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“After 17 years at the heart of Manitoba’s arts and cultural community, Douglas Riske will be retiring from his position as Executive Director of the Manitoba Arts Council, effective December 31, 2015.

Riske was appointed Executive Director of the Manitoba Arts Council in 1998, following two years as Executive Director of the Yukon Arts Centre Corporation in Whitehorse. Prior to moving into the public sector, Riske worked in the arts and culture sector for over 40 years as an actor, stage manager, director, artistic director, producer, consultant, teacher and cultural manager. He founded two theatre companies in Calgary, one of which, Alberta Theatre Projects, continues to produce challenging new Canadian work each season. He served as Artistic Director in Kelowna at Sunshine Theatre and at the New Bastion Theatre Company in Victoria.

As a freelance director, he was an Assistant Director at the Stratford Festival, and directed a number of productions at Stage West Dinner Theatre and at the Manitoba Theatre Centre. As an actor, he performed on stage as well as in film, television and radio. Riske has also been active in various industry associations including Canadian Actors Equity Association, ACTRA, and the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and was the founding chair of the Canadian Public Arts Funders.

Riske received the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977, which recognizes contribution and excellence of work in the community and cultural sector, and the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of Confederation, in 1992 which recognizes a significant contribution to the citizens and communities of Canada.

During his time with the Council, Riske managed a complex organization through significant change that included the appointment and orientation of 15 new Council members in 2000/2001; the development of an innovative operating-support program for major Manitoba arts organizations; the growth and refinement of the Council’s Artists in the Schools and ArtsSmarts programs; an increase in the profile of the Council through staffing and new communications and organizational initiatives; the expansion of effective community consultation processes across the province; and the development of a grants management system that will lead to online application processing in the near future.

The Manitoba Arts Council, founded in 1965 through an Act to Establish the Manitoba Arts Council, promotes, preserves, supports and advocates for the arts as essential to the quality of life of all the people of Manitoba. It supports artists and arts organizations as well as schools and educational organizations through over 50 granting programs and other initiatives.”
From http://artscouncil.mb.ca/2015/07/senior-arts-leader-douglas-riske-to-retireas-executive-director/