En couleur: Exhibition,
Auction and Fundraiser

An artistic and nurturing gathering at the McClure Gallery of the Visual Arts Centre

October 8, 2025

The Westmount Visual Arts Centre presents a vibrant and engaged celebration of art, titled En Couleur: Auction and Fundraiser 2025, happening from October 16 to 25. This event, combining an exhibition and an auction, presents itself as a true celebration of creativity and community, rooted in the long history of a centre dedicated to artistic transmission and social inclusion.

A warm and festive atmosphere that captures the Visual Arts Centre at its most precious: a lively and shared place where artworks and the public naturally come together.

For nearly 80 years, the Centre has been a pillar for the promotion of visual arts, while its community outreach program, Éveil des arts, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. This dual longevity reflects an unwavering mission: to open the doors of art to everyone by fostering dialogue across generations, communities, and diverse artistic practices.

The exhibition takes place in the McClure Gallery, and the works presented, available for purchase through the online platform Zeffy, embody this commitment to accessibility and openness, both in the variety of media and artistic voices. The online auction will begin on the opening night on October 16 and continue until the 25th, offering a unique opportunity to acquire original pieces while supporting a cultural initiative of great significance.

The opening night promises to be a colourful event, in the literal and metaphorical sense. Open free to the public, it will welcome artists and art lovers alike with a selection of small bites provided by Petites-Mains, while a cash bar will offer a curated selection of wines supplied by il Vigneto. This convivial and festive atmosphere illustrates the Visual Arts Centre at its best: a place of life and sharing where the encounter between artworks and the public naturally flourishes.

But this event is much more than an exhibition and a sale. It represents, above all, a collective and supportive endeavour. Funds raised will help sustain the Centre’s educational offerings, which, since 1996, have focused on intergenerational artistic creation, welcoming students from the Wagar Adult Education Centre, and ensuring accessibility to visual arts educational activities. This ongoing work of openness and inclusion makes the Centre a place of cultural exploration and social innovation.

‘This event goes beyond an exhibition and a sale. It is, above all, a collective and community-driven initiative.’

At a time when the arts are being reinvented and striving more than ever to move beyond institutional walls, En Couleurs stands as a manifesto: art is a living force, a source of inspiration and transformation, capable of bringing people together and lifting them up. It also highlights the crucial role of financial support and the mobility of artworks in sustaining these spaces of exchange and creativity.

The Visual Arts Centre’s initiative deserves recognition for its generous ambition and ongoing commitment to a diverse and dynamic community. Taking part in this auction means contributing to the cultural vitality of Westmount while engaging in a meaningful dialogue with works that speak to both the eye and the heart.

Finally, it’s important to underline the synergy between cultural events, artistic presence, and civic involvement that makes this exhibition a special moment for anyone seeking to understand art in its social and human dimension. The true colour of this event lies less in the objects on display than in its living, engaged spirit—art that invites both aesthetic contemplation and active solidarity.

En couleur: Auction and Fundraiser 2025

En Couleur: Auction and Fundraiser 2025 exhibition takes place from October 16 to 25 at the McClure Gallery, 350 Victoria Avenue, Westmount. The free opening night will be held on October 16 from 6 to 9 pm, with the online auction beginning at 8 pm via the Zeffy platform. For more information: info@centredesartsvisuels.ca

McClure Gallery | Visual Arts Centre
350 Victoria Avenue, Westmount – 514-488-9558