An art show worth traveling for

By Walter J. Lyng, August 15th, 2012

For years, the town of Ste. Marguerite du Lac Masson has harboured a rich artistic tradition championed chiefly by resident artist Jean-Paul Riopellel. Following in his legacy and the vision of a local art enthusiast, the community has for several years hosted La Farandole des Arts Visuels - a symposium recognized as one of the best of its kind by L'Académie Internationale des Beaux-Arts du Québec.
“Ste. Marguerite had a lady named Louise Gagnon who had a very strong interest in the arts and we know that in this area, Riopelle was actually in business at Bistro Champlain,” says Phil Emond, member of La Farandole's working committee. “Today, 10 years later, we're proud that the show goes on. This year, we're particularly proud to make it an international art show. We now have artists from outside Canada exhibiting their work.
“Riopelle spent a great deal of time in this city so this is where we're promoting his work as well as the work of other artists in Quebec. One of the visions that Riopelle had was to make Ste. Marguerite a place for artists. We're very honoured that there's some history there. In fact, his little studio is still there and his wife is still in the house they lived in.”
In total, the show will feature the work of 70 artists, comprised of paintings, sculpture and photography. And as Emond explains, visitors going to the exhibit can look forward to an interactive experience that they may well have never seen before.
“It's an opportunity to meet artists from Quebec, Canada and around the world and to have a chat with them,” he says. “You're not just going to a gallery. You're going to have a physical exchange with the artist. Some of the artists will be painting on site. You can find out what the story is behind a canvas.”
Among some of the special guests on hand will be Umberto Bruni, an international artist from Montreal and former art teacher from l'École des Beaux-Arts du Québec; Charles Carson, winner of the Vincent van Gogh award in Italy for exceptional creativity; Claude Brosseau, International sculptor from the Laurentians; and local artist Gordon Harrison who will be signing his new book, The Colours of Canada.
The exhibit is located at 414 Barron Louis-Empain Road. For more information, visit www.farandoledesartsvisuels.com