Singles mingle at the art gallery: WAG hosts meet-and-greets

Call it romance with Rodin: The Winnipeg Art Gallery will offer art lovers an opportunity to pursue love of another kind at singles meet-and-greets this fall.

The gallery is hosting two afternoon meet-and-greets this fall: one for singles in their 30s and 40s on Sept. 11, and another for singles who are 50 and older on Sept. 18.

A couple of evening events are also being organized for November.

"Really, it's all about social interaction. It's participation," Rachel Baerg, the WAG's head of education, said Wednesday.

"We do fun icebreakers, we look at stories behind different works of art — there's all kinds of stories of love and intrigue and whatnot — but we also play group games and we get to know each other in a really casual environment."

Baerg said she came up with the idea after an online dating service approached the gallery a year ago about hosting tours for its members.

"We did a couple of tours and I just realized that there was this incredible interest and need for this kind of social interaction among people," she said.

'Awesome venue' for meeting people

The WAG also hosts fun events that don't target singles but have attracted a lot of people, from trivia nights and scavenger hunts to its MakerLab DIY sessions and First Friday tours, Baerg said.

"We just found that people were having a really good time," she said. "It's an awesome venue for engagement, so we just thought this is working well; it's a natural fit."

Not all single people are into the bar scene or online dating, Baerg said, so the gallery wants to offer a way for people to connect face-to-face while also enjoying art in a casual setting.

"Art is such an amazing catalyst for discussion and social interaction," she said.

"It's fun. You do not have to be a connoisseur. Bring your single friends. Come and be ready to meet people and just have a really great time."

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the Winnipeg Art Gallery or on its website.