Client Stories

Good Things Come To Those Who Dream and Dare

cre8ery

In 2010, SEED Winnipeg, together with the Arts & Cultural Industries Association of Manitoba (ACI) offered a Business Development and Arts Administration program to Aboriginal artists.

Shawn Berard’s current success in the industry is a testament to the effectiveness of this partnership between SEED and ACI. Berard says that everything he learned in the program taught him something new that he could and did apply to his personal journey.

Liz Esquega, Coordinator of Aboriginal Community Collaborations for SEED was involved with the program planning. “I think one of the most important highlights is that it began with an opening prayer offered by an elder. The program provided important information to the artists, and helped them visualize their dreams and apply the gifts that they possess,” she says.

Berard, along with his partner Jordan Miller, developed a warehouse space into an 8,800 square foot creative entity known as cre8ery, that today boasts 26 artists sharing studio space, two separate galleries and a classroom area to run workshops and a sketch night. The studio spaces are a variety of private, semi-private and shared spaces of varying size and rental cost.

The program provided important information to the artists, and helped them visualize their dreams and apply the gifts that they possess.

Cre8ive, a creative materials services centre was later added. With more room than they needed, Berard and Miller donated it to ArtsJunktion, a non-profit organization whose mandate is to gather, by donation, usable discarded materials and offer them free to anyone for the purpose of creative expression, Berard explains.

“I am so proud of the entity as a whole. This magnificent enterprise and creative destination was built through hard work, self-belief, perseverance, with help and support from many other hands of like vision and tenacity. Good things do come to those who dream and dare,” says Berard.

Due to the success of this program, SEED Winnipeg is working in partnership with ACI to offer another program for Aboriginal artists in the fall of 2010.