Visual Arts Gala - Association des galeries d’art contemporain

Visual Arts Gala

2011, 2012 & 2014

From 2011 to 2014, the Visual Arts Gala honoured the excellence and outstanding work of stakeholders from Quebec’s vibrant artistic scene.

This festive evening fostered and solidified the connections in the visual arts community, while underlining the efforts and talents invested by everyone under a common cause: the growing development of our rich and diverse contemporary art scene.

In the spirit of a new collaboration, the Visual Arts Gala 2014 was organized by AGAC, the Regroupement des centres d’artistes autogérés du Québec (RCAAQ) and the Regroupement des artistes en arts visuels du Québec (RAAV).

Credit: Guy L’Heureux

2011

This first edition was honouring the exceptional work of those involved in our sector, in addition to bringing national visibility to the visual arts community. The ceremony was hosted by actor Emmanuel Bilodeau, punctuated by performances by Jérôme Minière, Thierry Marceau, Sylvie Laliberté, Massimo Guerrera and DJ Mini. The Doyon-Rivest duo designed the Scarves given to the winners as trophies during the evening.

Date : December 13, 2011

Venue: Théâtre Rialto

Hosting: Emmanuel Bilodeau

Scarves: Doyon-Rivest

2011 Winners

Best Exhibition – Private gallery: Petit losange laqué veiné of Valérie Blass – PARISIAN LAUNDRY

Best Exhibition – Artists-run center: Dans le ventre de la baleine of Marie-Claude Bouthillier – Optica, un centre d’art contemporain

Best Exhibition – Museum Institution: Anri Sala – Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal / Curator: Marie Fraser

Best Exhibition – Cultural Center, Municipal Cultural Center, Exhibition Center: Jenny Holtzer – DHC/ART Fondation pour l’art contemporain / Curator: initiated by Elizabeth Smith and taken over in Montreal by John Zeppetelli

Best Regional Exhibition: Des objets sur des tables of Alexandre David – EXPRESSION, Centre d’exposition de Saint-Hyacinthe

Best Art Event: PAPIER11 Art Fair – Contemporary Art Galleries Association

Gallery Owner of the Year: Pierre-François Ouellette, Pierre-François Ouellette art contemporain

Curator of the Year: Nicole Gingras

Young Curator of the Year: Marie-Ève Beaupré

Blogger of the Year: Christian Messier, Punctum arts visuels

Art Critic / Journalist of the Year – Mass Media: Marie-Ève Charron, Le Devoir

Art Critic of the Year – Specialized media: Anne-Marie Ninacs

Pierre-Ayot Award 2011: Olivia Boudreau

Louis-Comtois Award 2011: Marie-Claude Bouthillier

Tribute to a Member of the Art Community: Louise Déry

Jean Paul Riopelle Career Grant – CALQ: Pierre Blanchette

2012

This festive and unifying evening brought together the main stakeholders in the visual arts community to honour the talent and efforts invested by everyone in a common cause: the promotion of visual arts. The evening was hosted by Patrick Masbourian and was punctuated by an artistic musical performance by singer-songwriter Pierre Lapointe. The scenography was created by sculptor Michel Goulet.

Date: December 12, 2012

Venue: Théâtre Outremont

Hosting: Patrick Masbourian

Scarves: Marie-Claude Bouthillier

2012 Winners

Best Exhibition – Private Gallery: Split de Alexandre David – PARISIAN LAUNDRY

Best Exhibition – Artists-run center: Archi-féministes ! : Archiver le corps (group exhibition: Olivia Boudreau, Sorel Cohen, Raphaëlle de Groot, Suzy Lake, Claire Savoie and Jana Sterbak) – Optica, un centre d’art contemporain / Curators : Marie-Ève Charron, Marie-Josée Lafortune, Thérèse St-Gelais

Best Exhibition – Museum Institution: Valérie Blass – Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal / Curator: Lesley Johnstone

Best Exhibition – Municipal Arts Center, Cultural Arts Center, Exhibition Center: Du haut de mon sous-sol of Eric Lamontagne – Maison des arts de Laval – Salle Alfred Pellan

Best Exhibition – Outside Montreal: David Lafrance – Ouvert la nuit – Musée régional de Rimouski / Curator: Andréanne Roy

Best Visual Art Event: Triennale québécoise 2011. Le travail qui nous attend – Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal / Curators: Marie Fraser, chief curator, with Lesley Johnstone, Mark Lanctôt, François LeTourneux and Louise Simard

Galerist of the Year: Joyce Yahouda, Galerie Joyce Yahouda

Best Curatorial Project – Curator of the Year: John Zeppetelli – Chroniques d’une disparition (group exhibition), DHC/ART

Best Curatorial Project – Emerging Curator of the Year: Andréanne Roy – David Lafrance – Ouvert la nuit – Musée régional de Rimouski

Best Review – Author of the Year: Marie-Ève Charron, Le Monde foisonnant de Patrice Duhamel, March 24 and 25, 2012, Le Devoir

Best Essay – Author of the Year: Anne-Marie Ninacs – Désirer voir (Lucidité. Vues de l’intérieur), 2011, Le Mois de la Photo à Montréal

Best Publication: Catherine Bolduc. Mes châteaux d’art et autres fabulations 1996-2012 – EXPRESSION, Centre d’exposition de Saint-Hyacinthe and Maison des arts de Laval, 2012 / Artistic direction: Geneviève Goyer-Ouimette

Tribute to an Individual for their Exceptional Contribution to the Visual Arts Community: Phoebe Greenberg

Public Art Award: Mélangez le tout de Cooke-Sasseville – Centre communautaire Jean-Claude Malépart, Montréal (2011). Public Art Collection of the Ville de Montréal.

Pierre-Ayot Award 2012: Jacynthe Carrier

Louis-Comtois Award 2012: Jean-Pierre Gauthier

Jean Paul Riopelle Career Grant– CALQ: COZIC

2014

This third edition of the Visual Arts Gala was produced in concert by AGAC, the RCAAQ and the RAAV. The evening was once again hosted by Patrick Masbourian, punctuated by artistic and musical performances including Klô Pelgag, Martin Lizotte, Étienne Boulanger, Donzelle and the Abdigradationnistes.

A vibrant tribute was paid to Françoise Sullivan for her exceptional contribution to the community, her commitment and her remarkable achievements in the visual arts during her career.

Date: December 10, 2014

Venue: Théâtre Rialto

Hosting: Patrick Masbourian

Scarves: COZIC

2014 Winners

Best Curatorial Project – Emerging Curator of the Year: Anne-Marie St-Jean Aubre, Re : Faire comme si… – Maison des arts de Laval

Best Curatorial Project – Curator of the Year: Vincent Bonin, D’un discours qui ne serait pas du semblant / Actors, Networks, Theories – Leonard & Bina Ellen Gallery, in collaboration with Dazibao

Best Essay – Author of the Year: Bernard Schütze, L’artiste inconnu = The Unknown Artist – Centre des arts actuels SKOL 2013

Best Publication: La doublure of Sébastien Cliche and Charles Guilbert – Centre d’art de diffusion CLARK, 2014

Public Art Award: Courtepointe of Philippe Allard et Justin Duchesneau – Fonderie Darling 2012

Best Visual Art Event: Utopies rurales I, Clairière – Art et Nature, 2013 / Curators: Jacqueline Bouchard, Philippe Boissonnet and Serge Giguère – Artistic direction: Dominique Laquerre

Best Exhibition in Museums, University Gallery, Foundation – All categories: Les matins infidèles. L’art du protocole (group exhibition) – Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec / Curator: Bernard Lamarche

Best Exhibition in Museums, University Gallery, Foundation – Quebec art: L’oscillation du visible of Olivia Boudreau – Leonard & Bina Ellen Gallery / Curator: Michèle Thériault

Best Exhibition – Non-profit art spaces: Jean-Pierre Gauthier. Ceci n’est pas une machine – EXPRESSION, Centre d’exposition de Saint-Hyacinthe / Curator: Marie-Ève Beaupré

Best Event or Exhibition in Artist-run Center – Montreal: Écritures publiques, DARE-DARE / Artists: Geneviève Amyot, Nicolas Brossard, Sylvie Laliberté, Hélène Matte, Jeanne Painchaud and Carl Trahan

Best Event or Exhibition in Artist-run Center – Quebec and Regions: Faire avec, Admare, Véronique Leblanc

Best Solo Exhibition – Private Gallery: Nicolas Baier, Galerie Division

Best Group Exhibition – Private Gallery: Peinture extrême – Cadrer le tout, Galerie Trois Points / Curator: Maude P. Hénaire

Pierre-Ayot Award 2014: Julie Favreau

Louis-Comtois Award 2014: Patrick Bernatchez

Jean Paul Riopelle Career Grant – CALQ: Diane Landry

Tribute to an Individual for their Exceptional Contribution to the Visual Arts Community: Françoise Sullivan