centre d'artistes.artist run centre
We are pleased to present the second Mile End art map, which is intended to highlight and promote the network of artist-run centres in the Mile End area. This initiative is in response to the relocation of several artist-run centres to the neighbourhood, notably Agence Topo, articule, Atelier Circulaire, Centre Clark, Diagonale, Occurence as well as La Centrale, which is situated a little further south on Boulevard Saint-Laurent. The production of this map reflects not only the desire of these seven centres to come together to promote their respective activities but, above all, to bring contemporary art produced here and elsewhere to the attention of a more varied public.
In Montrêal, the downtown area is generally considered to be the place to go to see and exhibit contemporary art, not just by the general public but even by a large proportion of the artistic community itself. The presence of artist-run centres in Mile End is relatively recent. We think it is time to draw attention to other areas of town and to promote the emerging contemporary art network in Mile End in particular.
The Mile End art map takes the form of a small, attractive leaflet that could equally serve as a poster. It indicates the locations, contact details and Web sites of each centre, allowing quick access to all information regarding their various activities. We have also included the addresses of other artist-run centres in the Mount Royal Plateau and downtown areas, as well as that of RCAAQ (Regroupement des centres d'artistes autogêrês du Quêbec), representing a larger network of about sixty artist-run centres in Quebec. Finally, the map includes around fifteen other places of interest in the neighbourhood, pertaining to the promotion of various artists' work. Mile End is a vibrant area in perpetual transformation; this list of places therefore dœs not pretend to be exhaustive. We hope, however, to encourage a blending of publics and to strengthen links between the diverse artistic initiatives that contribute to the unique cultural vitality of Mile End.
The creation of the Mile End art map has been made possible thanks to the contribution of the organisation of the Mile End. We also thank the Conseil des arts de Montréal who supported the first edition through its Special Projects Programme.