Artists, artisans, fashion designers, and other creators on Parthenais Street open the doors of their ateliers for exhibits-sales. The next event will take place in fall 2020 (dates to be confirm) on Parthenais Street in La Grover, the Chat des artistes and the Coopérative Lézarts.
This event is exceptional as more than 100 creators grant access to their places of work and creation. Located in three different buildings, discover the places of birth of their work. There is something to suit all tastes !
Since 1994, the Grover factory (a four-stories industrial building) counts the largest number of ateliers for artists, artisans, and cultural workers in the district.
Inaugurated in 2008, the Chat des Artistes is located just a few steps north of the Grover building. It has 40 ateliers spread over 3 floors.
Across the street, the Coopérative d’habitation d’artistes Lézarts presents a selection of work from its 33 residents in its art gallery.
Since 1972, Jean-Claude Poitras has been creating a remarkable work. As a Canadian fashion leader and an ambassador recognised worldwide, he has presented his collections on the greatest international catwalks. He has won national and international recognition, from Moda del Amo Awards in California to Fil d’or in Monte-Carlo, and from ARC Award in Toronto to La Griffe d’or in Montreal. He has received the National Order of Quebec and the Order of Canada. Throughout his career, his communication skills have led him to have a high media profile. As a speaker and columnist, he acts as an art of living guide and shares his love of beauty with a large audience. In view of his prolific career, he says that he now has « a story to tell, a heritage to bequeath, and a work to carry on ». On his own, he embodies the diversity and proliferation of the arts that are represented by La Virée des Ateliers.
As early as 2009, the borough of Ville-Marie claimed that a cultural creation hub existed in the Faubourgs. The borough has recognised culture as a driving force for the economic development of the districts of Sainte-Marie and Saint-Jacques. This recognition was strengthened by the establishment of the Plan particulier d’urbanisme (PPU, or urban special planning): the zoning has confirmed the status of Parthenais Street as an employment area, namely because of its high concentration of cultural workers. The Faubourgs show a great level of entrepreneurial vitality in the fields of arts and culture. More than 300 organizations, companies, and venues can be found in the Faubourgs, with approximately 7,500 people working in the great sector of cultural economy. The Faubourgs count many boutiques-ateliers and shops that open up onto the street.
This unique creation hub constitutes a choice experimental lab for up-and-coming artists and the avant-garde. At the heart of the hub, Parthenais Street has become a nerve centre. It stands out with its high concentration of ateliers and workshops. La Grover and the Chat des artistes are breeding grounds for contemporary creation in Montreal. As for the Coop Lézarts, it affirms its creative mission by combining an art gallery, residences, and production workshops.
To find out more about Lezarts and La Chaufferie, Chat des Artistes and Grover, go to the CARTESIAN SPIRIT!
photographs : Jasmin Le Blanc