Montreal Art Galleries, Museums, Supplies & More

Best art galleries Montreal museums supplies classes your area

If you are trying to learn about art in Montreal you are definitely in the right place and our first section will fully cover the best art galleries and museums near you.

After that we will get into a variety of other topics like art supply stores, events, festivals, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, local sculptures and statues, art classes, studios for rent, and the top frame shops in your area.

You can jump straight to any section that interests you most by using the table of contents on the left and we are also including a Montreal art map with all of the spots we mention throughout the post pinned on it.

Those who are interested can read our other posts about cities in Canada right there.

Best Art Galleries & Museums In Montreal

The best art galleries and museums in Montreal will have some incredible sites to see:

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts was founded in 1860 and is Canada’s oldest art museum and a leading museum in North America. The Museum’s original temporary exhibitions combine various artistic disciplines like fine arts, music, film, fashion, and design that are exported all over the world while its extensive encyclopedic collection is housed in five pavilions and includes international art, world cultures, contemporary works, decorative arts and design, and Quebec and Canadian art. They also have a really nice sculpture garden that we will be mentioning again later and you can see all of the above from 10am to 5pm most days but they are closed all day Monday and stay open late until 9pm on Wednesday.

The Museum of Contemporary Art is also closed on Monday and is the country’s only institution dedicated solely to the avant-garde focusing on works developed after 1939 with a large number created by local artists like Jean-Paul Riopelle and Betty Goodwin in the permanent collection while international artists Richard Serra, Bruce Nauman, Sam Taylor-Wood, and Nan Goldin are also represented. There is no single dominant style so expect to witness installations, multimedia displays, and pop and abstract expressionism examples.

The PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art was founded in 2007 by Phoebe Greenberg and is a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting meaningful contemporary art experiences to the public free of charge from noon to 7pm Wednesday through Friday and from 11am to 6pm on weekends.

The Centre d’exposition de l’Universite de Montreal is a renowned museum institution and the university’s center for the dissemination of the artistic and scientific heritage. It is one of the few places near you where exhibitions pertaining to the social and natural sciences as well as the arts take place and the exhibition center is located on the campus and hosts shows that combine visual arts, architecture, and the humanities. Its permanent exhibition is available from 10am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday with the doors closing at 7pm on Thursday and it introduces visitors to 41 works from its collection which are displayed throughout the campus in various public locations.

La Guilde is a non-profit organization committed to the conservation, promotion, and awareness of Inuit, First Nations, and Canadian crafts that was founded in 1906. La Guilde is open from 10am to 6pm Tuesday through Friday and until 5pm on weekends offering a lively program of temporary exhibitions, cultural and educational activities in addition to its permanent show which features pieces from its collection. La Guilde also houses an art gallery in your area with works for sale by established and upcoming artists.

The Galerie de l’UQAM is a contemporary art gallery in Montreal run by the university that looks into a variety of issues concerning professional artists’ work as well as new trends and student work in visual and media arts, history, and museology. The Gallery is viewable from noon to 6pm Tuesday through Saturday and is also in charge of the UQAM collection of artworks’ conservation, management, and distribution.

The MUMAQ, Musée des métiers d’art du Québec (previously the Musée des masters et artisans du Québec), promotes the creativity of Quebec’s craftspeople and they are planning a new permanent exhibition currently. You can check out what they have to offer from 10am to 5pm every day but Monday.

TOHU is a venue for dissemination, creativity, experimentation, and convergence between culture, environment, and community involvement that is located in the heart of the Cité des arts du cirque and open from 9am to 5pm daily. TOHU has established itself as a leader in the field of culture-based sustainable development since its inception in 2004.

Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and national shrine on Mount Royal’s Westmount Summit and it is Canada’s largest church with one of the world’s largest church domes and is a National Historic Site of Canada. Not only is the architecture incredible but they also have a museum on site.

The Montreal Art Centre is a community of local artists who collaborate to create and show their work in the Centre’s facility in the Griffintown neighborhood. The Griffintown Art Gallery at the Centre exhibits the members’ work in a wide public space from 10:30am to 5pm six days a week and from 11:30am to 6pm on Monday.

Gallerie Bloom is only open Saturday through Tuesday and has been representing well-known Canadian artists since 2014 after being initially established on the Plateau-Mont-Royal. Later it was forced to relocate after only two years and took advantage of the opportunity to settle in the historic Old Port sector with the mission to make modern art more approachable through customized and welcoming service.

Galerie Hugues Charbonneau has an exhibition program that showcases modern metropoles’ cultural richness and dynamism that you can take a look at from noon to 5pm Wednesday through Saturday. Through exhibitions within its walls, public artworks, fairs, and cooperation with museums the gallery supports artists, curators, and collectors. Artists represented by the gallery have exhibited in museums and biennales in 30 countries over the last decade including China, England, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Senegal, Switzerland, and the United States.

Materials & Supplies Near You

The best art supply stores near you to buy paints, brushes, pencils, canvases, frames, and other materials would be:

Follett Canada is a new Book Stop operator and is in charge of the Art Supply Store where hundreds of high-quality products for all creative requirements are available on campus including fine art supplies, tools, and presentation materials as well as frames and supports and a large range of fine art paper.

Kama Pigments has grown over the years by adding additional goods to its original line of raw materials and in their current catalogue they have acquired over 2,000 distinct products by forging new ties with various suppliers from around the world. Resins, glues, natural gums, dry oils, dry pigments, dyes, gold leaf, waxes, and other raw materials are among the items that are available.

At Coop Saint-Laurent des Arts you’ll find an impressive selection of sheets, pencils, brushes, canvases, and everything you need to express yourself via drawing or painting plus they offer expert art framing in your area.

Jatsura is a great choice for sculpting supplies for stone carving near you as they offer soapstone carving, alabaster carving, marble carving, sculpting and carving tools, workshop premises, and professional advice to sculptors of all levels.

Lézard Créatif first opened its doors in February of 2017 and is a boutique-workshop that has everything you need as well as a creative environment.

DeSerres has been a prominent destination for artistic minds of all backgrounds since 1908 and it continues to set the benchmark for innovation.

Shows & Events

You won’t want to miss these local art shows, events, and festivals:

For over a decade the Art Souterrain Festival has been highlighting contemporary art and Montreal’s underground city’s cultural legacy while aspiring to make art accessible to a wider audience by taking it out of its typical exhibition locations as a one-of-a-kind contemporary art event in North America.

Mtl en Arts Festival honors local originality, variety, and innovative new talent as the objective of this fun, free, inclusive, and accessible event is to support and promote the visual arts through interactive activities while also bridging the gap between artists and the general public.

The Mural Festival has been on a mission to democratize urban art since its inception in 2012 making the city a must-see for art aficionados from all over the world.

POP Montreal is a fall hipster event dedicated to all things indie including music, art, fashion, and film taking place primarily in Mile End and its environs giving concertgoers the rare opportunity to see bands like Arcade Fire, Grimes, and St. Vincent in smaller venues. Set aside some time for Puces Pop which is an artisanal craft show featuring local and visiting artisans of all types.

Les Francos de Montreal is a big yearly music and performance festival held downtown that features French-language artists from around the world. Many of the concerts are open to the public and take place on numerous stages across Centre-ville including the Place des Arts.

The world’s largest jazz festival is Montreal International Jazz which takes over the Quartier des Spectacles. Get tickets to events at iconic downtown venues or grab a beer and relax in the Place des Festivals where a rotating lineup of crooners and bands perform free open-air shows.

Expozine is a small press, zine, and comics fair that takes place every year and is said to be Canada’s largest zine exhibition and one of North America’s major small press fairs with 270 exhibitors and 15,000 attendees each autumn.

Art Dealers & Appraisers

You might be able to add a new piece to your collection or figure out how much a piece if you visit these art dealers and appraisers near you:

Since 1949 the Alan Klinkhoff Gallery has been a fine art dealer in Montreal with a famous family history in the market. The Klinkhoffs are now in their third generation in the art industry specializing in the highest quality Canadian classics dating from 1840 to the twenty-first century by artists such as Cornelius Krieghoff, William Kurelek, Clarence Gagnon, and Charles Gagnon.

Landau Fine Art is a family-owned gallery that is one of the only places in Canada where you can find museum-quality works by worldwide masters. Robert and Alice travel widely to not only show their latest buys at art fairs in Basel, Miami, Maastricht, and Paris but also to seek out key works from private collections. It’s no surprise that numerous dealers and collectors from all over the world visit them for a private viewing of works by Picasso, Miró, Léger, Moore, Chagall, Jawlensky, Dubuffet, and other living artists that are exclusively represented by the gallery.

The Cosner Art Gallery is another great place to go for buying, selling, and valuing works by Canadian masters.

Eric Klinkhoff has opened Galerie Eric Klinkhoff in the former Galerie Walter Klinkhoff which was established in 1950 by his father.

Walking Tours

What is better than walking around outside on a beautiful day and seeing some cool art in your area at:

The Quartier des Spectacles has always been a famous cultural and entertainment attraction with a history dating back over 100 years.

The Old Port Art Walk is located on the Saint Lawrence River  with a history that dates back to the early 17th century and currently it houses a number of notable art institutions in your area.

Tourists and locals alike can take guided tours of the Montreal Mural Art Tour where Saint-Laurent Boulevard has been transformed into the country’s best street art corridor in recent years. The city has become a world leader in the urban arts scene since the inception of the first graffiti culture meeting over 20 years ago, the more recent Mural Festival, municipal and public non-profit organizations, and municipal and public non-profit organizations.

Sculptures & Statues

Framing art supply stores Montreal lessons near you studios

There are some really nice sculptures around town like:

  • Museum of Fine Arts Sculpture Garden at 3410 Ave du Musée
  • The Illuminated Crowd at 1981 McGill College Ave
  • Les Chuchoteuse at 74 Rue Marie-Morin
  • Dendrites at 830-846 Notre-Dame St W
  • Di Octo at 1455 De Maisonneuve W

Earlier we mentioned that the Museum of Fine Arts has a great sculpture garden and we highly recommend you check it out when you visit.

In 2006 Les Chuchoteuse, which translates to The Whisperers, were put as part of a project to bring attention to the abandoned corners of Old Town. The beautification of Ville-historic Marie’s center is one of the borough’s top goals and the opening of the Placette Saint-Dizier marked the start of a larger project.

Dendrites was created as part of the Bonaventure expressway rehabilitation project near the entrance to downtown which was created as a legacy for the city’s 375th anniversary. The idea was recognized as the winner of a 2016 invitation-only pan-Canadian competition.

On September 28, 2017 famous American artist Anthony Howe presented Di-Octo on Mackay St. and De Maisonneuve Blvd W.

Montreal Art Classes

Whether you need lessons for kids or are an adult who wants to grow your skills the best Montreal art schools and classes can probably help:

Syn Studio is a local art school that focuses on concept art and illustration for the entertainment business. Their 10-week drawing, painting, concept art, and illustration programs, as well as their full time programs, have been helping amateur and professional artists take their game to the next level since 2007.

The École des Beaux-arts de Montreal, EBAMA, was founded in 1999 and is known for its expertise in the field of classical painting and drawing instruction as the gold standard in Quebec fine arts education with its method and several of its programs being emulated by a number of other institutions in the city. It is also a non-profit organization that provides professional visual arts training in the style of the great European art schools.

Classes in classical drawing, painting, and sculpting are available at Academy Fine Arts where you can also take a watercolor class, a landscape painting class, a human figure painting class, or a portrait painting class. Drawing and painting classes for children aged 8 to 12 years old as well as adolescents aged 13 to 17 are available.

The Pointe St Charles Art School is a community-driven fine art school where students of all ages and backgrounds may learn to express themselves in today’s environment.

Hélène La Haye Art School offers painting and drawing classes for groups of children, teens, and adults.

Zoya Art Studio specializes in children’s and adult’s oil painting, watercolor painting, and charcoal drawing classes.

Art classes near you are also possible at Fonderie Darling that we linked you to earlier.

Studios For Rent Near You

When you can’t wait to get that next project started rent some space at one of these local art studios:

L’Espace 402 is a one-of-a-kind collaborative workspace in Montreal for freelancers, designers, creators, and artists where members have access to two big photo studios that are fully prepared for film and picture shoots in addition to a coworking area with closed offices, kitchen, lounge, and conference area.

Fonderie Darling is a visual arts center in your area sponsored by Quartier Éphémère which is a non-profit arts organization whose mission is to promote the invention, production, and diffusion of contemporary art while offering exhibitions, studios, residencies, and educational programs in a variety of media.

Montreal Art Centre might also have studio space available.

Framing

A frame can transform a regular looking piece or picture to that next level and some of the best places for picture and art framing near you are:

In January 1991 Montreal Images opened its first framing shop in your area and today framing, canvas transfers, lamination, posters, and more services are available in addition to printing on paper, metal, canvas, or acrylic using digital technology.

ConservArt has been a Monkland institution since 1986.

Olympic Picture Framing has been making or importing frames for paintings, watercolors, lithographs, mirrors, mementos, and keepsakes since 1988.

Encadrex l’Atelier offers museological supervision, canvas or other support marouflage, and work restoration.

Anyone that is interested is welcome to read our posts on:

Have Fun Enjoying The Montreal Art Scene

We wish we had more to share about the full art scene near you but for now that is all we’ve got. We listed the best local galleries, museums, events, shows, supply stores, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures, classes, studios, and framers that you may want to check out.

Those who are still reading this probably love art as much as we do and should use the comments to share their own tips or to let us know if you think we got anything wrong. We hope you enjoy your time at the best Montreal art galleries, museums, supply stores, or doing whatever else you plan to do with the info.

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This post and all of the posts on our site are edited by Dan Soloman who has been a huge fan of art since he was a little kid. His mother was a good local artist, and she taught him the trade from a very early age. He studied art and its history in both high school and college, has worked at multiple galleries, and recently has begun creating and editing online content for this site and some other online media platforms.

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