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NAC Art Collection Returns
April 4, 2018 - When the National Arts Centre first opened in 1969, it was celebrated as an innovative multi-disciplinary performing arts centre. But it was also lauded for its impressive art collection. “The NAC was one of the first public buildings with a budget devoted to the visual…
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Peter Herrndorf’s Legacy
April 4, 2018 - When Peter Herrndorf arrived in 1999, he established a new strategic direction for the National Arts Centre with four clear goals – artistic excellence, re-embracing the NAC’s national role, making youth and education a priority, and dramatically increasing the NAC’s…
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The Evolution of the Brunch
April 4, 2018 - In a classic TV episode of The Simpsons, Marge's friend invites her to brunch. “What is that?” she asks. He responds: “It’s not quite breakfast, not quite lunch, but you get a slice of cantaloupe at the end.” Brunch is not what it used to be. Discerning brunchers are…
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Q&A: Mélanie Dumont, Associate Artistic Director, Youth Programming for French Theatre
April 4, 2018 - Q. Coming up on May 19 is De plain-pied, an annual event that you launched in 2015. What’s it all about? A. De plain-pied (which translates roughly as “Come on in”) is created with input from teenagers. For each edition, I work with young people to envision the form…
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Bonjour, Welcome to the NAC
January 17, 2018 - The one million visitors who walk through the doors of the NAC every year often ask questions such as “Where can I buy tickets?”, “What’s on tonight?” or “Where’s the washroom?” Since the beginning of this season, visitors have been greeted by friendly duos of young…
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The Kipnes Lantern: Beacon for the Arts
January 17, 2018 - The National Arts Centre’s Kipnes Lantern has come alive. The three-storey signature element of the NAC’s $110.5 million architectural rejuvenation illuminates the heart of our Nation’s Capital with flourishes of beautiful digital images. In one tableau, swirling blue,…
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The Canada Room
January 17, 2018 - A 1969 Prélude Magazine ad described the NAC’s first fine-dining restaurant, L’Opéra, as “Clearly the best in town, yet not that expensive”. Despite that glowing praise, the restaurant closed and was replaced by the popular Panorama Room, which hosted countless meetings…
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Q & A: Natasha Harwood, Manager, NAC Music Alive Program
January 17, 2018 - Q. What is the Music Alive Program (MAP)? A. MAP sends artists to schools and communities in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut, and now the Atlantic provinces. Every year, the NAC and its local partners run about 100 events such as music education workshops and…
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Q & A: Heather Gibson – Executive Producer, NAC Presents
November 15, 2017 - Executive Producer, NAC Presents, and Programmer of new NAC public spaces Q. What have you learned in your first year at the NAC? A. This place is much bigger than I thought! There’s a lot going on here... more depth to the job than I expected. Q. The NAC’s new…
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Present in the Moment at the New NAC
November 15, 2017 - This season, construction noise has finally been replaced by the sound of silence at the NAC. Every Monday morning at 7:30 am, a small but growing group of community members drop into the new NAC atrium for a free Movement in Meditation class. “It’s for everyone and…