New Content @ Smart Design Mart

MONASTIRAKI AT SMART DESIGN MART 2010

WE WILL BE HERE !

smart design mart holiday 2010

a curated showcase of unique offerings from young talented designers & vintage mart too!

160 rue st-viateur est, 2nd floor

friday december 3, 6-9pm

saturday december 4, 11-6pm

sunday december 5, 11-6pm

PROCHAIN EVENEMENT
une vitrine unique réunissant une variété de jeunes designers talentueux.

160 rue st-viateur est, 2e étage

vendredi, 3 décembre 18h-21h

samedi, 4 décembre 11h-18h

dimanche, 5 décembre 11h-18h

http://smartdesignmart.blogspot.com/

RISE OF THE OCTOMOOSE !!

We are very pleased to present this wonderful exhibit, a true family affair !

Jen MacIntyre, Jesse Bochner and the inimitable Jasper unleash a variety of creatures in print, painting, drawing and diorama form !

The opening party will take place Friday, November 5, 2010 from 6pm to 9pm with the show running all of November.

Sure to please !

"La Petite Mort invades Le Petit Monastere" Gallery Swap/ One Month Exhibit

we are so pleased to host our new friends from ottawa !

"La Petite Mort invades Le Petit Monastere"
Gallery Swap/ One Month Exhibit

October 2 - 31, 2010
Vernissage Saturday October 2 / 6-10 PM
Tunes by 'Some-Sort-of-Stereo-Equipement"
Proudly sponsored by CKCU 93.1 FM Ottawa

Artists included:
- Dave Cooper
- Hayden Menzies
-Martin Ouellette
- Vince Beauchemin
- Peter Shmelzer
- Naiko Tcherno-Ivanenko
- Pat Thompson
- Scooter Laforge
- Matthew Dayler
- Zachari Logan
- Graham Robinson
- Theo Pelmus
- Jeremiah Degranpre
- Melanie Garcia
- Juan Carlos Noria
- Dietrich Roesteck
- Paul Sharp
- Herman Ruhland
- Matthew Stradling
- Adam Ansell

THE NAME: "The little death," that gorgeous moment that juxtaposes suspense, tension and relief just after the release of a really good orgasm.

" Guy Bérubé's vision for La Petite Mort is truly - and perhaps surprisingly, given the gallery's name - a vision of social ethics. He sees the artist's struggle with self-awareness through visual art reflected back to the viewer not as passive recipient but as active participant in the creative endeavour. A signature feature of LPM is the feeling of discomfort many of the artworks evoke, which, as is the goal of subversive art, reflects the viewer's personal projections back upon herself. This discomfort is a necessary part of Bérubé's aesthetic and ethical sensibility. It recognizes the role of art in alienation and in critical transformation, for cultural progress is usually provoked by the ideas invoked at the boundaries of our communities. LPM artists represent subjects at the margins of contemporary Canadian urban society - the sublime as well as the homeless and the schizophrenic - no different than most mainstream art since the post-Renaissance period. Not here to shock nor to entertain, however, M. Bérubé as LPM gallery owner and director is here to provide an inclusive forum for today's Canadian artists, including those typically sidelined by mainstream society and those simply unable to function normally within it. LPM gives the Canadian visual arts community an edge that not only gives art a vehicle for its traditional cultural role, but is acknowledged for giving Canadian Art that edge that contributes to its recognition on the world stage". - PENTHOUSE Magazine, 2009

Emilie O'Brien : New Abstractions

Please join us in the unveiling of new paintings and collage studies by Monastiraki co-conspirator Emilie O'Brien !
Vernissage Thursday, Sept. 9, from 7pm to 10pm
Exhibit runs until Sept. 26, 2010.

CONUNDRUM PRESS DOUBLE GRAPHIC NOVEL LAUNCH !

Dave Lapp: Children of the Atom
Philippe Girard: Ruts & Gullies
Sat. Aug 28, 5-7 pm.
Signing and live interview hosted by Immediate Productions

http://www.conundrumpress.com/

Good Vibes Fundraiser!

Come join us at our Good Vibes Fundraiser, 4:00 - 8:00 today, Sunday, in the shop.
We are raising both our spirits and some cash to help us recover from a robbery earlier this month!
Music, Art, Drinks + Treats, Kid's Craft Table....
We hope to see you!

Visceral Masterworks from Montreal's Underground Scene

We are proud to be exhibiting a selection of artists we carry at Ottawa's La Petite Mort Gallery, for the month of August. The show looks excellent, and we invite anyone who will be in Ottawa to drop by the Gallery and have a visit; it's located at 306 Cumberland Street. We will be there Friday August 6th, for the vernissage.

The show is by way of a Gallery-trade, so that La Petite Mort will be invading Monastiraki in-kind, for the month of October. We had a sneak peek at some of the works coming our way, and can report the show will be equal parts freakish, sexy, superbly crafted, and fantastic. We are definitely looking forward to it!

La Petite Mort's website:
http://www.lapetitemortgallery.com/

Summer Workshops !

We are proud to present a roster of summer workshops available !
Please peruse and choose the path for you !

***

Collage Jam
All ages drop-in
3rd Wed of every month, 5:30 – 7:00 pm
Harvesting the image from the recycling bin and collected ephemera, we'll recombine signifiers, colours and textures into new landscapes of design. This evening is great for anyone wanting to stretch their creative muscles and play. All materials are provided, all you need to bring is a sense of fun and a desire to make. Both Emilie and Billy will be present.
$10 drop in

***

Mixed Media & Craft for Girls
7 – 11 yrs
Thursdays 1:30 – 3:00 pm
This weekly course with Emilie is a fun, mixed-media art class that will introduce girls to the work of some unique contemporary female artists, while engaging in assemblage, sculpture and picture-making projects. Students will learn skills such as sewing, embroidery, composition, and collage, with finished projects to bring home.
Participants must pre-register for 2-week blocks, with a new project beginning every 2nd week.
$40

***

Zine workshop for Girls
7 – 11 yrs (young teens welcome)
Wednesdays 10:30 – 12:00
With many examples at hand, Emilie and the group will explore the satisfying art of do-it-yourself story-telling and book-making. Class projects will include learning unique ways to make pictures, words, and narrative. Girls will be encouraged to bring ideas and work in the way they like best. During the four weeks, the group will make books together and individually, all of which will be for taking home and sharing.
Participants must pre-register for 4-week blocks.
$80

***

Embroidery
Teens & Adults
2nd & 4th Wed of the month, 1:30 – 3:00 pm
Learn the basic stitches of embroidery in this informal class with Emilie. Create something fun and unexpected with the aid of instruction and provided materials. This class encourages the use of embroidery for both traditional and unconventional means…make a special gift or something just for yourself.
$20

***

Creative Collaborative Roundtable
Adults & Teens drop-in
Thursdays 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Work with Billy Mavreas in a collaborative round table process of art creation in this one evening course. Mavreas will guide a small group of adults through a journey that will investigate the accidental, and explore and challenge concepts that art is only for artists. Each session will involve a few hours drawing, looking and re-looking using the most basic of materials. With Mavreas as a creative, engaging and accessible guide and facilitator, find yourself opening up to the possibilities of your own inner creative talents. Non-artists and those who have given up on making stuff (but always secretly loved doing so) especially encouraged to sign up.
$10 drop in

***

Guided Drawing for Kids
7-11 yrs
Sundays 10:30 - noon
In this workshop, young drawers get to work with and learn from Billy M. Students will hone their skills, expand their boundaries and draw together in a collaborative round table format as art techniques and theories are discussed.
Fun, informative and a chance to work side by side with a lighthearted art professional.
$20

***

Parent & Child Creative Play Session
age 5+ and adults of all ages
By appointment
During this 1 ½ hour session, artist and teacher Billy
Mavreas will guide one child and one parent or
guardian through a creative journey of shared
drawing that will investigate happy accidents and
encourage art making for everyone, children and
adults alike.
Each session will involve drawing, collage, playing with colours and basic mark-making. Connect with your child by learning an intuitive and non-judgemental process of art making together. Children are naturals and parents can relearn how to play! Everyone can play! Materials provided.
$60

**********************************

Pricing and Misc. info:
Cost per person per session $20
Drop-in classes $10
Private Parent & Child $60
*Classes hold Max. 5 people per session.
Workshops are 1½ hours unless noted Participants must pre-register one week ahead
Supplies provided unless otherwise noted

Private sessions also available
Courses can be tailored to individual needs
$50 for an hour and a half long session
$120 for 3 sessions

***

A little about us :

Instructor Billy Mavreas is king of collecting and making cool stuff from scraps. He loves drawing, making books and is most known for his abstract and silent comics. He is co-founder of Expozine, Montreal’s zine and small press fair, and is the Proprietor and resident-at-large of Monastiraki.


Instructor Emilie O’Brien is an artist who uses textiles, scraps and words as a large part of her practice. She is also an art restorer, and a partner-in-crime at Monastiraki. She has taught art to children and adults in several venues, and as a big sister, has had lots of experience with hanging out and making things.

New and gently-used items we love in the store

Doodlepuffies + Portobellos by Devon Gifford * Postcards + little rainclouds by Monastiraki * Dolls, oh dolls * Patches by Dandy and Dadapomo * Hooked rug wall hanging .... and so much more...

"Mile End gallery space defies easy categorization"

Way back in April during the now legendary media blitz surrounding our little shop of wonders, Ian Sandler of the McGill Daily dropped by for a visit. Here is the article that ensued :

http://www.mcgilldaily.com/articles/3041

Recent events!

Kaie Kellough at his fantastic book launch , with guest appearance by horn player Jason "Blackbird" Selman, and a collaborative performance with jazz singer girlfriend Kim Zombik (left, bottom image).

Thanks everyone!

We love this writeup! Thanks Frommers

Frommer's Montreal Day by Day

By Andre Legaspi

"Play the role of Alice as you enter a rabbit hole that's half antique store/half art gallery.
Check out the bizarre art (most by Canadian artists) on the walls, and the peculiar bric-a-brac strewn about the floor of this avant-garde wonderland."

...we couldn't have said it better ourselves.
Frommers Best Shopping Montreal

Monastiraki is proud to be in partnership with esse arts & opinions magazine!


Visit their website to fill out the Reader Survey - you can have a chance at winning the really great (if we do say so ourselves!) mail-art artists book we created as a part of this partnership.
www.esse.ca

Join us for Kaie Kellough's release of his 2nd book of poems, Maple Leaf Rag, recently publishd by Arbeiter Ring Press (Winnipeg). Quoting from his website "Maple Leaf Rag is a dynamic, jazz-infused riff on Canadian culture...a dictated dub replete with references to African Canadian and African American culture (current and dated), Canadian history and politics..."


The evening begins at 7pm sharp, with wine & sonic ambiance provided by dj Andy Williams.

This event is gratis gratuit free, & the beautiful book is 14.95.

Kaie's website: http://www.kaie.ca/kaie-books.html
Arbeiter Ring Press: http://arbeiterring.com/books/detail/maple-leaf-rag

OCTOBER 1996 - 2010

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of October the cat. Otherwise known as Dr. Octopus, DocOc, Toby, Toblerony, the Tobinator and Tobes, he was a beautiful soul who brightened our store and home. October loved early morning conversation, plastic bags and chicken almost as much as people, hanging out during store hours, openings and concerts, always with a keen nose for a sandwich tucked in someone’s bag. Long time resident of Andy Brown’s Conundrum Towers before moving to Monastiraki, we feel so grateful to have spent the last year and a half of October’s life with him. He was a friend of many, and we miss him very much.

BOB SCOTT AT MONASTIRAKI

WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO PRESENT THIS INCREDIBLE SHOW . Please join us ....

























CORKLORE : Sculpture sur liège par BOB SCOTT

Vernissage Vendredi le 7 Mai 19:00-22:00
Exposition d’oeuvres d’art 7-31 Mai 2010

L’exposition CORKLORE, présenté par Bob Scott à la Galerie Monastiraki mettra en vedette de flamboyantes sculptures sur liège de créatures à la fois grotesque et fantastique. Émanant de divers univers folklorique, un Griffon, une Cocatrix, un Krampus et une Licorne décapité feront partie d’un amalgame de créature surréaliste!

Une planche à roulette au design exclusif réalisé par Bob Scott pour Valoiz Boardz, de Montréal, sera aussi de l’exposition.

Utilisant des bouchons de liège et autres objets recyclé, l’art de Bob Scott, centré sur le folklore entourant l’Halloween et la culture Tiki, lui ont value une réputation d’artiste à la fois contemporain et innovateur. Relocalisé depuis une dizaine d’année à Vancouver, il a participé à plusieurs expositions solos et en collectifs à travers l’Amérique du nord. Bob Scott revient maintenant en terre natal le temps d’y présenter une première exposition à Montréal, dédié au pionnier des effets spéciaux, Ray Harryhausen.

Visitez www.bobscottartwork.ca pour en savoir plus sur l’art et les expositions passé de cet artiste.


CORKLORE : Cork Carvings by BOB SCOTT

Opening Friday May, 7th, 7-10pm
Exhibit runs May 7-31, 2010

Bob Scott’s CORKLORE exhibit at Galerie Monastiraki will feature vibrant, complex cork carvings of grotesque and fantastical creatures from a wide variety of global folklore. Among others, these will include carvings of a Griffin, a Cockatrice, Krampus, and a decapitated unicorn unlike any you’ve seen before!

Cementcles, a signed limited edition skatedeck designed by Bob Scott for Montreal’s Valoiz Boardz, will also be on hand.

Using recycled wine corks and found objects, Bob Scott’s focus on Halloween Folk Art and Tiki Cork Carvings has earned him a reputation as a truly innovative contemporary artist. After relocating to Vancouver a decade ago and participating in solo and group art shows across North America, Bob Scott will return to his hometown for his first ever solo show in Montreal, dedicated to influential special effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen.

View a list of past shows and photo galleries of Bob Scott’s work at www.bobscottartwork.ca

The Lady over at http://www.ladyandthesweatshop.com/
wrote a nice little review of our shop and of Nathan Browns work !
check it out !


http://www.ladyandthesweatshop.com/2010/04/beautiful-junk-museum.html

http://www.ladyandthesweatshop.com/2010/04/west-lives-east.html

The fantastic work of Nathan Brown and Lisa Czech

Nathan Brown


























and Lisa Czech!






























...truthfully though - you should come see the work for yourself, as the pictures do no justice to the colours and details in the work of both artists.

Unlikely Treasures - Doc on collecting on CBC

http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/passionateeyeshowcase/2010/unlikelytreasures/index.html

Billy (that's me) will have a spot in this upcoming CBC doc. check it out !

NATHAN BROWN & LISA CZECH

we are very proud to present work by two exciting young artists, nathan brown & lisa czech.
though their practices are very different, they both tend to scorch retinas with detail, colour and hard hitting imagery. come feast your eyes !

vernissage friday april 2 from 7pm -10 pm

show runs all month until may 2 !

http://lisaczech.blogspot.com/
http://nathanalexisbrown.blogspot.com/

Monastiraki Media Shout-Out Part 3

Tamy from www.tourisme-montreal.org gave us a nice article with plenty of fun pics !

http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/what-to-do/a-boutique-to-discover-monastiraki/
is the link !

(look for my correction in the comment box !)

Monastiraki Media Shout-Out Part 2

the fabulously nice Christine Long of CTV news saw the mirror spot and kindly zipped over with her camera man Josh
We're paired up with Bon Jovi so scoot along to the 2:53 mark for the goods on us !
http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090107/montreal_whats_on_090107/20091106/?hub=MontrealHome

Monastiraki Media Shout-Out Part 1

The Montreal Mirror included Monastiraki in the 'art-on-the-cheap' section of it's City Living decor guide.
Thanks !

http://www.montrealmirror.com/2010/031810/cityliving4.html

Marc Gagnon - Spring Collection

MARC GAGNON - SPRING COLLECTION

MARCH 12 -28

VERNISSAGE FRIDAY MARCH 12, 5:30 - 10PM

come by and witness new work by montreal artist and musician (of Pipo Fiasco fame)

Marc Gagnon, new drawings and paintings.

http://www.myspace.com/pipofiasco1

Perro Verlag Presents: The Foul Girl Relaxes Booklaunch and Concert

Perro Verlag Press Presents:
The Foul Girl Relaxes
A Songbook by Barry Doupe and James Whitman

performances by:

Matt Shane Solo Project
Marigold Santos
James Whitman

Booklaunch and Concert
7pm
Friday Mar. 5
at Monastiraki
5478 St. Laurent

http://www.perroverlag.com/
http://monastiraki.blogspot.com/

NUIT BLANCHE : TYLER AMID THE TREASURES

we'll be rocking until 2 am this coming saturday night for nuit blanche.
tyler rauman will be music making at 11 pm surrounded by his wonderful visual art exhibit.
all the while craft and drawing supplies will be available for those who need a doodle break in a night filled with activity.

saturday feb. 27, 2010
8pm-2am

TYLER RAUMAN - TRANSMOGRIFICATION

Tyler Rauman, known for his detailed and otherworldly gigposters featuring hypnotic patterning, papercraft ghosts and lush geometric structures, presents new works bound to spellbind the visually acute viewer.

Come by for an eye-treat and a drink with friends.

Friday, February 5th,2010 at 7pm - 10pm

CREATIVE KIDS WE KNOW

we had the pleasure of hosting a bunch of kids and their folks for an artshow/craft day last sunday, with kids art on the walls and tables full of foam stickies and crayons and cookies we woke up early to bake ! we will do this again !

2009 HIGHLIGHTS

… and what year it was! As many of you know, Monastiraki has been undergoing quite a facelift. It truly began a couple of years ago, with the hard work of Jen and Billy clearing out the front 3rd of the store for what is now the Gallery.

This work picked up again in the past year, with a steady distillation of ideas and things (so many things!) – so that we can now proudly say we are a magical curio shop, art gallery, and community hub. We still carry strange and wonderful objets trouvés, and now an ever-changing selection of art - most of which is made by local artists we know and love. Our fun vernissages were testaments to the calibre of work and the supportive people in this community.
Summertime saw several amazing music shows as a part of our new Sunday afternoon micro-concert series; and children and adults attended workshops where they walked away with craft and art projects to be proud of.

Thank you to all of our supporters – we appreciate your return visits, conversations and warm smiles. Our community is essential in making us what we are.

Stay with us through 2010, as we continue to fine-tune our project that is Monastiraki.
Billy & Emilie