Brandon museum introducing new fixture; raising critical funds

A museum centred around the history of the City of Brandon is looking for critical monetary support. In order to help raise those funds, a new exhibit is set to launch next month, and the current exhibit has pieces of art for sale.

The art currently on display at the Daly House Museum comes from local artist Weiming Zhao, who has been painting nearly every day since November 2003 and has a portfolio of over 6,000 pieces.

“I had just finished a painting of a historic home that’s 140 years old,” Zhao says, “So I thought maybe I (would )just put together a collection of all my artwork featuring the historic sites of Brandon.”

Twenty per cent of the proceeds of Zhao’s artwork sales will be donated to the museum.

The Daly House Museum has been struggling financially due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Admissions to the museum were significantly reduced, and we weren’t able to hold the in-person fundraisers that we usually use to support the museum,” says Eileen Trott, the museum’s curator.

Trott hopes the newest permanent exhibit will attract Brandonites and tourists alike back to the museum.

“We’re going to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the museum and the ground that it’s on with the launch of an outdoor exhibit called ‘A Landscape History’, which will cover the history of the site from pre-settlement to modern times,” she says.

The exhibit will be unveiled at the museum during a ticketed event on July 21st.