Art

The Segal Centre for Performing Arts at the Saidye sponsors the Sunday-@-the-Segal lecture series. Join directors, writers, academics, and others for these popular talks. Topics have included jazz, Mozart, and Houdini. The free event begins at 11 a.m., and refreshments are served afterwards.

On Thursday nights after 5:30, the Centre Canadien d'Architecture is free to the public. Exhibits include a photography display and drawings from the 19th century that show how architects design and execute a project from start to finish. Upcoming exhibitions (beginning in October 2008) focus on the evolution of skylights and on the impact that urban residents—by simply walking, recycling, and gardening—have on their city.

Located in the Saint-Laurent neighborhood, the Musée des Maîtres et Artisans du Québec celebrates Quebec's French-Canadian heritage as well as traditional craftsmanship. A permanent exhibit called "From Master's Hands" presents French-Canadians' tools, furniture, metalwork, and sacred objects from the 1600s through 1800s. Admission to the museum is free on Wednesdays.

The permanent collection at the Musée des beaux-arts de Montreal is always free to the public. This fine arts museum features European artwork dating back to the Middle Ages. Ancient artwork from around the world includes Islamic metalwork, African masks, and Buddhist sculptures. The Canadian art collection captures the country's history though painting, sculptures, and decorative art.

Selected exhibits at the Musée d'art contemporain de Montreal are free on Wednesday nights from 6 to 9 p.m. Through paintings, videos, sculptures, and more, the "Sympathy for the Devil" exhibit chronicles the link between rock'n'roll and avant-garde art since the 1960s. Organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the exhibit will be on display in Montreal until January 2009. Another upcoming exhibit focuses on the works of modern artist and Montrealer Claude Tousignant. His works are famous for their bold colors and geometric shapes.

The Musée de Lachine's outdoor museum, open daily from sunrise to sunset, features 50 sculptures along walking and biking trails following St.-Louis Lake and Lachine Canal. The museum offers a scavenger-hunt for families in René-Lévesque Park designed to educate people of all ages about sculpture. On weekends in September and October, the museum hosts an introduction to archaeology. With a simulated dig, participants help analyze artifacts and learn about discoveries made at the site.