Winkler Arts & Culture held it's "One Step at a Time" exhibit on Saturday, February 2nd, featuring the works of former Winkler resident Shirley Elias. Shirley first made her mark as an artistic force as a concert pianist with performances across Canada, and the recording of three CD’s. She earned the sobriquet ‘Piano Woman’ during New Music Festival performances with Maestro Bramwell Tovey and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO), taken from a spirited piano concerto written for her and the WSO, that had her playing two pianos at the same time.

Like her stage persona, Elias’ incarnation as a painter delivers an equally energetic and bold voice, with vibrant colours and lines. Her unique style has led to a high demand for her work, having completed over 500 paintings to date, including over one hundred private and corporate commissions. Elias is represented by Canadian galleries coast to coast and her paintings are found in private, corporate, and government collections in 8 countries around the world, including every province in Canada, USA, India, Italy, England, Sweden, Mexico and Australia. (Source: http://shirleyelias.com/about/)

CFAM 950 Morning Show Co-host Jayme Giesbrecht was there to provide music for the evening, and spoke with Shirley after the exhibition...

Congratulations Shirley, and thanks for coming back to Winkler to share your beautiful paintings!