Winnipeg Arts Council

06/04/2026

Join the Winnipeg Public Art Program for First Fridays in the Exchange on ArtWalk: First Friday Exchange District!
Kick off your First Friday activities with this 2-hour, 2.1 km walking tour that begins at Jennifer Stillwell's artwork High Five on Waterfront across from Blue Cross Park, and ends in the heart of the exchange at Odeon Park! Learn more about the exchange district and connect with fellow arts enthusiasts. The weather is projected to be a perfect 21 degrees Celsius; you won't want to miss this!

Tour highlights :
High Five by Jennifer Stillwell
1919 Marquee by Monteyne Architecture Works
Bloody Saturday by Bernie Miller and Noam Gonick
Chinatown Neighbourhood Banners 唐人街挂幅 by Natalie Mark 麥月明
The Path of Our Ancestors by Jackie Traverse
Poster Boards in the Exchange by Michael Carroll, Laurie Green and Judith Panson
COMING SOON Maamaawi Naanaagadawendamowin (Gather Your Heart) by Fredrick Spence
Winston Leathers' mural on the Burton Cummings Theatre

🔗 Reserve Your Spot: Free tickets available through Eventbrite https://ArtWalkFirstFridayExchangeDistrict.eventbrite.ca

Tours run rain or shine, but will be cancelled in case of storms.

Can't wait to see you there!

06/03/2026

🎉 June 2 was a day for the arts in Winnipeg! At the Mayor’s Luncheon for the Arts, we celebrated the 2026 Winnipeg Arts Council Awards and honoured three incredible artists:

RBC On the Rise RBC: Laura Lewis
Making a Mark: Grace Nickel
Making a Difference: Gaile Petursson-Hiley

Huge congratulations to all the nominees & winners — your work shapes this city and makes Winnipeg unique.

💚💚💚

06/02/2026

05/29/2026

The time has come! Join The Winnipeg Public Art Program on ArtWalk St. Boniface: Public Art and Monuments with Jeudis Franco Thursdays

Explore St Boniface and discover what the public art and local monuments reveal about the area's history on our 1.5-hour walking tour (1.2km). The tours will be conducted in English, but our guide will be happy to respond to questions or engage in additional discussion in French.
Book your visit on any Thursday between June 4th and August 27th!

Tour Highlights:
Phare Ouest (Far West) by Marcel Gosselin
Legacy of Care, Courage and Compassion by Madeleine Vrignon
Grandfather Rock and symbolic sweat lodge
À tous vents by Madeleine Vrignon
Louis Riel by Marcien Lemay
Monument by Michel de Broin
Curiosités by Francis Montillaud
La Promise by Madeleine Vrignon
Volte by Marcel Gosselin
Entre Chien et Loup by Joseph Fafard

🔗 Reserve Your Spot: Free tickets available here : https://ArtWalkStBonifacePublicArtandMonuments.eventbrite.ca

Tours run rain or shine, but will be cancelled in case of storms.
See you there!

05/25/2026

Join the Winnipeg Public Art Program for DOORS OPEN with Heritage Winnipeg!

We couldn't be more excited to kick off the tour season with an Architecture and Art walking tour downtown. Explore public art and connect with fellow art enthusiasts. This tour examines artwork within its architectural context and how it shapes Winnipeg's vibrant downtown!

Choose from two dates:
📅 Saturday, May 30 at 11am
OR
📅 Sunday, May 31 at 1pm
Distance: 2km
Starting point: Justice by Gordon Reeve at Law Courts, York Avenue & Kennedy Street

Tour Highlights:
Justice by Gordon Reeve
Returning to Our Roots by Justine Proulx
Sentinel of Truth by Darren Stebeleski
Emptyful by Bill Pechet
Waterfall # 2 by Theresa Himmer
No. 1 Northern by John Nugent
High Five by Jennifer Stillwell

🔗 Reserve your free ticket here: https://DoorsOpenArchitectureandArt.eventbrite.ca

Bring water and sunscreen. Tours run rain or shine, but will be cancelled in case of storms. 🌧

See you there!

05/21/2026

📣 We are so excited to announce that Jennifer Still, Winnipeg's Poet Laureate, will be presenting a new piece at the 2026 Mayor's Luncheon for the Arts!

🎤
Jennifer Still is Winnipeg’s fourth Poet Laureate, holding the position for 2025 and 2026. Still’s poetic practice reimagines what a page can be and how a poem can be experienced. She pierces, types, and illuminates her pages into sparking, embodied languages of home.
🎤

The Luncheon will be an afternoon of fantastic entertainment, hosted by Jane Testar and including music by Natanielle Felicitas, dance performances by Ivan Flett Memorial Dancers, and a poem by Winnipeg Poet Laureate Jennifer Still! Mayor Scott Gillingham will present the Winnipeg Arts Council awards.

📅
Tuesday June 2, 2026
RBC Convention Centre
Refreshments 11:30 AM
Lunch 12:00 PM

🔗 Tickets to the 2026 Mayor’s Luncheon for the Arts can be purchased here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/mayors-luncheon-2

05/20/2026

The Winnipeg Arts Council Awards recognize excellence and creativity in the arts. Join us to celebrate this year’s nominees at the 2026 Mayor’s Luncheon for the Arts!

The MAKING A DIFFERENCE Award will honour an artist, arts administrator, arts educator, supporter or volunteer who has made a significant contribution to the growth and development of the arts in Winnipeg.

The 2026 nominees for the MAKING A DIFFERENCE Award are Andrew Eastman, Arwen Helene, Fernando Dalayoan, Gaile Petursson-Hiley, Nick Kowalchuk, Siobhan Keely, Thom Sparling, and Todd Drader!

Click through the slides to learn more about this year's nominees!
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The Mayor’s Luncheon will be an afternoon of fantastic entertainment, hosted by Jane Testar and including music by Natanielle Felicitas, dance performances by Ivan Flett Memorial Dancers, and a reading by Winnipeg Poet Laureate Jennifer Still! Mayor Scott Gillingham will present the Winnipeg Arts Council awards.

📅
Tuesday June 2, 2026
RBC Convention Centre
Refreshments 11:30 AM
Lunch 12:00 PM

🔗 Tickets to the 2026 Mayor’s Luncheon for the Arts can be purchased here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/mayors-luncheon-2

05/19/2026

📣 We are so excited to announce that Jane Testar will be the host for the 2026 Mayor's Luncheon for the Arts!

🎤
Jane Testar is a collector of troupes. She performs with the musical improv troupe Outside Joke, and as a member of the Fufu ChiChi Choir as well as Fringe Festival favourites Hot Thespian Action. As an actor she has appeared in productions for Royal MTC (Holland, The Piano Teacher, Private Lives), Prairie Theatre Exchange (Munschbusters), and Théâtre Cercle Moliere (Que Faire d’Albert) among many others. Jane wrote sketch comedy for CBC Radio for several years and hosted the CBC Comedy Factory Podcast. She was also known as a modern etiquette expert with her radio column “Miss Conduct”.
🎤

The Luncheon will be an afternoon of fantastic entertainment, hosted by Jane Testar and including music by Natanielle Felicitas, dance performances by Ivan Flett Memorial Dancers, and a poem by Winnipeg Poet Laureate Jennifer Still! Mayor Scott Gillingham will present the Winnipeg Arts Council awards.

📅
Tuesday June 2, 2026
RBC Convention Centre
Refreshments 11:30 AM
Lunch 12:00 PM

🔗 Tickets to the 2026 Mayor’s Luncheon for the Arts can be purchased here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/mayors-luncheon-2