba PressWinnipeg$34,500
Urban Shaman Inc.Winnipeg$65,000
Video Pool Media Arts CentreWinnipeg$95,060
Window WinnipegWinnipeg$7,850
Winnipeg Aboriginal Film and Video FestivalWinnipeg$15,000
Winnipeg Chamber Music SocietyWinnipeg$17,000
Winnipeg Film GroupWinnipeg$95,000
Winnipeg International Writers FestivalWinnipeg$8,000
Winnipeg Jazz OrchestraWinnipeg$8,000 + $18,000
Winnipeg Jewish TheatreWinnipeg$35,000
The Winnipeg SingersWinnipeg$29,400
Winnipeg Symphony OrchestraWinnipeg$56,250 + $735,000 + $125,000*
Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers $112,250Winnipeg
Young Lungs Dance ExchangeWinnipeg$15,000
zone41 theatre, inc.Winnipeg$15,000

''*Special operating grant disbursed on behalf of Manitoba Sports, Culture, and Heritage.''