The Portage Day Care Centre received some funding from a Diversity and Inclusion Grant. Executive Director Lisa Voss says they immediately thought of Tina Monkman who does Indigenous paintings. 

"We are very pleased to have Tina Monkman come in and do some artwork for us in our different sites throughout Portage Day Care. We received a grant from the provincial government of $500 per space, per site. We were able to spend some money on some beautiful artwork that Tina has done for us, whether it's been canvas or murals on some of our walls within our buildings."

Monkman says she's from Selkirk and uses art to express herself as well as incorporate Indigenous themes throughout.

"A lot of the artwork that I've been working on has some woodland-style Indigenous art into how I've approached and created these art pieces for these locations. It has a lot of my own spin to it. I'm not necessarily full Indigenous when it comes to my art, but I do like to have those subtle elements into that."

She painted scenery with eagles and the sun using acrylic paint, including some pieces that had children illustrated within them.

"I just wanted to make it playful, I guess," says Monkman. "And I wanted to brighten up the place."

Monkman says it's her largest project to date. 

"I've been commissioned to do a mural in our local YMCA Centre, with Youth Unlimited. That was for the biggest project I've done except for working with Lisa here."

Voth says she's seen some of her work and noted she'd love to have that in their space at the Centre.

"We have a lot of newcomers in Portage and so we are also trying to incorporate that. The grant also allowed us to purchase different things like puzzles, toys, and books that were all about different cultural diversity."