On Thursday, July 6, Ville de Saint-Lazare kicked off an ephemeral art exhibition in the park at 1530 rue Poirier, a space newly christened Espace des Muses.

A total of eight artists, including seven women, will be exhibiting works created under the theme of "summer and sweet childhood memories" throughout the summer.

Espace des Muses welcomes the works of the following artists:

1) Nathalie Dubois - Bulles d'été

"My experience in visual art has been increasingly active over the past ten years. As a professional artist, my approach explores human beings and sometimes animals through realistic and expressive portraits. I like to awaken the viewer's emotions through contemporary art. Acrylic and mixed media are my preferred mediums. The ''summer bubbles'' of my ephemeral work represent wishes for a happy summer in St Lazare."

2) Louise Séguin- Composed Landscape

"With a background in arts and crafts, visual arts are another way for me to express my creativity, and I'm getting more and more into them. Painting a work of this scale was quite a challenge, and what could be more summery than spending time by the sea or any other body of water?  For me, this landscape is a way to recharge my batteries during the vacations.

3) Christine St-Arnault- Splash

"My years in visual art have given me the confidence to create a work as large as this one. This is my third participation in the ephemeral garden, and each time it's a great privilege to take up the challenge that takes me out of my comfort zone and brings me so much satisfaction. I chose to do children playing in the water because that's what represents one of the great joys of summer."

4) Gisèle Lapalme - Bonheur plein air

"56 years of experience, oil, acrylic and watercolor, mixed media are my favorites.Our beautiful region gives me all the inspiration I'm looking for in landscapes, ancestral homes, characters, animals and more. The pleasure of expressing these themes in a variety of mediums brings me great happiness, as well as the chance to share my art with people of all ages. Thank you all so much for your encouragement and thank you to the city of Saint Lazare for the invitation to participate in this project at Espace des Muses."

5) Céline Poirier - Afternoon at the marsh

 "For me, creating a work is an inner journey guided by states of mind and reflections. I like to explore multiple mediums and various creative techniques, wandering into unknown territories. This desire for experimentation gives rise to a deep, searching creativity. Nature and human beings (portraits) in symbiosis with it are my favorite subjects.My work is a hymn to nature, with its shimmering colors and luminous hues transporting us into contemplation and meditation."

6) Maude Bernard - Cow and flowers

"I've done a few exhibitions in recent years and partnered with a butcher shop in Vaudreuil for a few art pieces. What motivated the subject of the work presented was the colorful, lively theme of summer."

7) Pierre Laurin - Soleil Algonquin

"For centuries, Amerindian peoples lived here, their gods being the Earth, Water and everything that lived there. Then the whites arrived with all their knowledge. The water and air became turbid, the soil impoverished and the extinction of species accelerated.Powerless witness, the Algonquin sun".

8) Johanne Lavigne - Fireflies

"I chose to depict the magic of the forest on a warm summer night, when a full orange moon and twinkling fireflies can be seen on the trail.Johanne Lavigne studied visual arts at Concordia University and art education at UQAM. From 1998 to 2015, she worked in cultural mediation at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Johanne Lavigne now teaches visual arts at Cité-des-Jeunes high school, while continuing her practice as an artist. "

A contest to name the park

In recent years, the park at 1530 rue Poirier has become an urban island of color and culture in the heart of the village.

Bordered by trees and floral arrangements, this space offers an intimate setting that's versatile, inviting and warm, equally at home to artworks, shows, art lovers, passers-by and families looking for an oasis to picnic or be inspired.

This year, Ville de Saint-Lazare launched a contest to permanently name the park. A jury of citizens and elected officials received over 200 suggestions and opted for Espace des Muses.

Two citizens who proposed the same name, Séverine Lavoie and Clémentia Berry-da Moranda, were awarded gift cards to Saint-Lazare merchants, as well as a work by Saint-Lazare artist Gisèle Lapalme.

Lise Savard also received a prize for her participation in the contest.The presentation of the Espace des Muses and prizes was made by Geneviève Lachance, Mayor of Saint-Lazare.