Painter since 1973, Marcel Gagnon is always in artistic research. Scenery painter in the beginning, his paintings change as the years go by. Characters full of mystic are born in his paintings.
In 1982, he receives a grant at Musée de Sept-Iles (Sept-Iles Museum) with one of his paintings representing his characters. Everything becomes at that point a subject for reflection, interrogation and self questioning.
In 1983, he paints a regional cross road where we can see these same oblong shapes (see the permanent exhibit at Centre d'Art).
Grand prix du tourisme Gaspésien (Grand prize winner for Gaspésien tourism)
In 1984, he buys a small cottage so he can turn it into an art gallery and a small snack bar. Always expanding it is in 1990 that he decides to add an Inn to it. After this innovation he receives the Grand Prix du Tourisme Gaspésien in the category: development of a small business.
The nature work of art "Le Grand Rassemblement"
In 1986, he creates «Le Grand Rassemblement», a nature work of art unique world-wide with more than a hundred life-size sculptures emerging from the Saint-Lawrence River and that change under the visitor's eyes depending on the tides and mother-nature's whims. The statues made separately with concrete, weigh more than 685kg each. This work of art makes him win the "Innovation Touristique" prize in 1987.
The rafts
To his works of art he adds rafts with characters on board in 1992. These are made of wood and when the tide is high these small boats give the illusion of sailing towards new horizons.
Writer
On top of painting and sculpting Marcel writes. We find today in our bookstore a little more than a dozen published books with among them his most recent one "Recueil de mes 50 meilleurs poèmes" (Book of 50 of my best poems). Of these poems 26 are available in different presentations in our boutique, all different from one another and they bring us many reflections.
Médaillé de l'Assemblé National (Decorated with the medal of the National Assembly)
In 2003, he received from Deputy Minister Danielle Doyer the "Médaille de l'Assemblé National" (The medal of the National Assembly) to show him gratitude for his amazing personal investment by his many ventures, to the tourist and cultural development in the Mitis area.
Mouvement de lumière, oil 22 x 28
Biographic notes
Studies
1959
High-school diploma (self-taught)
1977-78
Moulin des Arts in Québec at Albert Rousseau School.
Exhibits and publications
From 1973 to 1978
January 1973
Solo exhibit at Centre Commercial Desormeaux in Longueuil.
April 1973
Solo exhibit private showing room in Montréal
March 1974
Solo exhibit at Auberge des Gouverneurs in Rimouski
May 1974
Solo exhibit at Relais de la Butte Restaurant in Mont-Joli
June 1974
Group exhibit at St-Jean-Baptiste in Saint-Moïse
July 1974
Group exhibit in Price
October 1974
Solo exhibit at Auberge des Gouverneurs in Rimouski
October 1974
Exhibit at Galerie Plourde in Matane
May 1977
Solo exhibit at Jean-Cournoyer room in Longueuil
June 1977
Solo exhibit at Mont-Joli city hall
July 1977
Solo exhibit at Manoir Baie-Comeau in Baie-Comeau
September 77
Group exhibit at Festival d'Automne in Rimouski
October 1977
Group exhibit at Saint-Louis Hotel in Rimouski
November 1977
Solo exhibit at Radio-Canada
March 1978
Solo exhibit in Baie-Comeau
April 1978
Exhibit at "Le Bourgeon" community center in Mont-Joli
June 1978
Solo exhibit at Galerie l'Aquarelle in Mont-Joli
July 1978
Solo exhibit at the Tourbière in Rivière-du-Loup
July 1978
Group exhibit at Festival des Artisans in La Rédemption
July 1978
Solo exhibit at Festival de la P'tite Fraise in Causapscal
September 78
Trip to Europe and museum visit
October 1978
Solo exhibit in Saint-Louis Hotel in Rimouski
November 1978
Solo exhibit at Galerie Mont-Joli in Mont-Joli
November 1978
Exhibit at Auberge des Gouverneurs in Rimouski
Le Grand Rassemblement, oil 10 x 20
from 1979 to 1983
Year 1979
Fabrication of many unique sculpted pieces of furniture, made by Marcel Gagnon
April 1979
Exhibit at Sept-Iles Museum in Sept-Iles
May 1979
Special mention for the quality of his work (The Lieutenant-Governor Jean-Pierre Côté was at the exhibit)
July 1979
Group exhibit for the 150th anniversary of Rimouski
August 1979
Festival des Artisans in La Rédemption
October 1979
Galerie Lili Gagnon in New-Richmond
April 1980
Solo exhibit at Galerie Basques in Rimouski
Un coin de la vallée, rang Cabot Ste-Angèle, oil 12 x 36
1984 to 1988
April 1984
Galerie Canard de Bois in Sherbrooke
June 1984
Opening of the art gallery at Centre d'Art Marcel Gagnon in Sainte-Flavie
October 1984
Solo exhibit at Saint-Louis Hotel in Rimouski
May to Dec.1984
Exhibit at Centre d'Art Marcel Gagnon in Sainte-Flavie
1985
Article in the Italian magazine "Atlante"
1985 to 1988
Painting contest organised at Centre d'Art Marcel Gagnon
May 1986
Galerie Lili Gagnon in New-Richmond
June 1986
Inauguration of the work of art "Le Grand Rassemblement" in Sainte-Flavie
September 1986
"Reflet d'un pays" a television show on Radio-Canada
December 1986
Solo exhibit at Galerie Mont-Joli in Mont-Joli
June 1987
Newspaper article in Écho-Dimanche
September 1987
Grand Prix du Tourisme Gaspésien "Innovation" prize
October 1987
Statues of « Grand Rassemblement » at Montréal Botanical Garden in Montréal
1988
Registration of the statues of "Grand Rassemblement" in the book "Records Québécois" (Québec record book) Stanké Éditions
March 1988
Solo exhibit at Château Champlain of Montreal, painter and sculptor
Fall 1988
Group exhibit at Salon International at Galerie du Vieux-Port in Montréal
Ste-Angèle, oil 18 x 24
1989 to 1993
April 1990
Publication of the 1st book "Au-delà du voyage" (Beyond the trip) Éditions du Méridien
1990
« 200 visions nouvelles de peintres du Québec » (200 new views of Québec painters) Éditions La Palette, Louis Bruens
1990
Registration in guide Vallée « À la recherche de? » (Looking for?)
October 1990
Grand Prix du Tourisme Gaspésien(Grand prize of Gaspésien tourism):Development of small tourism businesses
1990
Building and creating the six rafts with the wooden characters second part the work of art of "Grand Rassemblement"
May 1991
Nomination to Grand Prix du Tourisme Québecois (Grand Prize of Québecois Tourism), Palais des Congrès in Montréal
June 1991
Second book "Vingt-quatre heures de ma vie" (Twenty-four hours of my life) Éditions Humanitas
May 1992
Publication of the book "Le pays de Chair-Âme" (The country of skin-soul) Éditions Humanitas
May 16th
1992 Newspaper article in "La Presse"
June 1992
Cover page of the French magazine "Historia"
July 1992
Exhibit of the works of art of the book "Le pays de Chair-Âme" (The country of skin-soul) at the Madeleine Island Museum (official launching of the book)
Fall 1992
Cover page of Sylvain Rivière's book "L'errance est aussi un pays" Éditions GuérinFall
1992
Salon du Livre de la Gaspésie; cover page of "Lettres de Survie" (Letters of survival) Éditions Humanitas-Illustration on the poster of Salon du Livre de la Gaspésie
December 1992
Exhibit at the Gaspé Museum
February 1993
Exhibit at Centre d'Artistes Vaste & Vague in Carleton
April 1993
Cover page of Ghislaine Carrier's book "Sous l'aile de l'artiste" (Under the wing of the artist) Marcel Gagnon's biography, Éditions du Grand Rassemblement
June 1993
Holiday guide in the newspaper Journal l'Information , article about the sculptures of "Grand Rassemblement"
June 1993
Television show "La route des Vacances à Télé-Québec" (Holiday road on Télé-Québec)
1993
Illustrated report in "Kawada" de Frédérik Delliel, p. 166
August 1993
Quorum (Information magazine of l'Union des municipalités régionale de comté, Vol. 18, Number 5)
August 1993
Le Devoir (Jean Dion) « Figures mythiques à la mer » (Mystical characters at sea)
Le Grand Rassemblement, huile 8 x 16
1994 to 1998
1994
Publication of the 1st book « Tu peux te permettre" (You can give yourself the permission) and of the 2nd book "La voie le chemin qui mène vers soi" (The way the road to yourself) of the collection Éveil Éditions du Grand Rassemblement
June 1994
Marcel Gagnon paints a 650 square feet fresco "Les quatres saisons" (The four seasons) on the ceiling of his house and inauguration of the house of the artist with a retrospective of the twenty years of artistic life of Marcel Gagnon, Journal l'Information
July 1994
Birth of "Artistes en fête" (A celebration of artists) In Sainte-Flavie by its instigator with the help of Alizarin Group (Group of painters)
1995
Publications of the third book "Faire un succès de sa vie" (Make a success of our life) and of the fourth book "L'intuition" (The intuition) of the Éveil collection, Édition du Grand Rassemblement
1995
Group exhibit at Centre des Congrès Stade Constant Vanden Stocke in Brusselles
1996
Publications of the books "L'Observateur observe" (The observed observer) and "Le p'tit Prince de Sainte-Flavie" (The little Prince of Sainte-Flavie), Édition du Grand Rassemblement
July 9th, 1997
Newspaper article about the sculptures of Grand Rassemblement unique world-wide by Christian Lepage in Journal de Québec
1997
"ADAC reisemagazin" German Magazine article on Gaspésie with pictures of "Grand Rassemblement"
1998
Article in Reader's Digest: "Canada and its tranquil roads"
1999 to 2003
1999
Publication of "La créativité, lumière du Coeur" (Creativity and light of the heart) reuniting his 2 first books "Au-delà du voyage" (Beyond the trip) and "Vingt-quatre heures de ma vie" (Twenty-four hours of my life) with on top of it, the best poems of the last ten years, Éditions du Grand Rassemblement
January 1999
Reportage in "Vallarta Supplement"
July 1999
Symposium in Saint-Germain-de-Kamouraska, first prize mixed techniques
July-August 1999
"Quoi de neuf?" (What's new?) the magazine for the Association of retired teachers of Québec Volume 21, Number 5
January 2000
On Marcel Gagnon's invitation, 10 Québec painters go to Bucerias inMexico to paint a mural "Paseo del beso" at "Passage du baiser" (Passing of the kiss)
February 2000
Illustrated report in "Vallarta Reporter"
February 2000
Marcel Gagnon is in a television report "Weird homes" from Vancouver
March 17, 2000
Television report at TVA network on a group of Québecois painters who painted a mural in Mexico
June 2000
Journal l'Information "Le Grand Rassemblement a 15 ans » (Le Grand Rassemblement is 15 years old)
July 2000
One of the founding fathers Marcel Gagnon is the honorary president of "Artistes en fête" (A celebration of artists) in Sainte-Flavie
Fall 2000
Newspaper article in "Meridiano/Vallarta by Maria Montoya, Bucerias: Eden de un artista Marcel Gagnon
Spring 2001
The "Vallarta Lifestyle" an article written by Heather Wilson named: Love and commitment, Becurias style, where we mention the huge mural "Passage du baiser" (Passing of the kiss)
April 2001
Journal l'Information: article on a series of TV shows "Circuit PME" on RDI network where the animator producer, Léa Pascal, let's entrepreneurs who use originality and innovation talk about their success
May 2001
Showing of "Circuit PME" on RDI network
May 2001
Journal l'Information, article called: creation of a sculpture "Les portes de la Gaspésie" (The doors to Gaspésie) work of art of Marcel Gagnon
May 2001
Illustration on the cover of the novel of Claire Lévesque "Mal de mère" (A mother's pain) Éditions Plaines
May 2001
Journal l'Information, by Roger Boudreault, tells the story of the man behind this artist, Marcel Gagnon
August 2001
Public prize "Chevalet d'argent" (Silver easel) for "Artistes en fête" (A celebration of artists) in Sainte-Flavie
Fall 2001
Television report on Canal Évasion, Mexico VR
2002
Television report on Canal Évasion "Tous les chemins mènent vers l'art" (All the roads lead to art)
May 2003
Vernissage at Centre d'Art Marcel Gagnon "30 ans de vie artistique" (30 years of artistic life)
September 2003
Marcel Gagnon receives the National Assembly medal Journal l'Information by Sonia Lévesque
August 2003
"De Gagnon à Artistes en Fêtes » (From Gagnon to A celebration of artists) Journal l'Information, by Roger Boudreault
2004 to 2008
May 2004
Journal l'Avantage "La statue de la liberté...financière!" (The statue of financial liberty...!)
May 2004
Journal l'Avantage « Marcel Gagnon le prolifique » (The prolific Marcel Gagnon)
June 2004
Publication of a 12th book "Être" (Be) from the collection Éveil, Éditions du Grand Rassemblement
June 2004
Marcel Gagnon offers a statue to the City of Mont-Joli. Journal l'Information, by Sonia Lévesque
July 2006
Coming out of the 14th book "Book, 50 of my best poems" Éditions du Grand Rassemblement
June 2008
Publication of a 15th book "De l'enfance à Compostelle" (From childhood to Compostelle)
July 2008
La Presse, Holiday trip, Gaspésie by bike newspaper report by André Désiront
2009 up to now
May 2009
Vernissage at Centre d'Art Marcel Gagnon by press release to the different media of the region
June 2009
Centre d'Art Marcel Gagnon celebrates, its 25 years of existence
Les trois frères, oil 6 x 12
Sur la route de Compostelle, oil and acrylic 12 x 36
