Nuit Blanche to light up Winnipeg in twilight celebration of contemporary art

Nuit Blanche preview Kurt Tittlemier tells us about the province’s largest contemporary arts festival and a project of Culture Days Manitoba.

No sleep, just art.

That’s the mantra at the centre of Nuit Blanche - an annual, twilight celebration of modern art set to light up parts of the city once again on Sept. 23.

From 6 p.m. to midnight, the Exchange District, downtown, St. Boniface and The Forks will serve as the four main hubs of the free event. Artists, performers, galleries cultural organizations and independent curators will create and host their own events and experiences for participants.

“We really work to highlight and animate our cultural institutions in downtown Winnipeg, and we also put all sorts of art and performances all in the streets downtown,” explained Kurt Tittlemier, general manager of Culture Days Manitoba and Nuit Blanche.

New this year – the Canadian Museum for Human Rights will open its door for Nuit Blanche for the first time.

Other features of this year’s event - WAG-Qaumajuq will shut down St. Mary Avenue for the first time for its installation, performances by Manitoba Opera in collaboration with Parks Canada at The Forks National Historic Amphitheatre and ‘a major activation’ at True North Square.

Nuit Blanche is part of the longer Culture Days Manitoba festival running Sept. 22 to Oct. 15, which Tittlemier notes is province-wide and features hundreds of events.

“I think each community in Manitoba celebrates Culture Days a little bit different, in their own way. We love hearing about how they champion the artists in their area and how they open up the doors.”

More details can be found on Culture Days Manitoba’s website.

- With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagacé