Atelier Circulaire

Atelier Circulaire is an artist-run centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, dedicated to the printed arts. Founded on 21 December 1982 by a group of artists including Kittie Bruneau, Irénée Belley, Louis-Pierre Bougie, Catherine Farish, Liliane Fortier, Tin-Yum Lau, Jean Léger and Pierre-Léon Tétrault, it was created to serve as a platform for transmitting traditional engraving and printmaking techniques and to work for the informed rehabilitation of this art form in Montreal and beyond. The centre combines a production workshop, a gallery, a training and research space, and a resource store for specialized printmaking materials. The organization has occupied several locations over its history. In 1990 it inaugurated a new space at 40 rue Molière, between the Petite-Italie and Villeray neighbourhoods, which allowed for more efficient organization with defined work areas, an exhibition space, an acid room, a drying area and a store. An administrative coordinator was hired in 1991. In 1993 a lithography section was established by Christian Le Poul, Mel Boyaner and Pascal Lédée, and the centre began hosting foreign artists in residence. In 2001 it created La Biennale Voir Grand, a large-format print competition open to Canadian artists. In 2002 Atelier Circulaire moved to the fifth floor of 5445 rue de Gaspé, into a vast and luminous space of more than ten thousand square feet. Today Atelier Circulaire operates a workshop of nearly 1,000 square metres, described as a unique space for production, research, training and dissemination dedicated to the printed arts in Montreal. It offers services to professional artists and the general public, providing a workplace and specialized equipment for engraving and laser cutting, intaglio, lithography, relief and typography, screen printing and digital printing. Its gallery hosts collective and individual exhibitions, and since 1986 a regular programming has been established. The centre also runs residencies, workshops and public events, and maintains a store for purchasing specialized printmaking materials. As an artist-run centre, Atelier Circulaire is a non-profit cultural organization rather than a commercial manufacturer. Its brand identity is tied to its mission of supporting artists, preserving and renewing printmaking traditions, and making print arts accessible to a broad public in Quebec and Canada.

Atelier Circulaire was founded on 21 December 1982 by Kittie Bruneau, Irénée Belley, Louis-Pierre Bougie, Catherine Farish, Liliane Fortier, Tin-Yum Lau, Jean Léger and Pierre-Léon Tétrault. The founding members formulated the mission of the Atelier Circulaire: to create a 'platform' for the transmission of traditional engraving and to work for the informed rehabilitation of this art form in Montreal and beyond. Later, the presence of François Xavier Marange, an artist and master printer steeped in the Eastern European culture of printmaking, left its mark on the workshop. A gallery hosted collective and individual exhibitions, and from 1986 a regular programming was established. In 1990, Atelier Circulaire inaugurated a new location at 40 rue Molière, between the Petite-Italie and Villeray neighbourhoods. Benefiting from a much more spacious area, the workshop could organize itself more efficiently. It then included defined work spaces, an exhibition space, an acid room, a drying area and a store for purchasing specialized engraving materials. An administrative coordinator was hired in 1991. In 1993, a new lithography section was inaugurated, set up by Christian Le Poul, Mel Boyaner and Pascal Lédée. Atelier Circulaire received foreign artists in residence for the first time. In 2001, La Biennale Voir Grand, a large-format print competition open to Canadian artists, was created. In 2002, Atelier Circulaire moved to the fifth floor of 5445 rue de Gaspé, into a vast and luminous space of more than ten thousand square feet. Seeking to diversify its practice of graphic arts and to adapt to new modes of production, the centre continued to evolve. Today, with a workshop of nearly 1,000 square metres, Atelier Circulaire is a unique space for production, research, training and dissemination dedicated to the printed arts in Montreal. It offers services to professional artists and the general public, providing a workplace and specialized equipment for engraving and laser cutting, intaglio, lithography, relief and typography, screen printing and digital printing. The centre maintains a gallery, residencies, workshops and a store, and remains an active artist-run centre in Quebec.

• 2002

  Atelier Circulaire moves to the fifth floor of 5445 rue de Gaspé, a space of over ten thousand square feet.

• 2001

  La Biennale Voir Grand, a large-format print competition open to Canadian artists, is created.

• 1993

  New lithography section inaugurated by Christian Le Poul, Mel Boyaner and Pascal Lédée; first foreign artists in residence.

• 1991

  An administrative coordinator is hired.

• 1990

  Inauguration of new premises at 40 rue Molière, between Petite-Italie and Villeray.

• 1986

  Regular exhibition programming established in the gallery.

• 1982

  Atelier Circulaire founded on 21 December by Kittie Bruneau, Irénée Belley, Louis-Pierre Bougie, Catherine Farish, Liliane Fortier, Tin-Yum Lau, Jean Léger and Pierre-Léon Tétrault.

Artist-run centre for printmaking and printed arts in Montreal

• Printmaking services

  Services for professional artists and the general public, including engraving and laser cutting, intaglio, lithography, relief and typography, screen printing and digital printing.

• La Biennale Voir Grand

  A large-format print competition open to Canadian artists, created in 2001.

• Gallery exhibitions

  Collective and individual exhibitions, with regular programming since 1986.

• Artist residencies

  Residency opportunities, including for foreign artists since 1993.

• Specialized printmaking supplies store

  A store for purchasing specialized engraving materials.

1. 1Atelier Circulaire | Centre d'artistes en arts imprimésateliercirculaire.org
2. 2À PROPOS | Atelier Circulaireateliercirculaire.org
3. 3L’HISTOIRE | Atelier Circulaireateliercirculaire.org
4. 4SERVICES D’IMPRESSION | Atelier Circulaireateliercirculaire.org
5. 5Atelier Circulaire - Wikidatawikidata.org