SéminArts, an introduction to collecting contemporary art: ongoing registration for the Montreal and Toronto series

MONTREAL, Sept. 20, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - The SéminArts educational program on the art of collecting contemporary art will be offered for the eighth year by the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal (MAC) starting September 27, and in Toronto for the 5^th time, as an intensive series, from October 27 to 29.

Photo : Sébastien Roy (CNW Group/Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal)

Offered in collaboration with the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Family Foundation, the program aims to equip all those who aspire (but haven't yet dared) to build their own collection of contemporary art. The sessions are conducted in an atmosphere conducive to discussion and exchanges of ideas and give participants an opportunity to meet various players in the art world: artist, private collector, corporate collector, gallerist, and exhibition or museum curator.

Attending as couples, with friends or on their own, participants all enjoy the friendly get-togethers with passionate players in the art world. Indeed, much of the success of the SéminArts evenings is due to these dynamic hosts ready to share their expertise. The experience at a glance:

• Artists agree to open up their work space, occasionally for the first time, to as many as twenty-five curious visitors to whom they describe their creative process and the conditions under which they pursue their careers.
• Gallerists receive, with the utmost professionalism, budding collectors who are sometimes perplexed or questioning.
• Curators of corporate collections guide the groups of participants through the art on display in their workplace and explain the impact of contemporary art on employees and the importance of private and public corporate collections for the local art market.
• Generous collectors agree to open the doors of their modest apartments or stylish homes to show how works of contemporary art have defined their living environments.

SéminArts in Montreal: Fall 2017 and Winter 2018

Held on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to 9 p.m., the series costs $225 (MAC members will enjoy a 15 % discount). In fall 2017, one series is scheduled in English, on Wednesday evenings from October 4 to December 13; and in winter 2018, the series will run from April 18 to June 13.

Sessions are also offered in French.

For information and registration, call 514 847-6244 or write [email protected].

SéminArts in Toronto

Proud of its success in Montréal, SéminArts is offering a series in Toronto for the 5^th time. Offered for $200, the 2017 series has scheduled five sessions and exclusive tours, one of which will take place at Art Toronto 2017, Canada's international fair for modern and contemporary art, introducing the participant to collecting contemporary art in Toronto. The four other visits will be split between the artist's studio, the art gallery, the corporate collection and the private collection.

Acknowledgments

The Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal (MAC) is a provincially owned corporation funded by the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec. It receives additional funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts. The MAC gratefully acknowledges their support. The MAC also thanks its partners, Loto-Québec and Ubisoft Montréal, and its media partners, La Presse and Publicité Sauvage.

The SéminArts program is offered with the precious collaboration of the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Family Foundation.

Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal

Located in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles, the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal makes today's art a vital part of Montréal and Québec life. For more than fifty years, this vibrant museum has brought together local and international artists, their works and an ever-growing public. It is also a place of discovery, offering visitors experiences that are continually changing and new, and often unexpected and stirring. The MAC presents temporary exhibitions devoted to outstanding and relevant current artists who provide their own particular insight into our society, as well as exhibitions of works drawn from the museum's extensive Permanent Collection. These may feature any and every form of expression: digital and sound works, installations, paintings, sculptures, ephemeral pieces, and more. In addition to its wide range of educational activities familiarizing the general public with contemporary art, the MAC organizes unique artistic performances and festive events. It is a window onto a myriad of avant-garde expressions that extend the reach of art throughout the city and beyond.

SOURCE Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal

Roxane Dumas-Noël, Hean of Public Relations, 514 847-6232, [email protected]