MANITOBA CRAFTS MUSEUM AND LIBRARY

YEAR END REPORT 2017

March 24, 2017

Our Manitoba: Provincial Symbols in Craft

Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library | Year End Report | 2017

CO-PRESIDENT’S REPORT

The most significant event in the past year has been the move of the Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library to the C2 Centre for Craft, a facility shared with the Manitoba Craft Council. The success of this collaboration is due to many people on the previous boards of both organizations and largely to our Curator and Staff. We are continually impressed by their dedication, productivity, ability to liaise with others of all interests and temperaments, and their ability to excel as leaders in the craft community of Winnipeg. Central to this success and the success of our continued operations, are the volunteers, whose encouragement and perseverance are the heart of our organization.

In the past year, the Board has focused its attention on defining a way forward that includes major governance functions, services to members, maintaining the collections and providing quality craft exhibits for our members and the public. Major accomplishments are highlighted below.

Revisions to the Bylaws and Board

Manual

Development of a policy on

Accepting Gifts

Liaising with the Board of the

Manitoba Craft Council

Dealing with funding and fundraising

for the C2 Centre

Creative ideas session on fundraising

Received the Final Occupancy

Permit for the C2 Centre for Craft

Board members attended an

ArtSupport workshop on Values

Based Leadership and other

workshops dealing with finances and

board management

A major success, socially and culturally, was the annual event Made By You, competently overseen by Joanne Fontaine and ably assisted by many volunteers and crafters.

We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the following individuals:

Pamela Simmons of ArtSupport

Manitoba for her advice and support

in our progress this year.

Secretary Joanne Fontaine and

Treasurer Denise Yang who are

stepping down to take up other

voluntary work.

Marieke Gruwel who resigned from

the Board in August to pursue

academic studies. We thank her for

her contribution.

Margaret Bertulli and Heather Meiklejohn Co-Presidents

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Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library | Year End Report | 2017

CURATOR'S REPORT Facility – The Move Project In August 2017 the Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library moved into the new C2 Centre for Craft. Three opening events on October 26, 27 and 28, held jointly with our partner the Manitoba Craft Council, opened this fantastic new facility for craft in Manitoba.

Exhibits Best: October 26 – November 25, 2017 The inaugural exhibit in the Shirley Richardson Craft Gallery was best, an exhibit produced jointly with MCC that included selections from the MCML collection and juried works by 15 Manitoba artists.

Canada 150: Craft in Red and White December 1 2017 to January 20, 2018 was held from December 1 through the end of January

2018, and included works produced by Manitoba artists, and selections from the museum collection that featured only the colours red and white. Our Manitoba: Provincial Symbolism in Craft October 26, 2017 through August 2018 This exhibit in the Heritage Gallery showcases emblems and significant motifs for Manitoba.

Education MCML offered two small pilot programs, as part of our planning for full scale programming at C2. MCML also held a workshop and demo at the Festival du Voyageur.

Collection MCML received several small donations to the collection in 2017. Included were contemporary stained glass works, and also items from the St. Norbert Historical Society.

As part of the move, MCML upgraded our collections storage to a new high density system, which is now in the process of being organized to museum standards.

Finance & Fundraising MCML hosted the Spring Artisans Market and Festive Artisans Market at the Manitoba Hydro building.

In April, MCML held a joint fundraiser social with MCC. Paperversary Craft Social raised over $6,000 for the new space.

Throughout 2017 MCML worked with our mentor Pam Simmons as part of the ArtSupport Manitoba Program, an initiative to assist arts organizations to improve their fundraising capacity and overall financial health through mentorship, structured learning, and the development of internal tools and procedures.

The 7th Annual Made By You signature fundraiser was held at the Norwood Community Centre, and all agreed that this is the best permanent host site for our event.

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A few of the many packed collections boxes

best Member Exhibit Opening – October 27, 2017

Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library | Year End Report | 2017

Marketing and Communications On-line Communication: MCML continued to develop an on-line presence through our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

A new joint website for the C2 Centre for Craft was launched in October. We continue to develop this area as part of our re-establishment in the C2 Centre for Craft.

Policy Development and Review MCML prepared and approved a Gift Acceptance Policy.

Special Projects Art and Cultural Industries Mentorships (ACI). As part of MCML’s commitment to the community, we often provide mentorship in museum practice and art organization management. As such, MCML concluded our ACI Youth Mentorships with Alex Judge and Shauna Matthews, who worked on various tasks associated with the move, including collections, fundraising, and promotion. Winter/Spring Project: Targeted Public Programming: Heritage Programs. With funding from the Heritage Grants Program (Province of Manitoba) and the Young Canada Works (Government of Canada) we were able to hire intern Mariana Munoz Gomez. Mariana worked to develop historical and community programming, which will start to be offered in 2018.

Summer Project: Targeted Public Programming: Indigenous Component With funding from the Heritage Grants Program (Province of Manitoba) and the Young Canada Works (Government of Canada) we were able to hire student Larissa Mason. Larissa worked on preliminary plans to develop programming with Indigenous content, and to make connections with this specific audience. This project continues into 2018. Fall/Winter Project: Collections Assessment Phase I With funding from the Heritage Grants Program (Province of Manitoba) and the Young Canada Works (Government of Canada) we hired intern Rheanna Costen. Rheanna has been unpacking the collection, improving storage, cataloguing, and working on other essential collections tasks. The goal of this project is to establish good museum practice for collections care and management in the new C2 Centre for Craft.

Conclusion Wow…. What a year! I am so excited that the Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library is now established in the new C2 Centre for Craft.

This could not have happened without significant help from our community. Thank you to everyone who volunteered and/or contributed financially to MCML during this very exciting and busy time.

Andrea Reichert Curator

Canada 150: Craft in Red and White Exhibit

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Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library | Year End Report | 2017

2017 BOARD OF DIRECTORS, STAFF, COMMITTEES & VOLUNTEERS Board Executive

Margaret Bertulli, Co-President Heather Meiklejohn, Co-President Joanne Fontaine, Secretary Denise Yang, Treasurer

Members at Large Marieke Gruwel (resigned August) Janet Napier Katie Poole (appointed October) Patty Sauder Sheila Spence

Staff Andrea Reichert, Curator Mariana Munoz Gomez, Museum Programming Assistant, January – April Lisa Schroeder, Communications Assistant (July – October) Larissa Mason, Programming Assistant (June – August) Rheanna Costen, Museum Collections Assistant (November – December)

Committees

Artisans Market Committee: Janet Carroll, Susanne Sulkers, Risé Thompson Made By You Committee: Joanne Fontaine, Stephanie Cooper, Susanne Sulkers, Edna Stimpson

Volunteers The following 28 volunteers contributed a total of 1325 hours during 2017 Rob Barrow, Margaret Bertulli, Janet Carroll, Stephanie Cooper, Lily Despic, Joanne Fontaine, Kit Gates, Marieke Gruwel, Amanda Harding, Sandra Hardy, Susan Hanchanyk, Takashi Iwasaki, Alex Judge, Heather Leslie, Shauna Matthews, Heather Meiklejohn, Janet Napier, Eric Napier Strong, Keith Oliver, Candace Prior, Ernie Reichert, Emma Reznichek, Patty Sauder, Monica Smith, Susan Styrchak, Susanne Sulkers,Risé Thompson, and Denise Yang. MCML thanks you for your support!

Hours of Operation, Visitation Statistics & Membership MCML attendance prior to opening at C2 Centre for Craft: January – October, 31 – Programming, 163 Festival du Voyageur (February), 75 (approx.) – Artisans Market (April)

MCML attendance at C2 Centre for Craft: late October - December Hours of Operation: Wednesday – Saturday, 12pm – 4pm daily Days open to public: 35 (138 hours) – October – December only

Visitors: 210 onsite, 337 on-site events, 75 off-site events

Days open to public: 35 (138 hours) – late October – December only

Paid Membership: 121 members at the close of 2017. Thank you to our membership partners, Artists Emporium, McNally Robinson, Poco Inspired, Prairie Studio Glass, Sheena’s Gallery, Cre8ive Supplies and Services, and Wolseley Wool who provide discounts to MCML members.

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Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library | Year End Report | 2017

GRATITUDE REPORT MCML THANKS ALL WHO CONTRIBUTED FINANCIALLY IN 2017

Regular Operating Funders Winnipeg Foundation; Province of Manitoba-Community Museums Grant

Special Project Funders Province of Manitoba-Heritage Grants Program; Department of Canadian Heritage-Young Canada Works, Community Fund for Canada’s 150th

Move Funders – Corporate and Grants The Winnipeg Foundation, Province of Manitoba-Community Places Grant, City of Winnipeg-Community Incentives Grant, Investors Group Financial Services, Thomas Sill Foundation, Canadian Heritage-Canada Cultural Spaces, Prairie Studio Glass, On the Edge Studio, Sheena’s Gallery, Stoneware Gallery, South Beach Casino, Loewen Foundation.

Gallery Sponsor Mrs. Shirley Richardson

Individual Operating and Move Donors Lee Anderson, Norma Bergman, Margaret Bertulli, Patricia Bovey, Paul & Doreen Bromley, Willy Carleton, Bev Combe, Diana Cooper, Barbara Cosman, Donna Earl, Jane Edwards, Anne Gilmer, Amanda Harding, Tom Harrison, Carol James, Jean Lenderbeck, Melanie Lewis, Heather Meiklejohn, Judith Panson, Judy Reardon Smith, Andrea Reichert, Mary Reichert, Helen Russell, Eleanor Shewchuk, Louise Sloane, Judy Stewart, Marilyn Stothers, Susan Styrchak, Susanne Sulkers, Jo-Anne Tabachek , Risé Thompson, Bernice Turner, Shirley Tyderkie, and Louise Van Buckenhout.

In-Kind Donors Marlene Abrametz, Margaret Bertulli, Constance Popp, Gerald Boily, Emily Haines, Heather Leslie, Bella Savoie Kraska, and Susan Styrchak.

best Member Exhibit Opening – October 27, 2017

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Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library | Year End Report | 2017

PUBLICITY The Winnipeg Free Press featured an article on the opening of the C2 Centre for Craft in October, written by Erin Lebar.

MCML PLANS FOR 2018 Exhibitions, Education, and Collection In the new facility, our capacity for exhibitions, public programming and collections development has increased significantly.

MCML has three exhibits planned for the Shirley Richardson Craft Gallery, and one new exhibit in the Heritage Gallery. Two of these exhibits will honour the 80th Anniversary of the founding of the Crafts Guild of Manitoba in 1928.

MCML expects to resume public programming, with initiatives developed in recent years providing new opportunities to engage. We also anticipate revising and re-launching school programming.

In terms of museum collections, plans are underway to actively develop the contemporary component of the MCML museum collection, and we anticipate the acquisition of a new software program to manage the database holdings. We also hope to enhance the collections storage condition in a variety of ways.

Finance & Fundraising Although our time in the ArtSupport program will end in March, we hope to continue our progress on successful and more diverse fundraising. MCML will also continue to develop the Artisans Market and the Made By You Events, plus adding other ways to raise necessary operating funds.

Marketing and Communications MCML will continue to increase marketing and communications efforts through existing structures and through the continued development of a joint website with MCC for the new C2 Centre for Craft.

MCML will develop partnerships with organizations in our new neighbourhood and continue to participate in events such as the Doors Open, Fibre Fest, Culture Days/Nuit Blanche.

best Funders Exhibit Opening – October 26, 2017

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