Treat yourself to a wonderful bouquet of cultural activities on offer in Quebec museums this spring!
Nathalie Lampron, museologist & writer
Are the longer days and early blooms making you itch to go outside and experience new things? Make sure to add Quebec's museums to your agenda! You couldn’t pick a better destination to liven up your spring with surprising discoveries, awaken your senses and satisfy your curiosity.
Capture the brilliance of unique voices
In Montérégie, at the Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, (re)discover the words and music of the great Félix Leclerc. A resident of Vaudreuil for over 20 years, he wrote many of the pieces of his remarkable repertoire here. With the Les accords de Félix exhibition, the museum invites you to explore the creative world of this pioneer of Quebec popular music. A pure delight for the ears!
Did you know that women played an essential–but totally overlooked—role in the city's important music industry? Visit the Musée des ondes Emile Berliner in Montréal, to learn all about the precious contributions that women made to this line of business, from activists who worked in record manufacturing factories to famous women singers who recorded in Montréal.
In the same city, at the Phi Foundation for Contemporary Art exhibition space, delve into the immersive installation FEELING HER WAY, created by the British Afro-Caribbean artist Sonia Boyce around exceptional vocal performances. Set in a rich visual and sound environment, the work evokes an improvisation session featuring four renowned Black female vocal soloists. These women’s incomparable voices resonate together in solidarity and freedom. A vibrant experience!
Marvel at the subtleties of inspiring artistic duos
Come visit the Résonance solo & duo exhibition at the Centre d'exposition de Val-David to discover works by the glass sculptor duo made up of Susan Edgerley and Donald Robertson. Their subtle practice is guided by a search for balance. A moving experience in which the alternately solid and aerial character of the glass evokes the forces of yin and yang!
A colourful and fun world awaits you at Espace culturel du Quartier Saint-Nicolas, in Lévis, in the Chaudière-Appalaches region. With the exhibition Constructions multicolores ou ton trésor public s’est perdu en chemin, the artists Olivier Moisan-Dufour and Sarah L’Hérault present revisited sculptures, surprising creations that invite us to view our everyday trash in a new light.
At the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, come admire the artworks of two masters of 20th century art. The exhibition Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore: Giants of Modern Art proposes a dialogue between the works of the American painter and British sculptor that testifies to the close link between humans and nature. An illuminating double perspective!
Share your love of art
In the mood for an intergenerational activity? Head for the Foreman Art Gallery in Sherbrooke, in the Eastern Townships, to visit the new publics exhibition Celestial Mechanics. The artist Diane Landry transforms everyday objects and recycled materials—such as bicycle rims or simple water bottles—into kinetic, poetic works animated by movement, light, sound and video. An invitation to sit down with young people and talk about our lifestyles and the effects of time that passes more or less rapidly.
Would you like to get your hands dirty and create something of your own? The Art Hive welcomes you with open arms! Held every first Sunday of the month at the Musée des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke,this workshop presents a theme suggested by a work in the collection. Choose whatever you wish from the available materials to make your own art!
Uncover the secrets of natural forces
Are you an animal enthusiast who wants to find out more about the local fauna? Head to the Musée de la biodiversité du Québec, in Bécancour, Centre-du-Québec, to visit the exhibition Bruns, blancs, noirs : les ours du Canada (Brown, White, Black: Canada’s Bears). Particularly sensitive to changes in their environment— transformations to which humans are no strangers —these animals are in danger. Discover the secrets of this impressive animal force, which inspires both fear and respect.
Along similar lines, at Minéro — Musée de Thetford | KB3 in the Chaudière-Appalaches region, other animals emblematic of Canadian wildlife are featured in the exhibition Panaches : caribous et autres cervidés (Antlers: Caribou and other Cervidae). This interactive display will teach you how these mammals—so essential for Indigenous peoples—fit into the ecosystem, what dangers threaten them, and how moose, caribou, elk and deer have inspired many artists.
Are you passionate about aquatic wildlife and sport fishing? Head out to the Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke, where the exhibition Fishing Stories playfully explores the many angles this subject can be approached from. While you are there, make sure to not miss the taxidermic collection on view in the permanent exhibition Alteranima.
Many other activities are flourishing in Quebec museums this spring. Don't hesitate to consult the program of your favourite museum institution, or to get ideas for outings on Les musées du Québec Facebook page!
