WAG’s Rooftop Retreat Offers Downtown Oasis This Summer

Games for kids/adults, support local events, food/drink, and art overlooking the Winnipeg skyline

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Treaty 1 Territory, June 30, 2020: The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) is excited to announce the launch of the Rooftop Retreat, giving the community more space and ways to relax while enjoying the Gallery’s outdoor Sculpture Garden.

Beginning July 1 for Canada Day and running all summer long, the Rooftop Retreat includes classic games; new lounge spaces; local partnerships featuring live music, film screenings, and yoga; plus a cash bar and tasty eats.

About the Rooftop Retreat

• The Rooftop Retreat is a community space for inspiration, recreation, and relaxation. Entry is included with Gallery admission, FREE for WAG members.
• The WAG is open July 1 for Canada Day from 11am to 5pm.
• Fun for both kids and adults, games like croquet, lawn darts, and bean bag toss can be signed out from the front desk and are available during Gallery hours; cost is included with regular admission, FREE for WAG members.
• The Rooftop Retreat will heat up with Thursday Pop-Ups and TGIF Friday Drop-Ups, see event details below!
• Canada Life Free Sundays@WAG on July 12, August 9, and September 13 will provide free access to the Rooftop Retreat. To ensure physical distancing protocols are practiced, a timed ticketing system will be in place for Free Sundays. The public is requested to register in advance at wag.ca. On Free Sundays (12-3pm) visitors can fuel up with an a-la-carte BBQ created by Executive Chef Barry Saunders of SMITH Restaurant from Inn at the Forks.

About Pop-Up and Drop-Up Events

• Rooftop Retreat Pop-Up events will run select Thursdays between 7pm and 10pm (doors open 6pm).
• The series will include concerts like Jazz Winnipeg presents Derrick Gardner Quintet (July 2 – sold out!), The Good Will Social Club presents Jaywood (July 16) and Amos the Kid (August 13), and stay tuned for more, including a Winnipeg Folk Festival night.
• Pop-Ups will also feature Cinematheque Winnipeg with art documentary screenings on August 20, September 3, and September 17; and Modo Yoga with a Sunset Flow class and local DJ on September 10.
• Thursday Pop-Up tickets are $20-$35 and must be purchased in advance at wag.ca. Capacity for each event will be limited to 30-75 to allow physical distancing. Ticket purchases support both the WAG and our local partners!
• Rooftop Retreat TGIF Friday Drop-Up events will run every Friday night over the summer starting July 3. The Gallery will be open an hour later than usual (until 10pm), giving the community more time to take in the views alongside delicious drinks, food, new lounge spaces, and games.
• SMITH Restaurant will be on site from 7pm to 10pm for Thursday Pop-Up and TGIF Friday Drop-Up events. Dinner reservations are recommended in advance at wag.ca; a limited amount will be available a-la-carte, along with a cash bar.

About the Rooftop Sculpture Garden:

• With over 15,000-square feet, this breathtaking outdoor space is a beautiful setting to take in fresh air, a calming water fountain, and views of the Winnipeg skyline—with plenty of room for physical distancing.
• The Rooftop Sculpture Garden features a striking selection of modern and contemporary bronze, steel, and stone sculptures by Canadian, Inuit, and European artists from the WAG’s collection.
• Access to the Rooftop is included with Gallery admission or FREE for WAG members. Visitors are welcome to bring a lunch, book, or sketch book and stay a while.

Quotes:

“We are delighted to enhance the WAG’s largest exhibition space by introducing our refreshed Rooftop Sculpture Garden, featuring a summer of programming in a fun, safe, and inspiring urban environment. There’s perhaps never been a more critical time to ensure Manitoba has an uplifting place for learning and enjoyment through the power of art. Whether you’re looking for an outing with friends or family, a date night, or some relaxing time for yourself, the Rooftop Retreat is here for you and everyone in the community. Thank you to our partners for joining us in offering this gift to Manitoba during the province’s 150th year!”
—Dr. Stephen Borys, Director & CEO, Winnipeg Art Gallery

Supporters

Thank you to sponsors Innovair Group, Manulife, McFadden Benefits; Cafe Partner SMITH Restaurant; present and past members of the WAG Board of Governors (donors listed at wag.ca); community partners Cinematheque Winnipeg, Jazz Winnipeg, Modo Yoga, The Good Will Social Club, and Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Associated Links`

Winnipeg Art Gallery – Rooftop Retreat
Innovair Group
Manulife

Stay Connected

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram #rooftopretreat #atwag

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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 in the world. To celebrate the art and to honour the Inuit, the WAG is building the Inuit Art Centre, the first of its kind. Opening in the coming months, 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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