Photos : Annie France Noël
(EN)
With all my love,
Presented at Imago Artist-Run Print Studio, first floor of the Aberdeen Cultural Centre, from March 11 to April 16 2022.
Opening reception and discussion panel Friday March 18th at 5pm.
February 14, 2013 will forever be etched in my memory. This date represents the first time I participated in Art en Boîte, as an artist and volunteer. I was a visual arts student at the time, and my excitement level was high. I was being introduced to what felt like a secret society, privy to the behind-the-scenes details of this Moncton event. I was suddenly – and only for a fraction of time as I reverted to my student identity at the stroke of midnight – a true artist and a member of the mystical community of the Aberdeen Cultural Centre. That day, Valentine's Day, however, I fell in love. Hard. My love for Art en Boîte, and thus for the Imago Print Studio, is the purest of loves. I am constantly in awe of it, fully accepting its growth and changes over time. I enjoy its presence every year and expect nothing from it. Well, this last point is only partly true, as I expect my art collection to grow because of its existence.
This story is not unique to me. In fact, over the course of several decades, printmaking students in the classes of Jacques Arseneault, a founding member and former president of the studio, have been invited to participate in this tradition: to volunteer time and a series of 12 prints in exchange for their own ticket, as well as a sort of all-access pass to this event. For some of us, this meant a lifelong devotion to Art en Boîte, the Imago Print Studio and their communities.
In talking with 13 artists for whom Art en Boîte has a deep resonance, I confirmed these suspicions. I'm not the only one who loves it. This event is much more than a fundraiser. It is the result of a love affair with printmaking, with introducing the public to printmaking. Art en Boîte transforms Moncton residents, young and old, into art lovers and art collectors. It is an event of great significance to many people, for the artists who participate every year as much as for the visitors who make it an annual ritual. It has reconciled many people to February 14. It has allowed us to grieve important losses. It has taught us new skills that have turned into passions. It has helped us feel accepted and part of a community.
In the hope of demystifying just enough (not too much) and of introducing you to the faces behind this cult event, With all my love presents a series of snippets of interviews with artists who have contributed to this event, some from the very beginning. The aim is to understand better their
intimate relationship with Art en Boîte, as well as what inspires them individually and what defines them in part as artists, but also as people.
Many residents of the Moncton area and beyond have work acquired through this event on their walls. This exhibition hopes to show the faces behind these pieces, faces that make up the soul, success and 35 years of Art en Boîte.
Curator : Alisa Arsenault
With the generous contributions of :
Herménégilde Chiasson, Jacques Arseneault, Annie France Noël, Blake Morin, Carole Deveau, Angèle Cormier, Christine Comeau, Mario Doucette, Mathieu Léger, Pat Joy,
Marjolaine Bourgeois, Maryse Arseneault and Jennifer Bélanger.