The Musée
History
History of the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal
The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal was founded by the Québec government in 1964, at the instigation of artists and collectors who wanted to see an institution established to build a collection of contemporary works by artists from Montréal, Québec, Canada and around the world.
The Musée opened to the public in March 1965 in temporary premises at Place Ville-Marie. It was housed at Château Dufresne from 1965 to 1968, when it moved to the Expo 67 Gallery of International Art, at Cité du Havre. In 1983, the museum was made a provincially owned corporation with the following mission: “To make known, promote and preserve contemporary Québec art and to ensure a place for international contemporary art through acquisitions, exhibitions and other cultural activities.”
Truly a museum for the twenty-first century, the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal stands right next to Place des Festivals, in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles and on the Place des Arts site. It is part of Canada’s only cultural complex devoted to both the performing and visual arts.
Canada’s premier museum dedicated exclusively to contemporary art, the Musée offers a varied program ranging from presentations of its Permanent Collection to temporary exhibitions of works by Québec, Canadian and international artists. The Permanent Collection comprises nearly 7,600 works, including the largest collection of art by Paul-Émile Borduas. With the support of its Education and Documentation Service, the museum presents a host of educational activities familiarizing the general public with contemporary art. It also stages numerous multimedia eventsperformances, contemporary music, video, film—further fulfilling its mission of promoting contemporary art.
Directors
- Guy Robert
1964−1966 - Guy Viau (interim)
1966 - Gilles Hénault
1966−1971 - Henri Barras
1971−1972 - Fernande Saint-Martin
1972−1977 - Louise Letocha
1977−1982 - André Ménard
1982−1985 - Marcel Brisebois
1985−2004 - Marc Mayer
2004−2008 - Monique Gauthier (interim)
2009 - Paulette Gagnon
2009−
The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal is a provincially owned corporation funded by the Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine du Québec. It receives additional funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts.
Major Partner of Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal
To Find Out More: Collection Loto-Québec – Major partner
© 2013 Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal