Welcome To L’Original Art Gallery

Our vision democratize art by redefining it as a social and ecological vector while allowing as many Canadian artists as possible to make a living from their talents.

The L’Original is truly captivating! Come visit us and discover an abundance of art and entertainment.

Our History

The Original was born from a desire to merge art, culture and social commitment in a unique project. At the beginning, the idea was simple: to provide a platform for emerging artists so that they could express themselves freely and reach a wide audience. Inspired by the cultural richness of Montreal and the excitement of the urban art scene, L’Original quickly established itself as a key player in promoting street arts and alternative forms of expression.

Over time, the project has evolved, incorporating not only exhibitions and events, but also social and environmental initiatives. Each creation, each collaboration reflects a strong commitment to a more inclusive society and more aware of its cultural and ecological footprint.

The Original is part of an artistic tradition that highlights pioneers while paving the way for new generations of artists. This desire for transmission and recognition is found in initiatives like those mentioned in the La Presse article:

The Montreal gallery L’Original is paying tribute, until February 14, to artists who have left their mark on Montreal urban art since its emergence. A double exhibition presents around thirty works by precursors such as Zïlon, Scan, Zoltan, Axe, Labrona, Astro, Kevin Ledo, Zema and Monk E, who also made his mark in hip-hop.

Reducing your ecological footprint during the holiday season can sometimes be quite a challenge. However, this is what the art gallery L’Original offers, which invites the public to recycle old objects to transform them into gifts that no one else on the planet will receive.

The L’Original art gallery promises committed art. In its premises on rue Saint-Denis, in Montreal, five artists constantly paint on the objects that customers bring: clothes, furniture, lamps, shoes, everything goes there. This citizen initiative is at the origin of numerous integration events through art for members of marginalized communities. The gallery highlights the strength of Montreal as the capital of street art in North America and notably welcomes the city’s best muralists: Monk. E, Labrona, Zek, etc. L’Original now has two addresses: that of 163, rue Saint-Paul Ouest, which allows the works of Quebec painters to be distributed, and that of 4455, rue Saint-Denis.

From L’Original Art Gallery Old Montreal – Local Street Artists
“The art gallery of old Montreal presents local artists from Montreal, focused on street art paintings for sale and contemporary art as well as interior and exterior murals. Our contemporary art gallery in Saint-Paul has been open since 2020 and positions itself as a committed art gallery with works driven by a political will. From abstract to surrealism via pop culture, the paintings represent the spectrum of urban art. The Quebec painters of our gallery of art in old Montreal contrasts with the usually older art galleries of Saint-Paul. We display the pioneers of street art and have at heart the local Quebec artists who create our murals.”

From L’Original – Art Gallery & Friperie du Plateau
“L’Original is an art gallery on rue Saint-Denis with artist studios on the upper floor open to meet local artists directly in their creative spaces in Plateau Mont-Royal. The gallery space offers vintage clothing , thrift store in a place filled with works. Room to rent for weddings, private events, pop-up stores. Contact us to see availability. This place is home to many openings of contemporary designers in urban fashion. The street art oriented gallery is open to contemporary art, the sale of paintings and the sale of limited prints.”

2018

– Ideation of the organization, recovery of discarded clothing, furniture and paintings through collection campaigns. – Beginning of weekly visual art/surcycling workshops in cooperatives, schools and public places. – Start of a weekly poetry club to interpret the works. – First 15 artists and 5 volunteers coordinate. – Yourself, B.A.A. student in economics and marketing and Msc. student in innovation management at HEC Montréal, leads the project as a volunteer. – Followed by Jason Prince of PME Montréal, and mentored by Robert Dutton, Director of HEC Montréal’s entrepreneurial pole.

2019

– Legal incorporation as a non-profit organization. – Expansion to 25 artists and 10 volunteers. – Opening of a multilingual website to promote our artists internationally.

2020

– Opening of a self-managed gallery/studio on the Plateau Mont-Royal (Montreal). – Artistic recycling of 300 objects. – New brand name: Loriginal.org. – Organization of a public event: ethical fashion show of recycled, hand-painted clothing to raise awareness of anorexia and bulimia. – Incubation in HEC Montréal’s entrepreneurial base.

2021

– Opening of a gallery/workshop in Old Montreal (163 rue Saint-Paul Ouest) of contemporary artworks (exclusively local street art). – Collaboration with a Salvador Dali exhibition and its official representative: creation of a public event with Monk.e and a live painting on Place d’Youville. – 8 major public vernissages for our artists at our gallery: 163 rue saint-Paul Ouest and sale of over 50 works. – Article in Lapresse, North America’s leading French-language media. – Appearance on Radio Canada for “Merry Capitalismas”, a Christmas recycling event.

2022

– Registration on Artsy and the international art market for our Canadian artists. – Registration for Artfairs across North America. – Employment of a general manager (Dorian Verdier) and a part-time curator (Normand Giguere) to focus on researching and selecting the best muralists in Montreal. – +10 vernissages organized – Development of a strategy for exporting murals to North America and Europe. – Participation in “Vue d’Afrique – Participation in the 10th edition of the MURAL festival. – Collaboration with the Musée du Grand Quai Dali to showcase the art of street artist Monk.e – Creation of a second gallery with artist studios open to the public at 4455 Saint-Denis. – Articles in LaPresse, MTLBlogs, and TV appearance on CTV.

2023

– Organisation de 15 vernissages mettant en vedette des muralistes montréalais, avec une moyenne de 250 visiteurs par vernissage.

– Une moyenne de 50 visiteurs quotidiens et 150 en pleine saison dans chaque galerie, qui parvient à autofinancer ses activités.

2024

– Event with the Regroupement pour la Trisomie 21 – RT21 organized with ETIENNE MARTIN
– Stephan Leblanc opening and Astro opening
– Opening of our third gallery, located at 384 Saint-Paul Street West in Montreal

The future

In the years to come, we plan to build on the momentum of our growth and positive impact in Montreal’s artistic and social community. We plan to deepen our collaborations with organizations such as the Regroupement pour la Trisomie 21 (RT21) to create events that celebrate diversity and inclusion through art.
Our goals also include expanding our network of local artists and promoting their work on international platforms. We aspire to be a showcase for Montreal’s emerging talent while continuing to support our established artists. Welcome again
In addition, we plan to expand our physical footprint by opening new gallery and studio spaces to offer even more opportunities for the public to discover and interact with art.
We are grateful to our community, volunteers, partners and loyal supporters who make it all possible welcome all and we look forward to continuing this adventure together in the years to come.