MU mural honours Norman McLaren. MCLAREN EN CINQ TEMPS.
News Release
November 26, 2015 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
Today, the charitable non-profit MU inaugurated its mural tribute to Norman McLaren, McLaren en cinq temps, part of its Great Artists series celebrating Montreal’s cultural icons. For the occasion, Manon Gauthier, member of the executive committee of the City of Montreal and responsible for culture, heritage, design, Space for Life, and the status of women, Plateau Mont-Royal mayor Luc Ferrandez and the borough’s elected officials, and Jérôme Dufour, Director General of Distribution, Communications and Marketing, of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) were in attendance. Designed by Mile End artist Jason Cantoro in collaboration with 4U2C and executed by Annie Hamel, the 125-foot long mural consists of five panels inspired by the 1968 short film Pas de Deux that McLaren created at the NFB.
Launched by MU in 2010, the collection of murals entitled Montreal’s Great Artists highlights the creative minds and forces that have made outstanding contributions to the local, national and international reach of Montreal’s cultural scene. It pays tribute to creators in a variety of artistic disciplines who are Montrealers by birth or adoption. To date, 11 artists have received this honour: Paul-Émile Borduas, Oscar Peterson, Miyuki Tanobe, Marcelle Ferron, Alys Robi, Michel Tremblay, Cirque du Soleil (Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix), Oliver Jones, Dany Laferrière, Norman McLaren and Émile Nelligan.
“The mural before us, created by Jason Cantoro in homage to the filmmaker Norman McLaren, is a welcome addition to our open-air museum and Montreal’s urban landscape. By contributing to the emergence of murals in local communities, our administration hopes to encourage people to practise this art form professionally. We too believe in the importance of bringing public art to every part of the city. I would like to thank the designer, muralists and artists, as well as MU for creating this work,” said Manon Gauthier.
“The Plateau is pleased that its Muralité program could help to bring this work of art to life. This section of St. Lawrence Blvd. was in need of some love. I would like to congratulate the building owner for embracing this project. The vibrancy of this part of the Mile End neighbourhood will only increase with this type of art beautifying the urban landscape,” said Luc Ferrandez.
“Norman McLaren’s avant-garde animation work in Montreal made him a great builder of the cultural scene who continues to inspire new generations of artists both here in his adoptive home and all around the world,” noted Jérôme Dufour.
“Our Montreal’s Great Artists collection is a cultural legacy intended to inspire citizens and renew their sense of pride in the history of art in our city. It’s art celebrating art!” added Elizabeth-Ann Doyle, General and Artistic Director of MU.
This MU project was made possible by the financial support of the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications and the Ville de Montréal as part of the Entente sur le développement culturel de Montréal, YELLOW, the Plateau Mont-Royal borough, Benjamin Moore and the Caisse d’économie solidaire Desjardins. MU also collaborated with the YMCA du Parc last summer to offer mural painting workshops to neighbourhood youth, during which they created their own indoor mural.
For making-of photos of the mural, visit:
The MU website (http://www.mumtl.org/en/projects/tribute-to-norman-mclaren-jason-cantoro-2015/)
The MU Facebook page (http://on.fb.me/1MUwZ3x)
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Media Relations
MU
Caroline Marinacci
Tel. : 514 509 6877
Cell. : 514 912 5847
E-mail : caroline@mumtl.org
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About the NFB
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) creates groundbreaking interactive works, social-issue documentaries and auteur animation. The NFB has produced over 13,000 productions and won over 5,000 awards, including 14 Canadian Screen Awards, 11 Webbys, 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies. To access acclaimed NFB content, visit NFB.ca or download its apps for smartphones, tablets and connected TV.
About MU
MU is a charitable non-profit organization whose mandate is to transform Montreal’s public spaces by creating murals that are rooted in local communities. MU’s projects are designed to promote the democratization of art and local development. Over the past seven years, MU has produced 50 large-scale murals in 15 neighbourhoods, in addition to over 60 community-based projects. www.mumtl.org
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