The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Sculpture Garden

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is undergoing an unprecedented period of growth marked most recently by the current expansion of its outdoor Sculpture Garden (launched in 2002) to encompass over twenty works of art, accessible along both sides of Du Muse Avenue and Sherbrooke Street (photo rendering above), which will become one of Montreal's largest collections of public art when completed in May 2012.

"The opening of the new Pavilion of Quebec and Canadian Art and a new Concert Hall along with the complete reinstallation of the collections of international art last fall; followed by the expansion of the Sculpture Garden along with the restructuring and expansion of the decorative arts and design galleries this May; will firmly establish the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts as Quebec's premier museum in terms of the scope of its collections,"explained Nathalie Bondil, Director and Chief Curator of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

In order to create a more unified urban environment for the Museum complex comprised of four pavilions representing distinctive architectural styles and periods, the Sculpture Garden's complete reconfiguration has been organized in close collaboration with the City of Montreal. The improvements planned by the City, with the help of artist Adad Hannah, which began in August 2011 and are slated for completion in May 2012, include widening the sidewalks, planting vegetation around the Museum and installing granite blocks to serve both as plinths for displaying the artworks and as benches for pedestrians. This combined effort by the Museum with the City will help to define the "boundaries" of the four-pavilion museum complex while highlighting the institution's presence in the cityscape. Moreover, during the upcoming summer season, a portion of Du Muse Avenue will become a pedestrian mall from May through October for the enjoyment of visitors and passers-by.

New sculptures on display will include commissions by the Museum from two leading figures of the contemporary art scene, David Altmejd and Jim Dine, along with additions by César; Aaron Curry; Jim Dine; Barry Flanagan; Elizabeth Frink; Claude Lalanne; Fernand Léger; Jaume Plensa, and Colleen Wolstenholme, some of which are on loan from collectors Georges Marciano and Michael Boyd, and from the Michael Werner Gallery, NY.