More than 20,000 attended the 29th annual Symposium de Ste-Rose
Corporation Rose-Art president Oprina-Felicia Dolea was uneasy on the opening day of the 29th annual Symposium de Ste-Rose late last month as she contemplated the days ahead and the quickly-changing weather in Quebec these past few years.
All turned for the best
“We are concerned about tomorrow – they are predicting rain and wind,” she told The Laval News, while gesturing at the tents and canvas shelters the participating artists were using to display their sculptures and paintings.
As things turned out, she needn’t have worried. Compared to some of the arts group’s summertime symposiums in recent years, this year’s went off without a weather-related hitch.
The much-feared rain and wind never really materialized, and hundreds of supporters and patrons of the visual arts were able to enjoy the 2025 symposium over the entire four-day duration.
Highly historic setting
From July 24 to 27, appreciators of quality sculpture and art from all over Quebec, as well as Ontario and other parts of eastern Canada, gathered in Laval’s historic Vieux Sainte Rose for an event that has come to be recognized as one of Quebec’s leading and most prestigious outdoor art shows.
For the second time, the organizers were able to persuade legendary Quebec singer Shirley Théroux to be the official spokesperson for the symposium.
Théroux had a string of song hits in Quebec during the 1960s and 1970s and was also a highly popular late-afternoon program host on French-language television. An accomplished painter in addition to her musical talents, several of Théroux’s art works were featured in a special segment of the show.
Home to great artists
The Sainte-Rose Art Symposium, a popular summertime gathering of artists for decades, has always been a guarantee of enjoyment for thousands of satisfied patrons. In addition to Mrs. Théroux’s support, the event’s honorary president this year was Member of the National Assembly for Sainte-Rose Christopher Skeete.
As always, the symposium took place alongside the Rivière des Mille-Îles in the charming and historic Laval neighbourhood.
The village is renowned as the birthplace of internationally-acclaimed Québécois painter Marc-Aurèle Fortin. Sainte-Rose was also at one time the home of landscape painter Clarence Gagnon. Both influenced generations of artists in Quebec as well as around the world.
Promoting tourism in Laval
After winning a range of awards for excellence over nearly three decades, the symposium’s organizing committee continues to uphold the standards that have established the Sainte-Rose Art Symposium’s reputation for excellence in art circles across eastern Canada.
They have received some significant recognitions for their efforts. In 2019, the Laval Chamber of Commerce and Industry presented them with a Dunamis award for helping to promote tourism in Laval. They were also a finalist for a second Dunamis in 2020 and 2022, as an environmentally-sustainable organization or enterprise.
An estimated 20,000 people attended. Although most are usually from the Laval and greater Montreal regions, the busy vacation season typically also draws in visitors from Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, as well as from the U.S. states of Vermont, New York and New Hampshire.
