Musée d'art contemporain de Baie-Saint-Paul facts for kids
Entrance to Musée d'art contemporain de Baie-Saint-Paul
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| Established | 1992 |
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| Location | Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, Canada |
| Type | Contemporary art |
The Musée d'art contemporain de Baie-Saint-Paul is a cool museum in Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, Canada. It's all about contemporary art, which means art from recent times, usually from the 1940s until today. It used to be called the Centre d'art de Baie-Saint-Paul.
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How the Museum Started
This museum is right in the middle of downtown Baie-Saint-Paul. It's in a special area known for its culture and arts.
Long ago, a movie theater called Le Laurentien stood here. It wasn't just for movies; it also hosted local shows and plays. After World War II, many regional performances and traveling theater groups came to this spot.
In the mid-1980s, a group called the Art Centre Corporation asked people to donate money. They wanted to build a new place for art and culture in the Charlevoix region. People gave $100,000, which was a lot of money!
The old movie theater was too old and falling apart to be saved. So, a brand new building was opened on the same spot on January 24, 1992.
The new building, called the Centre d’exposition de Baie-St-Paul, was designed by a famous architect named Pierre Thibault. It has big rooms and huge glass windows that look out towards the church. The museum is also partly set up for people with physical disabilities. It has meeting rooms and a gift shop where you can buy souvenirs.
In 1992, this three-story building won a top award for institutional buildings from the Ordre des architectes du Québec, which is a big honor for architects in Quebec.
Museum's Story and Famous Artworks
In 1993, Françoise Labbé became the main director of the Centre d'exposition and the Centre d'art de Baie-Saint-Paul. She was very important to the museum.
In 1997, Françoise Labbé was given a special honor called Knight of the Ordre National du Québec. She continued to lead the center until she passed away in 2001.
During her time as director, many big art shows were held. Thousands of people came to see Jean-Paul Riopelle's art in 1998. His famous sculpture, Ice Canoe, was even hung from the ceiling! Another well-known painter, Marc Séguin, showed his art there in 2001 and again in 2013.
The center officially became a museum in 2008. This big news was announced by Christine St-Pierre, who was the minister of Culture at the time, on July 16, 2008.
What the Museum Does
The main goal of the museum is to share, promote, and protect contemporary art from 1947 to today. It really focuses on artists working now and is open to new ideas and ways of expressing art.
This is the only museum in eastern Quebec that is completely dedicated to contemporary art. It's open all year round, and you can take tours in both French and English.
The museum also hosts an exciting event every year called the International Symposium of Contemporary Art of Baie-Saint-Paul. This event brings together artists from all over the world. They create art right there, and people can watch them work and even talk to them!
Art Collection
The museum's International Symposium of Contemporary Art has helped build its collection. Artists who participate in the symposium create new works, and because of this, the museum now has art from over 500 different artists.
In 1994, artist Kathleen Daly (who lived from 1898 to 1994) gave over 500 paintings to the Centre d’art Baie-Saint-Paul. These included her own paintings and those of her husband, George Pepper (1903–1962).
The Art Centre Corporation also bought a valuable collection of art. It includes works by other important artists in Quebec's painting history, like René Richard and the Bolduc sisters.
See also
- List of art museums
- List of museums in Quebec
