leonardo de vinci until july 5
Thanks so much to Christine Sawyer for this contribution.
The 5th floor of the Eaton Center has an exhibit hall and is presenting two exhibits this spring: Leonardo da Vinci – The Exhibition – Man, Inventor, Genius and Titanic – the Artifact Exhibition – Real Objects, Real Stories (which includes over 288 real artifacts recovered from the ocean floor).
I was surprised to see exhibits of such quality in a place I did not even know about. The Leonardo da Vinci exhibit we saw is definitely worth the visit. It has already visited several European and U.S. cities - if you are in Montreal in June, don’t miss it!
Throughout the exhibit, you are accompanied by Renaissance-era music from the time of Leonardo da Vinci, taking you back in time. You can also see the chronology of his life, which will surprise you. How can one man invent machines, discover anatomy and paint chefs d’oeuvre all at the same time?
The Leonardo da Vinci exhibit presents more than 60 custom-built models on everything from machines to lift heavy objects, war machines, flying machines and more. The wooden models have been made in vivid detail from da Vinci’s original drawings by skilled Italian craftsmen in Florence.
With these models, this exhibition reveals how much ingenious and ahead of the time da Vinci was. It is always a surprise to see that his inventions are still used today - more than 500 years later. Some of the most innovative and contemporary and inventions presented here include a hang glider, a parachute (don’t forget to look up not to miss those), a military tank, a self-moving car and elegant bridge structures.
A series of reproductions of Leonardo’s paintings are also represented in the first few rooms of the exhibit. Extensive research on the origins and the “life through centuries” of each of these paintings is detailed. You’ll learn things you have probably never heard about (I hadn’t!): the likely authenticity of each painting, the successive owners including kings and cardinals, where the paintings were displayed, their renovations and more.
You’ll learn the story of the famous Joconde, how it was stolen in 1911 and the multiple copies which were done at the time, which actually even leaves some little doubt about the authenticity of the one currently displayed at the Louvre, in Paris. You also see some of his notebooks with sketches and his famous “backward” writings.
The exhibit website has details of the exhibit. Check the “press” page in particular for Leonardo da Vinci bibliography, life chronology, and fun facts.
If you go: The Montreal Eaton Centre – 5th floor, 705 Sainte-Catherine Street West
Opens daily at 10am; closes at 8 pm Sunday to Wednesday and 9 pm Thursday to Saturday.
Tickets: $12.95 or $14.95, on the web or at the door.
country chic at l’atelier du presbytère
Mille fois merci to Christine Sawyer for contributing this posting - article and photos by Christine.
L’Atelier du Presbytère is one of Montreal’s best kept secrets for lovers of interior design. A relative newcomer to rue Notre-Dame Ouest, the two-year-old shop is a wonderful addition to the street’s great antique shops and galleries.
The focus is French country, and everything in the store tells a story, starting with the window display. The long vitrine gives glimpses of glassware, vases, lamps, painted and unpainted furniture, and best of all, linens, that make me wonder about the items’ previous lives.
Françoise, the owner, buys antique fabrics in garage sales, estate sales and antique shops. She combines them with natural linens, and creates wonderful – and unique – pieces.
Sacs à mots doux (bags for kind words), sacs à bisous (bags for kisses), sacs à histoires (bags for stories), sacs à rêves (bags for dreams), sacs à promesses (for promises), sacs à gros mots (for swear words), sacs à bêtises (for silly things), sacs à bobos (for little scratches). Who could resist these little linen bags, with such words stiched on them?
The words bring to mind childhood innocence - and in fact Françoise created one of the first bags for her young son. It was a lovely container for his gros mots, an alternative for using them in public. Then came bags for kisses, secrets, and the like.
Most of the fabrics she chooses are in soft white, red and ochre, and the overall effect is delightful. Sometimes she integrates a lace pattern from one of those antique sheets, or turns someone’s initials, like a French grandmother had on her table napkins, into the centerpiece of a cushion.
The store has everything to create the country chic home: antique glasses, dishes, clocks, scales and lamps; huge square soaps and other bathroom accessories; beautiful tables, chairs and dressers; and lots and lots of linens - antique bed sheets, cushions, aprons, dish towels, tablecloths, little bags for bread, laundry, just for fun, and more.
Thierry, Francoise’s husband, renovates the furniture, and they work together to create the complete look. He likes the rustic sheens and finishes, the whites and the pale greens, and the harmony is perfect.
And what about the name L’Atelier du Presbytère? Françoise and Thierry have their own story to tell: owners of a very successful business in Provence, they had little time to enjoy life, so they moved to Montreal to start small all over again.
L’Atelier du Presbytère was the name of their old shop - located in a small town behind the presbytère, home of the priest, on rue du Presbytère.
L’Atelier du Presbytère
1810, rue Notre-Dame Ouest
Tel : (514) 448-1768
give peace a chance
Few things are more worthy of our imagination than world peace.
And few things require more imagination - which is why I love the exhibit, IMAGINE: The Peace Ballad of John & Yoko, at the Musée des Beaux Arts.
There is much to praise about the show, beginning with creator Yoko Ono’s intent. The conceptual artist envisioned the expo as both a celebration of the 1969 Montreal Bed-In, and yet another grass roots appeal for peace. In order for the message to reach as many people as possible, admission is free.
John and Yoko’s Bed-in for Peace was part honeymoon, part Vietnam war protest. The couple arrived at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal on May 26, and stayed for a week - appearing on radio shows, granting TV interviews, and entertaining Timothy Leary and other anti-war populists.
In footage from that week, Lennon is serious, silly, committed, and tired. He encourages alternatives to violence: “Stay in bed and grow your hair,” he says. “Less words, and more peace.” Their suite at the QE comes alive with his music.
The exhibition recreates the event and the years surrounding it through drawings, unpublished photos, videos, books and films. But nothing takes the viewer back forty years like hearing the soundtrack, with songs by Lennon.
There are several participatory elements, including the opportunity for visitors to record their own bed-in, and share the photos and videos on the museum website.
Visitors can play “Imagine” on a replica of Lennon’s white piano, stamp “Imagine Peace” on maps of the world, and read works by Nobel Peace Prize winners in the Peace Library
Free films about John and Yoko, including “Gimme Some Truth: The Making of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ Album,” will be shown throughout the month of May.
The message is still timely and universal, and even businesses are helping spread the word - a number have offered their services in association with the expo, free of charge.
In a press conference promoting the show, the still youthful looking Ono insisted that when it comes to creating world peace, “each person has an incredible power.” It’s ironic that in this world of viral marketing, we need to be reminded that we can each make a difference.
If you go: Montreal Musée des Beaux Arts, 1380 Sherbrooke Ouest, open T-F, 11-5 (W until 9); Sat Sun 10-5. Until June 21, 2009.
Photograph courtesy Christine Sawyer.
summer festivals celebrate jazz, fashion, comedy, cycling
Get out your calendar, and start planning your summer weekends now. Jazz, fashion, comedy and cycling festivals are all on the horizon. Here is a primer, so you’ll know what to expect and how to learn more.
MONTREAL BIKE FEST, May 31 to June 7, 2009. Montreal celebrates the bicycle for eight days, in the best cycling city in North America, according to Bicycling Magazine.
The festival kicks off with a group ride along the Châteauguay River. The Metropolitan Challenge, Sun May 31, has 75, 100, 125 and 150 km options.
Operation Bike to Work takes place June 1-5, offering workshops on and incentives for commuting by bike.
A fun way to see Montreal under the lights is Un Tour La Nuit - Fri June 5. Twenty thousand participants will ride 20km of trails, leaving from Blvd St Joseph at 8:30pm.
Join the Tour de I’lle as it celebrates its 25th anniversary on June 7, 2009. This family-oriented event is a great way to explore the city’s neighborhoods. Cirque de Soleil participates in the send-off, which takes place on Ave du Parc at 9:15am.
The Bike Fest has extra support from the city’s new green initiative, BIXI. This hop-on-hop-off bike rental program, inspired by the popular Paris Vélib, makes 3,000 bikes available at 300 stations in areas of the city served by bike lanes. Once you’re registered, you can take a bike, pedal free for the first half hour, and return it to any station. Bikes are available May - Nov (stations are removed for the winter.) Starts May 12.
Fashionistas flock to Montreal for events like the Festival de la Mode, with street activities and special
presentations that pay tribute to fashion and design, with special focus on Quebec designers. June 17 to 20, McGill College Avenue
Not sure if it’s for you? Watch a video.
June 13 kicks off the 25th anniversary of the L’International des Feux Loto-Québec - international fireworks festival. The schedule consists of ten Saturday night performances, each featuring 30 minute fireworks shows, with talent from a dozen countries - including Canada on July 25.
You’ll need tickets to watch from amusement park La Ronde, where the fireworks are launched and set to music. Or watch for free on the Jacques Cartier bridge. Festival runs through the grande finale on Aug 15.
Festival International de Jazz de Montreal – the largest jazz festival in the world - takes place July 1 to 12 at Place des Arts. There will be over 500 shows, including 350 free outdoor concerts. The program of ticketed concerts will be unveiled Tuesday, May 5th, at 11am, with the full program of free concerts to be unveiled June 8.
Just for Laughs Festival is a premier comedy event featuring gala performances, theater, club acts and outdoor shows, with galas hosted by John Cleese and Whoopi Goldberg. July 3 to 26, 2009 Quartier Latin.
Hope to see you on the streets of Montreal!
