2024 summer programming – A new haven of greenery downtown: The McCord Stewart Museum Alley comes to life this summer

The Museum’s indoor summer programming features exhibitions on fashion photography and contemporary Indigenous art.

Montreal, June 20, 2024. – A new space inspired by Montreal’s iconic alleys will be buzzing with activity all summer long next to the McCord Stewart Museum. Victoria Street has been transformed into a new pedestrian alleyway, the perfect spot to take a break amidst the greenery. The new Museum Alley will host a variety of programming throughout the summer – Musical Wednesdays, Société pour l’action, l’éducation et la sensibilisation environnementale de Montréal (SAESEM) kiosks and a Gospel Battle Dance show – as well as alley games for adults and children, and activities with the Museum’s mediation team. The summer programming will end with a back-to-school block party. Open all year round, this fun and welcoming space will evolve with the seasons.

This summer, the Museum will be a must-see for anyone with a passion for fashion and photography. Two exhibitions – Norman Parkinson: Always in Style and Portraits and Fashion: Quebec Photographers Beyond Borders – invite visitors to discover influential fashion photographers from the early 20th century to the present day. Special programming for the National Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the exhibition Presence of the Past by Kanien’kehá:ka artist MC Snow, and the exhibition Indigenous Voices of Today: Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience will satisfy visitors who are hungry to learn more about Indigenous history, art and knowledge. The Urban Tours – self-guided tours that are back for an 8th year – round out the rich programming of exhibitions and activities for the whole family this summer at the Museum. Admission to the Museum is free for ages 17 and under.

The new Museum Alley

In an effort to bring the Montreal alley experience to the downtown core, one of the city’s busiest neighbourhoods, the McCord Stewart Museum presents Museum Alley, a new pedestrianized space on Victoria Street open 12 months a year. Created by architecture firm Kanva, this space immerses the public in the imaginary world of the Montreal alley, inviting passers-by to sit, linger, meet up and chat, surrounded by heavily laden clotheslines. With its abundant greenery, Museum Alley is reminiscent of the city’s most beautiful ruelles vertes, where Montrealers immerse themselves in nature.

On the ground, between the green marks illustrating the original subdivision of lots along Victoria Street, a work created by Olivier Charland for the MURAL festival evokes the liveliness of alleyways, capturing the energy and movement of everyday moments through abstract forms.

“We are proud and excited to inaugurate the brand-new Museum Alley, a pedestrianized green space open all year round. Our goal was to create a public rest area that’s rooted in Montreal’s identity. What could be more central to the city’s social fabric than its alleys? We all have fond memories of our summers in these spaces, whether as a playground, or as an intimate space to hang out with friends and family. They also embody a reinvented urban life, with their dense greenery, artistic expressions and heterogeneous architecture built up through the initiatives of residents. Alleys play a central role in the lives of thousands of Montrealers. So it seemed only natural to bring this urban feature back to the city centre,” said François Vallée, Head, Exhibitions.

The new Museum Alley, which replaces the iconic Urban Forest – the Museum’s first installation that adorned Victoria Street for just over 10 years – was made possible by a generous donation from the OVI Fund – A Zhao-Ionescu Family Foundation, and with the support of Tourisme Montréal, Montréal centre-ville and the Borough of Ville-Marie.

“We made this donation because my wife and I grew up in the alleys of Montreal, I in Saint-Henri, she in Rosemont. For us, alleys symbolize togetherness and community life, which are essential in a modern urban environment. By recreating these spaces, we hope to preserve this part of our identity and add to the liveliness of our beloved Montreal,” said Alex Ionescu.

Summer activities in Museum Alley

All summer long, the Alley will come to life with concerts on Wednesdays and information kiosks on Thursdays from the SAESEM. The Museum’s outdoor summer programming will come to a close with a big block party. Every day of the week – from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Café Notman will also serve up a takeout menu of sandwiches, pizzas, quiches, salads and pastries, in addition to its regular menu. Refined palates will be able to enjoy the Café’s excellent offerings while soaking up the friendly, relaxed atmosphere of Museum Alley.

Musical Wednesdays – Free outdoor concerts

Every Wednesday from July 3 to August 7, 2024, 12:15 to 1 p.m. – Free

Groove to the rhythm of well-known musicians like Raph Delaé (July 3), Sandrine Masse (July 17), Lara Klaus and Diogo Ramos (July 24), and let yourself be lulled by the bewitching melodies of  and Juulie Rousseau (August 7) and Sophie Lukas (August 14). A dance performance by Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo (July 31) will round out this program of free outdoor shows.

In collaboration with Pasa Musik and A’nó:wara Dance Theatre’s Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo

Gospel Battle Dance at the International Gospel Festival (2nd edition) – Performance

Wednesday, August 21 – 12 p.m. – Free

For the 2nd annual International Gospel Festival in Montreal, music lovers will be able to discover gospel’s communal values by taking part in an awesome, interactive dance battle led by the JOAT team. Combining competition and collaboration, eight gospel and street dancers will perform in Museum Alley. The audience will vote for their favourite artists!

An immersive experience where dance, gospel music and audience interaction come together for an unforgettable event!

Activity presented in collaboration with MURR International, as part of the International Gospel Festival in Montreal, with the participation of JOAT Festival.

Adapting your lifestyle to environmental issues: Tips and tricks for a smooth transition – SAESEM’s Kiosks

Every Thursday from June 15 to August 10, 2024, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Free

Why should we coexist with pollinating insects in urban areas? Is it possible to keep up with fashion trends while being environmentally responsible? How can you clean your home with environmentally friendly and easy-to-make products? Join the Société pour l’action, l’éducation et la sensibilisation environnementale de Montréal (SAESEM) at its Museum Alley kiosk every Thursday at lunch time to learn how to make your lifestyle more green.

Each week, a new theme will be tackled. Visit the Museum’s website to see the complete program of SASEM kiosks.

Alley games

Ongoing

This summer, the McCord Stewart Museum invites the public to check out its alley games that will entertain adults and children alike: chalk, jump ropes, skip-its, checkers and chess, as well as many other activities!

Block party

Wednesday, August 28, 2024 – 5 to 9 p.m.

The Museum invites the public to gather in the new Museum Alley for a block party like those typically held in alleyways throughout Montreal. Guests will get a little taste of upcoming exhibitions and the activities on offer throughout the year. It will be a chance to celebrate the start of the cultural season with the Museum team and the partners who have made this new urban installation possible.

Urban Tours

Perfect for those who enjoy self-guided tours, the Urban Tours are made up of 5 walking routes with different themes. These exclusive outdoor tours are possible thanks to historical images from the Museum’s Photography collection of over 2 150 000 pictures. Using thier phone, urban explorers can follow various tours and discover the history of 150 city sites and photographs that bear witness to the Montreal of the past.

A summer of fashion photography

Portraits and fashion – Quebec photographers Beyond Borders

Until September 29, 2024

Presented by Holt Renfrew Ogilvy

The exhibition, curated by Thierry-Maxime Loriot, whose work includes The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk and Thierry Mugler: Couturissime, brings together prints by 17 photographers who are shining a spotlight on Quebec talent on the international stage: Max Abadian, William Arcand, Richard Bernardin, Alex Black, Sacha Cohen, Cristina Gareau, Andréanne Gauthier, Royal Gilbert, Shayne Laverdière, Carl Lessard, Monic Richard, Norman Jean Roy, Étienne Saint-Denis, Nelson Simoneau, Oumayma Ben Tanfous, Xavier Tera and villedepluie.

This original exhibition, with its exuberant scenography, features the artistic, editorial and commercial photography that these photographers practice with equal ease and talent, as well as their more personal work. Accustomed to collaborating with major fashion magazines, the advertising world and the music scene, they capture images that are sometimes stripped of all artifice, sometimes sophisticatedly cinematic, but always imbued with great sensitivity towards their models – whether famous or unknown.

In addition to stunning fashion photographs, a gallery of over a hundred unprecedented iconic portraits unfolds before our eyes, from Céline Dion, U2 and Charlotte Cardin to Nelson Mandela, Zidane, Elisapie, Adele, Barbie Ferreira, Mika and Les Louanges. Around twenty videos were created for the occasion, including a multisurface projection by the creative team at Rodeo FX. They provide exclusive insight into the artistic methods of the photographers, along with interviews with artists whose portraits are featured in the exhibition.

Norman Parkinson: Always in Style

Until September 2, 2024

A North American premiere – Presented by Holt Renfrew Ogilvy

Known as one of the pillars of 20th-century fashion photography, Norman Parkinson dazzled the world from the 1930s to the 1980s with his sparkling inventiveness. His long association with Vogue and extensive work for Harper’s Bazaar, Queen, Town & Country and other international magazines earned him worldwide recognition.

Norman Parkinson: Always in Style features 79 of Norman Parkinson’s best-known images, as well as recent discoveries from his remarkable photographic portfolio. The exhibition, hosted by the National Portrait Gallery in London and the Centro Cultural de Cascais in Portugal, will be complemented by a dozen refined dresses and outfits from the 1940s to the 1960s from the McCord Stewart Museum collection, including outfits by British designers Hardy Amies and Digby Morton, and hats by Quebecers Fanny Graddon and Yvette Brillon.

An Iconic Images/Norman Parkinson archive 2024 exhibition in association with Terra Esplêndida and the McCord Stewart Museum.

Family Tour

Families are invited to explore Norman Parkinson: Always in Style with Click, a friendly character who loves fashion photography and has a passion for the atmosphere of a photo shoot! The photographer’s instructions, the fabrics of the beautiful clothes and the moment everything stops, when the model’s pose and the light are exactly right… Click! It’s the sign that an image is being created.

Recommended for children aged 6 and up, parents must be present.

… and Indigenous art, knowledge and history

Presence of the Past by MC Snow – Contemporary Native Art Biennial

Until August 18, 2024

For its first collaboration with the Contemporary Native Art Biennial, the Museum will host Kanien’kehà:ka artist MC Snow. In two original works, the artist explores the messages and emotions conveyed by the Kanien’kehá:ka objects in the Museum’s Indigenous Cultures collection. As the artist wished to highlight the importance of researching and preserving Indigenous cultural assets, MC Snow and Jonathan Lainey, Curator, Indigenous Cultures, selected over forty objects from the collection, including pottery, baby carriers, dolls and arrows, to accompany the artist’s works.

Indigenous Voices of Today: Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience

Permanent exhibition

The exhibition bears witness to the still unrecognized knowledge of Indigenous peoples in Quebec and Canada as well as the deep wounds they carry and their incredible resilience. Visitors will discover about one hundred carefully selected objects combined with many powerful inspiring stories, allowing them to learn more about the knowledge, traditions, and lived reality of members of the 11 Indigenous nations of Quebec.

This exhibition, presented by ICI Radio-Canada, has been produced through a financial contribution from the program Aide aux projets pour le soutien des expositions permanentes of the Québec Cultural Heritage Fund of the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec.

National Indigenous Peoples Day Ceremony

On the occasion of National Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the Museum invites the public on Friday, June 21, and Saturday, June 22, 2024, to come face-to-face with Indigenous cultures.

Cérémonie de la Journée nationale des peuples autochtones

Friday, June 21, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. – Free –Museum Alley (Victoria Street)

Terres en vues/Land InSights, in collaboration with the Museum, invites the public to the National Indigenous Peoples Day Ceremony 2024 in Tio’tia:ke/Mooniyang/Montreal. Songs, drumming, bonfires, tobacco ceremony, speeches and dances with Deer Family Singers and Dancers.

In the event of rain, the concerts will be cancelled.

Terres en vues recognises the contribution of the Department of Canadian Heritage, through the Celebrate Canada programme, in making this event possible.

Guided Tours – Indigenous Voices of Today: Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience and Presence of the Past by MC Snow

Saturday, June 22 – Free – At the Museum

The public is invited to take part in one of the guided tours offered by the Museum, which combine a visit to the exhibitions Indigenous Voices of Today: Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience and Presence of the Past, by artist MC Snow. Tours will be led by the Museum’s mediation team.

The tour will address different facets of Indigenous communities—history, knowledge, tangible and intangible culture—and will introduce MC Snow’s artistic approach as well as his reflections on how objects of Kanien’kehá:ka origin convey meaning.

Tours in French at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tour in English at 2 p.m.

Workshop: Introduction to Iroquois Pottery

Every Saturday until August 17, 2024, ongoing from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Wednesday until August 14, 2024, , ongoing from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

For his exhibition Presence of the Past, Kanien’kehá:ka artist MC Snow has designed a workshop introducing visitors to Iroquois pottery, exclusively at the Museum. The Museum’s mediation staff will guide you through the steps to make your own vase.

Creative workshop for families or groups of friends, provided in English and French. Open to everyone. Family activity, recommended for children aged 5 and over (parents must be present).

Space limited, no reservations. Sign up on the day of the activity at the Museum Admissions Desk

Reminder: Free admission for members of Indigenous communities.

Natu-natshishkueu: The Adventure of Connection 

Ongoing

This participatory activity, presented by Hydro-Québec, invites families to team up and discover the permanent exhibition Indigenous Voices of Today: Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience. Through observation, imagination and discussion, children and adults encounter Indigenous nations by exploring the Museum’s Indigenous Cultures collection and the many stories it holds. Each child will receive an exploration booklet to set off on their adventure.

Free activity, in French and English. Recommended for children aged 6 to 11.
A Hydro-Québec presentation.