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| - I will change this review the MINUTE, I'm telling you, the minute that I see an exhibit here I get really psyched about. So far, everything has been so-so.
(Argh, I feel like such a jerk. Please go see art anyway! It's good for you! Support the arts!)
I find the main exhibition space claustrophobic, even when there is not a crowd. It is very closed and dim. When there is a crowd, you will barely be able to breathe. Plan accordingly. This museum does not deal with crowds. Nothing about the infrastructure is crowd friendly. It's an old building, what can you do?
The curators have a (very French) tendency to write many tiny paragraphs of information next to each painting. I, being American and therefore dumb and uncultured, enjoy a few solid, interesting facts, printed legibly. Even the larger explanations of a group of paintings tend to be lackluster. With both of the exhibits I've attended, I have found myself constantly squinting, and also sort of scratching my head, trying to assemble many bits of information thrown together without narrative.
The permanent collection is fine, and definitely worth a peek if you're in town. The buildings themselves are beautiful. The choice of exhibits tends toward the regional but it would not otherwise be a Quebec institution.
There is a cafe and a bookstore, and after your visit, definitely take a stroll up and down Sherbrooke as you'll be right in the Gallery district.
My take? A worthwhile part of your whole arts experience in Montreal/Quebec, but I wouldn't plan a whole day around it unless a particular exhibit strikes your fancy.
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