The Château Dufresne Museum is presenting a new exhibition, Nincheri’s Secular Work, the first museum event held as part of Montréal, City of Glass. The exhibition is devoted to painter and master stained glass artist Guido Nincheri (1885-1973), originally from Tuscany. It focuses on the décor of the Château Dufresne, Nincheri’s main secular work in Canada, and looks at the artist’s many influences through the secular themes developed in his stained glass and paintings.

The exhibition was produced by art historian Ginette Laroche and is being presented thanks to Magnus Poirier Inc. and the Quebec region of the National Congress of Italian Canadians. It reinterprets the murals and stained glass pieces in the Château Dufresne and re-examines their intriguing story, from the time they were commissioned by the Dufresne brothers to when they were ordered painted over by the Fathers of the Holy Cross in the 1950s (to protect the moral well-being of their young charges), and finally restored by the Macdonald Stewart Foundation in the 1970s. A number of little-known works that were removed from the Château Dufresne in 1949 will be displayed for the first time.

Guido Nincheri also established a stained glass studio in 1925, in a building owned by the Dufresne brothers. Before it was closed in 1996, the studio produced 5,000 stained glass pieces for customers throughout North America. It will be open to the public every Sunday from May 2 to August 29, 2010, in conjunction with the Montréal, City of Glass event. Visitors will be able to examine the many mock-ups and drawings used to create the pieces, the old kiln and a number of stained-glass windows created by studio employees. A guided tour led by Guido Nincheri’s grandson, Roger Nincheri, will explain different aspects of the artist’s work and the techniques used in making stained glass. Admission to the Museum and the studio is $12. It is strongly recommended that visitors call to reserve, as the number of places is limited. event.

Photo: Sylvain Majeau, Chateau Dufresne Museum

Photo : Sylvain Majeau, Chateau Dufresne Museum

Built between 1915 and 1918, the Château Dufresne was a mansion beaux-arts style owned by the Dufresne brothers, important members of the Montreal’s french bourgeoisie. Today, the Château Dufresne host a museum dedicate to the Montreal’s east side history, the Château Dufresne Museum.

Opening Hours

Wednesday to Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed December 25 and January 1

Address
2929 Jeanne-d’Arc Avenue, Montréal

Pie-IX, Pie-IX west exit
(514) 259-9201

Mr. Marc Poirier, Chair of the Board of the Société du Château Dufresne and Vice-President, Operations at Magnus Poirier Inc., has officially launched the Château Dufresne Museum’s annual fundraising campaign. This year’s goal is $150,000, to be put toward properly conserving the Museum’s collections and offering visitors a rich and varied program and high-quality exhibitions.

To send us your donation, just print out the following form (in PDF format) and mail it to us at: Château Dufresne Museum, 2929 avenue Jeanne-d’Arc, Montreal, H1W 3W2.

You can also make your donation over the telephone, by calling (514) 259-9201.

Thank you for your generosity.

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