Francine Bastien
The Leporello space, as it is called, has set up shop on Victoria Street. Its mission is to help us discover all the facets of the art of illustration. In the former premises of Barnes General Store, a work- shop, gallery and commercial space will take shape in the coming months, where artistic residencies, creative and professional development workshops, conferences for the general public, the next generation of students and young people will take place. It is a promising program led by two young Montrealers who love the Lac-Brome region, Frédéric Gauthier and Isabelle Arsenault.
“We bought this space of nearly 1,500 square feet three years ago,” Fréderic Gauthier tells us in the middle of a large, bright room while a little further away Isabelle Arsenault runs a workshop on a beautiful Saturday in September. “We are planning work to transform the building into a creative space. An online fundraising campaign is underway via the La Ruche website and we have also approached funders such as Investissement Québec and the Centre local de Développement de Brome-Mississquoi. The first phase of our project is estimated at $450,000.”
Attracted by the charm of the region and the presence of many artists, Frédéric and Isabelle found Knowlton “encouraging and motivating” especially as they were looking for a village-based experience for their project. “For us, it is important to cooperate with local cultural entities. It is at the heart of our commitment to Leporello.” They have already held a few activities with local entities such as the Festival littéraire de Knowlton.
In a world so strongly dominated by technology, the Leporello project will highlight traditional illustration techniques, “handmade” on paper, fabric or even ceramic; various objects that will also be found in the future boutique.
By the way, what does Leporello mean ? It’s Italian for accordion binding.
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