30th Anniversary Celebration
PRESENT
International Exhibition “Les Pastellistes – 30e”
Under the honorary presidency of Ms. Ginette Reno
Les Pastellistes Exhibition – PSEC’s 30th Anniversary Exhibition in Review
Presented from October 8 to 26 at Espace Quatre Cents, the Les Pastellistes exhibition celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Pastel Society of Eastern Canada (PSEC) in style. This major event brought together 275 works by 130 artists, offering the public a rich, colorful, and inspiring journey through the world of pastels.
Organized by a passionate team of 19 volunteers, the exhibition offered a varied program of workshops, demonstrations, conferences, inclusive activities, and an educational component for young people, made possible thanks to a partnership with PygmaliART.
France, the guest country, was represented by 23 artists and 64 works, reflecting a wonderful artistic and cultural exchange between our two communities of pastel artists.
Although Ms. Ginette Reno, honorary chair, was unable to attend the opening, her artistic career and inspiring songs left a lasting impression on the event. The opening, attended by more than 500 visitors, took place in a festive atmosphere, in the presence of numerous guests and partners, including TD Bank, the exhibition’s presenter.
A competition also highlighted the artists’ talent, with ten main prizes and four honorable mentions. The Horace Champagne / TD Bank Grand Prize was awarded to Nathalie Picoulet (France) for Cœur en fleurs, while the People’s Choice Award went to Fabrice Leduc (France) for Chat perché, Kruger.
Highlights included the Portraitists’ Challenge, numerous themed workshops, and an inclusive project carried out in collaboration with the Vincent et Moi program, allowing artists living with mental health issues to express their creativity through pastels.
The exhibition was a resounding success, both in terms of the quality of the works and public participation. A dozen works found buyers, PSEC received a prestigious invitation to participate in the International Pastel Festival in Feytiat (France) in 2027.
In conclusion, we would like to commend the exceptional work of the 30th anniversary committee, the artists, volunteers, and partners who combined their talents to make Les Pastellistes an artistic, human, and memorable event, marking an important milestone in the history and influence the society.
Testimonials from the public
“A very high-level exhibition. Thank you to the artists!” Diane
“Pastel… it’s cool!” Marylou
“A beautiful exhibition where there are so many favorites, wonderful!” Marie
“A lot of talent, emotion, and authenticity. Thank you for your dedication!” Francine
“A magnificent exhibition, a wonderful discovery of this medium and different styles. Inspiring! So much talent and hard work. Thank you!” Alain
“Bravo, always a pleasure for the eyes and the soul!” Michel
Here is the link to the full article from Pastel Post:
https://psecpastelpost.wordpress.com/2025/11/
To obtain a copy of the catalogue (at a cost of $25, plus shipping), please contact Monique at the following address: finances@pastelsec.com
THANK YOU to our prize judges, Danielle Richard, PSEC Master, and Patrick-Olivier Meunier, museologist and project director, who did remarkable work in selecting our grand prize winners from over 250 artworks.
Winners – Exhibition 2025
Coeur en fleurs
1st prize (2 500$)
Horace Champagne Grand Prize / TD Bank Wealth Management
17.5 X 24
13 600$
NATHALIE PICOULET
FRANCE
Choices
2nd prize (1 500$)
PygmaliART
18 X 24
1000$
SILJA SALMISTU
DANEMARK
La page blanche
3rd prize (1 000$)
Beneva
22.5 X 19.5
950$
DOMINIQUE HOUARD
FRANCE
Geisha
4th prize (750$)
Terry Ludwig Pastels
18 X 24
1200$
STÉPHANIE BOUCHARD
CANADA
La Penderie, Affiche… Complet!
5th prize (650$)
Pastels Girault
21 X 29
1 750$
WILLIAM-DANIEL CADIEUX
CANADA
Boîte de pastels
6th prize (550$)
Golden Artist Colors / PanPastel
16 X 24
1 750$
ALAIN BELLANGER
FRANCE
L’envol
7th prize (500$)
Mr. Luc Provençal, Member of Parliament for Beauce-Nord.
16 X 12
950$
NATHALIE MURA
FRANCE
Silenced
8th prize (465$)
Hôtel Château Laurier
23 X 20.25
1 500$
BEATA TYRALA
CANADA
La figue d’en arrière
9th prize (420$)
Ganesh Art
16 X 20
3 000$
CHRISTINE LABRECQUE
CANADA
Celebrate the Day
10th prize (400$) Dakota Art Pastels / Coop Zone 25.75 X 20
800$
CHRISTA KOTIESEN CANADA
L’assiette verte
Honorable Mention (375$)
PSEC
13.75 X 13.75
950$
JUANI RODRIGUEZ
FRANCE
Ceci n’est pas une armure
Honorable Mention (350$)
PSEC / Coop Zone
20 X 16
1 400$
MARIE-PIERRE CHEVALIER
FRANCE
Bleu et Blanc
Honorable Mention (325$)
Earthberry Pastels / Dakota Art Pastels
23 X 29
1 200$
SUZANNE GODBOUT
CANADA
Le visiteur du soir, Pantanal
Honorable Mention (300$)
Restaurant Marathon Souvlaki
27.5 X 20
5 700$
FABRICE LEDUC
FRANCE
Chat perché, Kruger
« People’s Choice Award »
27.5 X 20
5 700$
FABRICE LEDUC
FRANCE
Guest Country of Honor: France
The Pastel Society of Eastern Canada is very proud to receive the participation of pastellists from France to represent their country as Guests of Honour at the international exhibition LES PASTELLISTES 2025 in Quebec City, Canada.
This milestone exhibition, celebrating the 30th anniversary of our society, will take place in person from October 8 to 26, 2025, at Espace Quatre Cents—a vibrant, cultural, and unique venue located near the Louise Basin in the Old Port of Quebec. https://expocite.com/fr/espace400
Throughout the exhibition, there will be workshops, demonstrations, conferences, and pastel art supply distributors present as partners.
SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AND WORKSHOPS
The organizing committee for the 30th anniversary is pleased to announce the program:
Presented by TD Bank, the Pastel Society of Eastern Canada (PSEC) offers a rich program of activities, including several free activities for the whole family, as well as educational workshops. This year, 275 works by 130 artists will be displayed in the three exhibition halls. For the occasion, come experience an artistic and festive program that showcases our artists and exhibition partners.
Activities for all
Demonstrations on various themes, a costumed life model workshop (come and watch or participate), enriching lectures such as the Pastel Making Conference – Pastels Girault (France) led by Karine Loiseau, on the conservation of pastel works led by Mélissa Losano, and on “Brief History of Pastel, Pigment and Art” led by Suzanne Godbout, a meeting with Denis Jacques, master pastel artist, a guided tour, and our popular portrait challenge with a “surprise” model.
Workshops for young and old are also on the agenda!
Workshops – Registration:
Information regarding registration for the various workshops is now available (in French only) on the website
https://pastelsec.com/en/education/workshops/
Pastel Workshops
October 10: Marjorie MARTIN-SISTERON
“Dune Landscape”
October 13: Laurent CHANTRAINE, known as CANTARANA
“Riverbanks”
October 13: Florence LE GUENNEC
“Plant Composition in Pastel”
October 14: Michelina AMORE (amore)
“Silhouettes and Figures”
October 17 and 18: Suzanne GODBOUT:
“Sunset Sky” and “Capturing Clouds”
October 19: Denis JACQUES, MPSEC
“Live Portrait in Pastel”October 25 and 26: Mélissa BREAULT, MPSEC CANCELLED2-day Workshop “Autumn Landscape”
Workshops for General Public
Workshop: “Developing Your Creativity with Pastel” with Lyette Archambault.
This workshop will focus on the creation and exploration of dry pastels. It will allow for personal expression and experimentation with the medium.
The goal of the workshop is not to produce a technically “perfect” work, but rather to highlight each participant’s authenticity through several exercises.
Parent-child workshops (ages 5 to 12) led by Lyette Archambault and Suzanne Ferland.
This workshop is aimed at children, parents, and grandparents. A fun approach and quick instructions will lead participants to illustrate words and emotions and create a personal work.
An offer for schools
For this edition, the PSEC will offer school groups a guided tour of the exhibition followed by a workshop in the PygmaliArt room (a fun and conducive place to discover the medium).
Pastel will occupy a prominent place at this 30th anniversary edition! The medium will be showcased through the exhibition, the presence of Pygmaliart, one of the major partners of our event, a supplier of specialized art materials, Pastels Girault, a pastel manufacturer (France), and a tour of the history, the world of pastel, and the highlights of our 30 years.
Thank you to all the artists, exhibitors, honorary president, guests, and our partners who make such an event possible!
