University and College Art Galleries | Little-known Exhibition Venues

While they are numerous in the cultural landscape and one of the lungs of contemporary and current art, they are also the great forgotten ones. What are they? University and college art galleries, these places nestled within universities and colleges that offer cutting-edge art exhibitions. Portrait.

Large network

These galleries are at the heart of artistic, cultural, social and scientific communities: “We are very fortunate to have such a wide range of university galleries in Quebec, and together they offer an extremely rich panorama of artistic practices and different approaches to the communities with which we engage,” says Pip Day, the new director of the Leonard & Bina Ellen Gallery at Concordia University. All the directors will agree on this point: the galleries regularly collaborate to carry out various partnerships and innovative projects, as Marie-Hélène Leblanc, director of the gallery at the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO), points out: “There is a lot of collegiality in the network. It’s a wonderful network.” And while it is wrong to believe that the galleries are all the same – “some were created even before the artist-run centres,” points out M^me Leblanc – it is common for galleries to be actively involved in their community and regional community, outside of the university institution. This is the case, for example, of Galerie R3 in Trois-Rivières. “The cultural community in Mauricie is very rich, there are strong players with whom we can associate ourselves,” explains Stéphanie Lemay, manager of this gallery.

Between a museum and an artists’ center

In addition to exhibiting art, university galleries often have a mandate to collect and restore works, as a museum does. But on the other hand, since they are open to experimentation, they are also similar to artist-run centers, with the difference that the university gallery is a building physically embedded in the university. Each direction is unique, and the orientations chosen by each institution define how the gallery will evolve in this environment.

A place for exhibitions of professional artists

Some galleries are recognized as professional and offer several exhibitions during the year. They therefore have an influence on the understanding and promotion of contemporary and current art. “I am very keen to have the role of the artist as a thinker-researcher recognized, as well as other professions, such as curators. The artist belongs to the field of human sciences, like a scientist,” says Louise Déry, director of the Galerie de l’UQAM.

Like a research laboratory

One could imagine the university gallery as a science laboratory, except that the “scientific” results are disclosed in the exhibition space and made accessible to all. “Our specificity is that we are open to the public,” recalls Marie-Hélène Leblanc. The gallery questions the codes of art and develops new ways of doing things within the exhibition itself. “Our approach at the gallery is to question everything: the labels, the lighting. Each element of the exhibition is questioned, which means that sometimes, these can be proposals that are quite unconventional,” underlines Marie-Hélène Leblanc. The same goes for the Leonard & Bina Ellen gallery. The emphasis is on “rigorous exhibitions and publications focused on research, which allows for truly ambitious artistic projects and curatorial approaches,” according to Pip Day. Through these infrastructures, the artist therefore finds all the resources adapted to develop his ideas. And this is a great wealth.

A strong educational mission

From school benches to practical work, post-secondary students can professionalize and practice their trade. For Stéphanie Lemay, head of Galerie R3 at UQTR, “unlike all my other experiences in a museum environment, [l’aspect pédagogique] is part of the mission.” And it is not only visual artists who are trained there, but also cultural workers, such as curators, art historians and museologists.

Accessibility for all audiences

Broadening visitors’ curiosity is a goal for Louise Déry, director of the Galerie de l’UQAM, which is located in downtown Montreal. Due to its geographic and physical location, this gallery reaches a significant diversity of individuals. All audiences are welcome in these places, especially since the exhibitions are free. And when you enter these spaces, no one is left alone. At the Galerie de l’UQO, for example, “we always have someone who welcomes visitors and is there to explain things as needed, provide reading keys or accompany visitors who may have less knowledge of contemporary art,” explains Marie-Hélène Leblanc.