For Asian Heritage Month 2024, the Kipnes Lantern featured sama-sama * sala-sala, a digital artwork by Manila-born, Toronto-based graphic designer and creative director Christine Mangosing that explores the interconnectedness of culture, history and community.  “sama-sama * sala-sala was conceived as a living tapestry that weaves together the past — drawing connections to my ancestors known and unknown; my present — as a member of... Read more

The Kipnes Lantern takes on a distinctly Acadian flair for Mois de la Francophonie and Lisa LeBlanc’s collaboration with the NAC Orchestra After Lisa LeBlanc’s latest album, Chiac Disco, was shortlisted for a prestigious Polaris Music Prize (having already won two ADISQ Félix awards for album production of the year and best pop album of the year), Montréal-based artist Mathieu Dionne... Read more

The Kipnes Lantern comes alive with stunning animations created by YeastCulture for Akram Khan’s Jungle Book reimagined. Producing the visual story to support Jungle Book reimagined — coming to Southam Hall from October 19 to 21 — was an epic project involving 11 animators, creating over 50 minutes of hand-drawn animation. From October 6 to 21, experience moments of this beautifully crafted work on the NAC’s Kipnes Lantern every... Read more

In June and August 2023, Richard Heikkilä-Sawan’s artwork, Genetikos II, was featured on the Kipnes Lantern to celebrate National Indigenous History Month and Pride.  Richard Heikkilä-Sawan is a Two-Spirit artist known for his vibrant and thought-provoking artwork. Born in Vancouver, he was adopted into a Mennonite family, unaware of his Indigenous heritage until later in life. Richard explores themes of identity, race, and social... Read more

In February 2023, Jimmy Baptiste’s stunning Afrofuturist artwork Onah was featured on the Kipnes Lantern. The Haitian-Canadian artist’s work was specially commissioned by the NAC for Black History Month. Best known as a graffiti and muralist artist, Jimmy Baptiste has also been working with youth for nearly 20 years on mural projects in Montréal, in Ottawa and elsewhere in Canada. The 43-year-old... Read more

AA Bronson is a Canadian artist and member of General Idea, a collaboration with Felix Partz (1945-1994) and Jorge Zontal (1944-1994) that produced influential work between 1969 and 1994. In 1987, General Idea created a painting that mimicked Robert Indiana’s famous 1966 painting, but replaced the word “LOVE” with “AIDS.” The “AIDS” logo was reproduced on a variety of mediums, including... Read more

Celebrate International Dance Day with social media sensation Gurdeep Pandher from the Yukon. Initiated in 1982 by the International Dance Committee of the UNESCO International Theatre Institute, International Dance Day falls on April 29 of every year, commemorating the birthday of distinguished choreographer Jean-Georges Noverre. This year, NAC Dance is thrilled to feature Gurdeep Pandher in celebration of his remarkable ability to... Read more

This year for World Theatre Day, we asked ourselves what we wanted to celebrate after two years of great insecurity for theatre makers in our country. We chose to turn to the next generation of artists and creators. To these young people who have graduated from theatre schools across the country into a world that was crumbling and in which... Read more

Deaf (Ghanaian-born) Toronto visual artist Peter Owusu-Ansah believes we can communicate through our eyes, not just words. His beautiful works vibrate with colour and energy. A series of new digital works by the award-winning artist will be featured on the National Arts Centre’s Kipnes Lantern during the 2021 holiday season and throughout 2022. Titled My Journey Through Colours, his creations explore themes of connection... Read more

This summer, an animation of Chosen Family, a permanent installation in Halifax/Kjipuktuk by non-binary, transgender and queer artist Mr. Margot Durling will be adapted to illuminate the Kipnes Lantern. The vibrant work is a colourful celebration of gender identities, sexualities, and relationships. Durling is a visual artist and Creative Director at Fathom Studio in Dartmouth who were recently shortlisted to design a National Monument... Read more

The NAC recently commissioned the art installation called Colour, Health, Hope from Jacquie Comrie, an acclaimed Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist. Centred on colour, this vibrant, visually powerful installation was created as a tool for wellness and hope during a difficult time. Colour, Health, Hope features eight unique creations, each of which centres on a particular colour, its associated attributes, and effects on well-being. “With a surge of COVID-19... Read more

World Mental Health Day provides an opportunity for stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work and what more needs to be done to support those suffering from this serious health issue. The NAC will “Light Up Purple” today, to raise awareness about the issue of mental illness and the impact it has on the lives of... Read more