Inside Bromont en Art 2025: Highlights from Quebec’s Biggest Outdoor Art Festival
My father, Roy Semple, joined the vibrant Bromont community in 2019, just before the pandemic. Yes—he had impeccable timing! A few years later, in 2023, the idea of Bromont Media began to take root in him. His vision was to create an artistic platform that would highlight independent creators and sophisticated tools for designers and decorators, with a spotlight on the town he holds so dear.
Being artistically inclined myself, he suggested more than once that I join his endeavor. When I finally decided - some would say rather impulsively - to leave the “big city” (Montreal) behind and embrace the mountains, streams, and deer, I knew the moment was ripe to dedicate myself fully to this new venture.
What Bromont-based creative endeavor could resist the renowned Symposium Bromont en Art?
With my friend Émilie by my side, I explored the endless variety of artwork for hours, hearing the stories of their creators. From dynamic color schemes to abstract designs, the artists guided us through their captivating worlds all weekend. Some had been perfecting their art for decades, while others were just starting out.
Countless enthralled visitors braved the heat, strolling from booth to booth, taking in artistic expressions born sometimes of an exuberant brushstroke, sometimes of a deftly placed palette knife. Even our four-legged, cheerful companions—such an integral part of our town—were welcome at this open-air celebration.
Isabelle Corriveau, harpist, and dog at Place Publique Bromont
The Symposium Bromont en Art: A Visual Bloom at the Heart of its 27th Edition
From August 22 to 24, 2025, rain or shine, Bromont pulsed with the rhythm of the 27th edition of the Symposium Bromont en Art—founded in 1999 by Rénald Cusson and Marie-Claude Tétrault, and now carried forward with renewed energy by their sons, Marc and Philippe Cusson.
Stretching 900 meters along Shefford Street, it is Quebec’s largest gathering of visual artists. This year, no fewer than 126 artists presented more than 1,000 works, spanning acrylics, watercolors, oils, pastels, mixed media, sculpture, photography, and even glass and bronze art.
A highlight of the edition was the Ephemeral Museum, which showcased Le Cirque by Jean-Paul Riopelle, paired with poetic texts by Gilles Vigneault—an exceptional collaboration on display at the St-John Cultural Center for the full three days.
More than 25,000 visitors attended, generating an estimated $2 million in economic impact for the city of Bromont.
From Institutions to Emerging Voices, This Edition Had It All
Here’s a look back at a few artists who left their mark on us:
Josée Tellier
After decades as a professional violinist, Josée was forced to put down her bow. Today, inspired by Victorian architecture, she crafts low-relief works on wood with acrylic and stained glass. Her multidimensional, lively pieces radiate her love for the subject. She is represented by Balcon d’Art gallery in Saint-Lambert. Website
Des fleurs dans la ville Reine
Zoé Boivin
Painter and professional muralist, Zoé lets her emotions pour freely onto canvas. Favoring playful pastel tones and organic shapes, her world is both romantic and intoxicating in its gentle strength. She is represented by Galerie Berthelet in Trois-Rivières.
Website
Farandole Florale
BGali – Brigitte Galipeau
With her self-devised technique, BGali layers acrylics to form a “skin” she later applies to canvas. With themes of real and fantastical creatures, her naïve lyricism teases the imagination. Fun fact: she always includes a cat in her collection—and when one is sold, she promptly paints another. Meow!
Represented by Ni Vu Ni Cornu in Quebec City.
Website
Brigitte's personality is just as colorful as her artwork.
The feline of the moment, Cool Cat
Pascal Normand
A Quebec City native, Pascal is a photographer enthralled by urban art. On his nocturnal wanderings, he captures long-exposure shots, layering them into striking chiaroscuro images. Familiar cityscapes (a special nod to Montreal!) anchor his pieces in a sense of belonging.
Website
Art my World VI, taken in Montreal's Mile-End
Chateau Moreau
Manon Marchand
With carefully placed trowel strokes, Manon shares the emotions she experiences on mountain hikes. Her paintings, rich in hypnotic textures, convey the contrast between human smallness and the grandeur of nature. Based in Farnham, she welcomes visits by appointment.
Website
Manon is in her element at the heart of the Rockies.
Au delà des pasClaude Lépine
Born in Granby and raised on Montreal’s Plateau, Claude fell in love with painting through the work of Jean-Paul Riopelle. His canvases feature ultra-saturated “paysaginaire” (imaginary landscapes). At the moment, we are happily drowning in his salmon-pink skies that unapologetically inundate the horizon. He paints in his Joliette studio.
Website
Claude shows us his rose-tinted world
Suis-moi dans ma douceur
Denis Courchesne
Born in Sherbrooke in 1951, Courchesne began painting at 14 and is among the rare few who make a living solely from their art. His stunning contrasts and pared-down precision call for contemplation. His four current series—Les Chaises, Les Paysages, Les Fleurs and Les Arbres—invite viewers into his poetic twilight world.
Website
Beny – Benoît Tremblay
An Indigenous artist from Les Escoumins, Beny has been practicing for about a year. His abstract work, with bold, impetuous brushstrokes, is a raw act of self-love—lucky us to witness it!
Contact: sexpistole43@live.fr
Envol
La Claude – Claude Raymond
Winner of one of the two Founders’ Grants, La Claude’s work blends deep sensitivity for human connection with irreverent feminism and surprising tenderness. Also a skilled tattoo artist, she can be met by appointment in Shefford or at Studio Minuit Dix in Montreal.
Website
La Claude with her work, Maternité
Jungle Bleue
Partners, Tributes, and Legacy
The Founders’ Grants, now dedicated to the memory of Rénald Cusson (passed June 2025) and Marie-Claude Tétrault (passed 2022), were awarded to two emerging talents: Claude Raymond (La Claude) and Yassine Lakhdar.
Visitors were guided by an interactive digital map (bromontenart.ca), which pinpointed artist tents and Ephemeral Museum zones across five distinct sectors.
Key institutional partners included:
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Government of Canada (Local Festivals – Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage)
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The City of Bromont (crucial for funding and logistics)
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Cinéma Princess
The 2025 edition’s presenting sponsor was Desjardins, which also supported the Ephemeral Museum and financed an electric shuttle for visitor mobility.
Other sponsors included Domaine Château-Bromont, Isabelle Charest (MP for Brome-Missisquoi), Brault Shoes & Clothing, Engel & Völkers, Boutique Emarose, Garage M.J.M., La Belle Vieillerie, Nuits St-Georges, Café Van Houtte, East Side Mario’s, Mikes, Starbucks, St-Hubert, and Parcours du Vieux Village.
Media partners ranged from La Voix de l’Est and ICI Médias weeklies (Le Guide, Granby Express, Le Reflet du Lac) to M105 and Le Devoir.
A Lasting Impression
In short, the 27th edition of the Symposium masterfully wove together creativity, innovation, and community spirit. The delight of visitors, the support of cultural and economic stakeholders, and the heartfelt tribute to its founders all combined to form an event both memorable and radiant—befitting the burgeoning cultural community of Bromont.
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