A longtime staple of the Prince Albert arts scene is headed to the PA Women’s Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame selection committee named painter, beadworker, writer, and illustrator Jennifer Brown as the 2024 inductee on Monday. Prince Albert Council of Women President Chrissy Halliday said Brown is an ideal inductee due to her commitment to the community through local arts and education.
“It started when she was very young within her family, and it’s something she has continued well into her adulthood,” Halliday said.
“I’ve been part of the council of women for 15 years at this point. I’ve never seen so many letters of support from so many different people in our community.”
Brown is well-known across North America for her artwork. Her list of accomplishments includes a hand beaded hat which was presented to the Pope in 2022, the creation of two Michef language books, and several Metis colouring books.
Halliday said Brown has been a great role model for younger women looking to break into the arts.
“She’s been involved with so many things since she was young,” Halliday said. “Even just talking to her on the phone last Friday, informing her that she was our inductee, I got a real impression that she is very happy to work with younger people and get them involved in a lot of the same things that have inspired her and changed her life.”
Brown also spends large amounts of time as a volunteer. She helps maintain the ice at Parkland Hall, and volunteers her time teaching Japanese exchange students.
Brown has also served on a number of boards, including the Mann Art Gallery board, which she currently chairs. She has also served on the Metis National Council, the Metis National Youth Advisory Council, the St. Michael’s Parish Council, the Prince Albert and Area Teachers’ Association, and is an executive member of the Northern Prairie Indigenous Peoples Collective Incorporated.
Halliday said some years there is a lengthy debate about who to induct, but this year Brown stood out.
“Some years it has been a really big discussion,” Halliday said. “This year it was like, ‘no, that’s our girl.’”
Brown will be inducted at 2 p.m. on March 10 at the Coronet Hotel. The induction coincides with International Women’s Day on March 8.
The UN theme for this year is ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate progress’. Halliday said it’s an important reminder that governments, businesses, and other organizations need to back their words up with action.
“There’s always a lot of talk about getting more women involved, getting more women into power, but there’s not a lot of action,” Halliday said. “I think the theme this year is really trying to inspire that action to keep those themes of getting women involved, getting women in higher levels of power, getting women in positions where they can support themselves, their families, their communities.”
@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca
