50 paintings by Pascal Lecocq immersed during the Aquart Festival in Thetfort-Mines, Quebec, 6-8 August 2010

PRESS RELEASE FROM AQUART 2010 TO FLINTKOTE, THETFORT-MINES QUEBEC 6-7-8 AUGUST

AQUART: Artists and volunteers under water!

AQUART, "Underwater Art Exhibitions and Underwater Events for All" has just closed its 4th Edition, the 6,7 8 August at Thetford Mines and once again drew under the waters of the Flintkote Quarry, a crowd of divers, freedivers and swimmers who have admired, with palms, masks and tubas, the works of more than 40 artists from Quebec and elsewhere. With more than 250 works of art immersed this year on 4 galleries at various depths AQUART has not only gained in quantity but also in quality.

The presence on the spot of several world-famous artists undoubtedly demonstrates the international potential of this unusual event, UNIQUE AROUND THE WORLD! Let's highlight the participations of David Martel, Pascal Lecocq, Jean-Louis Courteau, Steve Saint-Pierre, Dominique Danvoye, Cynthia Coulombe Bégin, Philippe Desconteaux, Caroline Giroux and Audrey Bégin, to name a few, for their special contributions.

Some works have, in particular, hit the imagination of the public, such as "The Predator" of Alain Racine, blacksmith of the abyss, who added his huge wrought iron work in front of his "Alien" who was the star of the visitors in 2009 and the underwater gallery of 50 works of the painter Pascal Lecocq particularly appreciated at the level of the divers.

Terrestrial performances also took place for visitors without fins, as every year. This time, at the Aquartists workshop, five giant half-spheres of 4 feet by 8 feet were highlighted by the artists under the eyes and sometimes with the collective complicity of the public. Pascal Lecocq has made a new version of his Matador. The half-spheres will soon be immersed in Flintkote's quarry to add to the permanent works that AQUART has left in the waters every year since 2008.

The annual accumulation of these permanent works makes the site the first underwater museum in the world. Promised for a very bright future, and having a dazzling development since 4 years, AQUART stresses the importance of obtaining major sponsors to be able to continue to develop.

The general manager and coordinator, Fabrice Vanhoutte, is particularly proud that AQUART, in such a short time, has generated the collaboration of such a diversity of stakeholders: “Today, AQUART has become the essential link between the arts, sports and the environment. In addition, this underwater artistic festival has become a major engine of development for the underwater world in Quebec, in addition to highlighting the region that hosts it. It is now a wonderful tool for regional recreo-tourism development, which only awaits the cooperation of the entities concerned. "

This year, AQUART is exploring other interesting underwater exhibits and will present a simplified and lighter version of 100 works in the Morisson quarry near Gatineau, the 4 and 5 next September, then in the St. Lawrence River, Brockville in Ontario, the 11 and 12 September, with each time 50 works by Pascal Lecocq. This will further promote and attract other visitors to the full and grand AQUART version at Thetford Mines' Flintkote Quarry. See the beautiful images of AQUART on the www.aquart.ca !

In the coming years, AQUART will once again be in Thetford Mines, the second full weekend of August.