Manitoba 4-H has a new initiative to celebrate Canada’s 150 called the 4-H Manitoba Art Challenge.

Administrator with the Manitoba 4-H council, Linda McRae-Walker, says each 4-H Club will be supplied with a 24 x 36 inch canvas for members to display what 4-H means to them. She adds this can be Ag or non-Ag related, and can be decorated however members would like with one canvas per 15 members.

"It's called the 4-H Manitoba ARt Challenge and it's a new program that we've brought out to celebrate Canada's 150. We want to see those canvasas decorated with agrarian roots from where it started to where it is now. It can be Ag related, or non-ag, because there are a lot of our clubs that aren't ag. So however you see the 4-H club that's what we want to see."

Members are to submit a photo of their canvas once complete, to be entered into an online contest challenge for voting. Voters can also submit their choices at the various different summer fairs where the 4-H Art Challenge artwork will be displayed.

When the canvas is complete we want them to take a picture of it, send it to us, then it'll be online for voting," says McRae-Walker. "There will be in-person voting as well at the 10 fairs we'll be going to. The first and second place winners will come to Ag Ex in the fall for a provincial competition. It'll be judged right there and the winners will get a money prize. It's a huge initiative and a fun way to celebrate 4-H and Canada's 150 at the same time."

McRae-Walker adds the Art Challenge is also a great way to bring new membership into the club. They are hoping that this will inspire youth from many different back grounds, not just agriculture, to join the local groups.

"One of the things we want our clubs to do is bring in people that are not related to 4-H and get them involved in the canvas as well, just to bring 4-H into their lives," adds McRae-Walker.

Go to www.4h.mb.ca for more information and talk to your 4-H leaders on obtaining a canvas to join the 4-H Manitoba Art Challenge.