Things to do in Montréal in July – Art
Major Montréal art museums and several of the city’s smaller galleries open incredible international and local exhibitions this July. With staggered entry times and other health-focused regulations, the museums offer a comfortable and safe experience of whole new worlds of art.
Major museum exhibitions
Among the many must-see summer exhibitions in Montréal, Paris in the Days of Post-Impressionism: Signac and the Indépendants opens on July 4 at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, featuring more than 500 masterpieces by Degas, Monet, Dufy, Friesz and many more famed influential artists – explore the museum's excellent online collections too, and be sure to book your tickets online for an exact date and time for your visit. The Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal reopens with exhibitions Painting Nature with a Mirror, a portrait of 1980s painting in Canada, Points of Light, 40 years of moving image art, and two dystopian video works by Jon Rafman – online see Edgar Arceneaux’s Until, Until, Until…, artist talks and collections.
Must-see gallery shows
The Phi Centre reopens with Emergence & Convergence, a major exhibition showcasing digital works and innovative installations by Québec and international artists contemplating the intersection of digital technology, the built environment and nature. The nearby Fondation PHI pour l'art contemporain launches painting exhibition RELATIONS: Diaspora and Painting on July 8, exploring the complex meanings of diaspora. Galleries Parisian Laundry and Antoine Ertaskiran unite to form gallery Bradley Ertaskiran, this month featuring Rick Leong’s solo exhibition Carmanah. More Montréal galleries are set to open in July: see our guide to gallery hopping for info.
Intriguing online exhibitions
Take virtual tours of Never Apart's summer exhibitions, including fashion installation Canadiana Threads: Le Château, Ecological Ambisonic Recordings 001: Rainforest and more – also read Never Apart's June 2020 magazine celebrating Pride. The Écomusée du fier monde and UQAM's Faculty of Arts present virtual exhibition Wild Flowers, an immersive urban landscape of local flowers and plants. The Phi Centre's Parallel Lines presents the work of 10 local artists online. And browse Montréal bookstore Drawn & Quarterly online for graphic novels and more art in book form.
Robyn Fadden
Robyn Fadden was a Montréal-based writer and editor known for her curiosity, creativity and love for uncovering the hidden gems of the city. For over a decade, Robyn collaborated with Tourisme Montréal, bringing her vibrant voice and rich knowledge to stories about art, music, and local culture. Robyn had also covered major events for HOUR, MUTEK, ARTINFO, CKUT 90.3FM, and more. She passed away in September 2024, and while she will be deeply missed, her work will continue to inspire.