Where to gallery hop and buy art in Montréal

If you’re a fan of historic images, whether it’s prints of paintings, historic posters or reproductions of historical artifacts, the first place to look is in Montréal’s museum boutiques. The McCord Stewart Museum boutique and the Pointe-à-Callière boutique are particularly packed with cool cues to history, both local and global. The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts also has some great collectibles. 

For original works that date back pas the modern era, there are galleries all along Saint-Paul Street in Old Montréal, featuring landscapes, as well as along Sherbrooke Street in the Golden Square Mile, if you’re in the mood to make a real investment.  

For collectible pieces of First Nations as and Inuit history, La Guilde has a vast selection on offer. 

Contemporary art shines at the commercial Galerie Bloom in Old Montréal, or, further west in Griffintown and Saint-Henri, at Bradley Ertaskiran, Arsenal Contemporary Art and Blouin Division. In Westmount there’s Galerie de Bellefeuille to check out.  

In Rosemont you’ll find the incredible Art Mûr, a three-story space with a vast range of art, by everyone from early-career artists to Canadian masters. On Rachel Street in the Plateau stop into Pierre-François Ouellette art contemporain for thought-provoking solo and group shows. Other musts include Galerie Simon Blais, Patrick Mikhail, Lacerte and Galerie C.O.A., Galerie Hugues Charbonneau where you’ll see gorgeous, mind-expanding works. 

Many of the galleries listed above offer affordable contemporary art in Montréal as well as investment pieces. 

In Old Montréal head to PHI, not to purchase art so much as to see what amazing things contemporary creators are thinking up. The Belgo Building, at 372 Sainte-Catherine Street West downtown, also boasts five floors packed with contemporary art galleries and artist-run centres full of inspiration, including Patel Brown, Circa, Galerie B-312, McBride Contemporain, SKOL, SBC Gallery of Contemporary Art and more, most of which are part of the Association des galeries d’art contemporain (AGAC). 

Also downtown you’ll find VOX and ELLEPHANT, then Projet Pangée on des Pins Avenue West. Explore new ideas at the giant and cool Fonderie Darling, as well as at Centre Clark, Optica, Dazibao, Occurrence, Atelier Circulaire, Indigenous-artist-run gallery daphne, and other galleries in the gallery-packed buildings on de Gaspé Avenue and Casgrain Avenue in Mile End. Stop by long-time artist-run gallery articule on Saint-Hubert. 

If you’re around in April, stop by Plural Contemporary Art Fair for a massive gathering that draws commercial galleries from all over the country selling small-to-medium scale artworks.  

Every November, the Expozine small press fair features highly affordable limited-edition prints, postcards and posters. And the Puces POP craft fair in September and in May also feature inexpensive works by local artists. 

The Village is the place to be in June, when Sainte-Catherine Street becomes a car-free open-air art gallery during Mtl en Arts. 

While walking along the cobblestone streets of Old Montréal, discover a cultural wealth of paintings, sculpture, jewelry, clothing and more by Indigenous and Inuit artists at Heritage Gallery, Galerie d’art Images Boréales, Galerie Le Chariot and the Sacred Fire Productions’ cultural space, a gallery and boutique dedicated to disseminating contemporary Indigenous arts. Discover the goods at Whachiya Store, too, an Indigenous-owned boutique that’s dedicated to showcasing and selling authentic Cree products from Eeyou Istchee. 

Downtown on Sherbrooke Street West, non-profit gallery and museum La Guilde specializes in both historical and contemporary Inuit and First Nations art. And for more contemporary art, visit Indigenous-artist-run gallery daphne in Mile End. 

For Montréal-made gifts, creatively cool souvenirs or dazzling jewellery of an artful nature, the choices abound in Montréal.  

Among the art galleries and high-end shopping on Sherbrooke Street West downtown, find artisanal treasures for both adornment and home décor at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts and the McCord Stewart Museum boutique.  

In Old Montréal you’ll find one-of-a-kind items by Québec artisans, from ceramics and paintings to slippers and kitchen items, at L’Empreinte coopérative, boutique métiers d’art. And work by Québec glass artists shines at Espace VERRE, just across the Lachine Canal from Griffintown. 

Peruse the rich range of art created by some of Montréal’s and the world’s best street and pop art artists at Yves Laroche Galerie d’art in the Chabanel garment district and at S16 Gallery on Saint-Paul Street in the Old Port.   

From film posters to contemporary art prints, L’Affichiste in Old Montréal seems to have it all, while BBAM! Gallery mixes pop art and jazz vinyl in Saint Henri.  

Montréal is packed with local illustrators who sell art directly from their websites or social media profiles, if you prefer to purchase your art online.   

Evi Jane captures inspiring individuals and local spots; Pony is known for bright, colourful, comedic creations, while Marie Laure, also known as Liligraffiti, creates colourful and delicate pieces that feature Montréal's hidden gems. 

Romain Blais, an illustrator and comic artist, has recreated the city’s iconic monuments in a poster that showcases his vision of Montréal.  

For a handful of local illustrators all in one place, explore the original art prints from Montréal art brand Opposite Wall.