WAG to Welcome the Community Back Next Week

WAG to Welcome the Community Back Next Week

Beginning with two free days for our frontline workers

Winnipeg, Manitoba, May 1, 2020: Following Wednesday’s good news from the Government of Manitoba to gradually restore services across the province, the Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) is pleased to announce it will begin reopening to the public next week. The WAG is committed to opening its doors as quickly and safely as possible – to be there for the community, providing a much-needed place for inspiration at a safe distance. Starting Tuesday, May 5, 2020, the WAG will reopen with the following schedule:

• May 5 & 6, 10am-8pm – for frontline workers and their families only; free entry; family activities between 1-3pm. For information on how to participate, visit wag.ca
• May 7, 11am-5pm – open to public, regular hours resume

We are honoured to offer two days of early access with free Gallery admission for frontline workers (see full list here). This special welcome is generously supported by Canada Life. The initiative is organized in recognition of the tireless work of these local heroes, and is offered in lieu of the two free Second Sundays that were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic (April 12 and May 10, 2020). Regularly occurring Canada Life Free Sundays@WAG are expected to resume on June 14, 2020.

With a great mix of art currently on display in several exhibition galleries, the Gallery is a fun destination for all Manitobans and visitors to the province.  For the full list of exhibitions on view, visit wag.ca/art. New protocols will be in place to protect both visitors and staff, following government guidelines.

Stay tuned for announcements of exciting new and upcoming learning programs that will be offered including online and in-person WAG studio classes, Family MakerLabs, as well as a variety of day and week camps for kids – beginning as early as mid-May.

New Safety Measures:

• Strict social distancing protocols limiting building capacity including floor markers and signage
• Hand-sanitation and stringent cleaning practices throughout the galleries
• Staff and patrons use of the self-screening tool before entering the Gallery
• A complete list of protocols is available at wag.ca

Art Exhibitions Now on View:

• Into the Light: Lionel LeMoine FitzGerald features over 200 artworks by Manitoba’s Group of Seven member, organized by the WAG in partnership with the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, and made possible by lead sponsors Canada Life and Power Corporation of Canada.
• subsist, bringing together a selection of interdisciplinary works that reflect political, economic, and social systems of subsistence in the individual and collective maintenance of traditions
• Nuliajuk’s Story’s, exploring multiple legends surrounding the sea spirit known throughout the different regions of the Canadian North.
• Prayer (Chicago) by South African artist James Webb, a sound installation gathering prayers from a variety of spiritual backgrounds on loan from the Art Institute of Chicago and the Rennie Museum, Vancouver.
• Salon Style: Reimagining the Collection, uniting some of the oldest and best loved artworks in the WAG collection, including some rarely seen gems from the 16th-to 20th centuries.
• Norval Morrisseau’s Androgyny, a colourful mural offered as a decolonizing gesture of reconciliation to the people of Canada and the artist’s most significant work.
• Rooftop Sculpture Garden, one of the most spectacular rooftops in the city, complete with sculptures, trees, benches, a pool, and great views.
• For the full list of exhibitions on view, visit wag.ca/art
• To view WAG@Home content shared since the Gallery’s temporary closure on March 14, visit wag.ca

Quotes:

“The WAG has been a gathering place in the city for over a century – and I cannot think of a time when Manitobans need spaces like this more. Art has the power to inspire, uplift and connect – and we want to do our part to help. A big thank you to the Government of Manitoba for its ongoing support and guidance. We’re also grateful to Canada Life for helping us salute our province’s frontline workers for their sacrifices during the pandemic.”
—Dr. Stephen Borys, Director & CEO, Winnipeg Art Gallery

“As an organization that is committed to the financial, physical and mental well-being of our community, Canada Life is thrilled to team up with the WAG to offer free admission and programming for Winnipeg’s heroic frontline workers. The Gallery is the perfect place to reunite safely with your family and friends, with plenty of room to practice safe social and physical distancing. We thank all Manitobans for their help in bringing us to this point, and to our frontline workers for their amazing, selfless work.”
—Jeff Macoun, President and Chief Operating Officer, Canada at Canada Life

Associated Links

Winnipeg Art Gallery – WAG@Home
Winnipeg Art Gallery – Into the Light: Lionel LeMoine FitzGerald
Province of Manitoba – COVID-19
Canada Life

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For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:

Amy Rebecca Harrison
Engagement Supervisor
Winnipeg Art Gallery
204.789.1347
aharrison@wag.ca

Amber O’Reilly
Engagement Officer
Winnipeg Art Gallery
204.789.1295
PublicRelations@wag.ca

The Winnipeg Art Gallery is a cultural advocate using art to connect, inspire, and inform. Playing a dynamic role in the community, we are a place for learning, dialogue, and enjoyment through art. The WAG holds in trust the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art on earth. To celebrate the art and to honour the Inuit, the WAG is building the Inuit Art Centre, the first of its kind in the world. Opening in 2020, the Centre will bridge Canada’s North and South through exhibitions, research, education, and art making. To learn more visit wag.ca

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