View source for 1001 Visages 2014

==Article Transcript==
Being a member of NCN,
now ISCA, since its beginning
motivated me in
2006 to create an event
in Montréal as a way of bringing
caricature art the attention
it deserves as well as regrouping
artists from afar. Getting together
in local cafes, a few artist
friends and some newcomers
brainstormed what we could do
to accomplish this goal.
1001Visages had a promising
start with an exhibition of 12
well-known artists at La Place
des Arts, which is a important
cultural center in Québec. This
exhibition lasted three months
instead of the original three days
it was supposed to. And the quality
of the work displayed was the
starting point of this whole story.

I’ll always remember 2008, though, when
ISCA held its convention in Raleigh, North
Carolina. Since we now had an event going
on in Montréal, we were anxious to meet
our American caricaturist friends at their
convention and see what was happening
south of the border. So, Yves Demers,
generally considered one of Canada’s top
caricaturists, and I left Montréal by car for
the 14 hour drive.

Funny, the only place we stopped during
our long ride to North Carolina was at a
lunchroom somewhere in the middle of
nowhere. “Funny” because the entrance of
the restaurant was filled with caricatures of
their employees - at least 20 or 30 of them!
But the real shock occurred upon entering
the dining room. All the walls from ceiling to
floor below were filled with huge caricatures!
We must have been on the right track stopping
there, and, in fact, it’s the one and only
stop-over we had on our way to Raleigh.
We were encouraged to pursue our own
caricature concept when we came back
home, having been inspired by the exceptional
quality of the work in Raleigh.

So we organized an international contest
and received more than a hundred humorous
drawings from around the world which
were exhibited in various art galleries.
Over the years we continued to connect
with caricaturists wherever they worked - in
fairs, public places in big cities such as Montréal
or Québec city and corporate events.

Volunteers began joining our ranks such as
talented photographer Mathieu Manikowski
who has done work for Cirque du Soleil. A
few artists from remote areas joined our
ranks: Bado from Ottawa, Lar de Souza
and Alma Roussy from Toronto, and a few
others besides, and slowly the event began
to take shape. Each year we offer our guest
of honor an original by Robert LaPalme who
was internationally considered as one of the
world’s best caricaturists.

In 2010, we decided to pursue something
more original than simply an exhibition and
“Caricaturiste en spectacle” was born. Considering
that caricaturists are, on a one-toone
basis, really funny (and bizarre) people,
we thought it would be a good idea to give
them 10 minutes of stand-up comedy on a
stage. This was quite a success because it was
unique and people loved the two hour show.
The next year we improved our show and
hired professional entertainers to highlight
the caricaturists’ work and to perform
throughout the event. As long as they
stay on topic and keep in mind our annual
theme, it is coherent. For instance, a
balloon artist can’t make a dog; he has to
do something related to caricature (a face
or someone recognizable). In the same
way, a face painter has to bring originality
to his/her work. It’s not always easy and
the border is a fine line but when it’s well
done and supervised by an art director the
whole event becomes unique and filled with
creativity.

After having exhibited in various locations in
Montréal, the event finally took root in Val-
David, one hour away from Montréal. This
place has the reputation of being the artistic
village of Québec. And it’s not overrated
because, in fact, the number of professional
artists that live in such a small place is
incredible. Dancers, painters, sculptors, artisans
― you name it! Someone from every
artistic field seems to live in Val-David.
Over the years 1001Visages has earned
notoriety because of the diversity of artists
and the synergy obtained by the interaction
with the public. Since there isn’t a massive
pool of caricaturists in the province of Québec,
we also showcase humorous drawings
and editorial cartoons.

We are positioning ourselves as an international
event and in the near future intend
to host caricaturists from around the world
during the incredible fall season, when the
leaves are at their most splendid.
-----
Robert Lafontaine is a caricaturist. He is the main organizer of the caricature event 1001Visages that will take place in October in Val-David, Québec, Canada (www.1001visages.com). For additional information, contact: 1001@1001visages.com

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