Collections

Collections

In correlation with the mandate of the future MAS, EXPRESSION already owns and manages two collections: one for contemporary artworks and one for regional objects. These collections, which will be developed rapidly in coming years, currently comprise almost 200 contemporary artworks and 3,000 regional objects representing the farming and religious realities of the Les Maskoutains region and Québec.

FOCUSES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE COLLECTIONS

EXPRESSION has two separate collections, for which the development focuses are different yet complementary. The development committee for the collections takes into consideration the need to establish connections (thematic, historical, or conceptual) between the two entities.

Collection of contemporary artworks

To ensure the cohesiveness of the contemporary art collection, artworks must, among other things:
• Comply with high quality standards
• Have been produced since the early 1960s
• Have been produced by professional artists recognized by their peers and having a nationwide career or having produced internationally recognized artworks
• Encourage comprehension of the issues relevant to the social and artistic context of the Les Maskoutains region
The collection must also:

• Prioritize artworks already exhibited at EXPRESSION or during ORANGE, L’événement d’art actuel de Saint-Hyacinthe
• Stand out from other bodies of work already included in other public collections in Québec
Currently, the collection is composed of paintings, photographs, sculptures, prints, and works in other media.

Collection of regional objects

To ensure the cohesiveness of the regional objects collection, the objects must be representative of meaningful realities in the Les Maskoutains community and meet the following criteria:

• Come from the Les Maskoutains region
• Encourage comprehension of the social and artistic context of the region and its concerns
• Be able to be related to EXPRESSION’s Collection d’art contemporain
• Document the themes favoured by EXPRESSION: farming, manufacturing, industrial, and commercial heritage; specialized schools; manufacturing of organs; religious communities
• Testify to the identity of citizens of Le Maskoutain, Québec, and Canada over the centuries
• Testify to reflection on the identity of twenty-first-century citizens
• Contribute to sustaining and developing EXPRESSION’s programming, including long-term (permanent) reference exhibitions and thematic or temporary exhibitions

The collection must also:

• Prioritize objects related to artworks already exhibited at EXPRESSION or during ORANGE, L’événement d’art actuel de Saint-Hyacinthe
• Acquire objects complementary to those presented in other public collections in Québec

To propose an artwork or a regional object, please complete the form available here. Send the form and photos to the following address : collections@expression.qc.ca.

Thank you for your interest in EXPRESSION. We will follow up with you as soon as possible.