Le Pays de la Sagouine, un hommage à Antonine Maillet

 

14 x 11", acrylic on cradle aluminium panel

painting #300, 2025 - black wooden floater frame

ENGLISH TO FOLLOW -

J'ai grandi à Cap-Lumière, au Nouveau-Brunswick, à moins de 30 km de Bouctouche. Cette ville est connue pour être le lieu de naissance de la célèbre romancière, dramaturge et universitaire acadienne Antonine Maillet (1929-2025), ainsi que de K.C. Irving (1899-1992), milliardaire et homme d'affaires ayant bâti un empire couvrant les secteurs de l'énergie, de l'exploitation forestière, du commerce et des médias. Leurs contributions à la société diffèrent radicalement, tout comme leurs héritages respectifs. La dynastie industrielle de K.C. Irving exerce toujours une influence économique et sociale sans pareille sur le Canada atlantique — et plus particulièrement sur le Nouveau-Brunswick —, tandis que l'héritage d'Antonine Maillet a permis de porter l'histoire, l'identité et la langue parlée unique du peuple acadien sur la scène internationale.

Ce tableau rend hommage à cette grande dame. J'ai choisi le site du Pays de la Sagouine pour encadrer cette composition. Cette attraction touristique a été inaugurée en 1992 sur l'île aux Puces, située sur la rivière Bouctouche. Elle a vu le jour grâce au succès de la pièce de théatre La Sagouine, écrite par Mme Maillet en 1971. Ce succès doit autant au talent de conteuse de l'auteure qu'à l'interprétation magistrale de Viola Léger (1930-2023). Durant 45 ans (de 1971 à 2016), cette dernière a incarné le personnage plus de 3 000 fois, que ce soit sur scène, au cinéma ou à la télévision, au Canada, aux États-Unis et en Europe. Au fil des ans, ce lieu touristique a évolué pour devenir une forme de théâtre vivant où de nombreux personnages créés par Mme Maillet prennent vie dans des sketches, tout en célébrant la culture, la cuisine, la musique et le folklore acadien.

Antonine Maillet et Le Pays de la Sagouine.

La comédienne Solange LeBlanc, qui décrit le site est ma deuxième cousine.

En 2023, sur la partie terrestre du parc, Le Pays de la Sagouine a inauguré en partenariat avec le studio multimédia de renommée mondiale Moment Factory — un parcours nocturne enchanté de 1,5 km baptisé « Akadi Lumina ». Ce parcours forestier multisensoriel mêle une installation lumineuse saisissante, un spectacle laser, des projections vidéo et une bande sonore originale puissante pour créer une expérience immersive magique et féerique. Il évoque également l'histoire du peuple acadien : sa joie de vivre, sa résilience, son folklore et son passé maritime.

Akadi Lumina- 2024-10-14

Les livres que j'ai choisi de mettre en vedette sont les deux œuvres pour lesquelles elle est le plus connue. "Pélagie-la-Charrette" a été publié en 1979 et lui a valu le prix Goncourt, largement reconnu comme la distinction littéraire de langue française la plus prestigieuse au monde. Dès son annonce, l'ouvrage est devenu un best-seller, s'écoulant à plus d'un million d'exemplaires. J'étais alors en douzaine année au secondaire. Notre école en a rapidement acquis un grand nombre, et sa lecture est devenue obligatoire pour un résumé de livre lors de notre cours de français. Je me souviens que c'était une lecture assez difficile. Pendant que je peignais, je me suis rafraîchi la mémoire en écoutant le livre audio lu par la brillante Diane Losier, disponible sur Radio-Canada Ohdio (disponible ICI). Maillet demeure à ce jour la seule Canadienne à avoir reçu le prix Goncourt.

Contrairement au poème narratif épique "Evangeline" de Longfellow, qui suit la protagoniste après la déportation des Acadiens par les Britanniques en 1755, 'Pélagie-la-Charrette" propose un contre-récit audacieux et contestataire. Alors qu'Évangéline est une figure romantique et tragique qui souffre en silence et se soumet à son sort, Pélagie est une veuve hardie et déterminée, pleine d'espoir, de courage et d'une obstination rebelle ; elle guide activement son peuple dans une odyssée de dix ans pour regagner sa terre natale depuis le sud des États-Unis.

Le second livre comprend deux de ses pièces de théâtre : La Sagouine et Évangéline Deusse. Comme ces deux livres sont assez minces, j'ai créé, à l'aide de Photoshop, un nouveau dos de livre combinant les deux ouvrages pour les besoins de ce tableau. J'ai également dû inverser le sens des titres et du nom de l'auteur sur le dos du livre, car tous les ouvrages publiés en français se lisent du bas vers le haut, et non du haut vers le bas. En intitulant la pièce "Évangeline Deusse" (la seconde), Maillet créait délibérément une version moderne et réinventée de l'héroïne légendaire de Longfellow. Ce titre indique clairement que ce personnage constitue une rupture totale avec l'Évangeline originale du XIXe siècle — cette victime tragique, jeune et soumise qui subit son exil en silence. À l'opposé, l'Évangeline Deusse de Maillet est une femme de 80 ans obstinée, indépendante et joyeuse. Malgré son âge et son déracinement, elle refuse qu'on la plaigne ou qu'on l'arrache à sa terre.

Les deux livres de gauche appartenaient à ma grand-mère partenelle.

L'illustration sur la couverture de "La Sagouine" est le "Portrait d'une vieille femme" (vers 1564), œuvre de l'artiste flamand Pieter Brueghel.

L'exemplaire d'Évangeline Deusse porte une dédicace

adressée à ma grand-mère ; elle lui avait été offert par ma marraine pour Noël.

« Pour Edmée, cette Évangéline Deusse, qui aime bien les gens qui ont passé le cap des quatre-vingts ans »                                — Antonine Maillet

"La Sagouine", interprétée par Viola Léger, fut en fait la toute première pièce de théâtre que j'ai assisté, alors que j'étais une jeune adulte (à la fin de l'adolescence ou au début de la vingtaine). La deuxième pièce à laquelle j'ai assisté mettait également en vedette Viola Léger dans le rôle principal, cette fois dans Harold et Maude. Le rôle d'Harold était tenu par un jeune acteur encore inconnu, Roy Dupuis, qui allait bientôt devenir une vedette majeure du cinéma et de la télévision Québecoise tout au long des années 1990 et au début des années 2000. Mme Léger a siègé au Sénat du Canada à Ottawa de 2001 à 2005.

Avec Viola Léger, Pays de la Sagouine, 1994.

Cette oeuvre marque une étape importante puisqu'il s'agit de ma 300e peinture originale.

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ENGLISH TEXT

Growing up in Cap-Lumière, NB, we lived less than 30 km from Bouctouche. This town is known for being the birthplace of celebrated Acadian novelist, playwright and scholar Antonine Maillet (1929-2025) and of K.C. Irving (1899-1992), a billionaire and businessman who built an empire spread across energy, logging, commerce and news media. Their contribution to society are completely different as are their legacies. K.C Irving industrial dynasty still holds unparalleled economic and social influence over Atlantic Canada, particularly New Brunswick, while Antonine Maillet's legacy served for elevating the history, identity and unique spoken language of the Acadian people to the world stage.

This painting is an homage to the great dame herself. I chose the setting of Le Pays de la Sagouine to anchor this composition. This tourist attraction was established in 1992 on L'Île-aux-puces (Flea Island) located on the Bouctouche River. It was developed following the success of the one-woman play of La Sagouine written by Maillet in 1971. It's success was not only attributed to her narrative as a story teller, but to brilliant interpretation by Viola Leger, whom for 45 years (1971-2016) embodied the character more than 3000 times on stage, film and television in Canada, the United States and Europe. Over the years, this tourist attraction has grown to become a form of living theatre where many of Maillet's character come to life in sketches while celebrating Acadian culture, cuisine, music and folklore. 

In 2023, on the mainland of this park, in partnership with world-renown multimedia studio Moment Factory, Le Pays de la Sagouine opened a 1.5 km enchanted night walk trail called Akadi Lumina. This multisensory forest journey blends striking light installation, laser show, video projection and a powerful original soundtrack creating a magical and whimsical immersive experience. It also recall the story of the Acadian people - their joie de vivre, resilience, folklore and maritime history.

The books I chose to showcase are the two for which she is best known for. Pélagie-La-Charette was published in 1979 and earned her le Prix Goncourt (Goncourt Prize). Widely recognized as the most prestigious prize in French literature in the world. When it was announced, it instantly became a bestseller, selling over 1 million copies. At the time, I was in grade 12. Our school quickly acquired a large lot and it became compulsory reading for a book report. I remember that it was somewhat of a difficult read. While I was painting, I refreshed my memory by listening to the audiobook read by the brilliant Diane Losier, available on Radio-Canada Ohdio. Maillet remains the only Canadian to ever be awarded Le Prix Goncourt. 

Unlike the narrative epic poem of Evangeline by Longfellow that follows the protagonist after the deportation of Acadians by the British in 1755, Pélagie-la-Charette takes a direct defiant counter-narrative to it. While Evangeline is a tragic, romantic figure who suffers quietly and submits to her circumstances, Pélagie is a bold and determined widow driven by hope, courage and stubborn defiance who actively leads her people on a 10 year odyssey back to their homeland from the American South. 

The second book are two of her plays, La Sagouine and Évangéline Deusse (the Second). Since both of these books are rather small, with the help of Photoshop, I created a new spine combining both books for the narrative of this painting. I also had to flip the titles and name of the author on the spine, since all books published in French read from bottom to top instead of top to bottom. 

By calling the play Évangeline Deusse (the Second), Maillet was purposefully creating a modern, reinvented version of Longfellow’s legendary heroine. Her title directly signals that this character is a complete rejection of the 19th-century original Evangeline as a tragic, youthful, and submissive victim who quietly suffers her exile. By contrast, Maillet's Évangeline Deusse is a stubborn, independent, and joyful 80-year-old woman. Despite her age and her displacement, she refuses to be pitied or uprooted. 

La Sagouine played by Viola Léger was actually the first ever live play that I attended either as a late teen or early twenties. The second play that I attended also featured Viola Léger in the lead role in Harold & Maude. Harold was played by a then unknown young actor named Roy Dupuis, who would soon become a major star in Quebec cinema and television throughout the 1990's and early 2000's. Viola Léger was appointed to the Canadian Senate in Ottawa from 2001-2005.

This work marked a milestone, being my 300th original painting. 

This painting will part of my two-person show with Jon Wilkinson entitled- 

''Still Lives, Silent Places'' 

at the Fog Forest Gallery from October 16 - November 6, 2026.

Gallery hours - Thursdays and Fridays from 10 am to 5 pm or by appointment. 

To acquire this painting, please contact the gallery. 
Fog Forest Gallery
14 Bridge Street
Sackville, NB, Canada
(506) 536-9000
website- http:/fogforestgallery.ca

Acadia

 

"Acadia"

14 x 11", acrylic on mounted aluminium panel, 2021

painting #283

The Deportation Cross is located in Horton Landing Nova Scotia. It was conceived by René-Arthur Fréchette. In 1924, the gothic style cross was originally erected near a railway about a mile from the memorial church at the national historic site of Grand-Pré. In 2005, it was relocated to its current spot after archeologists determined and believed to be the exact location where the Acadians waited and boarded ships during the deportation of 1755.

This site along the Gaspereau River also includes the New England Planters Monument, dedicated to the settlers who took over the vacated land of Annapolis Valley between 1759 and 1768. A silvery ancient elm tree, believed to be 175 years old once stood only a few paces from the cross. The humongous tree was brought down during a powerful storm in November 2010. Years earlier, it had died from Dutch Elm disease and was bare of its bark and leaves. It had been hit by lightning a few times, still it stood and was admired for its resilience until the storm.  Artists Alex Colville and Tom Forrestall both painted the tree while it was still alive. In the 1984 NFB documentary film, The Splendour of Order, Alex Colville mentions that it was believed that the tree had stood there since the deportation of the Acadians. Colville has also painted the deportation cross while it was at its original location. During the same documentary, the camera follows him while he makes his way to the cross, makes a preliminary drawing and takes measurements. 

ALEX COLVILLE

"French Cross", 56.5 x 80 cm 

acrylic on hardboard,

1988, private collection

My wife Suzanne, Sept. 2020

Cross at its current location, Horton Landing, NS.

This painting is infused with symbolism. The imagery that appears on the Barbours baking powder tin can is of the Evangeline Well and commemorative church at Grand-Pré. Making this a sister painting to my previous post. Barbours is a family owned business right here in New Brunswick. It's as old as Canada itself. It was founded in 1867 in Saint John, NB by George L. and William Barbour. It is renown for its spices, baking ingredients, tea blends and mostly for King Cole Orange Pekoe Tea which was introduced in 1910. The business relocated to Sussex, NB in 1966. Of course, baking powder is one of the ingredients used to make the dumplings in a hearty Acadian fricot.

The site of the cross now serves as a memorial. The small folding seat/table belonged to my late mother. She specifically bought it to attend an outdoor mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II in 1984 during his papal visit to Canada and stop in Moncton. The yellow dandelions represents the Acadians past and present that remained rooted on their homeland. The dandelion globes, much like when a gust of wind breaks and separated the sphere, then spreads the seeds everywhere, represent the Acadians that against their will were deported mostly back to France and along the seaboard of the13 American Colonies.  

This is actually the second time I paint the Deporation Cross. The first time was in 2008 with my painting, "Reflecting on Being Acadian" when I painted Clive Doucet brilliant biographical book, Notes from Exile, featuring Alex Colville's "French Cross" on the book's jacket cover. Click HERE to view. 

This painting will be part of a small solo show entitled "Art-ifacts", hosted by the Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, NB from October 14 to November 5, 2021.

 Unfortunately, in order for the gallery to remain open during the pandemic while keeping everybody safe, the gallery director and I came to the decision that it was safer not to hold an opening reception. The public however will be able to visit the gallery at their leisure during the run of the exhibition. The gallery is open on Thursday and Friday from 10 am - 5 pm. or by appointment.

   

Fog Forest Gallery

14 Bridge Street, Sackville,

New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5

Phone (506) 536-9000

e-mail: janet@fogforstgallery.ca

-SOLD

Evangeline Well, Grand-Pré

 

"Evangeline Well, Grand-Pré (Puits Évangéline, Grand-Pré),

14 x 11", acrylic on mounted aluminium panel, 2021

painting #281

Last summer I was invited to take part in an up-coming 2021 exhibition at the West Baton Rouge Museum in Louisiana that pays an homage to Evangeline, the legendary Acadian literary heroine from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem of the same name,  The timing was perfect as we were leaving the following week for a Nova Scotia getaway as the NB-NS border had reopened earlier during the summer for tourists of the Atlantic, Canada bubble during the pandemic. We made our way to Grand-Pré, located in the bucolic region of Annapolis Valley. The historic site and grounds were open to the public. However, the statue of Evangeline by sculptor Louis-Philippe Hébert had a barricade behind it during our visit and was going to be removed the following day for restauration. A small ceremony was held during the month of July 2020 to commemorate the statue's 100 anniversary. The commemorative church had scaffolding around its perimeter and was also undergoing restaurative work. The church which was built in 1922 will also be turning 100. It was reopened to the public by this summer. 

  

My wife Suzanne with the Evangeline statue and commemorative church. 

-photo taken during a previous visit, September, 2018.

Self, September, 2020

I first read Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem Evangeline in 2017. Longfellow's tale written in 1874 would become a lasting legacy and a gift to the Acadian people. It would forever give them a sense of identity and help define the plight of the Acadians to the rest of the world.

While Evangeline is a fictitious character possibly based on a real person. She is perceived as an iconic and allegorical figure to the Acadians for her qualities of steadfastness, fortitude, strength, devotion and love.

During the deportation of Acadians in 1755, my 6th time grand-father, Michel Richard was deported from Fort Beauséjour to Charleston, SC where he died shortly thereafter. Avoiding the deportation, his wife and children had exiled themselves to Prince Edward Island as tension was mounting with the British. To pay homage to my ancestors and the author, I returned on the grounds of Fort Beauséjour, located in Aulac, NB and used it as the setting for the first two paintings done in 2017 & 2019. In the poem, Longfellow writes,

 Shaking his head, as in doubt; then, heaving a sigh, he continued:- "Louisbourg is not forgotten nor Beauséjour, nor Port Royal".

This painting is my third study using the same props. I wanted to create a full-circle moment by returning Evangeline to her homeland of Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia. The Evangeline Well was discovered by treasure hunters at the end of the 19th century.  It is located directly to the right of the commemorative church in Grand-Pré. My previous two paintings had ginger-ale inside the bottle. For this rendition, I decided to leave the bottle empty, as if returning to the well to fill it with water and as a means of symbolism and for what Grand-Pré and Évangéline represents to the Acadians which for many, also serves as a pilgrimage site. A bust of Longfellow is located about 50 meters from the well. The Grand-Pré historic site was established in 1908 and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012. 

The exhibition "Evangeline, Evolution of an Icon", organized by the West Baton Rouge Museum, provides a glimpse into Evangeline’s evolving status from her inception through today as a legend and heroine, to a brand image and celebrity, and ultimately into a cultural icon. Inspiring writers, artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs, Evangeline has appeared in many guises. Along the way, her image morphed from that of a demure Victorian-era maiden into a confident modern woman. This exhibition includes artworks by Canadian and Louisiana artists, including François Gaudet, Rémi Belliveau, Mario Doucette, Alvin Richard, Melissa Bonin, and George Rodrigue among several others as well as artifacts and paraphernalia to demonstrate Evangeline’s transformation and her timeless appeal. The exhibit opens Saturday, May 15 and runs through October 31st. 

photos provided by Lauren Hawthorne, curator of collection

The West Baton Rouge Museum is located at 845 N Jefferson Ave, Port Allen, Louisiana,United States. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday- 10 am to 4:30pm and Sunday 2pm-5pm

https://westbatonrougemuseum.org/314/Current-Exhibits

Suggested reading with beautifully mounted video done by the CBC for the 100th anniversary of the Evangeline statue also featuring François Gaudet, one of the artists taking part in the exhibition which I had a good fortune of meeting during our visit in Grand-Pré- click on this LINK to view.

This photo is of my mother Emma dressed up in an

Évangéline costume, circa 1955.

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UPDATE - Sept. 30, 2021 

With the cooperation of the West Baton Rouge Museum, the original painting was removed from the exhibition on Sept. 15 and replaced with a reproduction canvas print with hand painted details for the remaining of the exhibition.  

The original painting will be part of an small solo show entitled "Art-ifacts", hosted by the Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, NB from October 14 to November 5, 2021. 

Fog Forest Gallery

14 Bridge Street, Sackville,

New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5

Phone (506) 536-9000

e-mail: janet@fogforstgallery.ca

-SOLD

Évangéline

14 x 12'', acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminium panel

painting #273, 2019

Since 1994, le Congrès mondial acadien (World Acadian Congress) has been held every five years. This summer, southeast New Brunswick and several municipalities on Prince Edward Island hosted the event from August 10 to 24. National Acadian Day is held annually on August 15. This year, I attended the festivities with my wife in Dieppe, N.B. Our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau along several dignitaries kicked off the Grand Tintamarre that was followed by a free show/concert featuring a who's who of Acadian singers that was attended by 20,000 people. 

The whole event inspired me to undertake a sister painting for ''Evangeline, an homage to Longfellow" that was completed in 2017.  Please click on this LINK for the backstory behind both paintings. The photo study for Évangéline was done during the same session at Fort Beauséjour, NB in late August of 2017. For the first study, the viewer is looking west in the direction of Grand-Pré, NS. For this latest painting, the viewer is looking south, towards the Missaguash River located on the New Brunswick-Nova Scotia border. Fort Lawrence which was occupied by British troops once stood on the other side of the river from Fort Beauséjour at the time of the deportation of Acadians in 1755. 

This painting was submitted to the Annual Juried Exhibition held at the Moncton Gallery. The show runs from September 9 until the end of October.

Moncton Gallery is located at City Hall, 655 Main St., Moncton, NB
Hours: Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

During the jury process, the City of Moncton decided to acquire the painting for their permanent art collection. For this, I am forever grateful to live in such a vibrant and inclusive city.

-Collection - City of Moncton

Evangeline, an homage to Longfellow

16 x 12'', acrylic on gessoed aluminum panel

painting #254, 2017 

Evangeline is an epic poem written by American poet and educator Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It was published in 1847, 170 years ago. Longfellow was born in 1807 in Portland Maine. His best works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline. I've had the chance to visit his childhood home twice. The Longfellow house was built in 1785-86 by the poet's grandfather, General Peleg Wadsworth. It is one of the oldest brick structures on Portland's peninsula.

The deportation of Acadian people from their lands by British troops (1755-1764) becomes the backdrop for the poem. Recounting the tragic tale of a young Acadian woman named Evangeline Bellefontaine who was separated from her fiancé Gabriel Lajeunesse on the eve of their wedding during the great upheaval in 1755 in Grand-Pré, Acadia (now Nova Scotia). The prose follows Evangeline on her long and arduous journey across the eastern seaboard of the United States as she spends all of her adult life in search of her long lost love. Now an old woman working as a Sister of Mercy among the poor in Philadelphia, at long last she finds Gabriel among the sick while caring for the dying during an epidemic, only for him to die in her arms. Even though Evangeline is fictitious character, she is perceived as a heroine and icon for the Acadian people and has become a symbol for faithfulness, courage, hope, perseverance and love.

 The eloquence in Longfellow's writing is evident from the first paragraph:

This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks,
Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight,
Stand like Druids of old, with voices sad and prophetic,
Stand like harpers hoar, with beards that rest on their bosoms.
Loud from its rocky caverns, the deep-voiced neighboring ocean
Speaks, and in accents disconsolate answers the wail of the forest.

Instead of reading the book before starting the painting as I've done before, I read it only once the painting was completed. Being myself an Acadian, it is a painting that carries a bit more weight within the narrative of the imagery. 

I found a vintage Evangeline soda pop bottle in an estate sale last summer in Summerside, PEI. I can't recall ever seeing this brand. After doing a bit of research, it would have originally contained Ginger-Ale and was bottled by Seven-Up Ltd in Halifax, NS. The book used for my composition was acquired on eBay from a seller in Newfoundland. It was published by Airmont Books in 1965 and sold for 75 cents.

Antique Evangeline crate. 

Two months before spending our 2012 Christmas vacation in Louisiana, I found my genealogy on-line dating back to 1630. My French ancestor and 8th times grandfather, Michel "Sansoucy" Richard was born in Saintonge France and immigrated to Port Royal, Acadia (now Nova Scotia) in 1652. During the deportation of Acadians, his grandson and my 6th time grand-father, Michel Richard was deported from Fort Beauséjour to Charleston, SC where he died shorty thereafter. Avoiding the deportation, his wife and children had exiled themselves on Prince Edward Island when tensions were mounting during this period of great uncertainly. To pay homage to my ancestors, I returned on the grounds of Fort Beauséjour, located in Aulac, NB and used it as the setting in the composition. With views of the Tantramar Marsh, the waterways opens up into the Bay of Fundy. From here, you can make your way by boat to Grand-Pré. In the poem, Longfellow writes, Shaking his head, as in doubt; then, heaving a sigh, he continued:- "Louisbourg is not forgotten nor Beauséjour, nor Port Royal".

While in Louisiana, we visited the Acadian / Cajun region of St James Parish, Broussard, Beaux Bridges, St. Martinville and the city of Lafayette. St Martinville is widely considered to be the birthplace of the Cajun culture and traditions, and it is in the heart of Cajun Country. Between the dates of 1764 and 1785, upwards of 2600 Acadians took exile in Louisiana, then under Spanish rule, but previously owned by the French.

  My wife Suzanne with the statue of Evangeline, St. Martinville, LA

In 2013, the Charlottetown Festival produced "Evangeline" a musical that ran during the summer at the Confederation Centre of the Arts. We were fortunate to attend a presentation. "Epic, ambitious, Canadian...comparable to Les Misérables" wrote The Globe and Mail. It was reprised in 2015 for a one month run at the Homburg Theatre in Charlottetown. 

In 2005, I was among a very fortunate small group of four in the entourage of one of the judges during the Moncton stop of the auditions for the very popular TVA reality-TV singing competition, Star Académie". A then unknown singer, Annie Blanchard from Maisonnette, NB auditioned to Michel Conte's ''Évangéline'', and instantly won the heart of the judges and the public. This link is not the audition taping but a similar version with piano accompaniment, click HERE to listen. At the conclusion of the show, Évangéline was release as a single on the compilation album. It would climb all the way to #1 on the Quebec charts. Annie Blanchard would go on to win the Félix for the song of the year at the 2006 Gala de l'ADISQ (highest musical distinction in the province of Quebec).

Part of my two-person show with Yvon Gallant entitled ''HARVEST'' at the Fog Forest Gallery from October 12 - November 8, 2017.

Opening reception - Thursday October 12, 6:30- 8:00 pm

Fog Forest Gallery

14 Bridge Street

Sackville, NB, Canada

(506) 536-9000

website- http:/fogforestgallery.ca

-SOLD