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WEARING THE MASK IN THE CITY -
By Bernard Bujold -
I don't mind wearing the mandatory mask in the city at all and, on the contrary, I like this habit, and I've liked it from the very beginning when I started wearing it last March (2020).
Since then, I've received many compliments and many people, including the beautiful cashier of the IGA, who told me that I looked like Robin Hood.
Others, older in age, call me: "HEY! LASAGNE"!
I imagine that it's in reference to this Indian revolutionary from the time of the Oka crisis that opposed the Mohawks of Kahnawake to the Quebec and then Canadian governments, during the summer of 1990 (July 11 - September 26).
Anyway, I love the mask which also offers me a certain anonymity, me who hates to be recognized in the street by some old friends (or old lovers), whom I don't really want to see again...
Now I can sneak out and say: "No, I'm not the person you think you see!"
Have a good summer 2020 and a lot of fun wearing the mask!
SEE PHOTOS
MY SUMMER READING 2020
By Bernard Bujold-
I have two or three passions of life including the one of Facebook!
Mark Zuckerberg started his social media site almost at the same time as I was trying my luck in the field in 2005 with the LeStudio1 project. My project did not raise beyond the level at the most of 70,000 subscribers but Mark Zuckerberg exceed today over 2,6 billion users monthly all around the world.
My summer reading for 2020 is therefore the biography by
Steven Levy: FACEBOOK The Inside Story.
It is never too late to understand where our differences are and why one failed and the other succeeded...
A captivating book that I totally recommend.
SEE REVIEW
THE SAGA OF THE MONTREAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS -
By Bernard Bujold -
Le Journal de Montréal publishes (Saturday, July 18, 2020) a description of the roles in the current saga being played at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. One must read between the lines of the text, but if one quickly understands that the Desmarais family's relationship is at the centre of the crisis, one must also understand that the real crisis is within the family.
In fact, Jacqueline Desmarais (1928-2018) had taken over from her husband, Paul Desmarais Sr. to keep the family together after his death in 2013.
Paul Desmarais Sr. (1927-2013) was a person I adored and had known him since 1984. I loved this man whom I photographed many times. I deeply miss the Patriarch and his era, the belle époque! Paul Desmarais Sr. was a great supporter of the Museum of Fine Arts.
But since Jacqueline's death, the family would be very divided, as most families are after the death of the founding parents....
As far as Nathalie Bondil is concerned, she would therefore end up being just a victim who was in the wrong place.
But the final paragraph of the text is promising for her future: "Will Nathalie Bondil return to the MMFA or has she left for good? The former leader of the Parti Québécois, Jean-François Lisée, has a strong opinion on this and published it on Twitter on Wednesday (July 15, 2020): "If in 10 days Nathalie Bondil is not back in her position, on her terms, it is to despair of the combined power of the Government of Quebec and the Desmarais".
To be continued...
SEE TEXT LE JOURNAL DE MONTREAL
THE MONTREAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS AND A HISTORICAL MOMENT
By Bernard Bujold -
The newspaper LE DEVOIR publishes an excellent editorial (Friday, July 17, 2020) that is a comprehensive look at the dramatic and historical situation that is currently unfolding at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the editor of the newspaper is right when he writes that "... The case could be summed up by an executive director who was leading the way against a backdrop of a toxic climate and a chairman of the board who wanted to lead the way beyond it...".
The debate is totally polarized, and while several employees seem to be on the side of the Board of Directors; the general public, the Museum's user members (subscribers) and several leaders of other museums in Quebec and France seem to be unanimous and united in their support for the fired Director, Nathalie Bondil. Several directors of the major museums in France officially take a stand in favour of Nathalie Bondil and express their shock at her dismissal by the Board of Directors in an article published this Friday, July 17 in the magazine L'HEBDO DU QUOTIDIEN DE L'ART. In addition, the Musée d'Orsay has put an end to all collaboration with the MBAM, including an exhibition project scheduled for 2021, which has been cancelled.
For its part, the Board of Directors of the Montreal Museum is trying to rally the public and is in panic mode! Indeed, the Chairman of the Board, Michel de la Chenelière, wrote an urgent letter to the members-friends of the Gallery asking them to support him in his dismissal of Nathalie Bondil, begging the members for support. We will have to see the reaction of the members, but many are energetically active to obtain La Chenelière's resignation from the position of President and many have mentioned on social media that they have responded negatively to the call of the letter.
It can be said that the Museum of Fine Arts is living a historic moment as it is scheduled to celebrate its 160th anniversary in 2020. Will this anniversary be the beginning of a sad and moribund era in its history? It remains to be seen, but it is certainly a historic moment!
To be continued.
SEE EDITORIAL LE DEVOIR
SEE STORY L'HEBDO DU QUOTIDIEN DE L'ART
THE PRESIDENCY OF THE MONTREAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS IN 2020
By Bernard Bujold -
More and more media and Quebec personalities are calling for the resignation of the current president of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Michel de la Chenelière.
For one, Monique Jérôme Forget has publicly suggested that the Chairman of the Board be replaced at the MBAM; and La Presse columnist François Cardinal is one of the many columnists calling for a change of direction on the Board of the MBAM.
According to observers, Michel de la Chenelière is a Chairman who, since his appointment, has been visiting the museum's offices every day to participate in management decisions. A Board Chair must inspire, but he is not the Director General...
Personally, I had known former president Bernard Lamarre (1931-2016). Quite the opposite of La Chenelière!
Bernard Lamarre became Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in 1983. He supervised the Picasso exhibition in 1984, consisting of personal works on loan from Jacqueline Picasso. He remained president from 1983 to 2008, a period of 25 years.
De la Chenelière may have lasted only one year...
To be continued!
SEE EDITORIAL
SEE STORY MONIQUE JÉRÔME-FORGET
THE 14TH OF JULY 2020
By Bernard Bujold -
Today is the 14th of July! It's a public holiday in France. This holiday was instituted in July 1880, to commemorate the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789.
Happy birthday friends of France!
www.LeStudio1.com
NATHALIE BONDIL AND MICHEL DE LA CHENELIÈRE
By Bernard Bujold -
The great irony of the whole situation at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is that Nathalie Bondil (53 years old) is the same one who recruited the one who will destroy her career.
Nathalie had invited the actual museum president in 2012 to take an interest in the Museum, and Michel de la Chenelière (71) became its president in 2019.
De la Chenelière was born in Normandy and arrived in Quebec in 1969. He became a textbook publisher in 1984 and became wealthy when he sold his business to Transcontinental in 2008. He is also the father of theatre artist Évelyne de la Chenelière.
Nathalie Bondil's account of the dismissal is worthy of a fiction film as we discover the details of the shocking dismissal.
A former businessman (De la Chenelière), president of a major museum, who proposes to renew the contract of the star director (Nathalie Bondil) but only on condition that she fully supports his decisions, otherwise it's the elimination.
A true novel worthy of the best authors.
To be continued!
SEE STORY
NATHALIE BONDIL END OF CONTRACT
By Bernard Bujold -
The Board of Trustees of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts has terminated the contract with Director Nathalie Bondil. The next step will have to be seen in terms of public and donor reaction.
The loss of Nathalie Bondil will transform the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts into a "quidam".
In my opinion, the current Chairman of the Board will have to leave in the next few weeks, but the destruction is complete!
See text from La Presse
NATHALIE BONDIL AND THE MUSEUM -
By Bernard Bujold -
The executive director of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), Nathalie Bondil, rejected a proposed settlement, made Friday by the museum's board of directors, as she considered it "totally unacceptable" and considers the offer to be a dismissal.
It has become a war between the chairman of the board and Nathalie.
The solution:
Option 1. The Chairman resigns and Nathalie remains in office;
Option 2. The Gallery pays the contract and immediately terminates the term with Nathalie;
Option 3: Both must leave, the president and Nathalie, because once the debate is in the public place, it's like a humiliation for the museum and generally public organization prefer to start afresh with a new president and new director.
The president failed if he thought he could make Nathalie leave silently...
And the Desmarais are not improving the situation. André's wife supports Nathalie Bondil and Paul Jr. III's wife (Grandson) is the one supported by the board. A family squabble on top of that...
The general public seems to take a strong stand behind Nathalie Bondil according to the many comments published on social media.
SEE STORY
