Organisers of the Mountain, River and Village (Montagne, rivière et village) exhibition-competition have once again met the challenge: no less than 800 people attended the huge première of the event, last Friday at the Mont-Saint-Hilaire Community Centre; approximately 7,000 art lovers visited the exhibition which ended Tuesday; and the artists, 250 of them from the four corners of Quebec, were happy to take advantage of such a fine showcase. Approximately 80 of the 250 participants were local artists from Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Beloeil and surrounding areas. Of this group, only Joëlle B. Le Blanc from Mont-Saint-Hilaire won one of the eleven prizes awarded. The artist won the jury’s first prize along with the $1,200 purse. It is her work Fusion, a black and white ink painting that won the hearts of the three judges, Littorio Del Signore, Claire Lemay and Josée Perreault. The second prize and the $1,000 purse went to David Brown, from Montreal, for his acrylic Returning Home. With her Jeune rebelle piece, Jacqueline Geinoz won third prize and $800. The fourth and fifth prizes were won respectively by Antonine Rodier and Pierre Lampron for their piece Travaux d’automne and Sieste africaine. The figurative arts institute award edits mention to Yvon Chartier for his piece Marabella, Espagne. As for thepublic, it appreciated more than any other, the lead piece titled Unity, from Collin Campbell a Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu artist who receiveda $100 purse. Mentions were also given to Noëlla Allard Forget, Diane Gervais, Françoise Gosselin and Anne Lemieux. Each of these artists received $100.
HUGE SUCCESS
“We have to say that it was a success from start to finish, stated Mrs. Suzanne Chevrier, responsible for the event. We metall of our objectives. I believe that Mountain, River and Village (Montagne rivière et village) just keeps improving.” Mrs. Chevrier mentions that the visitors appreciated the wide range of works. “At least 25 artists sold their painting. As for the judges, they were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the pieces that were submitted to them. They even asked us if it were not possible to award a few additional prizes.” According to Mrs. Chevrier, the “creators” section which featured six artists from the region in as many disciplines was also a success. Paul Chabot, President of l’Association des peintres populaires de chez nous, which puts on the event in co-operation with the Town of Mont-Saint-Hilaire,whole heartedly praised the work of all participating artists, “the rich palettes of noble involvement and rich in colour” as he calls them.
Bernard BLANCHARD