Museum of Charlevoix facts for kids

The Musée de Charlevoix is a fascinating museum in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada. It is located in the beautiful Charlevoix region. This museum shares stories through art, history, and objects from everyday life. It has a huge collection of almost 9,000 items and 6,000 old documents.

Discovering the Museum's History

The Charlevoix region has always attracted many artists. Famous painters like Clarence Gagnon and André Biéler visited often. In the 1930s, an American painter named Patrick Morgan and his wife, Maud Cabot, lived nearby. They had a great idea to start a museum for local art.

In 1946, a collector named Roland Gagné opened his own museum. It was behind his house in Pointe-au-Pic. He called it the "Laure-Conan Regional Museum." This first museum grew bigger in 1975. Its collections moved into the old La Malbaie post office building.

Then, in 1990, the museum moved again to a new building in Pointe-au-Pic. In 1992, it officially became known as the "Musée de Charlevoix."

What You Can See: The Collections

The Musée de Charlevoix has amazing collections. They help us understand the past and appreciate art.

Ethnohistory: Life in Charlevoix

The museum has about 4,000 objects that tell the story of how people lived in Charlevoix. This collection is called "ethnohistory." It includes old furniture, clothes, toys, and tools. Many of these items came from Roland Gagné's personal collection.

Since 1975, the museum has also added many old photos, postcards, and plans. These documents help us learn even more about the region's past.

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  Carved wooden horses from the early 1900s.
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  A "Vire-vent" toy from the early 1900s.

Art: Creativity in the Region

The museum also has a large collection of artworks. You can see many paintings and sculptures here. Some pieces are by well-known artists like Clarence Gagnon and René Richard. Others are by local artists such as Roger Ouellette and Robert Cauchon. Their art is often called "naive art" or "art brut," which means it's very original and often self-taught.

Exhibitions and Special Events

The Musée de Charlevoix hosts about a dozen different exhibitions every year. Some shows focus on the work of one artist or a group of artists. Other exhibitions explore themes from Charlevoix's history. You can also see new items that the museum has recently added to its collections.

See also

• La Malbaie
• Laure Conan

Images for kids

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  The entrance to the Musée de Charlevoix.

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  A painting by Puvis de Chavannes.