A year ago, the Legault government launched the ambitious Blue Spaces project, a network of museums that will bear witness to the history of the regions of Quebec. Welcomed by some, criticized by others, this concept raises concerns and questions, the main one being: do we need 17 new museums?
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
There is no doubt, the CAQ loves blue. After the Blue Basket, the schools of the future adorned in blue, a blue national holiday, now the Blue Spaces project is taking shape.
A year ago, on June 10, 2021, the government unveiled a vast project of museums, renamed in recent months “cultural hubs”, which will be established in the 17 major regions of Quebec. The interesting aspect of the project is based on the operation of requalified heritage buildings.
“This is the biggest cultural project of the last 40 years in Quebec,” says Stéphane Laroche, President and CEO of the Musée de la civilization de Québec (MCQ), who will act as project coordinator, particularly with regard to relating to the acquisition of buildings, their transformation into museum space and the orientation of their content. “Of course, the Maison symphonique is a big project. But that of the Blue Spaces embraces the whole territory. It’s very exciting. »
Quebec has 300 museums, exhibition centers and interpretation sites that are members of the Société des musées du Québec (SMQ). But in truth, there are more of them, because in 2019, nearly 400 museum institutions participated in the survey of the Observatory of Culture and Communications of Quebec on the attendance of museum institutions.
However, when we observe their distribution over the vast territory of the province, we realize that the reality is very different from one region to another. Some are richer than others.
A complementary network?
Could the establishment of a network of “cultural poles” with a specific mandate, that of presenting the regional heritage, unbalance the existing ecosystem? The tenors of this project ensure that this network will be complementary and developed in partnership with other regional museums.
We do not want to cannibalize what is already being done in the regions. On the contrary, we want to add, we want to complete to ensure that the Quebec network is even richer.
Stéphane Laroche, President and CEO of the Musée de la civilization de Québec (MCQ)
When this project was unveiled, the members of the Société des musées du Québec expressed certain fears, including that of seeing duplicates appear with the mandate of certain regional museums. “We said clearly that we should not put a Blue Space in a city where there is already a museum that presents the heritage of the region,” says Stéphane Chagnon, director general of the SMQ.
The SMQ is concerned about not seeing any impact studies on the arrival of these new players. “Our other concern relates to the budgets allocated to museums. Are we going to take money from Job to give it to John? »
A limited budget
A sum of 259 million has been allocated to the development of the Blue Spaces network. It will be used for the acquisition and transformation of buildings. So far, a dozen people have been hired. Other professionals will soon be added. For some observers, this sum is far from sufficient.
Marie-Claire Lévesque was Director General at the Ministry of Culture and President of the Council of Arts and Letters. The world of culture no longer holds any secrets for her. “Two hundred and fifty-nine million dollars is nothing,” she said. They won’t get far with that. With this sum, we will succeed in developing a few projects, nothing more. »
Stéphane Laroche recognizes that the sum will probably be insufficient. “Are we going to get to 17 projects with an envelope of 259 million? Maybe not,” he said.
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Image provided by the Ministry of Culture and Communications
Digital model of the Villa Frederick-James, in Percé, showing the result of the renovation work
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Image provided by the Ministry of Culture and Communications
Digital model of the Villa Frederick-James, in Percé, showing the result of the renovation work
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Quebec has already announced 21 million to transform the Frederick-James villa in Percé into Espace Bleu, which will be inaugurated in the spring of 2023 in Gaspésie, and 25 million for the site of the Vieux-Palais d’Amos, whose doors are to open a year later. late. Development work worth $47 million is also underway in the Camille-Roy pavilion of the Séminaire de Québec. This is more than a third of the budget for barely three Blue Spaces. Other announcements should take place soon, notably in Charlevoix, for an opening there at the end of 2024.
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Image provided by the Ministry of Culture and Communications
Digital model of the Camille-Roy pavilion, of the Séminaire de Québec, currently undergoing development work at a cost of 47 million
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Image provided by the Ministry of Culture and Communications
Digital model of the Camille-Roy pavilion, of the Séminaire de Québec, currently undergoing development work at a cost of 47 million
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The question of the operating budget also worries Marie-Claire Lévesque. “We must not forget that we are in the post-COVID era. We announced a lot of financial assistance. It will catch up with us. »
Stéphane Laroche also confirms that an additional sum of 34 million over four years has been released for the Blue Spaces.
Tensions between regions
Project manager of this project, the Musée de la civilization de Québec will own the buildings that will house the Blue Spaces. “In some cases, it can be a long-term or emphyteutic lease,” explains Stéphane Laroche.
Marie-Claire Lévesque judges that the nature of this project is an “insult” to professionals who work in the regions.
I find it absurd that the Musée de la civilization is named responsible for this project when regional expertise has developed in recent years.
Marie-Claire Lévesque, former Director General at the Ministry of Culture and former President of the Council of Arts and Letters
For Christine St-Pierre, official opposition spokesperson for culture, the insult is more aimed at the character of Quebec museums. “Mr. Legault presents these as places that won’t be ‘dusty and boring’. Translation: our museums are dusty, boring places. »
According to Stéphane Laroche, this project is arousing real “enthusiasm”. Without a doubt. But also tensions linked to “regional pride”. In the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, we do not like the idea that the Espace bleu of the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region be located in Percé. Mayor Jonathan Lapierre finds it hard to believe that this future museum is able to tell both the history of the Madelinots and that of the Gaspésiens.
Twelve months after its launch, the concept of Blue Spaces is slowly taking shape. “We see more clearly,” says Stéphane Chagnon. There were a lot of phone calls and meetings. There is a dialogue. But there remains a gray area as to the management model that will be adopted. How will these places be operated? Our members have a lot of questions about this. Will it be NPOs? »
The decision-making aspect is also of concern to the liberal cultural critic, Christine St-Pierre, who declared last April that these Blue Spaces “were only a political patent to please François Legault”. The member believes that a few months before the elections, this project serves certain political interests.
“We’ll tell each other, it’s political marketing,” she said. The government puts blue everywhere. […] We got our hands on the minutes of a meeting that was held in an area with officials. It says in there that it is the regional minister who will decide where the Blue Space will be erected. There are going to be big political paws in there. »
We tried to get an interview with Nathalie Roy, Minister of Culture and Communications, so that she could explain her vision for the project one year after its launch. After several days of waiting, her press secretary told us that the minister and her team were very busy. We were asked to submit our questions so that they could be answered by email. We refused.
What will we find in the Blue Spaces?
Each Blue Space will have to highlight the history of the region where it is located and will paint the portrait of certain “local prides” which have distinguished themselves in various fields such as sport, culture or business.
During the unveiling, François Legault mentioned the names of Ginette Reno, Bruny Surin or Serge Savard. “Pride is a powerful engine,” he said. Powerful for individuals, mighty for nations. I am proud to be a Quebecer, proud of our language, our culture, our history. »
As soon as the announcement was made, we learned that the Camille-Roy pavilion, of the Cité du Séminaire de Québec, will be at the head of this network which will depend on the Musée de la civilisation.
If this project involves the reuse of old buildings, it nevertheless aims for innovation and novelty. “We are developing an approach focused on the present, which will be immersive and which will give way to digital technology,” adds Stéphane Laroche, director general of the Musée de la civilisation. We want these places to be participatory, interactive, collaborative. »
The Museum is working to set up concepts that will serve the various Blue Spaces, because it should be noted that each location will offer a permanent exhibition and will host exhibitions that will travel from one pole to another. These will address identity themes such as the French language, the St. Lawrence River, Aboriginal communities or song.
Montreal will have its Blue Space
There will be a Blue Space in Montreal, confirms Stéphane Laroche, of the Museum of Civilization, but it will not settle in the old Saint-Sulpice library, which has been looking for a future for years. “Heritage places are not lacking in the metropolis,” says Mr. Laroche. There is a selection process underway. The challenge for the designers of Montreal’s Blue Space will be to establish a character that will not encroach on the mandates of the Center d’histoire de Montréal, as well as the Pointe-à-Callière and McCord museums. “Indeed, there is a great challenge there,” says Stéphane Chagnon, director general of the Société des musées du Québec. This does not seem to worry Stéphane Laroche. “We are going to do in Montreal as we do elsewhere,” he retorts. We will speak with regional partners and involve them. We will develop a clear guideline with them. »
400
Approximate number of museums, exhibition centers and interpretation sites in Quebec
More than 15 million
Number of visitors welcomed by Québec museum institutions in 2019
74%
of visitors in 2019 were hosted by the 30 most frequented institutions. The approximately 370 others shared the remaining 26%.
18%
Proportion of museum institutions in Quebec found in the Montreal region. However, they attract 45% of visitors.
68%
of member museums of the Société des musées du Québec receive an operating budget of less than $300,000.
Sources: Society of Quebec Museums and Observatory of Culture and Communications of Quebec