Brookdale based artist William Yuriy (Yuriy Fine Art) is an amazing black/white pencil and charcoal artist specializing in sport and agricultural art. Yuriy first discovered a love of drawing as a kid growing up in Grandview, MB and ended up attending the Fine Arts program at the University of Manitoba where he graduated in 2003. After graduation, he told bdnmb.ca he took a near 10-year hiatus from art to pursue other interests and activities. He only really started to get serious again about his artwork in September of 2021 when a few of his prints gained traction and were starting to become recognized. Yuriy shared that some of his original work can take anywhere between 40-100 hours to complete, depending on the complexity of the piece. A number of his detailed prints, all done in-house on a canon fine art large printer, are currently available for sale on his web site or Facebook page. Each print comes with a certificate of authenticity and is printed on fine quality art paper.

On Monday night, our photographer Liam Pattison went for a drive around Brandon to look at some of the most popular Christmas light displays in the city. No doubt there are many more fantastic displays that weren't photographed, but here are some of what Liam got photos of.

A fun day of instruction with Shelley Kokorudz Saturday, Nov. 27 from 10 AM to 3 PM Where? Chalanchuk Farm Cost? $100.00 includes lunch AGENDA FOR THE DAY 10-12: Warm up, Riding Drills, Cow Work 12-1: Lunch (Provided) 1-3: Riding Games, Cow Work Prizes for the best Christmas toque…helmets must be worn while riding! Please contact Betty or Eugene Chalanchuk at 204-824-2571 to register for this fun afternoon of riding and cow work. We are limiting the event to 10 kids. Please inform our hosts of any food allergies so we can be prepared for our lunch break!

The AGSM is proud to announce a new show in the Community Gallery, featuring a selection of paintings by Brandon resident Diarmuid “Derry” Decter, titled Lost and Otherwise Found. The exhibition begins on Thursday, October 28, and will run through December, with a public reception on December 2, at 7 PM. After a decades-long hiatus from artmaking, Decter spent the last five years in a close mentorship with master painter and Brandonite Jan Brancewicz, developing a unique style and a technique. The 57 artworks on display are a mere sampling of Decter’s prolific practice. Over a months-long curatorial process, AGSM curator Lucie Lederhendler and the artist built an exhibition that will take the viewer on a tour of artistic approaches, from saturated portraits to frantic landscapes, soft shading and sharp horizon lines. The exhibition explores themes of displacement, relations, and belonging with an approach to making that is informed as much by chaos as it is scholarship. “Derry’s work is remarkable for being both deeply grounded in academic, art historical knowledge and technique, and at the same time being just accidental, or playful,” says Lederhendler. “Each piece has its very own personality, but when you see them all together, this enormous number of paintings starts to tell a bigger story.” The AGSM Community Gallery is supported by the City of Brandon, the Manitoba Arts Council, and the Canada Council for the Arts. (submitted)

More than 11,250 Manitobans took advantage of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce’s Tourism Rebate Incentive Program, TRIP, adding up to more than 9,300 hotel room nights during the two-week window, as well as more than 2,500 rebates on admission to Manitoba’s STAR attractions. And now, the MCC is excited to announce an additional 18 days of Manitoba adventures, road trips, and staycations will be eligible for rebates, August 26 to September 12, 2021. “To say this recovery program is a success would be a huge understatement, because thanks to Manitobans, TRIP has had an immediate, direct, and significant impact on Manitoba’s tourism industry,” said Chuck Davidson, President & CEO, Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. “TRIP is a win-win design, with Manitobans out touring our beautiful province and enjoying the sights, while supporting the recovery of our recreational assets. And the best part: there are still more rebates available so we can open it up to even more Manitobans!” The Phase 2 TRIP program window opens this Thursday, August 26 and closes on Sunday, September 12, the day following the Banjo Bowl. Manitoba residents aged 18+ (who have not yet participated in TRIP) can upload proof of purchase receipts for eligible hotel/motel stays as well as for attraction admission fees to www.tripmb.ca, in order to access a $100 hotel rebate, OR a $150 rebate off the price of a specially-designed hotel package, as well as a 50% rebate off the price of general admission at one of 31 Manitoba Star Attractions. “The Tourism Rebate Incentive Program has truly been a stroke of genius and it has saved Summer 2021,” says Joel Waterman, General Manager, Inn at the Forks. “The benefits have been twofold – it has encouraged Manitobans to feel comfortable getting out and rediscovering their province, while also giving hotels and attractions a much-needed boost. Our property created a unique package for TRIP and we saw a huge spike in occupancy — the brightest days we have seen since the pandemic began.” As a result of COVID-19 prevention orders still in place in early July 2021 which retained restrictions to capacity limits in public spaces, MCC opted to delay the launch of TRIP to ensure access to attractions, which still saw some attractions only able to be open to the public for one week of the initial 2-week TRIP window. “The TRIP design is nimble, which means it can be quickly replicated for a second phase, and serve as a model for similar ventures in the future,” says Atul Sabharwal, Founder, SNIPP Interactive, the innovative TSX Venture listed (TSX-V:SPN) technology company MCC contracted to manage the rebate administration. “Participants promptly receive a rebate conveniently by email — in most cases in less than 48 hours — simply by photographing their receipt and uploading it to the website, then completing a brief form. It is straightforward, low cost to administer, and secure. SNIPP is very proud to have been a part of this recovery initiative.” Davidson says that based on uptake during phase 1, the remaining TRIP rebate budget will likely be allocated in full by the time the three-week phase 2 window closes. “We encourage all Manitobans who have not yet participated in TRIP to consider booking a getaway. Support our province’s wonderful tourism professionals by spending directly with them, enjoy a nice break, and close off the summer in a special way. Plus, you can get something back!” To access the list of all participating hotels/motels and STAR Attractions, go to www.tripmb.ca or click here. Phase 2 eligible receipts must be uploaded no later than 11:59 PM CST on Sunday, September 19 in order to qualify for rebate. (MCC News Release)