Méduse Coop - Méduse

Creation and mission

Méduse is a cooperative of arts, culture, and community outreach producers and presenters. Founded in 1995, it consists of nine artistic organizations who came together around a major urban renewal and building restoration project overseen by architect Émile Gilbert and funded by Heritage Canada, le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Québec’s Ministère de la culture, des communications et de la condition feminine, the City of Quebec, Gaz métro, Caisse d'économie solidaire Desjardins and the member organizations themselves.

With its commitment to bringing art that breaks new conceptual and formal ground to the widest possible audience, Méduse has spawned a model of artistic cooperation and interaction built on a distinct approach to the arts, culture, and community outreach, and has become a powerful driver of development for cultural producers and the public alike.

Mandate

Coopérative Méduse is a major center for the production and presentation of contemporary art from Quebec and beyond, a space where experimentation, training, and art presentations of all kinds take place side by side. It also provides access to space and equipment with the aim of tangible enhancing artists’ working and living conditions.

Based on a powerful idea—bringing shared services and cultural know-how together under one roof—and blessed with a unique management structure, Coopérative Méduse has developed into a powerful economic catalyst for Quebec City in general, and its artistic and cultural community in particular. Residency initiatives for artists and companies (e.g., international artist’s studio, cooperation agreements with Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, institutional exchanges) have been pivotal in boosting Quebec City’s profile internationally. As a center of development and international outreach, Coopérative Méduse helps put the Quebec City region on the arts and culture map.

HOW WE WORK

Méduse is managed by a board of directors formed of one representative from each member organization and has three permanent employees. Every member organization has its own customized workspaces, but also takes an active role in collective activitities, promoting Méduse, and developing new forms and practices that reflect a multidisciplinary approach, innovative technology use, and a focus on sustainable cultural development.

Member organizations enjoy full freedom to pursue their individual mandates while working in a collaborative environment that affords artists and other users invaluable access to assorted specialized equipment and professional services, a pool of resources that cuts accross disciplinary boundaries:

Antitube : film and video event produce

Avatar: center for the production and development of audio and electronic art

Engramme : printmaking center

Bande Vidéo : media arts center

Atelier de la mezzanine : community art workshop

Œil de Poisson : contemporary art center

Productions Recto-Verso : multidisciplinary arts center

Spirafilm : independent filmmakers’ cooperative

VU : photography center and gallery

BUILDINGS

Méduse is a 4,000 m2complex of nine interconnected buildings nestled between Rue De Saint Vallier Est and Côte d’Abraham in Quebec City. It houses the workspaces of its nine member organizations, two multipurpose rooms available for rent (Salle Multi and Studio Multi, both managed by Productions Recto Verso), and a restaurant, the Abraham-Martin. Most member organization have production, exhibition, and presentation spaces, with a total of ten galleries and presentation venues regularly open to the public.

PARTNERS and SPONSORS

Every Coopérative Méduse member receives support from public and private sector institutions in recognition of their sound planning and artistic excellence. This generally includes funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and the City of Quebec as well as support from multiple local and regional institutions and businesses. Member organizations also depend on partners and members who form the solid core of healthy community and stable organization.

Internationally, Coopérative Méduse and its member organizations regularly team up with partners abroad to offer residencies to foreign artists. Notable international partners include the Finnish Artists' Studio Foundation (since 1998), Pépinières européennes (2000-2010), Instituto de Artes do Para (2008-2010) and Wales Arts International (2003-2008).