Jean-François Blanchette receives the Prix Champlain for his book Du coq à l’âme: L’art populaire au Québec

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Gatineau, Quebec, April 9, 2015 — The Canadian Museum of History is pleased to announce that a book authored by Jean-François Blanchette, former Anthropologist at the Canadian Museum of History, has been awarded the Prix Champlain honouring the year’s best French-language best books.

Published by the University of Ottawa Press in association with the Museum of History, Du coq à l’âme: L’art populaire au Québec won the Prix Champlain in the category of scholarly work.

The book takes a historical and visual look at the Canadian Museum of History’s collections of Quebec folk art, including the prestigious Nettie Covey Sharpe Collection, acquired in 2002. Through photographs, interviews and original research, this book is designed to improve awareness of the cultural and social history of folk art, while showcasing the work of little-known Quebec artists. Du coq à l’âme seeks to define Quebec folk art, while also examining everything from its traditional forms, often centuries old, to its most recent and unbridled form of expression, graffiti.

“My congratulations to Jean-François Blanchette for his achievement in writing this invaluable book and earning this prestigious award,” said Mark O’Neill, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of History. “The Museum is proud of its entire staff, whose original research and excellent scholarship assist in increasing appreciation and understanding of Canada’s rich history through exhibitions, lectures, books and articles.”

Created in 1956 by the Conseil de la vie française en Amérique to encourage literary production among Francophones outside Quebec and in North America, the Prix Champlain also aims to encourage, among Quebecers, a special interest in the place of other Francophones in North America.

The winners were announced yesterday at an awards ceremony held during the Salon international du livre de Québec at the Québec City Convention Centre.

Located on the shores of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec, the Canadian Museum of History is Canada’s largest and most popular cultural institution, attracting over 1.2 million visitors each year. The Museum’s principal role is to enhance Canadians’ knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the events, experiences, people and objects that have shaped Canada’s history and identity, as well as to enhance Canadians’ awareness of world history and culture.

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