Spring is here, and as the cobwebs of winter get dusted away, doors are flinging open to let in the sunshine. Both Design Montréal Open House, running in various locations across town on May 4 and 5, and the Virée des ateliers, which runs from downtown to Hochelaga-Maisonneuve along Parthenais street from May 9 to 12, invite art and design fans into the interior sanctums of Montreal’s creative geniuses. Both provide an amazing opportunity not only to get a sense of how people work, but to pick up the most unique souvenirs imaginable.Over 100 addresses all over the city are yours to discover on the Design Montréal Open House trajectory, designed to familiarize you with the astounding star power that lives in Montreal, a Unesco City of Design. Among them you can visit the studio and store of Montreal fashion maven Mariouche Gagné, the mind behind the label Harricana, in St-Henri; the workspace and store of Aquaovo (pictured at top of page), on Saint-Laurent, who designed of the world’s most handsome water purifier (no wonder it won awards); the workspace of stuffed toys Raplapla, where designers Anne Chalifoux, Dominique Dansereau and Erica Perrot will give family-friendly workshops on how their funky characters are made; and Espace Verre, a glass-blowing studio and gallery in Old Montreal where not only will you able to snag unique pieces, you’ll see professional glass artisans create on the spot.The Virée des ateliers, in the city’s east end, is an event spread over three massive art buildings, each of which houses dozens of creative minds – think of the whole area as an enormous think-tank. Among the 100-plus studios you can visit – including so many by visual artists that you’ll get your fill of eye candy – are those of Atelier Cocotte, makers of beautiful woven wooden lamps; Velvet Moustache, which design hilarious cushions in the shape of animals; fashion accessory and textile designers Infuse, who make the most evanescent batik scarves; and women’s wear designers Grob, where you can pick up that perfect lacey blouse for all those upcoming summer picnics.

THE DETAILS

Design Montréal Open House, May 4-5, 2013

Virée des ateliers, May 9-12, 2013

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The hottest show in the city right now (so popular half the people couldn’t get in on opening night!) is Jason Botkin’s solo exhibition titled ALLKIN, at the brand new Lndmrk Gallery. Botkin is one of the founding members of En Masse, one of Montreal’s greatest artistic claims to fame: it’s an art collective that groups over 20 artists at a time to make amazing black-and-white wall art. They’ve done work inside office buildings and museums, but you might know them best for their work on city walls.

In full contrast to those monochromatic group works, Botkin’s solo work is a mind-blowing, crazed colourfest full of tribalesque masks and monstrous personages. It’s mostly faces – some small, some bigger and more complex, made out of various layers of thin wood painted bright colours. And of course there’s the biggest face of all, the black-haired beast Botkin built around a staircase at the back of the gallery, which gives the viewer the impression they’re about to be eaten. Amazing.

Lndmrk is the latest brainchild of gallery owner Yves Laroche, whose other space, on Saint-Laurent in Little Italy, is also showing work that’s associated with street art these days. Among this commercial gallery’s most famous top sellers are Ron English, who famously manipulated billboards in 1980s America. Laroche also represents graffiti artists like Other, Cope2 and Push, all of which have works up right now. Stop by to check them out.

And finally, downtown at Galerie B-312 in the Belgo Building, duo Séripop – composed of Chloe Lum and Yannick Desranleau – has created a massive installation that will be in the gallery’s main room until February 7. Séripop made its name on the Montreal scene in the early 2000s because of their postering – the duo silkscreened beautifully weird and idiosyncratic ads announcing upcoming music shows. They’ve segued from that into an exciting gallery career, full of outlandish paper-based works like this one, which makes the viewer feel like they’re awash in a sea of colour.

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THE DETAILS

ALLKIN, by Jason Botkin, at Lndmrk Gallery (550 Beaumont), until March 29, 2013

General collection at Galerie Yves Laroche (6355 St-Laurent, 514-393-1999)

The Options that Are Offered to Us: The Least Likely/The Most Tolerable, by Séripop, at Galerie B-312 (372 Ste-Catherine W., suite 403) until February 7, 2013

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In keeping with its mandate to involve artists in every way possible, the MMFA decided to involve Montreal collectives En Masse, Paprika and Rita to liven up their 16,000 square-foot art and education studios, where countless classes are given to kids of all ages.

En Masse is an intrepid fraternity of 30-plus boundary-breaking Montreal artists that has communal creativity as its very raison d’être. Mostly makers of street art, the collective first got involved with the museum last year with the super popular exhibition Big Bang. Their room in that show, painted, drawn and collaged from floor to ceiling in a black-and-white fairytale universe, was an absolute crowd favourite. Managed by the trio of Jason Botkin, Rupert Bottenberg and Fred Caron, En Masse makes murals where every participant – whether culled from a background in comic art, commercial illustration, graffiti or design – retains the freedom to create what they want. The result is ever-changing and fantastical.

“We’ve become big fans of En Masse,” says Nathalie Bondil, Director and Chief Curator of the MMFA. “After the scheduled disappearance of the impressive fresco they executed last year for our exhibition Big Bang, I wanted to give them another opportunity to exercise their creativity. As a link between the museum and the street, they are standard-bearers for the freedom of artistic expression for everyone, without barriers or discrimination.”

In addition to the mural work by En Masse, the new learning environment boasts multicoloured mobiles by Paprika and wacky furniture by Rita. There are also plush rainbows by Montreal artist Claude Cormier – because everybody needs a plush rainbow or two in life, right?

THE DETAILS

Michel de la Chenelière Art & Education Studios, 1380 Crescent Street, (514) 285-1600

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