Great weather forecast for 3rd annual Lumière in Sydney

The 3rd Annual Lumière comes to Sydney on Saturday night, and for the first time in its history, it may not require a sou’wester and rubber boots. Environment Canada forecasts a beautiful evening for Sydney, where the “art-at-night” festival animates public and private spaces with installations and contemporary art projects for the public to interact with and enjoy – free of charge!

The streets, storefronts and civic spaces in the downtown core will be transformed by artists creating a feast for the eyes, ears and mind. Artist Coordinator Laura Schneider sums it up.

“If you haven’t been to Lumière before, this is the year to do it,” says Schneider. “We’ve got some extremely talented artists involved, there’s an enormous diversity of projects, and this could possibly be the first time we’re not getting rained on!”

Take a quick glance at this year’s festival program and you will see contemporary art projects with names like “Ghost Light”, “With or Without the Wind”, “Classical Musicians Gone Wild” and “Jellyfish Umbrellas”. The festival program is available online (click here to download) or can be picked up at the Artist Hub, 191 Charlotte St (former home of Oka Maki Sushi). Schneider mentioned that volunteers in Lumière t-shirts would be on the street handing out programs as well.

In its first two years, Lumière was the joint effort of three cultural organizations: the Cape Breton University Art Gallery, the Centre Étoile de l’Acadie and the Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design. Now in its third year, the festival has grown into an independent, non-profit, board-run entity. An independent, peer-review jury is charged with the task of choosing the exhibitors from scores of artist submissions. This year there is a nice mix of local, provincial and national artists presenting their work.

When asked how someone should experience Lumière, Schneider points out it is entirely up to the individual, saying “you can come for a half an hour or you can stay for the whole five hours.”

So if you are looking for an “out-of-the-ordinary” stroll through downtown Sydney, then lace up and head down Saturday night, 6:58pm. Experience “The Drag” like never before!