The Mile End art lover immediately recognizes articule, the gallery on Fairmount just east of Parc with the distinctive lime-green storefront. Less obvious, however, is that the artist-run centre that calls this place home has been in operation and hosting shows for more than 35 years.

To mark this achievement—a success by any measure—and to celebrate the occasion with our friends and community, articule invites one and all to join us for Défi 35, this year’s members’ exhibition.

Défi 35 opens Friday, March 18, at 7 PM, featuring a performance. A tasteful assortment of beverages and comestibles will be served. The show will run until March 27.

articule’s membership over the years reads like a who’s who of Montreal’s art scene. For this reason, the centre’s current members decided to reach out to members past to help mark this important milestone.

Each participating current member selected a past member and spent an hour in conversation with them. Following these encounters, current members created portraits or other works interpreting their interactions and experiences with the former member they interviewed.

Participating artists: Barry Allikas, Jo-Anne Balcaen, Tony de Melo, Graham Hall, Nelson Henricks, Edwin Janzen, Sylvie Laplante, Julie Laurin, Kevin Yuen Kit Lo, Jordan Loeppky-Kolesnik, Katerina Pansera, Stephen Schofield, Morgan Sea, Victoria Stanton, Shanna Strauss, and Jacqueline van de Geer.

Over its history, articule has hosted exhibitions by innumerable artists, sometimes giving important early exposure to artists now widely known. Exhibiting artists have included Lisa Steele, Bill Vazan, Michael Snow, Martha Rosler, Chris Burden, Peter Doig, Pipilotti Rist, Evergon, Gary Neil Kennedy, Carolee Schneemann, and many, many more.

Please come celebrate with us on March 18. Say hello, have a drink with us, and check out our exhibition. See you there!