Arts Alive ! Quebec 2021 – Day 1

All of the Arts Alive! Quebec activities are free and do not require registration. No more than 50 visitors will be allowed on the Chaussée des Écossais at once.

On Friday, September 17, the festival will host two concerts during which a Quebec City painter will create a painting inspired by the music. The painting will be officially revealed the following day.

7:30 p.m. – Concert with Rob Lutes (with Rob MacDonald)

Photo credit (c) Mark Robinson Photography-Baristography

Since the release of his first album Gravity, Rob Lutes has steadily built a collection of exquisite songs that inhabit the intersection of blues, folk, Americana, and the contemporary singer-songwriter genre. Originally from New Brunswick, the long-time Montreal resident is a former Kerrville New Folk songwriting winner. Lutes released his acclaimed 8th album, Come Around, in April 2021. Co-produced with longtime collaborator, guitarist Rob MacDonald, the album is the follow up to Walk in the Dark (2017) for which Lutes won the Canadian Folk Music Award as Contemporary Singer of the Year.

Featured together in concert at the Arts Alive! Quebec festival, Rob Lutes and Rob MacDonald have developed a rare ability to blend their sonic personalities – the acoustic fingerstyle guitar and soulful vocals of Lutes and the stellar accompaniment by MacDonald – to create a rich, powerful sound.

9:00 p.m. – Concert with Cécile Doo-Kingué (with Anthony Pageot and Jo Lorgis)

An exceptional stage presence, guitarist/singer-songwriter Cécile Doo-Kingué blends blues, afro-roots, and soul to create a unique sound. Born and raised in New York City, first generation from Cameroon, she has lived in the USA, France, and is now an adopted Montrealer.

Cécile Doo-Kingué is quickly earning a stellar reputation and a place alongside Canada’s current roster of great guitarists. Powerful and raw, Cécile Doo-Kingué’s guitar prowess, lyrics, and sound make for enthralling and intimate communion.

7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. – Live painting with Maud Besson

Art (c) Maud Besson

Maud Besson started showing her paintings in France after graduating from the National School of Applied Arts (ENAAI) in 2002. Moving to Montreal in 2007, then to British Columbia in 2012, she continued to show her creations while pursuing her exploration of art and discovered in Canada an exciting artistic universe. Today, settled in Quebec City, Maud stays primarily a figurative painter, still involved in constant aesthetic research. By creating her work, she expresses who she really is.

The Arts Alive! Québec festival started as an initiative by the English-language Arts Network, a not-for-profit organization that connects, supports, and promotes Quebec’s English-speaking artists and art communities. Over the past five years, several regions throughout the province have participated in Arts Alive! Québec. These festivals have featured their local artistic communities with events reflecting local tastes and customs. In 2021, the Morrin Centre is proud to feature Quebec City’s artistic community for a sixth consecutive year with its own take on the festival. Arts Alive! Québec is an opportunity to come together and to celebrate local English-language creativity while building bridges between English-speaking and French-speaking communities.

This project is made possible by the support of the Government of Canada and of Québecor.