Blog

Lita Fontaine is of Dakota, Anishinaabe, and Metis descent. Fontaine was born in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, and grew up in Winnipeg’s North End. She is an interdisciplinary artist, and received her Masters of Fine Arts specializing in Inter-Media. Lita is a founding member of Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Gallery, where she held her first solo exhibition. She received the University of Manitoba Distinguished Alumni Award in 2021 and her work can be found on murals in Winnipeg, and in personal and public art collections.

Mentorship pair Seyward Goodhand and Amelia Deizter-Dicks took part in our 2021/2022 Professional Mentorship Program. Their focus was on creative writing. Amelia worked on writing short fiction stories and incorporating Seyward’s feedback into every new draft. They also worked on submitting Amelia’s stories to a number of journals and magazines. And attended book launches and networking events for writers together.

Shawna Forester Smith is a chronically ill and disabled Ojibwe artist and writer living in a chronic care unit at Deer Lodge Centre in Winnipeg.

Mentorship pair Charlene Diehl and Zachary Rushing took part in our 2021/2022 Professional Mentorship Program. Their focus was on grant writing, arts career management and administration.

Creative Manitoba’s Artist Spotlight is happy to feature singer/songwriter and past GerryFest mentee, Shay Wolf. GerryFest is an annual arts festival at The St Norbert Arts Centre, honouring Gerry Atwell’s memory and contributions to the artistic community. GerryFest hosts the SNAC Rise Up Mentorship Program for emerging artists.

Mentorship pair Erin McGrath and Rhea Rodych-Rasidescu took part in our Professional Mentorship Program in theatre for young audiences. Erin was able to provide networking opportunities for Rhea with artistic directors from different theatre companies.

Ashley Bieniarz, Kwiat is an avant-pop Metis and Polish artist from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She has been playing piano since she was three years old but didn’t start performing original music until 2015 while she was completing my bachelor of music at the University of Manitoba in the Desautels Faculty of Music.

Mentorship pair John Paul Peters and Lana Winterhalt took part in our Professional Mentorship Program in music production.

Tyson Caron is a proud dad, husband, son, friend, a local Winnipeg filmmaker, and coffee drinker. He’s a person who puts relationships first. As a writer, director, producer of both documentary and fiction films, relationships are at the heart of his art form.

Mentorship pair Kevela Jag & Annie Bergen are taking part in our 2022/2023 Rural Mentorship Program, in the discipline of visual art, learning mosaic!