Culture & Art of Living
Old Quebec City Art Galleries
Sculptures, paintings, engravings and glass art: Old Quebec City is home to a vibrant art scene that can be rediscovered on every street corner. A circuit for art lovers, between heritage and contemporary creation.
The Art Scene
One Neighborhood, One Vocation
From Petit-Champlain to Grande Allée, galleries unfold as so many private circuits through Quebecois history and creation.
Old Quebec City is one of the few neighborhoods in North America where you can stroll from gallery to gallery on foot, between two coffees and several views of the St. Lawrence. The concentration of workshops, permanent galleries, and pop-up spaces makes it fertile ground for collectors and curious visitors alike.
Each season brings its share of exhibitions, openings, and encounters with artists in residence. Art here is not confined to institutions: it spills over into squares, courtyards, and covered passages.
Key Galleries
Reference Addresses
These spaces cultivate a strong identity, balancing local market expertise with an openness to contemporary creation.
Founded in 1983 and located in the Saint-Jean-Baptiste district, Galerie Madeleine Lacerte is an absolute reference for contemporary Quebecois art. Painting, sculpture, and photography coexist in a clear and demanding space, where each hanging is a statement of intent.
Located in the heart of North America's oldest commercial street, this gallery celebrates regional artists with an accessible and generous program. Laurentian landscape watercolors, oil paintings inspired by the river: an ideal gateway to discover figurative Quebecois art.
Specializing in sculpture and 3D arts, Galerie Linda Verge presents works made from unexpected materials: bronze, blown glass, exceptional ceramics. Its intimate space in the Upper Town invites visitors to take their time, walk around the pieces, and let them reveal their scale.
In the Quebec City region, Zone Orange has established itself as a prime address for emerging art. Its exhibition openings attract a young and engaged community, always in search of the next big names in Quebecois painting and illustration.
Glass Art
Blowing, shaping, illuminating
La Verrerie La Mailloche is one of Old Quebec City's most photogenic treasures: a living workshop where the art of blown glass is revealed in real-time.
Since 1988, the artisans of La Mailloche have been blowing glass in front of the public in their Lower Town workshop. Each piece is unique: colorful bowls, organically shaped vases, sculptural light fixtures. The adjacent boutique offers creations to take home, from artisan souvenirs to prestigious collections.
Attending glassblowing at La Mailloche is a rare sensory experience: the heat of the furnace, the amber light of molten glass, the precise gestures of the artisans. A contemplative pause that reminds us that excellence, whether in a cup of espresso or a work of art, is built with the same care.
Rue du Trésor
Open-air art
This open-air alley between Rue Sainte-Anne and Fabrique is one of Quebec City's most charming living traditions, where artists and engravers have exhibited their works since the 1960s.
Every summer, a dozen artists set up in this cobblestone alley to display prints, watercolors, and drawings on panels hung on the walls. Here you'll find almost photographically precise views of Château Frontenac, charcoal portraits, and engravings of the old port. An open-air market where negotiation is key and discoveries are guaranteed.
Just a stone's throw away, Boutique Métiers d'Art Québec brings together creations by artisan members of the Quebec Crafts Council. Jewelry, textiles, pottery, and cedar sculptures: a concentration of local craftsmanship meticulously selected. The ideal place to bring back an authentic work of art.
Must-See Works
For those who wish to go beyond the galleries: exceptional permanent collections in Quebec City.
Founded in 1936, the Musée des Ursulines preserves a unique collection of 17th-century embroidery and needlework, testaments to extraordinary female craftsmanship passed down from generation to generation within the monastery walls.
With its permanent exhibitions on Quebecois history and its major international temporary exhibitions, the Musée de la Civilisation is the cultural heart of Old Quebec City. Architecture by Moshe Safdie, reference collections, a space for reflection on identity.
On the Plains of Abraham, the MNBAQ brings together the largest collection of Quebecois art in the world: 40,000 works spanning five centuries of creation. From great masters like Ozias Leduc and Jean-Paul Riopelle to young contemporary artists, a complete panorama of a culture in motion.
Within the walls of the only still-inhabited North American fortress, the military museum presents weapons, uniforms, and works related to the history of the R22eR. A visual heritage of rare intensity, charged with collective memory.
Barista's Tip
After a tour of the Old Quebec City galleries, there's nothing better than a double espresso at Carrera Café to let the images sink in. The silence after artistic emotion, like the silence before a race, is a moment to savor fully.
Carrera Café
A Setting, An Aesthetic
At Carrera Café, aesthetics are not a detail: they are a conviction. Every surface, every material choice tells a story.
Visual creation and coffee excellence share the same logic: a controlled gesture, noble material, a result that transcends the functional to achieve beauty. At Carrera Café, located in Petit-Champlain just steps from the galleries, we cultivate the same relationship to a well-made object: espresso pulled with precision, a cheese board assembled with the same care as an art hanging.
After your artistic tour of the Old Quebec City galleries, take a well-deserved break: an iced oat milk latte, a Charlevoix charcuterie board, and the satisfaction of a day well spent. The straightaway after the turns of the circuit.
Your Next Step
Galleries in the morning, Carrera Café in the afternoon. A perfect day in Petit-Champlain.
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