An exhibition of posters, photos, and artifacts from Alain Simard’s collection, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Montreal’s major festivals.
Alain Simard’s life reads like a monumental epic! A visionary entrepreneur, this man-of-a-thousand-projects has been—over the course of his busy career—an impresario, a promoter, and a producer of shows, records, and television programs. He is the man behind many iconic events in Montreal and Quebec, including the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, the Francos de Montréal, and Montréal en Lumière.
Come explore Alain Simard’s huge contribution to local culture in an exhibition that traces the path of his atypical but fascinating journey. Through a series of posters, photos, and artifacts from his personal collection, highlighting various defining points in his life, explore key moments in the history of Quebec’s major events.
A virtual auction supporting access to culture
For almost 50 years, Alain Simard has been closely associated with Place des Arts, where he has produced an impressive number of shows. The man and the institution are driven by a shared desire: the democratization of culture. To that end, several objects on display in the exhibition will be made available through an auction, with profits going to the Fondation de la Place des Arts, whose mission is to increase access to arts and culture by supporting the activities in Place des Arts’ Education and Communities sector.
The prestigious objects in the collection, several of which have been autographed, include: one of Ben Harper’s guitars; a Stevie Wonder poster; numbered and signed screen prints and engravings by Tony Bennett, Miles Davis, Marcel Barbeau, Miyuki Tanobe, and Yves Archambault (poster artist for the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal [FIJM]); bronze FIJM awards statuettes; and much more!
The auction will take place from June 26, 5 pm to July 7.
An exhibition based on the book Je rêvais d'un festival
The exhibition follows the release of Alain Simard's book Je rêvais d'un festival: an autobiography full of anecdotes and reflections.
The book is available online or can be purchased at the Place des Arts exhibition hall. Alain Simard will also be on-site for book signing daily from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The profits are also going to the Fondation de la Place des Arts.
