Montérégie artists honored

This text is part of the special Culture Montérégie notebook

During the evening of the 22^e edition of the Montérégie arts and culture awards, which was held on May 14, several winners were awarded prizes which celebrate either their career as artists or writers, or one of their works in particular . Portraits of five creative and thoughtful women.

TVRS Digital Price | Culture Montérégie

The artist Paulette-Marie Sauvé is rewarded for her work-installation Vibrations on fibers 23 .

For his work-installation project Vibrations on fibers 23, Paulette-Marie Sauvé used an ancient technique, weaving, to make it avant-garde, which “certainly attracted spectators who, from the outset, might not have been interested in textiles” , she says. Passionate about this technique and the idea of ​​developing it, the artist was inspired by her series of works created with microelectronic elements and made it interactive. Thanks to plastic filaments that conduct light rays and microcontrollers, the ends of the wires are activated by the sound emitted by the spectator, lighting up in their presence. “I have worked, in my life, with all kinds of wool from all over the world. Today, I am interested in animating textiles. »

The interactive aspect of the result perhaps explains, according to the artist, why the jury chose his project for this prize, which highlights the innovative side of digital works by Montérégie artists. Living on a farm in this region where, with her husband, she raises sheep, M^me Sauvé began, some time ago, to produce her own textile dye from flowers she grows. “I am continually working on new projects. At the moment, I am looking at the subject of biodiversity,” explains the artist, visibly of his time.

Arlette-Cousture Prize from the Association of Authors of Montérégie

With his first novel, Mrs WermerGabrielle Chevarier begins to reflect on existence and what it means to succeed in life.

Being a winner of the Arlette-Cousture prize, which highlights the excellence of fiction for adults and the talent of authors from Montérégie, Gabrielle Chevarier saw it as if it were aligned with the work she put in to write his first novel, Mrs Werner. “The idea for this book dates back more than ten years and it took me five years to write it. It was an obsession! »

In Leipzig, Germany, Andréa, a world-famous singer, loses her voice during a concert. Back in Quebec, she settles in the family home in the countryside, deserted since the death of her mother-in-law, Madame Werner, and then fears becoming like her, a dull, empty, voiceless woman, a female model the opposite of her aspirations, but also passionate about music. The slowness of his new life leads him to revisit his relationship with music and existence. “What does it mean to succeed in life? This is a bit the question that my novel poses through a reflection on music,” she says. The character will thus come to terms with the idea that her mother-in-law perhaps experienced music in a much more true way than she did, who had made it a tool to shine socially. “Thanks to contact with the beauty of music, which she had forgotten, she will be reborn in another way. »

The author played the violin for a long time, but an operation forced her to stop. “I have often wondered if music would have given me what I thought it would give me, namely this feeling of beauty. But it’s a fierce, competitive environment, and in the long run we can lose contact with this beauty, as happens to my character. »

M^me Chevarier is currently writing an essay on the disease, as she has major back problems and suffers from chronic pain. “It’s a reflection on what it’s like to live with illness,” she says. My writing has long been a way of reflecting on an existence that we have not always chosen and that we are obliged to lead. »

Bernadette-Renaud Prize from the Association of Authors of Montérégie

Valérie Fiset-Sauvageau wishes that her children’s fiction novel Last departure, 2:45 p.m. enters schools to support teachers in their teaching of French.

The author loves fantasy, wonder, science fiction. “Imaginary literature inspires me, regardless of the audience for which I write.” Last departure2:45 p.m. is also aimed at a wide audience, young people, adolescents and even CEGEP students or adults learning French.

The OserLire collection in which it is published by Bayard Canada, aims to motivate people who are learning the language to read, regardless of their skill level. “I offer two versions of my story, one simplified and the other with more advanced language. I include real-life situations so readers learn useful terms and there is a built-in lexicon. »

In this short 74-page novel, a mystery looms. Damienne, who works at the bus terminal, decides to accompany an old lady who is traveling alone. At one point, the woman disappears and Damienne must solve this enigma. “Everything is there to make the reader want to continue reading! » Written during the pandemic, “the story is also intended to be a remedy for loneliness” and a way to bring gentleness to the reader.

The author hopes that this prize, which highlights the excellence of children’s fiction and the talent of authors from Montérégie, will breathe new life into her novel. “I would like him to enter schools and help teachers with their teaching. » In addition to writing, M^me Fiset-Sauvageau works at the Boucherville library and is studying to become a librarian.

Heritage Prize | Culture Montérégie

The time capsule that young people made with their visual arts teacher will be opened on June 24, 2041, on the occasion of the 375^e anniversary of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

The project Vision of the past was born from the mission assigned to the 80 students in the arts profile of the Docteur-Alexis-Bouthillier secondary school in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu by the mayor of the city, Andrée Bouchard.

Visits to the Musée du Haut-Richelieu and Vieux-Saint-Jean, urban drawings, ceramics, photographs… the students benefited from theoretical, practical and creative workshops spread over eight months, with local artists and historians, to create their works representing the built heritage of Vieux-Saint-Jean and exhibit them at the Musée du Haut-Richelieu in March 2023. Their works will be sealed in a time capsule, the Museum vault, which will be opened on June 24, 2041, at the used 375^e anniversary of the city.

“The young people remained motivated thanks to the fun and authentic aspect of the project,” explains Linda Touchette, visual arts teacher at the school, who designed and carried out the project in collaboration with the Musée du Haut-Richelieu. The quality of the works they produced is colored by this. » The reunion of 375^e anniversary of the city also aroused the interest of the students. “They will then be on average 32 years old! » And they are proud that their achievements are now in digital books in the library catalog.

If the professor is happy with the result, she admits to having worked hard to Vision of the past. “It was like managing an SME at the same time as being a teacher! » The awards won so far and his appointment as spokesperson for Montérégie Culture Days 2024 are “a good pat on the back”.

The prize grant, which aims to highlight the rich heritage of the region and reward initiatives allowing citizens to appropriate this heritage, will bring the school closer to its wish to purchase a ceramic kiln. “With the scholarships won and the one to come, we will get there,” rejoices M^me Touchette.

Télé-Québec Relève Prize

The young author Fanie Demeule will publish this summer a historical story giving pride of place to the supernatural and the Madelinot imagination.

The Relève Télé-Québec prize, which supports and highlights the excellence of the work of an artist at the start of their career, was won by Fanie Demeule. She wanted to obtain it, among other things, to have the privilege of having her portrait taken by La Fabrique culturelle, one of the rewards offered to the winner. “The portraits that this team creates are magnificent and in keeping with the spirit of the artist represented there. It’s a great showcase for me! » she enthuses.

After two first autofiction novels, two others of anticipation and science fiction, a short illustrated novel and a collection of short stories, the author, inspired by family ties, filiation and heritage, will publish in August Fortune tootha historical story “inspired by the history of [ses] great-grandparents, and which gives pride of place to the supernatural and the Madelinot imagination.” Another novel, sort of fantasy dark, almost a horror novel, is also planned for winter. “I am inspired by mythology, legends, ghosts. They are good tools for exploring the human psyche and the themes that interest me, such as grief that does not want to go away, attachment to things and people that we do not want to let go of, for example. »

If the author feels an attachment to everything she has written, she is particularly proud of Natural light red, her second novel, because the premise, a lie about a hair color, “was quite thin”, but it “managed to convey the state of the character”. She admits, however, that it is Highlands who most resembles him. “Everything that fascinates me is there. Scotland, the fantastic, the disturbing strangeness, the supernatural, the imagination of legends. This is my favorite book to write. »

In addition to these book projects, the author is scripting her novel Mukbang for a series of eight short episodes which will be directed by Kevin T. Landry. “I am very satisfied with everything that is happening to me and if I allow myself to dream again, I would very much like to have a European readership! »

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