GATINEAU, QUEBEC.- What do a wooden weather vane, an eggshell painting and a grader made of bottle caps have in common? Starting June 24, you can find out in a brand-new exhibition on Quebec folk art.

Produced by the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Heart and Soul: Quebec Folk Art takes you on a journey through 400 years of creativity with 400 remarkable pieces — surely one of the most comprehensive surveys of Quebec folk art ever mounted.

Heart and Soul brings together a variety of impressive works — sculptures, paintings, textiles and more — that demonstrate the talent of folk artists, past and present. There are antique and contemporary pieces, traditional and non-conformist works.

“Presenting folk art created by Quebecers is our way of celebrating the 400th anniversary of Quebec City,” explains Victor Rabinovitch, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation. “And taking Quebec as an example,” he added, “we also wanted to showcase this fascinating, but little known, art form. With its originality and its message, folk art can hold its own in the art world, and it remains relevant today.”

Heart and Soul shows how folk art reflects society. One section of the exhibition comprises works that illustrate some typical — and paradoxical — Québécois character traits (rooted/diverse, loyal/rebellious, proud–storytelling, fun-loving–over the top).

“Contrary to what is often said, folk art is far from naïve,” notes Jean-François Blanchette, exhibition curator and specialist in material culture. “Besides being gifted, folk artists are reflective people who are very aware of their environment. Their works manage to capture the essence of a culture.”

The works of some of Quebec’s most interesting contemporary folk artists are featured in one section of the exhibition, demonstrating that folk art is still alive and well. Visitors can get to know these artists through recorded interviews, and discover what motivates their creativity.

An amazing variety
The exhibition shows the many facets of this highly diversified art. Visitors will be impressed with the variety and quality of the works on display: remarkably refined animal sculptures; a gallery of characters carved with a humorous touch; models showing great attention to detail; paintings and drawings; everyday objects; a collection of hooked rugs; and religious works, such as nativity scenes and crucifixes.

Among the most remarkable pieces are an imposing granite sculpture commemorating the victims of the war in Kosovo, a violin carved out of a single block of stone, and paintings made from sand and shell.

Tribute to Nettie Covey Sharpe (1907–2002)
Most of the works in the exhibition belong to the Museum of Civilization, and the majority are part of the Nettie Covey Sharpe collection. Mrs. Sharpe, one of the greatest collectors of folk art in Canada, bequeathed her magnificent 3,000-piece collection to the Museum. Her gift led to the creation of what is now undoubtedly the finest collection of its kind in the country.

June 24 opening day
This exhibition is the Museum of Civilization’s way of celebrating the 400th anniversary of Quebec City. To highlight this historic event, Heart and Soul will open its doors on June 24, 2008, and admission will be free from 4 to 9 p.m.

The exhibition will continue at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau until March 22, 2009.

Spotlight on seven artists
There are hundreds of folk artists working in Quebec today, but this exhibition shines the spotlight on seven of the most interesting. These featured artists were chosen for several reasons, including their talent, their originality and their passion. Together they represent the richness and variety of Quebec folk art.

LÉON BOUCHARD (Roberval)

After leaving the army in 1943, Léon Bouchard became a specialist in building log cabins. He also started a regional veteran’s association, and served as its president for 22 years. When he retired in the 1980s, he built his own cabin and started taking long walks in the forest. He discovered in nature the forms that inspired him to sculpt. He created an entire kingdom, which he named “Le P’tit Bonheur”.

“After building my cabin, I began taking it easy. I studied trees and rocks. I saw shapes in the water or on the ground. Then I began to sculpt my life.”

MICHEL FEDAK (Jonquière)

Michel Fedak created his first works in the mid 1970s. That was when he discovered that he could follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, a “tinkerer”. He kept all his creations until one day he got up the nerve to sell them at an antique shop near Quebec City. He likes to sculpt domestic and wild animals, as well as the people who have inspired him in his life.

“Folk art is more philosophical than technical. At the same time, folk art is simple, the way life should be. In order to love folk art, you have to accept imperfection and come to love it.”

CLÉMENCE LESSARD (Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce)

Born into a family of farmers, Clémence Lessard was the ninth of 14 children. She worked as a teacher from 1955 to 1995, and her dynamic teaching methods inspired the authors of the Parent Report, which revolutionized traditional education in Quebec in the 1960s. In 1974, she signed up for a course in sculpting at l’Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), but the instructor rejected her because she had already developed her own distinctive technique. Now retired and living in the region where she was born, she pursues her art full time.

“In my first year of sculpting, I made 60 pieces. I worked at it day and night. Then I went to teach the next morning. I slept two hours a night. I loved it. I’m passionate — in other words, incapable of stopping.”

RAYMOND MASSICOTTE (Shawinigan)

Raymond Massicotte began whittling at the age of six, in an orphanage. At 10, he created his first sculpture: a spinning top. He went on to master a number of trades that allowed him to develop his creativity, and devoted his free time to wood-carving. Eventually, he became interested in how the universe works, and that fascination took shape in his work. In 1987, he entered university to learn how to work in stone. His motto: “Making the impossible possible”.

“I never studied, but I always knew what to do. I always knew what I would be able to do with a piece of wood and a pocket-knife.”

FLEURETTE SOLOMON (Gatineau)

Born in Navan, near Ottawa, Fleurette Solomon married at the age of 16. She had eight children, two of whom died of cystic fibrosis. For a long time, she campaigned for research into this disease, which was not well understood at the time. One night, when caring for one of her sick daughters, she discovered an outlet in working with clay and created an entire rural village. She also sculpted people engaged in traditional trades. Her favourite character is The Thinker, who represents the autumn of life.

“I had so many uncles who worked with wood and I sculpted them all. When I displayed them, people said: “You have some imagination!” But I answered: “Not really. I just see what’s there!”

JACQUELINE TREMBLAY (Baie-Saint-Paul)

Jacqueline Tremblay has a number of artists in her family. So her talent for art comes naturally. When she started out, she was able to draw but did not start painting until 1976. She works in mixed media using painted eggshells.

“I kept experimenting until one fine day I found some eggshells. I took the eggs and stuck the shells onto cardboard. Then I started making pictures that were completely covered in eggshells.”

MICHEL VILLENEUVE (Chicoutimi)

Son of the famous painting barber, Arthur Villeneuve (1910–1990), Michel Villeneuve worked at a number of jobs, including that of bridge crane operator for Alcan in Arvida and Laterrière. In 1997, seven years after the death of his father, he discovered his own talent while drawing on a napkin in a restaurant. He had found his passion. His objective in his work: to “carry on the Villeneuve tradition.”

“Where do I get my inspiration? I start by filling the middle of my paper, without really knowing where I’m going. I put on some music and make my pencil dance.”