Since 1961 in Québec, the government has required recipients of public funding for construction, expansion, or renovation projects valued at $150,000 or more to allocate approximately 1% of the budget to the integration of a work of art. This requirement is known as the Policy for the integration of the arts into architecture and the environment of government and public buildings and sites.

This approach was applied during the expansion and renovation project of Louis-Saint-Laurent School in Compton. The architect responsible for the project is invited to take part in the committee tasked with selecting the artist who will create the artwork. Alongside other committee members—representatives from the school, the Ministry of Culture, and visual arts experts—Alexandre Guérin, architect at STGM, had the opportunity to contribute to the development of the program that defines where the artwork will be installed, the type of work sought, and the criteria to be met. A selection of artists is then invited to present their proposals, after which the committee chooses the winning artist from among the finalists.

Artist Louise Delorme was selected with her work Le jeu. The artwork now adorns a wall in the school’s new wing, adding a joyful and colourful presence to the courtyard through its playful figures. It is a piece that speaks to children’s imagination and integrates seamlessly with the building’s architecture.

Photography: Alexandre Guérin