Tour de Chapeau @ Musée Regional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges

There's an unusual concept behind the current exhibition at Musée Regional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges. "Tour de Chapeau",  a collaboration by 21 regional artists, runs until September 13, 2015.

Though many readers will know that "chapeau" translates to "hat", some may not be familiar with the term "tour de chapeau", which in English is a "hat trick", which means that a player has scored three goals in a single game. In Canada, it's considered to be a hockey term, but elsewhere the phrase applies to football, rugby or cricket. Those of my generation may remember enthusiastic fans throwing their fedoras onto the ice in celebration of a hat trick. Where have all the fedoras gone? Brooklyn?

Anyways....

Each of the invited artists was required to produce a canvas of a certain size, on a subject of their choosing. They were also asked to make a hat, in keeping with the imagery used in their painting.  The canvas and the hat are shown together, the hat suspended from the ceiling, beside a photo of the artist wearing the hat.

I was generously invited to participate in this show, but after much thought I declined, reasoning that it was not going to advance my work or career to struggle with the making of a "cityscapes" hat. Having seen the show this week, I am still ambivalent about my decision.

Here are some photos from the show that you may enjoy:

Madeleine Turgeon,
Envolez-vous, je suis avec vous!
and C'est moi qui détiens les clés

Monica Brinkman,
Des ailes pour voler
and Vive les années folles
(the hat is trimmed with a warped Elvis 45 record)

Monica Brinkman,
Des ailes pour voler, (detail)
(mosaic of reclaimed costume jewelry and dressmaker's trim)

Sébastien Borduas,
Uniformisation and L'oiseau médiateur

Sébastien Borduas, L'oiseau médiateur

Claude Thivierge, La Naissance d'une oeuvre

Claude Thivierge,
La Naissance d'une oeuvre, chapeau