The crowd waiting in line to get their tickets was joyous. Laughing, talking, enjoying just being in the crowd.
They were waiting to see the Chagall exhibition.
It was that same sense of excitement and anticipation of an audience waiting for the curtain to rise on a hit Broadway musical, or watching a hockey game tied 6-6 in the playoffs!
But, seriously, at an art museum?!
A revolution is taking over the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
Set in motion by Nathalie Bondil, Director, when she took over in 2007.
www.mbam.qc.ca/salle-de-presse
She didn’t waste any time.
Before you knew it she had launched a series of exhibitions, sent out around the world and shown in 35 different countries.
It didn’t take long before the world of museums became aware.
And now the revolution is "bursting out all over" in everything the Museum is involved in: Exhibitions, Art and Art Therapy Education, Outdoor installations, its own Concert Hall...
And the numbers are wild. Over 1 million visitors a year to the Museum – Two years in a row. The largest number for a museum in Canada. 600,000 students benefit from the art education and therapy including a grand program for inner city students.
The sky is the limit with 450 partners! Local, National, North American, European! 5 new sponsored Pavillions in 5 years. And a new one slated for 2019!
All governed by one overarching concept – Creating humanity built on “Inclusiveness”
The goal? Nothing less than the whole world!
“If you can unite the citizens of the world through the neutrality of barriers that is culture, then you can have support for saving the world through putting into place all that is needed to stop climate change.”
The exhibitions are planned to embrace people at all levels of their involvement.
Translation? Nobody will ever again have to feel stupid at an art exhibition.
You're not an art scholar? Not to worry, there’s pleasure waiting for you!
Pleasure... and humanity.
"Art" is no longer simply ‘paintings on the wall’.
It has expanded to include not only painting and sculpture but music, cinematography, fashion, design!
And that was the wonderful "madness" of The Chagall Exhibition!
The color and movement in the Paintings!
www.mbam.qc.ca/salle-de-presse
The Cinematography and supporting Music: I will never forget its impact!
www.mbam.qc.ca/salle-de-presse
The unleashed Fashion of the Theater world of Chagall!
www.mbam.qc.ca/salle-de-presse
No wonder the waiting crowd was so excited. The excitement of anticipation!
Gone forever the prim and proper museum whose main purpose lay in its collections. And gone
as well are the grim looking guards ready to pounce on one wrong move: "Look. Don't Touch!:
Bondil comments, “In the 21st century cultural experiences will be seen to contribute to our well being, in the same way that in the 20th century, sports was seen to contribute to our well being.”
The second driver of Bondi's revolution is her passion for education of the young as tomorrow's game changers for peace.
How? By developing their humanity through an inclusive interpretation of what is culture within the teaching of art.
The Michal and Renata Pavillion for Peace has two full floors dedicated to Michel de la Cheneliere International Atelier for Education and Art Therapy - the greatest space provided in Canada for art education and art therapy by a Museum!
/www.mbam.qc.ca/salle-de-presse
“The building you see is growing the next generations who are opening up their hearts and minds and souls and emotions through exposure to culture in all its inclusiveness. Art, Music, Cinematography, Film, Dance. And add to that Fashion and Design.
There is the third driver in the revolution sweeping the Museum.
Which is reaching its partners in Montreal.... and will eventually reach its other partners in the world
of Museums.
The essence of inclusivity: Embracing the diversity of people and cultures.
No longer multi-dimensional. But inter-dimensional.
"Build bridges. Not walls."
