April 11, 2020
Students and Parents Encouraged to `E-Xplore' Manitoba's Museums, Winnipeg Art Gallery Through Online Tours
Manitoba’s many beloved museums and art galleries have temporarily closed their doors because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but everyone is encouraged to keep enjoying the province’s rich art and cultural experiences by heading online, Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Cathy Cox said today.
“As a mother and a grandmother, I know first-hand how exciting it is to spend time with the family touring the Nonsuch Gallery at the Manitoba Museum or taking a ‘ride’ on one of the vintage tractors at the Manitoba Agricultural Museum,” said Cox. “I applaud the creativity and ingenuity of our museums and art galleries during these challenging times for creating online tours so that Manitobans can safely enjoy all of our wonderful cultural and educational offerings.”
The Association of Manitoba Museums’ 150 for 150 Exhibit is an online display of 150 artifacts that help tell Manitoba’s stories as part of Canada and before.
“Museums large and small, rural and urban have contributed to our 150 for 150 online exhibit and it’s something you can explore by yourself or with friends and family,” said Monique Brandt, executive director of Association of Manitoba Museums. “You can find pictures of artifacts and then ask each other to guess what it is, where it came from, how it was used, etc. During this time, we’re proud that many museums in Manitoba are offering more online experiences like this to keep people engaged and distracted during self isolation.”
The exhibit, which coincides with the 150th anniversary of Manitoba becoming a province this year, can be viewed at www.museumsmanitoba.com/150/.
The Manitoba Museum recently launched ManitobaMuseum@Home, with online experiences at https://manitobamuseum.ca/main/visit/manitobamuseumhome/.
“Now more than ever we need to stay connected with one another, but in different ways, so until we can see you again, we are bringing the museum to you through ManitobaMuseum@Home,” said Claudette Leclerc. “ManitobaMuseum@Home is a virtual experience where we’ll share the captivating history of our province, the science that explains our world and the wonders of the universe so that you can enjoy the museum from the comfort of your home.”
The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) is finding new ways to keep the community connected and inspired by launching WAG@Home, which shares art-related content that people can admire from afar, such as My Daily Art, a new series that will share an artwork from the WAG collection every day.
“Art is one of the most accessible and universal tools we have to learn, communicate and support each other, and in these uncertain and difficult times, the Winnipeg Art Gallery team is looking for ways to help support and uplift Manitobans, every day,” said Stephen Borys, director and CEO. “We invite everyone to visit our website and social media channels for art-related content that kids, families and adults can enjoy from home.”
The WAG website, www.wag.ca, also contains Do-It-Yourself videos, hands-on activities and learning opportunities for children and adults.
Other online cultural offerings include:
• The Manitoba Agricultural Museum helps immerse visitors in rural Manitoba’s past, providing context to the present and future of agriculture. The Austin-based museum has an online artifact collection at http://mbagmuseum.ca/collections-exhibits/artifacts-display-filtering.
• One of the online highlights of the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada are the 360-degree cockpit tours that allow the visitor to ‘sit’ in the cockpit or cargo hold of many of the museums aircraft from the comfort of home at: www.royalaviationmuseum.com/virtualcockpits/mobile/index.html.
• The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) has created a new guided virtual tour, and made a number of children’s activities and other content available at ‘Explore the Museum from Home’ at https://humanrights.ca/visit/explore-the-museum-from-home along with another new feature called ‘Share Your Story’ at https://humanrights.ca/stories/share-your-story#/.
“I hope everyone will take the opportunity to spend some time visiting online their favourite museum or gallery and also try exploring somewhere new,” said Cox. “We’re all in this together, Manitoba.”
A comprehensive list of Manitoba government COVID-19 measures can be found at:
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