Artists and Artisans Invade Mont-Royal Avenue Through Mid-September

FILE: Mount Royal. Looking east, towards Olympic Stadium, June 2007. (Photo by Shawn Goldwater/Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)

Arts and culture play an important role in bringing our community together. The Government of Canada is always ready to support events that allow artists and citizens to connect.

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, announced today that $78,500 will be invested in Odace Événements to support the organization’s reimagining of 2.5 km of a pedestrian walkway on Mont-Royal Avenue in Montréal, running from mid-July to mid-September.

Of this amount, $62,800 will come from the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Program’s Local Festivals Component, while $15,700 will come from the COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations.

This funding will allow local artists and artisans to transform Mont-Royal Avenue, using their own artistic inspiration to breathe life into the street and offer pedestrians a unique, creative experience.

Quotes

“Year after year, Odace Events brings together a host of artists and artisans in a variety of public spaces around the city to entertain residents and visitors. The festival features large works of art, original musical performances and photo exhibitions.

I am proud that our government is helping provide regional artists an opportunity to take back their city for a few weeks each year once again this summer.”

– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage

“In this urban experiment, the challenge was to recreate and preserve meaningful human experiences, while respecting physical distancing. Mont-Royal Avenue is known for its large gatherings, artistic flair and citizens’s proximity with local artists.”

– Claude Rainville, Executive Director, Société de développement de l’avenue du Mont-Royal

Quick facts

• Odace Événements designs and hosts urban arts and cultural events. It encourages interaction between the public and artists. Its various initiatives help encourage civic participation, ensure that cultural life in the neighbourhood is driven by the community and that the Plateau-Mont-Royal is bustling.
• The project will run until the fall, allowing Montrealers to rediscover a 2.5 km fully redeveloped pedestrian stretch on Mont-Royal Avenue. The programming includes: a giant fresco depicted in 32 paintings; two large publicly accessible works of art; eight sites developed by local design firms for citizens to wander or rest; an outdoor exhibition with 50 large-format photos; an illuminated aerial art installation; a soundtrack created specifically for the avenue by three deejays; a mapping and outdoor-projection activity; and pop-up musical performances on building balconies along Mont-Royal Avenue.
• The Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage program supports activities designed for the public that celebrate local historical heritage along with local artists and artisans. The program offers local artists, artisans, heritage performers and specialists more opportunities to engage in their communities through festivals, events and a variety of other projects.
• The Government of Canada recently launched a $500-million Emergency Support Fund as temporary assistance to help relieve the financial pressures facing cultural, heritage and sporting organizations resulting from major losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding will help the organizations affected retain jobs and maintain operations.