Depth, design, delight: How Montreal Museum of Fine Arts educates and inspires viewers
In this photo essay series from Montreal’s Museum of Fine Arts, we showcase more art exhibits through the ages, and curator insights.
Launched in 2014, PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the earlier 885 posts, we featured an art festival, cartoon gallery. world music festival, telecom expo, millets fair, climate change expo, wildlife conference, startup festival, Diwali rangoli, and jazz festival.
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) has a vast collection that showcases Canadian heritage, indigenous art and international culture. It spans around 47,000 items–paintings, sculptures, photographs, multimedia installations, and decorative art objects.
In this photo essay, we highlight three of MMFA’s current exhibitions: Two by Two, Together; Worlds of Wonder: The Surrealist Journey of Alan Glass; and Berthe Weill, Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-garde. See our earlier coverage of MMFA’s exhibitions from 2018 onwards here.
MMFA is a community hub as well as a provider of art therapy, with a wide range of collaborations for education, health and technology. The museum’s leadership strongly believes in the transformative power of art towards creating a more inclusive, accessible and just world.
The exhibition titled Two by Two, Together features new additions in each of MMFA’s collecting domains. As can be seen in this photo essay, they span a wide range of cultures, eras and themes. Featured artists include William Brymner, Wanda Koop, and Claude Tousignant, along with graphic works by Rembrandt and items from early Chinese dynasties.
Surrealism artist Alan Glass, whose works are featured in an ongoing exhibition, was so inspired by Mexico’s customs and ritualistic items that he moved there in 1962. His travels also took him later to India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
“This posthumous retrospective brings to the fore Glass’ singular work, steeped in fantasy, that speaks to a rare talent and inventiveness for assemblage art and drawing,” says Elisabeth Otto, Assistant Curator of Quebec and Canadian Art at the MMFA, and curator of the exhibition.
MMFA also presented a series of surrealist films selected by Kristoffer Noheden, co-curator of the exhibition. Family activities included Enchanting Curiosities, a creative workshop themed on surrealist works.
Among the featured art dealers of yesteryears, Berthe Weill met Pablo Picasso in 1901. She featured the Catalan artist’s paintings and drawings in a number of exhibitions for over three decades.
She also exhibited several artists who adopted the geometric vocabulary of Cubism. They include Fernand Léger, Albert Gleizes and Jean Metzinger.
“Over the years, the MMFA has organised several exhibitions dedicated to the avant-garde movements of the early 20th century. It has also made it a mission to showcase the work of women artists and designers,” MMFA Director Stéphane Aquin signs off.
Now what have you done today to pause in your busy schedule and harness your creative side for a better world?
(All photographs were taken by Madanmohan Rao on location at MMFA.)