Outgoing Pembina Hills Arts Council chair Lorne Stelmach feels good about how far the arts organization has come in the last several years.
Stelmach and his wife, Michelle, both wrapped up their terms on the PHAC board at its annual general meeting last week.
He recalls the two of them sat in on a board meeting six years ago and left not only as board members but in executive roles, the board being in dire need of new faces.
“The six years that have followed have been filled with ups and downs and a number of challenges,” Stelmach reflected. “Over that time, we have dealt with a number of staffing changes, and it also involved along the way making changes to our staffing structure.”
The Morden gallery also weathered pandemic shutdowns and significant financial struggles as a result.
It put PHAC “in the position of needing to stabilize its financial position through both controlling costs and finding more diversified revenue sources, including grants and fundraising,” Stelmach said.
The past year has been one of continued stabilization, he observed, giving much of the credit to Anna Ishkhanyan, who has stepped into the role of gallery director.
“Under Anna’s passionate and fully dedicated direction, there is much that has improved and grown, in all aspect,” Stelmach said. “From further and more diversified grants and other revenue sources to expanded, diversified, and successful programming and events.”
In 2025, the gallery hosted eight art exhibitions, offered classes in everything from pottery to watercolours to knitting, ran successful kids art classes and day camps, and launched a free drop-in studio program to give both kids and adults the opportunity to explore different art forms.
To support these programs, PHAC hosted numerous fundraising events and raised $7,616 at them—up over $2,000 from the year before.
PHAC has “continued to make good strides financially after a number of years with operating deficits,” Stelmach noted. “We [ended] 2024 and again in 2025 in virtually break-even positions.
“Of course, costs and expenses will continue to rise, so the ongoing challenge for the arts council is to continue to diversify our revenue,” he added, thanking both the City of Morden and the provincial government for the integral financial support they provide annually.
The future of PHAC is one that sees it continuing to do whatever it can to engage the community in arts and culture.
“And particularly to make new connections as well as explore opportunities for more partnerships,” Stelmach said. “As well, we must strive to continue to embrace and highlight our diversity, as it is an absolutely vital part of the fabric of our community and region.”
Stelmach urges people to consider how they can get involved with the arts council, as they’re always looking for people to lend a hand.
“I always say you don’t have to be an artist to be involved with the art gallery,” he stressed. “You just have to have some appreciation for the importance of arts and culture in the community.”
Joining the board to replace the Stelmachs are Kathy Froese and Suzanne Powell. Continuing their terms are Karen-Denise Cyr (who succeeds Stelmach as chair), Cyndy Kutzner, Jahangir Alam Talukdar, Inna Rasitsan, and Terri Clark.
