https://mariesoleilprovencal.com mariesoleilprovencal Thu, 26 Jun 2025 15:46:48 +0000 https://mariesoleilprovencal.com en https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Information Fri, 07 May 2021 04:59:57 +0000 mariesoleilprovencal https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Information About Marie-Soleil Provençal is a French-Canadian sculptor whose practice is rooted in the landscapes of Québec’s Eastern Townships, where she grew up between the Appalachian Mountains and her grandfather’s repair workshop. These contrasting environments continue to inform her work, which examines the consequences of our fractured relationships with the natural world, including waste pollution and species extinction. Her sculptures and site-specific installations combine industrial materials—such as concrete and found objects—with organic elements, including plants and animal forms. Through a process grounded in research and collaboration, she engages with local organizations and institutions, from landfills to museums. Drawing on strategies from visual communication and popular science, she seeks to render complex issues accessible and tangible. Her work has been presented across Canada in galleries, museums, festivals, public spaces, and private collections. She is the recipient of multiple grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, supporting projects at the intersection of environmental and social concerns. Provençal studied graphic design at Cégep de Sherbrooke, completed a BA at Bishop’s University, and earned an MFA from NSCAD University in Nova Scotia. She has also pursued additional trainings in the United States. Alongside her studio practice, she has worked throughout Eastern Canada as a researcher, technician and instructor in visual arts. PDF version of the CV (updated March 19, 2026) Contact: info (at sign) mariesoleilprovencal.com https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Bird-Requiem Sun, 13 Oct 2024 15:01:09 +0000 mariesoleilprovencal https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Bird-Requiem Bird RequiemClocks and birds — 2024 <img width="1350" height="900" width_o="1350" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3bcd98c0f792ec2af1dab81debc2c40b2c54dfa961e06d04ce40ac8598130fe6/mProvencal_BirdsRequiem_01b.jpg" data-mid="241832843" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3bcd98c0f792ec2af1dab81debc2c40b2c54dfa961e06d04ce40ac8598130fe6/mProvencal_BirdsRequiem_01b.jpg" /> <img width="1200" height="900" width_o="1200" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3d4e0f55530cb3d61bf2e8a3634fcd158d44e7cb58d85472faf941ccb32df522/mProvencal_BirdsRequiem_02.jpg" data-mid="219676468" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3d4e0f55530cb3d61bf2e8a3634fcd158d44e7cb58d85472faf941ccb32df522/mProvencal_BirdsRequiem_02.jpg" /> <img width="900" height="1349" width_o="900" height_o="1349" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/66d80438ce5fd20072bdc2712089aa3157062340e2c66d37b320883fee5e39f1/mProvencal_BirdsRequiem_04b.jpg" data-mid="225591806" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/900/i/66d80438ce5fd20072bdc2712089aa3157062340e2c66d37b320883fee5e39f1/mProvencal_BirdsRequiem_04b.jpg" /> <img width="1350" height="900" width_o="1350" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/de6ec1c5b87d284331073864eac891c6b7c274d86b683a23cbc01b2751d985d5/mProvencal_BirdsRequiem_05b.jpg" data-mid="225591807" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/de6ec1c5b87d284331073864eac891c6b7c274d86b683a23cbc01b2751d985d5/mProvencal_BirdsRequiem_05b.jpg" /> BIRD REQUIEM (original French title:&nbsp;Le requiem des oiseaux) is a series of three assemblages combining stopped clocks and watches with historical illustrations and stuffed specimens of North American birds, including a passenger pigeon (a species extinct since 1914) and an Eskimo curlew (no specimen has been seen since 1963). The project borrows a traditional style of presentation from history museums to raise public awareness of the current issue of species loss.Acknowledgment: This project is carried out with support from the territorial partnership program of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ). It was assembled thanks to the generous expertise and loans of specimens from the Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke (MNS2) to the Musée des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke (MBAS). Finally, BIRD REQUIEM is possible thanks to donations of more than 200 broken watches from relatives, friends and acquaintances. Press Marie-Soleil Provençal’s Nature-focused powerful art: InterviewDouglas NadlerThe Record — December 6, 2024 Read the article Les musées en région font place au féminisme et à l’écologieAmélie RevertLe Devoir — November 16, 2024 Read the articleMusée des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke | L'écologie du paysage(series of videos about the group exhibition)La Fabrique culturelle, Télé-Québec — 13 novembre, 2024 Watch one of the video Les arts à la rescousse de la fragilité des paysagesDelphine BelzileLa Tribune — September 29, 2024 Read the article https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Ghost-encampments Fri, 12 Jan 2024 03:29:45 +0000 mariesoleilprovencal https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Ghost-encampments Ghost encampments26 x 26 x 39” — 2024 <img width="1200" height="900" width_o="1200" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b4458773d3246b5ee7e0ec72ede538471d279a729742e7364dba53d52c5524ae/mProvencal_Campements-fantomes_01.jpg" data-mid="201515319" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b4458773d3246b5ee7e0ec72ede538471d279a729742e7364dba53d52c5524ae/mProvencal_Campements-fantomes_01.jpg" /> <img width="1200" height="900" width_o="1200" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/53a8e8d490dd62b7d7b07af8efadbf12f842dd240c6a587305180dd9e13f755e/mProvencal_Campements-fantomes_03.jpg" data-mid="201515321" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/53a8e8d490dd62b7d7b07af8efadbf12f842dd240c6a587305180dd9e13f755e/mProvencal_Campements-fantomes_03.jpg" /> <img width="1200" height="900" width_o="1200" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e630458ad016c81350ce731d6a68b98b7176336c1c4ff3683755afc4972aced8/mProvencal_Campements-fantomes_02.jpg" data-mid="201515320" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e630458ad016c81350ce731d6a68b98b7176336c1c4ff3683755afc4972aced8/mProvencal_Campements-fantomes_02.jpg" /> In August 2021, police in Halifax, Nova Scotia, dismantled multiple homeless encampments across the city. The police confronted a crowd of protesters and arrested numerous individuals. Like other similar events in Canada, this one left behind corpses of makeshift shelters. GHOST ENCAMPMENTS is made up of the poles of different tents, broken or abandoned. This project is a reminder of these habitations which have been the “home” of many. https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Emergency-Quilt Thu, 16 Feb 2023 00:48:54 +0000 mariesoleilprovencal https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Emergency-Quilt Emergency quiltsEmergency blanket / 24 x 48” — 2021 <img width="1200" height="900" width_o="1200" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4fcb73718d3bd2526fd42a1c25fe2f4ddfe07a786d6ddaf2e94f5601d697aa36/mProvencal_Emergency-Quilt_01.jpeg" data-mid="189249974" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4fcb73718d3bd2526fd42a1c25fe2f4ddfe07a786d6ddaf2e94f5601d697aa36/mProvencal_Emergency-Quilt_01.jpeg" /> <img width="7980" height="2881" width_o="7980" height_o="2881" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8a8f8df9867cce9ee194807852ddbee575ec9c2e208c7d8da8c768965255a1bb/Plan-de-travail-14x_k.png" data-mid="252117538" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8a8f8df9867cce9ee194807852ddbee575ec9c2e208c7d8da8c768965255a1bb/Plan-de-travail-14x_k.png" /> During the Second World War, women produced thousands of quilts for the Canadian Red Cross. These blankets were sent to the front lines and hospitals to provide comfort to soldiers and families overseas. EMERGENCY QUILTS is a series of thermal blankets (designed to reflect body heat) with designs inspired by traditional quilts. Today, this project is an act of solidarity with the growing number of people living in uncertainty. This “Rail Fence” quilt pattern was the first of the series started in Halifax, Nova Scotia (where the number of homeless people doubled in 2021), as the initial phase of a larger community project. The prototype was offered for auction by the local Organization Wonder’neath Art Society, which shared the profit with Shelter Nova Scotia in 2023. More pieces were produced for exhibitions in Québec (2024), Nova Scotia (2026) and New Brunswick (2027) with profits donated to local shelters.Acknowledgment: The production of this project is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. Press Une exposition d’art mêle courtepointes et couvertures thermiquesCaroline LévesqueRadio-Canada — September, 2026Listen to the interview https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Contre-courant Thu, 26 Jun 2025 15:46:48 +0000 mariesoleilprovencal https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Contre-courant Contre-courantWood — 2025 <img width="2854" height="1994" width_o="2854" height_o="1994" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b6f7a52a9322b304ba48e51a927c0d300a616a0ebd4d0d664f31d50de220d733/mProvencal_contre-courant_01.png" data-mid="237735159" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b6f7a52a9322b304ba48e51a927c0d300a616a0ebd4d0d664f31d50de220d733/mProvencal_contre-courant_01.png" /> <img width="3002" height="1998" width_o="3002" height_o="1998" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0ce80e5ef02c7e1d029e0b46dd55004b63e4f11b9210ba66f740497d9cc9092f/mProvencal_contre-courant_02.png" data-mid="237735160" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0ce80e5ef02c7e1d029e0b46dd55004b63e4f11b9210ba66f740497d9cc9092f/mProvencal_contre-courant_02.png" /> AGAINST THE CURRENT (original French title:&nbsp;Contre-courant) is a wall installation composed of two dozen sculptural pieces that echo the traditional visual language of Atlantic salmon fishing trophies. However, the specimens appear to have been removed from their wood mounting plaques, leaving only the silhouettes. These shadows of salmon collectively suggest a school of fish swimming upriver and making their way against the current. For this exhibition, each trophy included a metal plate engraved with a date corresponding to a marking event in the history of salmon fishing in the Eastern Townships region and province of Québec. The intention was to question our historical relationship with this species as well as its future. The installation was part of an exhibition on fishing and hunting to open a dialogue in time and space between old works from the permanent collection and works created by contemporary artists. Acknowledgment: This project is made with recycled pieces of wood from old furniture and buildings. It is possible thanks to donations from relatives and the Musée des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke (MBAS). Press Exposition Chasse et pêche au Musée des beaux-arts de SherbrookeSylvie Luce BergeronCFLX — June 17, 2025Listen to the interviewLes amateurs de chasse et de pêche invités au musée Stéphanie Belzil Noovo — May 23, 2025 Watch the segment https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Softest-bullet Fri, 07 May 2021 00:23:24 +0000 mariesoleilprovencal https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Softest-bullet Softest bulletwool / 3 x 3 x 6" — 2021 <img width="3522" height="2642" width_o="3522" height_o="2642" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1be0df574e1503223f4e070d2722928b8c9ecef90d20964fe9a5e27afbfca115/mProvencal_SoftestBullet.jpg" data-mid="107694106" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1be0df574e1503223f4e070d2722928b8c9ecef90d20964fe9a5e27afbfca115/mProvencal_SoftestBullet.jpg" /> Life-size bullet made of needle-felted wool. Action movies, child-soldiers, gun legislation, and mass shootings: this work is a study on our love-hate relationship with firearms. Finalist in sculpture for the 2021 NSCAD Student Art Award. https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Remains Fri, 07 May 2021 11:37:10 +0000 mariesoleilprovencal https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Remains Remainswaste — 2021 <img width="3648" height="2736" width_o="3648" height_o="2736" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4b5f8d01bafef6cc0f2bc20271985c0c12c644bf6ab438bcb8887c2376199300/01_remains2021_HR.jpg" data-mid="107734617" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4b5f8d01bafef6cc0f2bc20271985c0c12c644bf6ab438bcb8887c2376199300/01_remains2021_HR.jpg" /> <img width="3648" height="2736" width_o="3648" height_o="2736" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f9f9ffa21c233cfb85fb3c0ee53844986cc6efb6a827ef4affbc53690ee1d34a/03_remains2021_HR.jpg" data-mid="107734618" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f9f9ffa21c233cfb85fb3c0ee53844986cc6efb6a827ef4affbc53690ee1d34a/03_remains2021_HR.jpg" /> <img width="844" height="1125" width_o="844" height_o="1125" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7a28657f4631451228b610ce6a2ecf54ec9d03d97dfefb6c2d3d6f20f14b9821/04_IMG_0884_2.jpg" data-mid="107734658" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/844/i/7a28657f4631451228b610ce6a2ecf54ec9d03d97dfefb6c2d3d6f20f14b9821/04_IMG_0884_2.jpg" /> <img width="3648" height="2736" width_o="3648" height_o="2736" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b75292565ec43ede8413450c13b12b69f15fd826cda41c97d6fc74cd6fbeaba6/05_remains2021_HR.jpg" data-mid="107734620" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b75292565ec43ede8413450c13b12b69f15fd826cda41c97d6fc74cd6fbeaba6/05_remains2021_HR.jpg" /> <img width="843" height="1200" width_o="843" height_o="1200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/27c257ceabeb001775e2f4cb28d32b088fb0b5bef2873beaebf2b83c6e2f82de/mProvencal_Remains_05.jpg" data-mid="197643304" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/843/i/27c257ceabeb001775e2f4cb28d32b088fb0b5bef2873beaebf2b83c6e2f82de/mProvencal_Remains_05.jpg" /> REMAINS is an exhibition of things that continue to exist even after being discarded. The public could visit the installation and browse the virtual collection of the project to learn about the surprising life of waste such as a broken sewing machine, pottery fragment, damaged lobster buoy, lost glove, crooked bicycle wheel, used motorcycle tire, abandoned table legs, crushed teapot, and parts of a dismantled piano. Acknowledgment: This project would not have been possible without the collaboration of the Halifax Solid Waste Resources Educator, Nova Scotia. Press Une exposition présente des déchets pour susciter des réflexions à HalifaxCaroline LévesqueRadio-Canada — April 13, 2021Read the article or listen to the interviewTalking Trash with MFA Student Marie-Soleil Provençal on Earth DayJessica MurrayNSCAD University — April 22, 2021Read the articleTrash talk: NSCAD student Marie-Soleil Provençal turns other people’s garbage into artHollie UffindellSaltwire, Chronicle Herald — April 22, 2021Read the article https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Les-dents-de-la-Mer Mon, 02 Oct 2023 18:16:25 +0000 mariesoleilprovencal https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Les-dents-de-la-Mer Les dents de la merCement and steel / 22 x 20 x 3” — 2023 <img width="1200" height="900" width_o="1200" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5429393d54e3d0810483aea8fb49781e4ca4a871f3c744ab43dc79813823da4c/mProvencal_Jaws_01_Acadie.jpg" data-mid="192490015" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5429393d54e3d0810483aea8fb49781e4ca4a871f3c744ab43dc79813823da4c/mProvencal_Jaws_01_Acadie.jpg" /> <img width="1200" height="900" width_o="1200" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/83ca01769572da1a0c8e8862ba6b976742e76465763e1b675216f75bbd9b0a9c/mProvencal_Jaws_03.jpg" data-mid="192486576" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/83ca01769572da1a0c8e8862ba6b976742e76465763e1b675216f75bbd9b0a9c/mProvencal_Jaws_03.jpg" /> What if a sentient Mother Earth had enough of being abused by humans and was sending its most notorious marine predators after us? LES DENTS DE LA MER* is a group of shark fins emerging from the ground to tail the public on land. The project appears as a playful intervention and a cautionary tale about the consequences of messing up the ecosystem. The fins were installed for the first time in the coastal city of Annapolis Royal (Nova Scotia), like they were coming inland from the Atlantic Ocean. *LES DENTS DE LA MER can be translated as "The teeth of the Sea". It is the French title of the American natural horror film series JAWS. https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Shadows-of-an-Epoch Tue, 13 Sep 2022 00:17:39 +0000 mariesoleilprovencal https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Shadows-of-an-Epoch Shadows of an epochoutdoor paint / 10 x 60’ — 2022 <img width="1200" height="900" width_o="1200" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a23b9c339181069e319bb37d2bd576493676fde86fec271dfe923f1ea3715214/Shadows-of-an-Epoch_02.jpg" data-mid="152767689" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a23b9c339181069e319bb37d2bd576493676fde86fec271dfe923f1ea3715214/Shadows-of-an-Epoch_02.jpg" /> <img width="1200" height="900" width_o="1200" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5e828a7ea15c082ac4975724960cf208dfe632e6e45f4245c8eff5f399e87fd3/Shadows-of-an-Epoch_01.jpg" data-mid="152767688" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5e828a7ea15c082ac4975724960cf208dfe632e6e45f4245c8eff5f399e87fd3/Shadows-of-an-Epoch_01.jpg" /> <img width="1200" height="900" width_o="1200" height_o="900" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3cb9f6a66a2723c2b7cd162c69b6194f81ec04047ab3a6ed3fbf1278c635cb26/Shadows-of-an-Epoch_03.jpg" data-mid="152767690" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3cb9f6a66a2723c2b7cd162c69b6194f81ec04047ab3a6ed3fbf1278c635cb26/Shadows-of-an-Epoch_03.jpg" /> SHADOWS OF AN EPOCH is an ephemeral mural including shadows of roaming wolves painted on the campus of Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, in St. John’s, close to the provincial museum where the only taxidermy specimen of the extinct Newfoundland wolf is exhibited. It is a collective reminder that the Newfoundland Wolf roamed the island until its extinction due to colonization in 1930. Similar to an oral tradition, these shadows are an invitation to gather and speak in a hushed voice: remember that wolves roamed the hilly and rugged inland of the island for thousands of years; do not forget, share, and learn from it. Acknowledgment: This project would not have been possible without the generosity of the Grenfell Art Gallery of Memorial University and the Natural History Collections of The Rooms, provincial museum of Newfoundland and Labrador.The project was also selected for the cover of the academic book Animal Genocide and its Aftermath; The Tasmanian Tiger and the Newfoundland Wolf by Nicolas Chare, published in 2025. Press Spotlight on the MUN Street Art WallLinda Browne Business and Arts Newfoundland and Labrador — October 16, 2023 Read the article Share and Learn: Street wall mural in response to climate emergency and colonizationMandy CookGazette — September 15, 2022Read the article Une murale en mémoire du loup de Terre-NeuveCaroline LévesqueRadio-Canada — September 12, 2022Listen to the interviewUne murale en mémoire du loup de Terre-NeuveCaroline LévesqueRadio-Canada — September 12, 2022Read the article&nbsp; https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Studio-core Fri, 07 May 2021 11:42:40 +0000 mariesoleilprovencal https://mariesoleilprovencal.com/Studio-core Studio corestudio leftovers — 2021 <img width="1800" height="1200" width_o="1800" height_o="1200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a5cdc19be095d49c9516c57e3d7383dc0288bbc0d619c88553c42f249435e696/mProvencal_Studio-Core_01.jpg" data-mid="189250275" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a5cdc19be095d49c9516c57e3d7383dc0288bbc0d619c88553c42f249435e696/mProvencal_Studio-Core_01.jpg" /> <img width="1200" height="2133" width_o="1200" height_o="2133" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bbb7137cc8b20743ac68efa868546416ed980aae41c5a0a4274c36fd4213e705/mProvencal_Studio-Core_02.jpg" data-mid="189250276" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bbb7137cc8b20743ac68efa868546416ed980aae41c5a0a4274c36fd4213e705/mProvencal_Studio-Core_02.jpg" /> STUDIO CORE is a 5-year material summary of the sculpture practice of the artist. It is an ephemeral work made of materials compressed in cylinders similar to geological cores. The cylinders are presented in a wood bed used to display mining samples. It represents, in chronological order, the shift between more than 70 different materials, from traditional materials (such as plaster, clay, wood and cement) to alternative materials (including rubber, ashes, seaweed and eggshells).