Madeleine Arbour, 101, passed away on Tuesday. Her daughter, Coteau-du-Lac artist Annick Gauvreau, confirmed the news on her social networks in the last few hours. 

In 1948, Madeleine Arbour joined Paul-Émile Borduas, Jean Paul Riopelle, Marcel Barbeau, Fernand Leduc, Françoise Sullivan, Jean-Paul Mousseau, Marcelle Ferron, Thérèse Renaud, Louise Renaud, Bruno Cormier, Maurice Perron, Claude Gauvreau, Françoise Riopelle, Muriel Guilbault and her husband of 1949, Pierre Gauvreau, in launching the Refus global manifesto.

Her daughter, Annick Gauvreau, thanked the dedicated staff at CHSLD Laurent-Bergevin, where her mother lived. Annick recalls that, until recently, she used to hum along with her mother whenever she visited: “We used to sing Félix Leclerc, Édith Piaf; in fact, we always sang along with Mom when we drove to our cottage in Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot,” she recalls, for many years.

According to Annick Gauvreau, she and her brother Martin decided to wait for some time, up to a month, to decide on the organization of their mother's funeral. 

Madeleine Arbour worked in the fields of design, scenography, television and the visual arts as a painter and draughtswoman. In 1949, she was appointed President of the Conseil des arts et de la communauté urbaine de Montréal. This was a first, as no woman before her had had the privilege of presiding over the organization.

Among her major achievements were the decor of the cafeteria in the Canadian pavilion at Expo 67 and the Maison du Québec in New York in 1970.

A few years later, she designed and decorated VIA Rail trains and Panorama lounges in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto train stations. 

In television, Madeleine Arbour worked on puppet design and script development for the children's program La Boîte à Surprise. She also designed sets and costumes for Théâtre du Rideau Vert and Compagnie Jean-Duceppe. In the 1970s, she hosted an interior design column on the TV program Femme d'aujourd'hui. She also participated in the children's TV series Patofville from 1974 to 1975.

Madeleine Arbour in brief

1984: She receives a special mention from the National Design Council for her contribution to the practice and development of design in Canada.

1986, she became a member of the Order of Canada.

1998 she received the Prix Condorcet.

1999, Chevalière de l'Ordre national du Québec for lifetime achievement.

2000-2001, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec dedicates an exhibition to her entitled Madeleine Arbour: espaces de bonheur.

2001, she is appointed to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.

2002, she receives the Sam-Lapointe Award from the Institut de design de Montréal in honor of her extensive professional career.

2012: Université du Québec à Montréal awards her an honorary doctorate.