The organizing committee of the Printemps du MAC, co-chaired by Francis Guindon and Charles Lemay - Photo :  Bertrand Exertier (CNW Group/Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal)

Committee co-chairs, Francis Guindon and Charles Lemay - Photo : Bertrand Exertier (CNW Group/Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal)

The honorary presidents of the event, Julien Dirand and Sophie Laframboise - Photo : Bertrand Exertier (CNW Group/Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal)

MONTREAL, May 1, 2023 /CNW/ - Last Friday, some 1200 people from the arts and business community gathered to celebrate contemporary art for the benefit of the Fondation du MAC. A record amount of more than $500,000 was raised during this fundraising event held at the iconic New City Gas. The 15th edition of Printemps du MAC, celebrated under the theme BLEU MINUIT, was a great success, raising a record amount of money to support the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal (MAC).

"We would like to sincerely thank every participant, partner, artist, volunteer and donor who contributed to making this event a success. A record amount of money was raised by the MAC Spring Festival and donated to the Fondation du MAC to allow us to accomplish our mission and support the celebration and democratization of contemporary art," said Anne Lebel, executive director of the Fondation du MAC.

The Fondation du MAC and Les Printemps du MAC Committee are pleased to have been able to count on the invaluable support of Julien Dirand (CDPQ) and Sophie Laframboise (Cossette) as honorary chairs of this 15th edition.

The evening's auction, presented by BLG, was a resounding success and raised over $70,000. For a fourth year, the auction was curated by Erika Del Vecchio (Arsenal Art contemporain). It was possible to bid on 50 lots, including those of 21 Canadian artists. Participants were able to view and bid on the works of : Maude Arsenault, Nabil Azab, Vinna Begin, Ophélie Bouchard, Shary Boyle, Craig Commanda, Maria Esthela, Chris Fusaro, Pascale Girardin, Léa Grantham, Maggy Hamel Metsos, Andrée-Jade Hélie, Mie Kim, Alexia Laferté Coutu, Sandy Lamb, Malcolm McCormick, Andrew Moncrief, Marion Paquette, Laurence Pilon, Sabrina Ratté and Corri-Lynn Tetz. New for the virtual edition of the event, the Fondation du MAC will donate one third of the money raised from the sale of the works to the artists, to thank them for their contribution and to support their artistic practice.

BLEU MINUIT 

Known for its spectacular festive atmosphere, trend-setting themes, celebrating freedom of expression and inclusiveness of gender and style, Les Printemps du MAC event lived up to its reputation. The participants of the BLEU MINUIT event wore color block and retro looks in shades of blue, rhinestones, sequins and extravagant makeup.

Co-chaired by Francis Guindon (Quartz Co. and Want Les Essentiels) and Charles LeMay (Productions J), the experiential agency YHP created the concept for the evening, with the support of Les Printemps du MAC's Committee. Photographer Samuel Pasquier (Consulat), under the artistic direction of Zacharie Lavertu and the collaboration of the talent agency Humankind, captured this abstract universe and signed this artistic success where silhouettes in bluish chiaroscuro lift the veil on the enigma BLEU MINUIT. Thanks to the production and event management of Allison Forbes (Raisonnables), the life-like projections of Rodeo FX and the surprise and breathtaking performance of Claudia Bouvette, the participants had an amazing time. The immersive event allowed guests to live unforgettable experiences, including a makeup retouching station and perfume trial by Yves Saint-Laurent Beauté, the evening's official beauty partner, as well as a fun and elegant photo booth presented by Balnea spa + thermal reserve.

Acknowledgements

The Fondation du MAC team would also like to thank the dancers from the Humankind Agency as well as DJs Truspin, DJ Kobal, Funkyfalz, DJ Sap, Twitch & Kizaba, Moses Bélanger and DJOOLZ for their wild performances. The evening's signature cocktail, Bleu Minuit, was offered by Portage Gin and Marie Blizzard. And because indulgence is one of life's great pleasures, the evening's attendees were able to enjoy treats from caterers Brera, Morso, Kroods, Billio and Poissonnerie Odessa, as well as a late night snack offered by Beach Day Everyday and La Diperie. We would like to thank all of these local businesses and their teams, who greatly contributed to making this evening a success. The Foundation would also like to thank all of the goods and services partners for their invaluable support, as well as Julien Dirand and Sophie Laframboise, who generously accepted the honorary co-chairmanship of the event.

The Fondation du MAC would like to thank all of its Printemps partners (Banque Nationale Gestion Privée 1859 and Yves Saint Laurent Beauté), its Equinox partners (Accuracy, BALNEA spa + réserve thermale, BLG, BMO, BMR, Cuisine idéale, HydroSolution, KPMG, Miller Thomson sencrl, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, Stikeman Elliott, TD Bank Group), its service partners (Agence Humankind, Bajouk Signature, Everyday Sunday, Moonstruhk, New City Gas, Publicité Sauvage, Rodeo FX, Samuel Pasquier, Raisonnable, Youville Hausman Park) and gourmet partners (Aupale Vodka, Beach Day Every Day, Billio, Brasserie La Ferme, Club Local Traiteur & Spiritueux, La Diperie, Marie Brizard, Morso Pizzeria, Odessa Poissonnier, Restaurant Krood, Traiteur Brera, Vins Balthazard, Vins Pas Sages), its auction partners (BLG : Presenter, AGAC - Association des galeries d'art contemporain, Encadrement Martin Schop, Matthieu Gauvin, PhotoSynthèse) as well as those of the lots and experiences (Air Canada, Air Transat, Atelier HOTELMOTEL, Balnea spa + thermal reserve, Beauties Lab, Birks, Centre Hi Fi, Cozey, Cyrc. , Dynamite, Evoluco (Boom, Pizza NO.900 and LOV), Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, Midway Group, Hopper, Four Seasons Hotel, St-Paul Hotel, Le Kabinet, Lunetterie Générale, MATINÉE STUDIO, Mondou, Quartz Co., Restaurant Leméac, Silk Laundry, Vic Studios, Want Les Essentiels) and the partners of the evening's gift bags (ATTITUDE, Brasserie La Ferme, Clarins, DESIGNME, FOUDUCOUCHON, Grown Alchemist, Karine Joncas, MATINÉE STUDIO, Milk Makeup, OPI, Poissonnerie Odessa, Want Les Essentiels, Wella, Yves Saint Laurent Beauté). Let's also mention the precious partners of the treasure hunt, YETI and Comont.

Finally, the Fondation du MAC would like to warmly thank the co-chairs Francis Guindon (WANT Les Essentiels and Quartz Co.) and Charles LeMay (Productions J) as well as the committee members and ambassadors who generously gave of their time and energy to make this event a success: Andy Barril (YHP Group), Alexe Corbeil-Courchesne (Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP), Erika Del Vecchio (Arsenal art contemporain), Allison Forbes (Raisonnable), Olivier Lapierre (communications, citizen and media relations consultant), Catherine Martel (Alice & Smith and YHP Group), Emma Molson (Sotheby's Art Institute), Amélie Elizabeth Pelly (Association des radiologistes du Québec), Jessica Rosen (L'Oréal Paris), Marjorie Roux (MATINÉE STUDIO public relations), Stefanie Stergiotis (Vic Studios) and Maximiliano Tyrawskyj (National Bank of Canada).

Les Printemps du MAC 

Created in 2006, Les Printemps du MAC takes shape each year under the management of the Printemps du MAC Organizing Committee, a group of young philanthropists with a passion for contemporary art who shoulder the work of organizing a unique event with real added value for the guests, and of raising the MAC's profile for the benefit of the Fondation du Musée d'art contemporain. Born out of a desire to make younger generations more aware of contemporary art and of the MAC's essential role in conserving and exhibiting this legacy at the provincial, national and international levels, this event makes a direct contribution to the MAC's development since all proceeds from the gala flow to the Fondation du MAC.

The Fondation du MAC would like to thank co-chairs Francis Guindon (WANT Les Essentiels and Quartz Co.) and Charles LeMay (Productions J) along with the organizing committee members and ambassadors who have generously given their time and energy to make this event a success. It would also like to highlight the generous involvement of honorary co-chairs, Sophie Laframboise (Cossette) and Julien Dirand (CDPQ). As well, the Fondation is grateful to BLG for sponsoring the auction, and to each and every member of the event's organizing committee:

Andy Barril (YHP Group), Alexe Corbeil-Courchesne (Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP), Erika Del Vecchio (Arsenal art contemporain), Allison Forbes (Raisonnable), Francis Guindon (WANT Les Essentiels and Quartz Co.), Olivier Lapierre (communications, public relations and media relations consultant), Charles LeMay (Productions J), Catherine Martel (Alice & Smith and YHP Group), Emma Molson (Sotheby's Art Institute), Amélie Elizabeth Pelly (Association des radiologistes du Québec), Jessica Rosen (L'Oréal Paris), Marjorie Roux (MATINÉE STUDIO public relations), Stefanie Stergiotis (Vic Studios) and Maximiliano Tyrawskyj (National Bank of Canada).

About the Fondation du MAC

The Fondation du MAC is dedicated to supporting the museum in its various activities, with a focus on building the collection, mounting exhibitions and maintaining educational programs. To achieve this mission, the Foundation's mandate is to raise funds from organizations and individuals interested in promoting and preserving contemporary art from Québec, Canada and abroad. In this way, the Foundation helps raise the profile of the collection at the heart of Canada's premier institution devoted exclusively to contemporary art: the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal.  This hyperlink will open in a new window.macm.org/fondation/ This hyperlink will open in a new window.

About the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal

The Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal makes today's art a vital part of Montréal and Québec life. For more than fifty years, this vibrant museum has brought together local and international artists, their works and an ever-growing public. It is a place of discovery, offering visitors experiences that are continually changing and new, and often unexpected and stirring. The MAC presents temporary exhibitions devoted to outstanding and relevant current artists who provide their own particular insight into our society, as well as exhibitions of works drawn from the museum's extensive collection. Every form of expression may be featured: digital and sound works, installations, paintings, sculptures, ephemeral pieces, and more. In addition to its wide range of educational activities familiarizing the general public with contemporary art, the MAC also organizes unique artistic performances and festive events. It is a window onto a myriad of avant-garde expressions that increase the exposure and awareness of art throughout the city and beyond.  This hyperlink will open in a new window.https://macm.org This hyperlink will open in a new window.

Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal Logo (CNW Group/Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal)

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Last update: May 1, 2023