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The Exchange District BIZ has announced a new winter festival that will focus on connecting Winnipeg's vibrant art scene and preserved history with lights on display.
Lights on the Exchange - Allumez le Quartier is inspired from festivals such as Luminothérapie in Montréal and Fête des lumières in Lyon. The new festival allows selected artists to express their creative talents in ways that highlights Winnipeg's history by using light art and design.
"The Exchange District has grown into a destination neighbourhood in large part because Winnipeg’s history is on full display with its unparalleled collection of preserved heritage buildings," says David Pensato, Executive Director of the Exchange District BIZ. "By establishing a light-based art and design festival, we will create an entirely new draw for tourism in the National Historic Site while expanding the histories that are told."
To make Lights on the Exchange - Allumez le Quartier possible, the Exchange District BIZ partnered with Artspace. The festival is expected to launch next year, on January 21, 2023, and will run through March 21.
"There’s a rich diversity of canvases here,” says Eric Plamondon, Executive Director of Artspace. "Lights on the Exchange is a tremendous opportunity for artists to stretch their creativity, challenge Winnipeggers and establish a whole new chapter in the story of the district."
The Canadian artists selected to commission modern, and contemporary installations, sculptures and projections which will be displayed on buildings, rooftops, storefronts and alleys were chosen by the Winnipeg Arts Council and Manufacturing Entertainment.
Keep an eye out on the Exchange District BIZ's social media, because in the coming weeks the artists and artwork will be announced. The new artworks are to be released in staged throughout the run, and more will be added each year as this is to be an annual event.
For more information about Lights on the Exchange - Allumez le Quartier, visit the Exchange District BIZ website.