The Creative Student's Guide to Montreal Art Education and Careers

  ...for students of art, design, fashion design, photography, film/video, advertising, interior design and other creative fields.

Visit our Complete Directory of
Atlanta Art Schools and Art Colleges!


  by C.J. Gustafson
  ArtSchools.com Contributing Writer


art schools in Montreal The city of Montreal is perhaps one of the most unique places on earth. It was established in 1642 when 40 colonists landed on an island in what would later become the province of Quebec, Canada. Montreal is the third largest French-speaking metropolis in the world, and about 65% of the population identifies with French culture and language. This blending of North American city features with strong European influences gives Montreal a personality and feel like no other city in the world.

Victoria LeBlanc, Director of the Visual Arts Centre, offered her description of the city. "Montreal is a thriving cultural hot spot with a savvy population that understands that art matters," she explained. "Perhaps because of the French culture and the many cultural groups that make Montreal their home, there's a kind of fusion atmosphere that leads to all sorts of creative expressions, festivals, and cultural activities throughout the year."

Unique Features and Arts Opportunities

Montreal is home to over two million people, with 15% of those being students at four universities. Until recently, the island was comprised of numerous divergent districts, but in 2002, all 19 municipalities merged and have become known as the Ville de Montreal. The official language of the city and province is French, but English is spoken in all government offices and in public institutions. A city of harsh extremes in winter, it has proven to be a popular destination for winter sports at the many area resorts, though many prefer to stay warm at attractions like the Musée des Beaux Arts-Museum of Fine Arts, which offers a notable collection of Henry Moore sculptures.

design schools in Montreal Montreal has several other well-known art museums. The Centre Canadien d'Architecture-Canadian Center for Architecture has the largest collection of architecture-related material in the world. Students pursuing architecture careers will enjoy the displays, and the building that houses the center is of architectural interest as well.

The Musée d'art Contemporain-Contemporary Museum of Art's permanent collections contain mostly works from Canadian artists, including pieces in an outdoor sculpture garden. The museum's temporary exhibits also generate a great deal of interest.

Another distinct aspect of Montreal is its large number of "maisons de la culture" or culture houses. These venues, which are funded by the city, are located in different neighborhoods and offer free visual and performing arts exhibits.

Many cultural, employment, and entertainment activities are accessible via Montreal's underground "city." Comprised of a collection of tunnels, metro stations, underground shopping malls, hotels, and office towers that are connected together, it provides many residents with a means of getting around the area without having to face the bitter winds of a Montreal winter.

Bilingual Art Schools

art student in Montreal Most schools in Montreal offer coursework taught in both English and French – yet another unique feature for a North American city. Students who study in Montreal gain the added experience of exposure to a second language. There are numerous private arts schools, such as the International Academy of Design & Technology, and the Ecole de Design Industriel, Faculty de l'Aménagement. These schools offer Advertising degrees, Interior Design degrees, Multimedia Design degrees, Fashion Design degrees and other educational opportunities for visual arts students.

Montreal also has several universities and colleges that offer arts education. Concordia College has a Faculty of Fine Arts and a Department of Design Art. McGill University contains the Department of Art History & Communication Studies and the School of Architecture. The Université du Québec (headquartered in Quebec City) is a system of ten provincially-run public universities in Quebec province, offering visual art education among other studies.

Together, these schools offer a wide range of arts education opportunities from Fine Arts degrees, to advertising careers, to programming for photography students and those pursuing interior design careers.

For those interested in less formal arts training, museums and numerous individual arts organizations, such as Ms. LeBlanc's Visual Arts Center, offer high quality workshops for those wishing to learn about drawing, painting, sculpture, and photography.

Montreal offers a learning experience in a unique and bustling city. Its extensive public and private support of the arts, numerous general universities and specialized arts schools, and interesting blend of European and North American influences make this unique city an appealing destination for art students throughout the world.

Top of Page