Beat the Winter Blues with the most inspiring Montreal Art Galleries
Winter in Montreal doesn’t have to mean hibernation. When the days are short and the cold settles in, nothing sparks energy quite like stepping into vibrant spaces filled with creativity, conversation, and like-minded people. This late January, several standout cultural events are offering the perfect excuse to get out, connect, and immerse yourself in the city’s thriving visual arts scene. From vernissages to community gatherings, Montreal art galleries are once again proving they’re the best antidote to winter blues.
A Cultural Launch Worth Celebrating in LaSalle
📍 Centre Culturel et Communautaire Henri-Lemieux
📌 7644 rue Édouard, LaSalle
📅 Thursday, January 29, 2026
⏰ 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
The Centre Culturel et Communautaire Henri-Lemieux hosts the grand launch of its Winter–Spring 2026 cultural programming, an event that stands out within the city’s cultural network by blending art, music, food, and hands-on creativity into one welcoming evening.
The highlight of the night is the vernissage of Présage by Clovis-Alexandre Desvarieux, a Montréal-based artist of Haitian origin represented by Galerie Hugues Charbonneau in the Belgo Building. His practice spans painting, drawing, and photography, reinterpreting Haitian mythological narratives to explore contemporary social and ecological themes. Influenced by cubism and expressionism, his work oscillates between abstraction and figuration. Presented as part of Black History Month, this exhibition is a powerful reminder of why Montreal art galleries are such vital spaces during the winter season.
Ambient music, gourmet bites, and an African gourd lamp-making workshop upstairs complete the experience, making it as social as it is cultural.
Two Powerful Exhibitions at La Guilde
📍 La Guilde
📌 1356 rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal
📅 Thursday, January 29, 2026
⏰ 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
La Guilde opens its doors for a double vernissage in an elegant and spacious setting. Ceramic artist Marie-Andrée Côté presents Ce lien qui m’habite, a series of sculptural and photographic works that invite viewers to slow down and notice the subtle beauty of nature’s overlooked details.
Sharing the space, Animism Today by Koomuatuk Sapa Curley brings together a new series of stone sculptures inspired by Inuit beliefs that all beings and objects are connected through spirit and vital force. Born in Kinngait, Nunavut, and now based in Ottawa, Curley is part of the renowned Ashoona artistic lineage. This exhibition reinforces how Montreal art galleries foster cross-cultural dialogue in a celebratory atmosphere, complete with a complimentary bar.
Contemporary Discoveries at Galerie Blouin Division
📍 Galerie Blouin Division
📌 2020 rue William, Montréal
📅 Friday, January 30, 2026
⏰ 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Galerie Blouin Division hosts a triple vernissage that attracts collectors, artists, and contemporary art enthusiasts. Matthew Feyld explores monochrome palettes and chromatic circles, rewarding attentive viewing. Ben Langweider draws from phenomenological theory, depicting museum interiors and ancient frescoes.
A standout moment comes from Montréal artist Sarah Stevenson, whose suspended wire and metal sculptures resemble drawings in three dimensions. Events like this highlight how Montreal art galleries are also social hubs where networks naturally grow.
This curated selection is brought to you by the Best Kept MTL team, dedicated to spotlighting the people, places, and moments shaping Montreal’s cultural landscape.
For more Montreal vernissages, radio features, and in depth coverage of visual arts and related disciplines, explore Magazine Radio In Situ, one of the city’s few programs fully dedicated to visual arts since 2010.
📻 Airs Saturdays from 12 PM to 1 PM on Radio Centre Ville 102.3 FM
🔗 magazineinsitu.art
🔗 radiocentre ville.com
🔗 Facebook: Magazine Radio In Situ
Before you lock in your Igloofest nights, take a moment to see which performances truly stand out.
