Inaugural Collector's Circle Montreal Trip
1515 Lincoln Gallery held our first Collector's Circle trip to Montreal last month to meet the Gallery's consigned artist, Demetrios Papakostas, and to explore the city's beautiful art and cultural landscape. Montreal is a bilingual French-English metropolis in the Canadian state of Quebec. Dating back to the 1600s, the historic town is rich with European influence in its art, architecture, food, and society. With its unique and distinguished culture, Montreal has produced world-class visual arts, theatre, dance, and music talent.
Our delightful group stayed four nights in downtown Montreal at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel, where Yoko Ono and John Lennon staged their famed "bed-in" in 1969. While there, we visited the Queen Elizabeth Art Collection within the hotel, a new contemporary exhibit displaying 123 works of art by Quebec and Canadian artists. We ventured out each day to explore Montreal's architecture, design, and gardens. Everyone felt the mild summer weather was a reprieve from the 100-degree heat of Oklahoma City, allowing us to venture far and wide. We wandered the cobbled, cafe-lined lanes of historic Old Montreal and the bustling shopping streets of the downtown sector. Montreal's nickname is La ville aux cent clochers, "the city of a hundred steeples," so visiting a few renowned churches, such as the Notre Dame Basilica, was only suitable.
Live performance at Le Balcon
To make the most of the summer between the cold and snowy winters, Montreal is abundant with cultural events, hosting more than 100 annual festivals. Events such as the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the largest jazz festival in the world, put the city on the global map for music. Our visit sadly did not coincide with Jazz Fest, but we seized the opportunity to attend a live performance at the famed Le Balcon Theatre. A blend of New York cabaret and Parisian dinner theatre, Le Balcon was a thrilling entertainment experience in a historic church venue. We saw The Best of Soul Motown & Jazz with performers Snooksta and MaryDee, who took us on a musical journey from the 1930s through the Motown years. We also attended the brand new Cirque Du Soleil show Echo. The thrilling performance was in a monumental tent at the center of the Old Port Harbor, featuring a staggering array of acrobatics, dance, live symphony, and visual artistry. It was a special treat to see Cirque Du Soleil in Montreal, where it was founded in 1983 and revolutionized the circus art form for the modern age.
We took advantage of the lovely weather to visit the architecturally important Biosphere and the scenic Botanic Gardens. Our group was particularly impressed by the famed Chinese Garden. The Shanghai Institute of Landscape Design and Architecture constructed the garden in 1991 with fifty artisans to represent a cultural partnership between the two cities. We wandered the winding paths with colorful sculptures, Chinese plants, lily ponds, replica temples, and an artificial mountain. The garden replicates the traditional landscape style of the Ming dynasty and features a unique collection of Bonsai trees, some older than 100 years.
One of the highlights of our trip was visiting Galerie Erga and having an exclusive studio tour with 1515 Lincoln Gallery's consigned Montreal-based artist, Demetrios Papakostas. Galerie Erga is a thriving rental gallery and community space that Papkostas developed to showcase and uplift some of Montreal's most talented emerging artists. "From marble sculptures to intricate watercolors, no two weeks at Erga are the same," says Demetrios. Alongside rental exhibitions, Galerie Erga curates group shows, participates in festivals, and hosts artists' get-togethers and performances.
Erga Gallery
Demetrios is a talented contemporary painter who has worked with the 1515 Lincoln Gallery for several years. Born and raised in Montreal, Demetrios draws from his rich Greek heritage and Canadian upbringing to make bold and immersive art. Color field paintings and hard-edge geometric abstraction characterize Demetrios' work. He paints primarily in oil and watercolor and finds inspiration from Canadian artists such as Claude Tousignant and Harold Klunder. Demetrios gave our group an exclusive tour of the gallery and his studio space. He showed us a variety of his diverse paintings, from freeform abstraction to geometric landscapes. It was a joy to gain insight into Demetrios' creative process and see his visual evolution as an artist. "With my work, I want to explore the relationship between abstract thinking and the human condition. I try to ask myself how creative perception can open new doorways to communicate our journey through life," explains Demetrios. He shared some pieces he will bring to his November exhibition at 1515 Lincoln Gallery, and we are all excited to meet him again in Oklahoma. The Collector's Circle group relished the intimate conversation and private viewing. When the studio and gallery visit concluded, we continued the conversation over a delicious Italian lunch in the famed Little Italy area of the city.
Jellyfish restaurant
The trip to Montreal was a feast not only for the eyes but for the stomach as well. Montreal is a fusion of culinary influences due to its mix of French, North American, and many multicultural residents. Oklahoma City restaurant owner Michel Buthion guided us to many delicious meals, recommending the ideal menu and wine choices to maximize our appetite. Our final dinner at Jellyfish restaurant was a standout meal, ranked among the best in Montreal and Canada. The seafood menu was delicious, combining crudo and charcoal grill dishes. We were all grateful and delighted that Hasina Aimaq attended the dinner with her husband. Her presence inspired a thoughtful and unforgettable conversation about her journey, business, and creative work. You can read more about Hasina in this month's special profile.
Ultimately, 1515's Collectors Circle trip to Montreal was a resounding success. One inaugural tripper stated, "It was such a joy! Grand in every sense of the word. Beautifully planned and executed." From the people to the food, everyone loved the city and appreciated how they prioritized culture and art. It is clear to see that Montreal is a keystone in North America's artistic landscape. In our four days, we experienced incredible creative talent in all its forms. We cannot wait for Demetrios to bring a little of Montreal to Oklahoma City with his upcoming November exhibition at 1515, and we hope that this trip to Quebec will be the first of many that explore other distinguished cities that celebrate art.
