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Winnipeg St o ry Ideas Heart of the Arts The Winnipeg Art Gallery has the world's largest collection of contemporary Inuit art and is Canada's oldest civic art gallery. Currently celebrating its centennial, the WAG's exhibit 100 Masters: Only in Canada, is a historic assembly of 100 works of art from 28 museums in Canada and two in the U.S. (runs May 11-Aug 18). Five Winnipeg arts groups turned 40 in 2012-2013, including the Winnipeg Singers, Prairie Theatre Exchange, Plug In ICA, Manitoba Opera and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet is the country's oldest dance company and among the oldest in North America. It was granted its royal title in 1953 by the Queen of England—the first such distinction of its kind. The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre (MTC) was Canada's first English-speaking regional theatre and became a model for regional theatres throughout North America. Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet: David Cooper Known as the cultural cradle of Canada, Winnipeg's arts and theatre scene is alight with talent and star power. Discover the stunning artists and arts groups—many of Canada's oldest and most prestigious—that call this city home. Pantages Theatre, built in 1913-14, hosted Vaudeville performances by Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and the Marx Brothers. It was the first airconditioned building in Winnipeg, where huge pieces of ice were placed in the basement and large fans were used to blow cool air on patrons. Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers are one of Canada's oldest modern repertoire dance companies. Winnipeg Art Gal lery Located in Kildonan Park, Rainbow Stage is Canada's oldest outdoor musical theatre, providing more than 50 years of beloved productions. Sta ge Winnipeg's French theatre, Le Cercle Molière, is Canada's oldest continuously operating French theatre. w bo Rain Hollywood North A backdrop for countless movies and home to some of the world's most famous faces, Winnipeg has an intimate relationship with the silver screen. Discover the cleverly disguised streets and characters that have made Winnipeg famous—sometimes without you even realizing. Renowned Winnipeg filmmaker Guy Maddin produced numerous hit films, including The Saddest Music in the World and My Winnipeg—an homage to his hometown. The Exchange District is favoured by Hollywood as a location setting for period movies, including the Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford starring Brad Pitt. On Garry Street, Oscar-winning actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman stood in a phone booth to call his 'boyfriend' in a scene from the film Capote. In this movie, set in Kansas City, Hoffman also walks into the bar entrance of the St. Charles Hotel, also on Garry Street. Nia Vardalos, star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, one of the highestgrossing independent movies of all time, hails from Winnipeg. 12 Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere stayed for several weeks while they filmed Shall We Dance. They paired up to rehearse their ballroom steps at Ted Motyka Dance Studio located in an alley off Albert Street. It was outside this studio where the paparazzi created a stir as they swarmed to catch a shot of Lopez with her then beau, movie star Ben Affleck. Hollywood continues to shoot movies in Winnipeg, including Goon, the comedy hockey flick starring Sean William Scott, along with the rom-com bomb, New in Town, starring Rene Zellweger. For more information or to arrange a media visit, contact Gillian Leschasin at 204.954.1977 or gillian@tourismwinnipeg.com