The Central Region Juried Art Exhibit opened yesterday evening at the Portage and District Arts Centre.

Robert Greenlay of Portage drew this charcoal masterpiece entitled The Bluenose. It was selected of the Rural and Northern Juried Art Show.

PDAC Executive Director Margaret Bernhardt-Lowdon shares what she believes sets this exhibit apart.

"I think it's the diverse talent that you see," explains Bernhardt-Lowdon. "We do have groups of artists that we show here, like the one that we've got in the pop-up gallery, but this one has so many different artists with so many different types of styles and mediums that they use. So that's what makes it unique."

The Lion and the Lamb, fiber art by Helen Knockaert, won the 2018 people's choice award and was selected to be shown at the Rural and Northern Juried Art Show.40 pieces of artwork by 37 artists from around the region are on display. These were chosen out of 87 pieces to be a part of this travelling exhibition and ten of the works have even been selected for the Rural and Northern Juried Art Show. Bernhardt-Lowdon it's fantastic and she's really excited to see all the talent we have in the community. She adds it also takes a lot of courage for artists to enter this type of exhibition.

"They all essentially enter their artwork in a contest that chose who got to be on a tour of Manitoba," says Bernhardt-Lowdon, noting the art reflects the heart and soul of the artist.

The exhibit is on display at the Arts Centre for the month of July.