Top 5 Montreal Art Exhibits You Shouldn’t Check Out This Week!
Montreal’s art scene doesn’t slow down, it evolves, shifts, and constantly redefines itself through a steady rhythm of vernissages across the city. From the Belgo Building downtown to more intimate, alternative spaces in the Plateau and Hochelaga, these openings are less about formal viewing and more about atmosphere, conversation, and discovery.
This week, the lineup reflects exactly that balance: established galleries, emerging voices, and spaces that blur the line between exhibition and experience. Whether you’re deeply immersed in the art world or just looking for something different to do, these five vernissages are worth your time.
1. Claudie Gagnon — Circa (Belgo Building)
📍 372 Sainte-Catherine Street West, Suite 444
🗓 Thursday, March 26, 5:30–7:30 PM
At Circa, Claudie Gagnon presents a large-scale installation that reimagines the concept of still life. But this isn’t traditional — it’s sculptural, immersive, and intentionally layered. Expect a dark, almost theatrical environment filled with objects, textures, and unexpected elements that draw you into a narrative space.
Gagnon’s multidisciplinary approach, spanning sculpture, photography, video, and even food art makes this one of the more ambitious openings of the week. It’s the kind of exhibition that invites you to slow down, look closer, and take in the details.
2. Simon S. Belleau — Galerie Eli Kerr
📍 4647 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
🗓 Thursday, March 26, 6:00–8:30 PM
Galerie Eli Kerr has built a reputation as a gathering point for Montreal’s contemporary art crowd, and this vernissage is no exception. Simon S. Belleau’s work sits at the intersection of film, installation, and political narrative, often drawing from both visible and hidden layers of social systems.
His practice feels cinematic, almost investigative, each piece acting as a fragment of a larger story. With exhibitions spanning both local and international contexts, Belleau brings a level of depth that resonates with both seasoned collectors and curious newcomers.
3. Sarah-Anne Johnson & Zacharie Gauvreau — Blouin Division
📍 2020 William Street
🗓 Thursday, March 26, 5:00–7:00 PM
Blouin Division remains one of Montreal’s most respected commercial galleries, yet its openings manage to stay approachable and relaxed. This dual exhibition offers a compelling contrast between two artistic approaches.
Sarah-Anne Johnson’s work blends photography, painting, and sculpture to explore landscapes that shift between real and imagined. Meanwhile, Zacharie Gauvreau focuses on the life cycle of digital imagery deconstructing and reconstructing visuals to question how images evolve in today’s culture.
It’s a thoughtful pairing, and one that rewards both quick impressions and deeper reflection.
4. Olivier Rodrigue — Galerie Deschênes
📍 5155 Iberville Street, Suite 495
🗓 Friday, March 27, 5:00–10:00 PM
More than just a gallery, Galerie Deschênes feels like stepping into a creative living space. Set within a Plateau apartment-atelier, the environment itself becomes part of the experience.
Olivier Rodrigue’s work explores interior spaces, both physical and psychological through layered gestures, tensions, and erasures. It’s less about representation and more about process and presence. The result is raw, introspective, and quietly intense.
This is also one of the more social vernissages of the week, where conversations tend to flow as naturally as the music.
5. “Nostalgie” — Galerie MËL
📍 3140 Rouen Street
🗓 Saturday, March 28, 3:00–9:00 PM
If you’re looking for something slightly off the traditional gallery circuit, Galerie MËL delivers. Located in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, this former garage turned art space hosts exhibitions that lean toward the underground and experimental.
The collective show “Nostalgie” brings together a range of artists exploring memory, emotion, and personal narratives. What makes this vernissage stand out is its accessibility, both in atmosphere and in pricing making it a great place to discover emerging talent.
Bonus: you’ll often have the chance to explore adjacent artist studios during the event, adding another layer to the experience.
Final Thoughts
Vernissages in Montreal aren’t just about art, they’re about energy, community, and the unexpected encounters that happen in between. This week’s selection captures that spirit perfectly, offering a mix of scale, style, and setting.
Whether you’re planning a full evening of gallery hopping or just stopping by one, these events offer a glimpse into what makes Montreal’s art scene so compelling right now.
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.
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