The Northern Art and Food Project is a partnership between Creative Manitoba, imagiNorthern, and local community collaborators that provides Northern artists with training opportunities, workshops, and creative business supports across Manitoba.
Check out some of our upcoming workshops tailored to Northern artists who want to increase their business acumen, develop their artistic practice, or just brush up on some hard skills. See the full list of workshops below.
Churchill is a small, remote community of 800 residents positioned along the shores of the Hudson Bay on Treaty 5 Territory (adhesion). As formal arts infrastructure and services are limited, Churchill’s creative energy is grassroots and community-driven, spearheaded by local committees and organizations.
The Churchill Creative Collective (CCC) is at the heart of that activity. Founded in 2016 as a volunteer initiative to produce community art shows. The CCC’s mission is to engage, showcase, and support local artists, crafters, and creative thinkers – whatever their medium – and to use art as a way to build community wellness.
Local artists and food makers often draw inspiration from the surrounding lands and waters, including tundra flora and fauna, auroras, polar bears, beluga whales, and the north’s shifting seasons.
CCC hosts and facilitates:
In northwestern Manitoba, The Pas and Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) sit on opposite sides of the Saskatchewan River. Both situated on Treaty 5 Territory, these communities are distinct but connected, working collaboratively to sustain an arts scene defined by partnership, culture, and community. Along with the rural municipality of Kelsey, The Pas and OCN are known for hosting major events like the Northern Manitoba Trappers’ Festival, Opaskwayak Indigenous Days, and the Bill Bannock Fishing Derby, founded in Cree culture and northern living.
The Pas Arts Council drives much of the regional arts activity. As an umbrella agency, it supports several members groups, including visual artists, performers, and cultural keepers, by providing administrative supports, access to funding, and assistance applying for larger funds. The Council also directly contributes to programming by hosting workshops, concerts and gallery exhibits when resources allow, including the annual Northern Juried Art Show.
TPAC helps to bring Culture Days to northern Manitoba, partnering with community organizations to organize, deliver and support events like art walks, mural painting, film showcases, and craft workshops. Through its member groups, diverse creative voices like the Visual Arts Guild, Community Choir, Metis Fiddlers, Helping Hands 4H club and community garden, Home Routes, Theatre 53, and more come together to share skills, create vibrant events, and maintain welcoming community spaces.
Together, The Pas and Opaskwayak Cree Nation sustain an arts scene defined by collaboration and Cree traditions. This arts scene works to build bridges, honour heritage, heal spirits, and celebrate the uniqueness of life in northern Manitoba.
Flin Flon is a picturesque northern community located on the Manitoba–Saskatchewan border, on Treaty 5 Territory, bordering Treaty 10 Territory. Known for its strong sense of community and thriving arts scene, Flin Flon has long been recognized as a hub for creativity in northern Manitoba, where artists, performers, and audiences of many cultures come together to celebrate and support one another.
The Flin Flon Arts Council (FFAC) serves as the backbone of this thriving arts scene, punching well above its weight since its inception in 1975. With a population of nearly 5,000, Flin Flon attracts and supports world-class artists, musicians, and performances while fostering homegrown talent and initiatives. FFAC connects and supports artists, organizations, and audiences across the North: it coordinates local arts programming, delivers community events, and provides administrative and funding support to member groups.
The NORVA Centre (Northern Visual Arts Centre) is another cornerstone of Flin Flon’s creative life. Founded by local artists in 2007, NORVA provides gallery exhibitions, studio space, and visual arts programming for artists of all levels. It serves as both a professional workspace and a welcoming community hub, where painters, potters, photographers, and craftspeople share resources, teach workshops, and collaborate on regional projects.
Together, the Flin Flon Arts Council and NORVA nurture a deeply collaborative, energetic, and multi-disciplinary arts scene that attracts visitors far and wide. Their work brings together diverse creative voices from across northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, while maintaining strong connections with imagiNorthern, Manitoba Arts Network, and national partners.
Known as the Hub of the North, Thompson is the gathering place for members of nearby Indigenous communities, settlers, and newcomers alike. Situated on Treaty 5 Territory, it functions as a regional centre that connects many remote communities with essential services. Thompson is home to a fast-growing arts scene, including famous public murals, the long-running Thompson Festival of the Arts, Spirit Way, Thompson Community Gardens, Nickel Days, and numerous other grassroots efforts that express Indigenous traditions and new ideas.
At the heart of this movement is Mall of the Arts (MOTA), a community-driven organization that acts as an artist cooperative, meeting space, and hub for creative expressions. Founded by local artists and volunteers, MOTA makes the arts accessible to all by providing space, programming, and support for creative expression in all its forms. Through workshops, performances, and drop-in programs, MOTA has created a safe and welcoming space for all community members – regardless of income, background, or artistic medium.
In 2025, MOTA moved from a small storefront to to a large, dedicated creative space with:
Together, these partnerships have helped Mall of the Arts grow into a true Creative Hub of the North- a space that brings joy, connection, and opportunity to Thompson through art, music, and collaboration.
Workshops listed here are tailored for northern artists and creatives, but all are welcome to attend online events! Many of these workshops include a localized, in-person component, so keep your eye out for information from your regional representatives.
