Region Category: Southeast

Kelly Murray is a rural Canadian visual artist who works with watercolours, alcohol ink and acrylic on paper, wood and canvas.  Murray lives outside of a small community in Stead, Manitoba, retiring early to be able to expand her art practice and spend time with family.  As a mother of 4 and grandmother of 10, her life is chaotic and she seeks tranquility through her art.

Kelly has exhibited at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba, ArtsForward Gallery, Pinawa Art Gallery, Boreal Shores Art Tour and Gwen Fox Gallery.

Kelly is a member of the Winnipeg River Arts Council, Manitoba Arts Network, The Beach House Artist Residency (still in organizational process), ArtsGate Art Retreat (still in organizational process), Winnipeg River Tourism Corridor, Manitobans for the Arts, Mentoring Artists for Women's Arts (MAWA), Creative Manitoba and Manitoba Society of Artists.  Kelly actively sits on boards/committees with the Winnipeg River Arts Council, Manitoba Arts Network, The Beach House Artist Residency, ArtsGate Art Retreat and the Winnipeg River Tourism Corridor.

She was accepted as a mentee into the Rural Arts Mentorship Program in 2021/22 and has since taken training through MAWA on Becoming a Mentor.

Norine Harty is an experienced administrator who has worked in the non-profit sector, in arts, cultural, and social services organizations. She has a passion and commitment to cultivating arts practice, appreciation, and accessibility.  Norine studied Education at the University of Regina and Business Administration at Assiniboine Community College.  An enthusiastic musician, she began studying piano as a child and continued with advanced piano studies and taught piano lessons in her home studio.  She has recently begun learning the ukulele, a much more portable instrument.  Norine grew up in a family that was dedicated to giving back to the community, which has influenced her commitment to volunteering.  Norine practices acrylic and watercolour painting and is the current President of the Fire & Water Music Festival.

Nikki Braun is a self-taught abstract artist with a background in graphic design, based just outside Winnipeg, Manitoba. After years working in creative industries, she returned to painting over a decade ago—and found freedom as an abstract artist.

Her layered acrylics, pen, and pencil pieces explore contrast, movement, and emotion. Her evolving style speaks to those drawn to raw emotion and fearless experimentation, inviting viewers into a world of vivid contrasts and layered meaning.

She has exhibited across Canada and shares her evolving process and finished work with a global audience online.