The Galerie de l’UQAM is a university art gallery committed to research and the production of knowledge through exhibitions, public programs and a diverse range of publications. It exhibits mainly contemporary art from Quebec, elsewhere in Canada and abroad. The majority of its exhibitions are curated by recognized professionals and produced by the Galerie. It investigates various concerns connected with the work of established artists, at the same time giving attention to emerging currents and the work of students in the visual and media arts, art history and museology. The Galerie also has a mandate to conserve, manage and disseminate the Collection d’œuvres d’art de l’UQAM, composed of over 4,000 mostly contemporary Canadian artworks, which originated as a donation from the École des beaux-arts de Montréal.
The Galerie contributes to the training of students and young professionals in art, art history and museology. To provide experience in preparation for life in the world of art, it cooperates in the dissemination of research and artistic creations by students enrolled in the Université’s visual arts, art history and museology programs, and presents a schedule of creative projects emanating from the master’s and doctoral programs in these disciplines. Furthermore, the Galerie seeks to present innovative, exploratory activities related to both incipient and fully developed artistic practices, assisting artists and curators with exhibition design and installation. The Galerie increasingly emphasizes the need to preserve a record of the content of these events and thus fosters the writing and promotion of high-level specialized publications, which are distributed in America and Europe and listed in various international contemporary art directories.
An enclave in the Université du Québec à Montréal (40,000 students and 4,500 employees) – located in downtown Montreal’s Latin Quarter, surrounded by museums, artist-run centres, libraries, theatres, cinemas and cafés – the Galerie receives visitors not only from the university community but also a more specialized public attracted within its perimeter because of the presence of numerous cultural organizations, as well as the general public that throngs the downtown area. Admission is free.
The Galerie is closely tied in to the museological network by its structure and the people involved in its development. As a member of the Société des musées québécois (SMQ), the Canadian Museums Association (CMA), the Canadian Museum Directors Organization (CAMDO), the International Committee for University Museums and Collections (UMAC), the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art (CIMAM), the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and, more recently, as cofounder of the Association de galeries d’art universitaires du Québec, the Galerie is part of the specialized network linking the Canadian and international museum community.
In addition to the operating and programming budget allocated by the Université, the Galerie’s activities are subsidized by the Canada Council for the Arts and, in specific instances, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Department of Canadian Heritage, as well as various organizations and Quebec and Canadian government bodies.
