ART IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL!
MONTREAL, Nov. 24, 2014
/CNW Telbec/ - To mark the 15th anniversary of its "Sharing the
Museum" programme, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) and
its Foundation are proud to announce a five-year, $1.5 million partnership with Bell Canada
($300,000 per year) to expand the
programme's educational, cultural and community initiatives, in
which over 200,000 people have participated to date via 400
community organizations.
The partnership with Bell will allow the MMFA's Education and
Community Programmes Department to expand the "Sharing the Museum"
programme by bridging the worlds of art and well-being. On the
first floor of its future Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion for
Peace, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts will offer innovative
programmes and services to people living with various challenges,
including health issues. To our knowledge, this initiative is a
world first!
Building on its traditional educational and aesthetic role, the
Museum aims to contribute to the well-being and happiness of all
visitors, especially those coping with social and health
challenges. Immigrants, refugees, at-risk youth, senior citizens on
low incomes, people with a low level of literacy, children,
families and adults from disadvantaged neighbourhoods and cultural
communities, and people with physical disabilities will have an
opportunity to take part. We are perhaps not far from the day when
doctors will prescribe an activity at the Museum to patients with
chronic health issues.
"Bell is proud to partner with the MMFA's innovative 'Sharing
the Museum' programme," said Martine
Turcotte, Bell's Vice Chair, Québec. "The social benefits of
art are clear and we applaud the MMFA's leadership for their
commitment to supporting the well-being of Québec society and the
thousands of people who will participate in the programme."
"The MMFA would like to thank Bell for helping to expand this
programme, which is essential for the well-being of our community
and society. Bell is a long-standing, loyal and generous partner of
the Museum. Since 2010, and including this new gift, Bell has
donated in goods, services and money, $3 million to the Museum
and its Foundation, including the installation of a Wi-Fi network
in all of our pavilions, greatly enhancing the cultural experience
of our one million visitors. Bell also helped us promote a host of
activities on both our website and information screens, including
exhibitions, concerts, films and lectures. This new contribution
will allow us to implement an innovative educational and
community-building project aimed at helping visitors with specific
needs embark on a journey of self-discovery and creativity, while
giving them a sense of belonging and building their self-esteem,"
stated the MMFA's director and chief curator, Nathalie Bondil.
Through its "Sharing the Museum" programme, the MMFA allows
people with specific needs to interact with the artworks in its
encyclopaedic collection. Thanks to the programme, tens of
thousands of visitors who rarely have the opportunity to enjoy art
and culture, are able to participate for free in a variety of
activities created specifically for them. Programme activities are
proving to be very beneficial to these individuals and their loved
ones. Many have said that a visit to the museum has a positive
impact on their well-being and happiness.
Thanks to the support of Bell, the MMFA will be able to partner
with a number of Montreal research
centres to prove that "Art is good for the soul".
Bold pilot projects with a focus on art therapy and
well-being
Collaborative research project between the MMFA and Montreal
Heart Institute
This study is aimed at evaluating the
benefits of art therapy in patients with elevated heart rate. The
single-blind intervention study will quantify the reduction in
participants' heart rate following art therapy sessions and will
evaluate this reduction over time.
The project opens the door to non-invasive treatments to control
heart rate. The results of this first study will lay the
foundations for innovative research on the treatment and prevention
of cardiovascular disease.
Alzheimer's project in collaboration with the Alzheimer
Society of Montreal
This
project was started in 2009, inspired by an initiative of the
Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York
City. Conducted in collaboration with the Alzheimer Society
of Montreal, the project aims to
improve the quality of life of participants and their caregivers by
involving them in inspirational, creative activities that respect
their physical and mental limitations.
What participants have to say about the "Sharing the Museum"
programme
"We're often victims of isolation and that
isolation is hard to break. A project like the one at the Museum
gives us a chance to communicate with others. Creativity helps us
rediscover a sense of child-like joy. We feel like we've
accomplished something and can take control of our lives."
Chistopher Reed,
Accueil Bonneau
"I feel somehow liberated. When people look at
my works, it's as if they're finally looking at me."
Jean Fontaine,
Accueil Bonneau
"Every year it's a fantastic learning experience and a lot of
fun. We feel really privileged to participate in this wonderful
journey to the land of art. Thank you so much."
Christiane Gagné, supervisor of a group of mental
health patients from the Jewish General Hospital of Montreal
History of an innovative programme at the MMFA: building a
unique expertise in the museum world
In 1999, the MMFA began
turning its attention to the realities of people who could not
participate in its cultural activities or engage with its artworks
for a variety of reasons (a prison sentence, health issues,
financial concerns, etc.).
The Museum decided to change that. The programme, known at the
time as the "Bridging Art and Community" programme and supported by
the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, made it possible to meet the
needs of this vast and varied clientele. Through community
programmes and intermediaries, marginalized groups were able to
take part in the Museum's regular programmes and engage in projects
tailored to their needs. Programmes and tours were specially
adapted to accommodate these new visitors. "Beyond Our Walls"
activities were also developed to reach people with reduced
mobility. The project evolved and was renamed the "Sharing the
Museum" programme, supported by the J.A. DeSève Foundation.
Art has often been defined as a way for humans to better
understand the world around them and their place in it. Thanks to
Bell, thousands of visitors with specific needs will be able to
live a human experience through works of art.
About the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
The Montreal
Museum of Fine Arts has the highest attendance rate among Canadian
museums. Every year over 1 million people visit its unique
encyclopaedic collection and its original temporary exhibitions,
which combine artistic disciplines (fine arts, music, film,
fashion, design) and feature innovative exhibition designs. The
Museum conceives, produces and circulates many of its exhibitions
across Europe and North America. It is also one of Canada's leading publishers of art books in
English and French, which are distributed worldwide. Over 200,000
families, students and people with specific needs take part in its
educational, cultural and community-oriented programmemes each
year. The fall of 2011 saw the opening of a fourth pavilion at the
Museum, devoted exclusively to Quebec and Canadian Art – the Claire and Marc
Bourgie Pavilion – and a 444-seat concert venue – Bourgie Hall –
housing an outstanding collection of Tiffany stained-glass windows.
The Museum's rich holdings are displayed in its other three
pavilions, which house the world cultures, medieval to contemporary
international art and decorative art and design collections. Music
is now an integral part of the Museum, providing another
perspective on the visual arts through musical audioguides and
other innovative activities. The Studios Art & Education Michel
de la Chenelière, inaugurated in 2012, have almost doubled the
MMFA's facilities for schools, families and community groups. A
fifth pavilion, the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion for Peace,
devoted to international art and education, will open its doors in
late 2016 for Montreal's 375th
anniversary.
About BCE
BCE is Canada's largest communications company,
providing a comprehensive and innovative suite of broadband
communication services to residential and business customers under
the Bell Canada and Bell Aliant brands. Bell Media is Canada's
premier multimedia company with leading assets in television,
radio, out of home and digital media, including CTV, Canada's #1 television network, and the
country's most-watched specialty channels. To learn more, please
visit BCE.ca.
The Bell Let's Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health
with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns, like Clara's Big
Ride for Bell Let's Talk and Bell Let's Talk Day, and significant
Bell funding of community care and access, research, and workplace
initiatives. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Source and requests for information:
Thomas Bastien standing in for
Sophie Labat
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
514-285-1600, ext. 205
tbastien@mbamtl.org
Marie-Eve Francoeur
Bell Media Relations
514-391-5263
marie-eve.francoeur@bell.ca
@Bell_News
SOURCE Bell Canada