Un village une Île by Yvon St-Aubin
Trois-Rivières, QC – Aware of the local and regional artistic heritage and with the desire to support its development and dissemination, the Port of Trois-Rivières has acquired the collection of canvas artworks Hommage au Saint-Laurent, created by a collective group of artists composed of Gérard Boulanger, Yvon Lemieux, Raymond Quenneville, Robert Roy and Yvon St-Aubin.
For several years now, the Port of Trois-Rivières has placed culture, in all its forms, at the heart of its community investment priorities. This is a means of supporting local and regional artists and participating in the dissemination of their work to the widest possible audience.
“The collection Hommage au Saint-Laurent is a large-scale project that aims to showcase our precious St. Lawrence River, the very river that gave birth to the Port of Trois-Rivières. These high-quality works are part of our maritime heritage and bear witness to the riches of this majestic waterway,” said Gaétan Boivin, President and CEO of the Port of Trois-Rivières.
“The St. Lawrence River is a jewel we can be proud of and must cherish. We are pleased to partner with the Port of Trois-Rivières in its praise. Let’s hope that the collection, as well as the accompanying book and documentary, will contribute to raising public awareness, especially among the growing youth, of figurative art, heritage protection and the preservation of “our” river, the St. Lawrence,” explained artist Raymond Quenneville.
“The St. Lawrence River is an inexhaustible source of inspiration for me. When you work closely with it, you realize its strength, but also its vulnerability. How can one not be overwhelmed by its beauty, vitality and movement? We need this river to inspire us, to help us unwind and to keep our economy moving. We must cherish it and protect it with all our hearts,” added artist Yvon St-Aubin.
In addition to the collection, the artists produced a book and a video documentary that chronicles the five-year process that took them from Kingston to the Gaspé to create 100 paintings depicting the coastal villages and natural environments characteristic of each of the regions they visited. The book is currently in pre-sale with the artists.
Finally, in order to promote access to culture and more specifically to this collection, the Port is planning an exhibit of all the works in order to share their beauty with the general public.
To learn more about the collection and the artists, visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/hommageausaintlaurent/
Group photo: Seated – Raymond Quenneville and Gaétan Boivin. Standing – Gérard Boulanger, Yvon St-Aubin, Robert Roy and Yvon Lemieux.
