My Alerts
Restoration and presentation of the stained glass mural
by Frédéric Back at Place-des-Arts station
Montréal, September 24, 2009 – Michel Labrecque, chairman of the STM board of directors, with artist Frédéric Back in attendance, announced that restoration work had been completed on the magnificent work of art, Histoire de la musique à Montréal. The imposing stained glass mural, featured inside Place-des-Arts métro station, is a tribute to the history of music in Montréal, from the days of Jacques Cartier to contemporary times. “On the eve of Les Journées de la culture being held this weekend, the STM takes pride in giving Montrealers access to works of art of great quality inside its métro stations, which, incidentally, also makes riding the métro on a daily basis more pleasant for our clients,” declared Mr. Labrecque. “In fact, the STM spent nearly a million dollars to restore works of art in the last year.” The STM commissioned the Centre de conservation de Québec (CCQ) to restore the 13.7 metre-long work of art, made up of sections of painted glass panes, superimposed and glued together, held by an wrought iron frame and protected by tempered glass plates. As part of their work, conservators had to take the sections apart without separating the glass panels, clean and stabilize the iron framework and clean each section before replacing them in the metal structure with a new assembly and support system for easier dismantling. The entire lighting system, made up of fluorescent bulbs, was replaced and a timer was added to limit the artwork’s exposure to light and heat. CCQ conservators also counted on the expertise of STM employees to carry out their project. Donated by Steinberg., the mural was unveiled at Place-des-Arts métro station on December 20, 1967, and was the very first work of art to be installed in the métro after it opened October 14, 1966. Painter, illustrator, muralist and film animator, Frédéric Back was born in Sarrebrück (Germany) in 1924. Settled in Montréal since 1948, he worked in television for Société Radio-Canada before joining its animation studio in 1968. Acclaimed world-wide, his films received a number of awards, including two Oscars, the first in 1982 for Crac! and the second in 1988 for The Man Who Planted Trees. A pioneer in the protection of nature and animals, Frédéric Back is an Officer of the Order of Canada, Knight of the Ordre national du Québec and Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres (France). The artist’s website (Will open in new window)"> website is well-worth a visit for the quantity and quality of information on offer. – 30 –
