Artist Timothy Brown Takes the Helm at Prairie Fusion Arts and Entertainment
A new era is underway at Prairie Fusion Arts and Entertainment as Timothy Brown steps into the role of executive director, taking over from Lorna Knight, who had led the organization since 2023.
Brown, who began the position on May 6, brings a strong background in visual arts and arts education. A recent graduate of the University of Manitoba's Master of Fine Arts program, Brown has also taught at the university, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and the Graffiti Gallery. He previously worked at the Artists Emporium, where he helped develop its education program, and is active in the Manitoba arts scene. He also attended the the Banff Centre's Early Career Artist Residency in January 2024.
'I'm getting to know the gallery, the building, and the staff,' Brown said. 'We're already looking ahead to summer programming and preparing for our season-long content series, with plans for new programming in the fall.'
Originally from Brandon, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) in 2017, Brown is currently commuting from Winnipeg while his family — including two young children — finishes out the school year. While the drive to Portage la Prairie is longer, he says it's often more efficient than battling Winnipeg rush hour traffic. He'll have another year of commuting until his wife's teaching contract ends.
Brown is passionate about community engagement and sees Prairie Fusion as a vital hub for Portage and the surrounding area. He hopes to expand with more collaboration opportunities.
'We're hoping to bring in some partnerships and sponsorships, connections from galleries and other institutions, from Regina to Winnipeg, and see if we can draw people into the community.'
While he wraps up his other roles, Brown is still working on a public art project involving youth with The Graffiti Gallery — painted sculptures similar to the 'Bears on Broadway' initiative in Winnipeg, where he mentors youth in painting concrete bison sculptures destined for display at the Assiniboine Park Zoo.
'It's really cool to bring kids to a site where they can actually paint the work themselves,' said Brown. 'That kind of hands-on experience is what sticks with them.'
While it's still early in his role, Brown said he'd love to organize more public art for Portage.
'There's a lot of great programming here already, like the Reel Event with Toronto International Film Festival films, that's amazing,' he said.
Brown says the transition into leadership is going well, and he's eager to collaborate with the Prairie Fusion team, while bringing fresh energy and ideas to the organization.
To find out more about Brown, check out his website at
www.timbtheartist.ca/
Prairie Fusion has recently launched a quarterly 50/50 fundraising event, to help with operating costs and programming. The current draw ends on June 2. You can find out more at
www.prairiefusion.ca
.
— Renée Lilley is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Portage Graphic. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
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