Winnipeg artists are learning to use AI to dream up new futures for art exhibitions
This winter, something extraordinary is stirring in Winnipeg. At Art Borups Corners and its Winnipeg Arts Incubator, artists are embracing a new kind of brush—one powered not by paint but by algorithms. As part of their Fall and Winter Program, local creatives are exploring the use of generative AI tools, like DALL·E 3, to breathe life into exhibition concepts at lightning speed.
“AI isn’t here to replace the soul of art—it’s here to expand the palette,” says Winnipeg-based interdisciplinary artist Jamie Bell. “DALL·E 3 lets us imagine the impossible, to sketch with words, to collaborate with technology in ways that feel both futuristic and deeply personal.”
DALL·E 3 is a text-to-image generator that feels like something out of science fiction. Type in a prompt—whether it’s “a gallery space shaped like an Arctic ice cave” or “a sculpture garden of kinetic machines under a solar eclipse”—and it conjures vivid, detailed imagery in seconds. For artists, this tool isn’t just fast—it’s revelatory.
“It’s like a brainstorming partner who doesn’t sleep,” Bell adds. “You can take an idea that’s barely formed, and within minutes, you’re looking at it. It sparks something new. It gives you momentum.”
The program, supported by the OpenAI Researcher Access Program, provides participants with access to advanced tools like DALL·E 3, as well as resources to explore how generative AI can complement human creativity. The Researcher Access Program is designed to empower early-career innovators, especially those in underrepresented regions or fields. Here in Winnipeg, it’s opening doors for artists to experiment at the intersection of creativity and technology.
Each season at the Winnipeg Arts Incubator brings a fresh focus, and this winter’s emphasis on AI feels particularly timely. The workshops blend hands-on experimentation with discussions about creative leadership, encouraging participants to see themselves not just as artists, but as innovators and entrepreneurs.
The group has earned a reputation for its scrappy ingenuity, building exhibitions from whatever they can salvage—discarded wood, old textiles, and overlooked objects that find new purpose in their hands. This knack for reimagining materials pairs seamlessly with AI tools like DALL·E 3, which help spark ideas that are not only creative but also practical to construct. The technology acts as a springboard, offering visual blueprints for installations that fit their ethos: imaginative, resourceful, and accessible to bring to life on a shoestring budget.
For the artists involved, the possibilities feel endless. They’re exploring everything from AI-assisted mood boards to imagining entire exhibits built around themes generated collaboratively with DALL·E 3. It’s not about the technology taking over; it’s about finding new ways to tell stories and share visions.
“When you pair human intuition with AI’s ability to process and generate ideas so quickly, it’s magic,” says Bell. “We’re not just making art. We’re also shaping the future of how art is dreamed up.”
As snow piles against the windows of their Winnipeg studio, inside, sparks of transformation are flying. These artists aren’t just making—they’re reinventing, turning raw ideas into tangible visions with the help of AI’s limitless imagination. It’s a fusion of hand and machine, intuition and innovation, where tools like DALL·E 3 become collaborators in the creative process. The result? Exhibitions that carry the grit and soul of human experience, infused with the daring possibilities of technology. This is more than a quiet revolution—it’s a bold rewrite of how art takes shape in a world where boundaries dissolve, and every idea has the potential to become something extraordinary.
For more on the Art Borups Corners program and how Winnipeg’s artists are exploring the future of creativity with artificial intelligence, visit https://artsincubator.ca.