🎨 Top 5 Vernissages in Montreal | September 17–19, 2025

This week, Montréal once again shines with creativity ✨. From Persian-inspired drawings to poetic graphic design, from glass art to tributes to legendary figures, the city’s visual arts scene is buzzing. Here’s our Top 5 Montreal Vernissages you won’t want to miss your weekly passport to culture, conversation, and community.

🕌 Soroush Aram – At the Gate of the Caravanserai

📍 Conseil des Arts de Montréal, 1210 Sherbrooke St. East
📅 Wednesday, September 17, 2025 | 5:00 PM

Artist Soroush Aram presents a series of drawings rooted in Persian culture, inspired by the caravanserai — desert shelters symbolic of life’s passage and the mystical poetry of 14th-century Hafez of Shiraz. A deeply personal journey shaped by his experience with ADHD, the work invites us to slow down and embrace contemplation. Bonus: the venue itself, housed in Montréal’s former central library (built 1914–1917), is a historic treasure worth the visit.

📚 Fanette Mellier – Versicolore / The Graphic World

📍 UQAM Design Centre, 1440 Sanguinet St.
📅 Wednesday, September 17, 2025 | 6:00–8:00 PM

French graphic artist Fanette Mellier brings a dazzling array of mediums together: books, posters, animations, objects, and installations. Curated by Marc H. Choko, the exhibition highlights both poetic and unconventional approaches to design. Expect a vibrant atmosphere typical of UQAM’s vernissages, with the bonus of a summer terrace hangout 🌿.

🖼️ Triple Vernissage at Pangée

📍 Galerie Pangée, 1305 Pine Ave. West
📅 Thursday, September 18, 2025 | 4:00–7:00 PM

A major art evening featuring three exhibitions:

• Pierre Dorion – Paintings 2000-2008

• Elizabeth Perrault & Marion Wagschal – Constantly Shedding, Perpetually Becoming

• Bronson Smillie – Solo Universalia

This lineup pairs museum-level artists like Dorion and Wagschal with emerging voices, creating a dialogue across generations. The venue itself, a historic building that once housed the Czech consulate, adds character. Expect works exploring the body as a vessel of desire, the grotesque, and the sacred 💫.

🔮 Collective Exhibition – Second Materials / First Creations

📍 Espace Verre, 1200 Mill St., Old Montréal
📅 Thursday, September 18, 2025 | 6:00-8:30 PM

Nine glass artists, including David Frigon-Lavoie (François-Houdé Prize 2023) and Michèle Lapointe (Québec Arts & Letters honor 2023)  take on the theme of recycled and repurposed glass. Their creations highlight sustainability and innovation 🌍. Espace Verre vernissages are known for their warm, welcoming vibe, making this a must for design and eco-art enthusiasts.

🎭 Tribute to Pierre Ayot – The Corridart Affair

📍 Atelier Circulaire, Pôle de Gaspé, 5445 de Gaspé, Suite 517
📅 Friday, September 19, 2025 | 5:00-8:00 PM

This collective exhibition pays homage to Pierre Ayot, the multidisciplinary artist, professor, and founder of Montréal’s Graff contemporary art center. From photography to sculpture and installation, Ayot’s influence resonates decades after his passing in 1995. An intimate and meaningful gathering in the welcoming setting of Atelier Circulaire, perfect for rediscovering one of Québec’s greats.

✨ Final Note

From the Conseil des Arts de Montréal to Atelier Circulaire, this week’s Top 5 Montreal Vernissages showcase the diversity and richness of Montréal’s visual arts scene. Whether you’re drawn to design, glass, painting, or cultural history, these vernissages offer moments of beauty, reflection, and community.

🔗 For more visual arts events, check out Magazine In Situ or the In Situ Facebook page

With these TOP 5 picks, September 2025 is set for discoveries and emotions. Montreal awaits with a cultural avalanche! Stay tuned for next week’s picks and follow Best Kept MTL for more can’t-miss arts events.