Canadian Women Artists History Initiative : Artist Database : Artists : BEAUCHEMIN, Micheline

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BEAUCHEMIN, Micheline

Born: Longueuil, Quebec, 1929
Died: Quebec, Quebec, 2009
Biography synopsis: Michelle Beauchemin, known for large-scale textile installations, drew on a diverse knowledge of techniques acquired in Asia, South America, and the Arctic, and deployed various materials ranging from natural threads, synthetics, and metals to fibre optics. She initially studied painting at Montreal’s École des Beaux-Arts with Alfred Pellan (1949-1953) before travelling to Paris for studies at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Académie de la Grande Chaumière (1953). While in France she learned stained glass techniques in Chartres and later traveled to Greece to explore local approaches to embroidery. On returning to Montreal in 1956 she worked in costumes at Radio-Canada television. In the early 1960s she learned large-scale weaving techniques in Kyoto. On her return to Quebec, Beauchemin received numerous commissions for large textile installations, working closely with architects. One of her most important productions was a large theatre curtain for the National Arts Center in Ottawa (1966-1969). She returned to Japan, the only place where there were looms large enough to complete the curtain. In 1970, Beauchemin was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, and later received numerous awards including the Officer of the Order of Canada (1991), Knight of the National Order of Quebec (1991), Prix Paul-Émile-Borduas (1998), the Governor General’s Award in Visual Arts (2006), and the Saidye Bronfman Award (1982). In addition to exhibitions in Canada, Europe and Japan, she was invited to participate in the Bienale internationale du Lausanne in 1981. Most of her public art installations can still be seen today. Her works are also found at the National Gallery of Canada and the Musee nationale des beaux-arts du Quebec where an exhibition of her production took place in 2009.
Media used: Embroidery; Glass painting and staining; Stained glass; Textiles
Education: Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Montreal, 1949 - 1953 (under Alfred Pellan and Jean Benoit); Académie de la Grande Chaumière, Paris, 1953 - ? (under Ossip Zadkine); École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1953 - ? (under Jacques Le Chevalier - stained glass; Henri-Bernard Goetz - printmaking)
Memberships: Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, 1970
File & Archive locations: Art Gallery of Ontario - Edward P. Taylor Research Library and Archives; Artexte Information Centre, QC - Documentation Centre; Edmonton Art Gallery, AB - Library; Hamilton Public Library, ON - Local History and Archives Department; London Public Library, ON; National Gallery of Canada, ON - Library and Archives; Montreal Museum of Fine Arts / Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, QC; Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, QC - Media Centre; Toronto Reference Library, ON; University of British Columbia - Fine Arts Library; Vancouver Art Gallery, BC - Library; Winnipeg Art Gallery, MA - Clara Lander Library; Canadian Women Artists History Initiative Documentation Centre, QC
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Writings about; Micheline Beauchemin:: Tapestries Tokyo, Japan: Nihonbashi Gallery, 1968; "Micheline Beauchemin: créatrice de lumière." (exhibition review) Vie des arts Vie Des Arts 214 (Spring 2009): 81; Alfoldy, Sandra. The Allied Arts: Architecture and Craft in Postwar Canada Montreal, Quebec: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2012; Arbour, Rose Marie. "Art public et technologie: Micheline Beauchemin, Marcelle Ferron, Irène Chiasson." Technologies et art québécois, 1965-1970. Cahiers du Département d'histoire de l'art de l'Université du Québec à Montréal. Montréal, Quebec: Université du Québec à Montréal, Spring 1988; Arbour, Rose Marie. "Arts visuels et espace public. L’apport de deux femmes artistes dans les années 60 au Québec, Micheline Beauchemin et Marcelle Ferron." Recherches féministes. 2.1(1989): 33–50
http://doi.org/10.7202/057533ar; Ayre, Robert. "The Imaginative Tapestries of Micheline Beauchemin." The Montreal Star 7 Feb. 1959:30; Baillargeon, Christiane. "Femmes artistes connaitre l'art autre." Vie des Arts 215 (Summer 2009): 40-43
http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/52403ac; Baillargeon, Christiane. "Micheline Beauchemin, Sculpteure: le fil d’une énergie lumineuse." Vie des Arts 50.202 (Spring 2006) 52–55
http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/58817ac; Bernatchez, M., Harvey Perrier, G., and E Levesque. La Tapisserie Montréal: France Amerique, 1979; Couture, Francine, et al.. Les Arts visuels au Québec dans les années soixante: La Reconnaissance de la modernité Montréal, Quebec: VLB Éditeur, 1993; Doyon, Frederique. "Les Sept Vies de Micheline Beauchemin." Le Devoir 11 July 2009; Duffy, Helen and Rousseau-Vermette, Mariette. Canada Mikrokosma : An Exhibition of Contemporary Canadian Tapestries by Twenty-two Canadian Artists = Exposition de tapisseries contemporaines de vingt-deux artistes canadiens Kingston, Ontario: Agnes Etherington Art Centre,, 1982; Fisette, Serge. La Sculpture et le vent: femmes sculpteures au Quebec Montreal, Quebec: Centre de Diffusion 3D Montreal, 2004; Frechette, M.. "Première Biennale de la Tapisserie Québécoise." Vie des Arts 24. 96 (1979): 62–65.
http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/54715ac; Gagnon, Claude Lyse. "Au mur" Vie des Arts 65 (Winter 1971-72):34-37, 92-93
http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/57940ac; Gibson, Marjorie. "Micheline Beauchemin." Canadian Art 18 (May 1961): 198-199; Gladu, Paul. "Les travaux de Micheline Beauchemin. Les tapisseries via les tapis crochetes." Le Petit Journal 26 mai 1957:66; Heller, Jules and Nancy. North American Women Artists of the Twentieth Century New York: Garland, 1995; Jasmin, Claude. "Bonjour! Je reviens du Japon: cinq mois d'une etrange solitude! - Micheline Beauchemin" La Presse 16 Oct. 1965: 3, 24; Jennings, Sarah. Art and Politics: the History of the National Arts Center Toronto, Ontario: Dundurn, 2009; Jocelyne. "Michelinee Beauchemin , un peintre aux doigts de fee." Le Progres du Saguenay 10 juin 1961: 5; Jogue, Alain. "Une artiste toujours en quete de nouvelles experiences." Le Soleil 27 Dec. 1969: 31; Lacroix, Laurier. Micheline Beauchemin Montréal, Quebec: Editions du passage, 2009; Lamy, Laurent. "Micheline Beauchemin sejournera six mois au Japon." Le Devoir 9 nov 1961: 10; Lamy, Suzanne et Laurent. La Renaissance des métiers d'art au Canada français Montréal: Québec- Ministère des Affaires culturelles, 1967; Lapointe, Gilles. "Compte rendu de [Micheline Beauchemin, suivre le fil d’or /Micheline Beauchemin de Laurier Lacroix. Les Éditions du passage, 2009, 189 p./ Micheline Beauchemin. Fleuve de lumière. Exposition présenté Spirale 229 (nov - dec 2009): 5-7.
http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/62036ac; Leblond, Jean-Claude. "Micheline Beauchemin: la lune, rien de moins." Magazin'Art 8.1 (Autumn 1995): 60-61; Létourneau, Lise Régimbald, Manon, and DanielleCroteau. Conseil des Arts textiles du Québec: Répertoire Montréal, Quebec: CATQ/Conseil des arts textiles du Québec, 1998; Little, Sharon. "Textile sur traitement." Continuite 11 (2006-2007): 11-13
http://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/continuite/2006-n111-continuite1055813/17510ac/; Pageot, Edith-Anne. "Les « arts textiles contemporains », une identité disciplinaire obsolescente?" ETC. 64 (Dec 2003-Jan 2004): 30-33
http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/35398ac; Pfeiffer, Dorothy. "Micheline Beauchemin Tapestries." The Gazette (Montreal) 7 feb 1959: 9; Plamondon, Guy. Micheline Beauchemin: Tapisseries multiples Paris: Centre culturel canadien, 1971; Robert, Guy. L'Art au Québec depuis 1940 Montreal: La Presse, 1973; Robert, Guy. "Micheline Beauchemin: des signes qui s’amplifient." Vie Des Arts 25.102 (Spring 1981): 20–24
http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/54540ac; Simonin, Francine. "Where is Tapestry work 'at'? Ou en est La Tapisserie?" Cahiers Des Arts Visuels Au Quebec 3. 11 (1981): 18-21; Trudel, Clement. "Micheline Beauchemin: la quete du merveilleux." Le Devoir 23 avr. 1983: 17, 32; Viau, Guy. ""Paroles de peintre. Micheline Beauchemin." Cahiers d'essai 3 (Jan 1961): 9-15; Viau, Rene. "Au bout du fil, la passion." Le Devoir 2 Feb. 1980: 19; Viau, Rene. "Suivez le fil." Le Devoir March 18, 2006; Writings by; Beauchemin, Micheline. "Impressions de la Grece par une artiste canadienne. Mistra." Canadian Art 16.1 (Feb 1959): 24-28

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BEAUCHEMIN, Micheline

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