Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal

One of the province’s major institutions, the Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur-de-Montréal houses an impressive collection focused on Quebec art. The project features the signatories of the Refus global: Marcel Barbeau, Jean-Paul Riopelle and Françoise Sullivan.

Installed on a staircase landing, Riopelle’s work exudes his characteristic movement and palpable energy. An emblematic figure of Quebec and Canadian art, Riopelle set himself apart as a uniquely creative genius who, despite his different artistic periods and the variety of his practices, remains recognizable.

The reception hallway showcases other artists from the Automatistes group, such as Marcel Barbeau and Françoise Sullivan, as well as Jean McEwen and Jacques Hurtubise, abstract painters strongly influenced by this avant-garde movement. Despite their distinctive styles, their works all have vibrant reds and geometric shapes, forming a set that captivates visitors.

The impressive collection was made possible thanks to the project team’s exceptional dedication and the generous contribution of gallery owners Simon Blais and Sylvie Cataford. In addition to the artists mentioned, it also presents works by Paul-Vanier Beaulieu, Louis-Pierre Bougie, Edward Burtynsky, Linda Covit, René Derouin, Albert Dumouchel, Catherine Farish, Roland Giguère, Russell T. Gordon, Pascal Grandmaison, Denis Juneau, Richard Lacroix, Francois-Xavier Marange, Guido Molinari, Francine Simonin, François Vincent and Irène Whittome.

The Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal’s collection was built up over the past ten years and now includes more than 350 works of visual art on paper. The featured artists primarily include the great names of modern Quebec art: Riopelle, Pellan, Hurtubise, Daudelin, Whittome, among many others.These donations come from galleries, artists, and collectors and have often been given through the unwavering, generous intermediary of the Art for Healing Foundation, which the hospital’s foundation wishes to thank from the bottom of its heart.

A number of studies, including several conducted in Montreal by the Museum of Fine Arts in association with Concordia University, have shown visual art’s beneficial effects in the reduction of pain and stress and on patients’ overall conditions. Many testimonies from patients and their families who come to the Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur demonstrate that this collection has a major impact on their well-being. Sylvie Cataford, from Galerie Simon Blais, says, “During many visits to the bedside of my mother, who was hospitalized in 2022 at Sacré-Coeur, we saw that decorated walls make all the difference and that patients and staff notice the works that adorn their daily lives. This is a good work and a wonderful way for people to experience and appreciate art.” (excerpt from an interview by art historian Danielle Legentil).

There were many other examples of the benefits of having works of art at the hospital. For instance, a patient waiting to see his doctor takes out his mobile phone to photograph the works hanging around him and exclaims, “That’s amazing!” In the same vein, a visitor has his hospitalized mother sit in a wheelchair so he can show her works that comfort her.

The hospital’s staff sent the Foundation many expressions of thanks as well as requests and suggestions for hanging artwork in many areas of the hospital.

I would like to extend a big-thank you to the Art for Healing Foundation! Without it, our collection would never have reached such high levels of quality and quantity.