Canada and especially Montréal had been on the top of my travel wish list for quite some time. When I heard about the festival Montréal en Arts, I knew it would be a great opportunity to showcase my art. I sent my application and portfolio and was super happy to hear I got in!

Then I spent some weeks preparing and producing prints because paintings wouldn’t fit in my suitcase. And at the end of June 2017 I was on my way to Montréal.

Thanks to my friends in New York I found a place in one of Montréal’s hippest neighborhoods, Mile End. I stayed with Dorothy in her charming apartment with a big leafy maple tree that reaches up to her terrace. I remember going up the typical iron staircase from the pavement to the front door and felt like being in a whimsical movie set. A hip one, too.

I quickly learned that Montréal has the best bagels (sorry, New York bagel fans). Dorothy and I baked a Canada cake for Canada day, and I came to love the national dish Poutine, french fries with gravy and cheese. Speaking of food, of course I also had my fair share of maple syrup on everything.

I spent my first two days discovering the neighborhood and several hardware and dollar stores – all in preparation for exhibiting at the festival. Dorothy helped me with these errands and showed me around Mile End with her friend Linda. The best way to power through jet-lag!

Montréal en Arts is an annual art festival on the shopping street Rue Sainte-Catherine. Colorful spheres are decorating the long winding street which is lined with more than 100 artist stands. The festival welcomes more than 150,000 visitors each year.

It was great to get to know my booth neighbors and talented artists Charles-Alexis, Alexandra and Sara-Leila. I talked to loads of people, trying my best to understand everything in Québecois and now I love this special variety of French. I also finally got to meet my artist Instagram friend Aleksandra who visited my stand with a big coffee for me – which I really appreciated on that rainy day.

I spent the rest of my time in Montréal exploring the city, enjoying incredible concerts at the International Jazz Festival, visiting art shows, bathing in the Saint Lawrence river and discovering the magnificent Laurentian Mountains.

My time there wasn’t only pancakes with maple syrup though. It was a roller coaster of emotions and experiences. Canada made me appreciate life and the people within it even more 🙂

PS: Watch this video if you’re interested to see what Montréal en Arts is like!