Things to do in Montréal in June – Art

Visitor at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Major Montréal art museums and several of the city’s smaller galleries open this June, with staggered entry times and other health-focused regulations. Don't miss incredible international and local exhibitions, online art fair Papier and more.

Major museum exhibitions

At the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, see Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives until June 28, one of this season's major exhibitions in Montréal, reconstructing the lives of six Egyptians from about 900 BC to AD 180 – explore the museum's excellent online collections too. The Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal reopens just in time for the Fête nationale du Québec on June 24, with exhibitions Painting Nature with a Mirror, a portrait of 1980s painting in Canada, Points of Light, 40 years of moving image art – check out the museum's online collections and enlightening artist talks too.

Intriguing online exhibitions

Visit 44 galleries from Montréal and across the country in one place online this month: the 13th edition of Papier Contemporary Art Fair runs from June 4 to 21 and features hundreds of art works along with online panel discussions with artists and curators – download their new augmented-reality phone app Collecting to get the full experience. Join other art lovers at gallery Never Apart's spring 2020 exhibition virtual vernissages on Facebook, featuring a number of works including fashion installation Canadiana Threads: Le Château, Ecological Ambisonic Recordings 001: Rainforest and more – also read Never Apart's June 2020 magazine, celebrating Pride month. And 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.

Must-see gallery exhibitions

Galleries Parisian Laundry and Antoine Ertaskiran unite to form gallery Bradley Ertaskiran, this month featuring Rick Leong’s solo exhibition Carmanah. The Phi Centre reopens on June 24 with Emergence & Convergence, a major exhibition showcasing digital works and innovative installations created by Québec and international artists. More Montréal galleries are set to open in June: see our guide to gallery hopping for info.

Robyn Fadden

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.

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