The world’s an art gallery at FIMA

You get the picture: from graffiti festivals to performance festivals, Montreal is a John Mayer-worthy wonderland of live, free fun all summer, with a surprise on every block. And one of the outdoor art events not to be missed happens along Sainte-Catherine in the Gay Village between June 11 and 15: FIMA, the Festival International Montréal en Arts…

For five days, on the stretch of Sainte-Catherine that runs from Berri to Papineau, FIMA turns the city into an open-air art fair, the likes of Art Basel or Montreal’s own Papier fair, only more accessible by virtue of it being right on the street. Accessible to all passersby, most particularly since that stretch of the street is closed to cars throughout the summer, FIMA unites 75 artists in a marketplace setting with a vast variety of styles, levels of fame and price tags. So just as you may find a monumental work to decorate your dining room, you might also find a collection of miniatures to tuck into a corner somewhere.

Founded as an initiative to activate and democratize the art industry in the city, the festival seeks to initiate newcomers to art, whether or not they’re budding collectors. Aside from the massive marketplace, there are kids activities, creative workshops every day, live musical performances and a cool collective mural project on the theme of Living Together that everyone is invited to participate in. Particularly cool this year is the festival’s association to the homeless shelter Accueil Bonneau, which has been encouraging all Montrealers to live together in harmony for 137 years now.

FIMA is part of a general art activation that’s taken over the entire Village: while you’re there, check out projects like Trash by New York artist Adrian Kondratowicz and Between the Lines, part of Aires Libres’ amazing public sculpture project uniting some of the city’s most renowned artists, like Valérie Blass, Max Wyse and David Lafrance.

THE DETAILS

FIMA, June 11-15, 2014

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