Quebec City’s 10 Must-Visit Contemporary Art Galleries

Centre Materia is an artist-run centre for the applied arts supported by Quebec’s Maison des Métiers d’Art. Situated on the ground floor of this multi-disciplinary formative Maison, Centre Materia contributes to the dissemination of crafts while promoting artistic research and creativity. Located in the trendy Nouvo Saint-Roch neighbourhood, this gallery showcases the creations of national and international artists, both emerging and established, in rotating exhibitions and installations. Centre Materia encourages new artistic interpretations, technique and knowhow with a unique space for sharing the work of artists who push boundaries. It also hosts an on-site art shop adjacent to the gallery.

L’Espace Contemporain gallery was born in 2005 with passion, respect for artistic creativity and the aim of promoting Quebec’s contemporary art talent. L’Espace Contemporain actually has two independent venues, one in Quebec and another in Montreal, offering the artworks of emerging and established artists from both regions along with other artists within its virtual and actual exhibition spaces. The gallery promotes experimentation and plays a leading role in researching and developing means to engage a wider audience, with the aim of making contemporary art accessible to everyone. Anet Blais, Jocelyn Blouin, Cyntia Bond, Viviane Gruais and Michel Giguère are some of the artists represented by the gallery at the moment. Courtesy of L’Espace Contemporain

Brousseau et Brousseau Gallery was created in 1974 by Raymond Brousseau with the aim of promoting Inuit art in Quebec and abroad, and has organized several exhibitions in Europe with this purpose in mind. Only 50,000 Inuit live in a vast territory of 300,000 square kilometres in Canada; the current director of the gallery, Jean-Francois Brousseau, selects the best artworks from North Canadian Inuit cooperatives, picking out those truly committed to their ancestral traditions, and helps them improve their standard of living in the Canadian Arctic. The gallery displays impressive animals sculpted from regional stone along with a number of contemporary artworks inspired by spirits, shamanism and Inuit legend.

Galerie Factory is devoted to young and dynamic contemporary artworks. It represents emerging and established talents, who can create their work here, meet their clients and take part in the art space’s different events in order to ensure a better promotion of their work. Artists such as Jypé, Cynthia Coulombe Bégin, Annie Levesque, Matthieu Laca or Danyelle Bachand are some of the talents represented by Galeries Factory, whose ultlimate mission is to democratize art and facilitate its acquisition. Factory is housed in an exceptional venue in the vibrant Nouvo Saint-Roch neighbourhood and boasts a modern approach to art, as well as a symbiotic relationship with artists.

Rue du Trésor can be defined as an open-air contemporary art gallery. Situated in a narrow pedestrian alley in the heart of the old city, its origins date back to the 1960s, when several arts students featured their works along the walls of the street. Since then, many emerging artists of the city have followed suit and Rue du Trésor has become a renowned artsy spot in Quebec. More than 30 local artists show their work in this lively street, in semi-permanent exhibitions and regulated activities, as the artists have formed an independent non-profit association (Association des Artistes de la Rue du Trésor). The techniques used by these artists span etching, painting and offset, silkscreen and watercolour. This is a good place to find local art at reasonable prices and talk to the artists about their work.

Galerie Perreault is located in the heart of Old Quebec City and hosts vivid paintings from the most eminent artists of the local scene, including Michel Leroux, Anne Marrec, Sylvain Tremblay or Corno. Paying homage to the beauty, the colours and the identity of Quebec, Galerie Perrault is an attractive place for collectors and amateurs. It showcases true gems of Quebec’s heritage, where contemporary creations appear together with the great names of 20th century art, such as Marc-Aurèle Fortin or Jean-Paul Lemieux. The gallery also has a second venue, only a few blocks away, at Rue Saint-Paul.

Galerie Linda Verge presents promising contemporary artists alongside creatives with established reputations. For over 30 years, this gallery has been showcasing paintings, works on paper and sculptures, allowing visitors to admire and appreciate the different forms and trends in contemporary art. Housed in a spacious venue with two floors, the art space is bathed in an atmosphere of reverence and intimacy. Artists such as Cécile Cyr, Gérard Dansereau and Raymonde Duchesne are regular fixtures at the gallery, whose owner, Linda Verge, holds the prestigious medal of l’Académie Royale des Arts du Canada for her contribution to the arts.

Galerie Michel Guimont hosts a selection of contemporary artists from Quebec and Canada, both established and emerging. With both temporary solo exhibitions and its permanent collection, the gallery displays contemporary pieces alongside historic artworks, embracing painting, sculpture and photography. Danielle April, Carol Bernier, Dan Brault and Janine Carreau are a few of the artists exhibiting their works here in the heart of the Old Port of Quebec. Galerie Michel Guimont is a vibrant cultural spot, devoted to exhibiting contemporary Canadian art for over 30 years now.

Lacerte Art Contemporain is a renowned contemporary art gallery in Quebec, named after its former owner, Madelaine Lacerte. Created in the 1980s, Madame Lacerte’s son, Louis Lacerte, joined the gallery at a later stage and has steered it ever since, retaining a continuous commitment to support established artists and discover new talents, both national and international. The gallery has participated in prestigious art fairs around the world and has hosted more than 300 solo exhibitions, showcasing the works of the most prominent Quebec artists.

In 1993, Marc Beauchamp and his wife Claudette opened the first Beauchamp gallery. Nowadays, the family owns seven prestigious galleries in Quebec City, which are opened seven days a week and represent over 250 artists. Since 2004, Galerie d’Art Beauchamp Contemporain has been located in a centuries-old historic building in Quebec City’s Old Port, and offers a unique selection of contemporary realist artists, both emerging and established. This gallery has a sister art space in the neighbourhood: a second venue was opened by the same owners, encouraged by an increasing demand for artworks and the energy of a new generation of artists.