A year in the life of Winnipeg

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This article was published 22/12/2021 (1056 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A local artist has created a Winnipeg-themed calendar that will not only help buyers organize the coming year ahead, but also benefit a downtown community health facility.

South Winnipeg resident Kris Kuzdub created an annual calendar with a new Winnipeg-focused theme every year, and the 2022 edition features 12 distinct neighbourhoods across the city, she told The Lance recently. With each calendar purchased, Kuzdub will donate $10 from the sale to the Main Street Project.

Kuzdub said each calendar month features a different community depicted by a hand-drawn design. The neighbourhoods include recognizable landmarks, signage, notable river bends, and “even some infamous roadways that give each neighbourhood its unique character and identity.” In southeast Winnipeg, there are months dedicated to St. Boniface and Old St. Vital.

The new calendar comes on the heels of this year’s calendar, which showcases Winnipeg landmarks and includes a recognizable local building every month. This calendar was created not long after Kuzdub lost her job in the urban design field because of the pandemic, which is when she established Kirsch Street Prints. And even though Kirsch Street Prints was relatively new venture at that time, Kuzdub managed to raise more than $300 in donations at a time when many people were struggling due to the impact of COVID-19.

Looking back to that time, Kuzdub said she’s now thankful for the enforced change in her life, as it pushed her into finally pursuing art, which has always been a passion of hers. And with the onset of the pandemic creating so much uncertainty in so many people’s lives, the Dakota Collegiate alumna said it was important to use her new enterprise as “a platform to give back to the people and communities that inspire her work, and for it to be a place that makes a positive impact.” Kuzdub has a background in design, and spent several years living abroad, before coming back to her hometown of Winnipeg. Ultimately, she’s been able to fuse her skills and passions together to develop and evolve her artistic style and designs.

“When I started Kirsch Street Prints, I wanted to make sure that I was able to give back to the community,” Kuzdub said. “It was fun to experiment this year, and I tried to get around Winnipeg to look for inspiration for neighbourhoods with distinct and identifiable characteristics.

“When I lost my job at the start of the pandemic, I always wanted to give art a try, and it’s been a great outlet for the last two or so years. It came out of a rough time in my life, it’s been great as it’s been something to help me get through it. I also use it as a way to explore different cities.”    

Go online at www.instagram.com/kirschstprints or www.luckygirl.ca/kirsch-street-prints for more information.