It’s the end of the road for the Route des Arts in Argenteuil.
The annual driving route which allowed people to visit artist’s studios and galleries celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024 but challenges with governance and management have led to its cancellation in 2025.
According to Louise Houle of the ad hoc committee that most recently oversaw Route des Arts Argenteuil, the previous not-for-profit organization was managed by volunteers who had successfully set up boards of directors responsible for Route des Arts activities for many years. Houle said the success of Route des Arts always depended on the board of directors, but at the last annual general meeting, a new board of directors could not be duly constituted due to several unfilled vacancies. Houle explained that without enough individuals to constitute a board, it was impossible for Route des Arts to maintain its activities, so a decision was made to dissolve the organization.
“The survival of volunteer-run cultural organizations such as ours remains precarious, which is most unfortunate given that their mission contributes to enriching the cultural and economic life of the regions they serve,” Houle said.
