The installation, featuring 18 large-scale images mounted on structures near the Jean Coutu pharmacy on the local pathway, marked its latest iteration during a clear autumn day. A small gathering assembled on-site to review the additions, which were selected from roughly 60 submissions received throughout the year.
Anonymous Five-Member Jury Evaluates Photo Submissions
A five-member jury evaluated the pool of submissions entirely anonymously, reviewing the imagery without knowledge of the photographers’ identities. Alongside Valérie Vallières, the panel included Town Planning Director Benoît Fillion, municipal councillor Renée-Claude Pichette, citizen Lise Fillion, and Geneviève Jolicoeur, owner of the local boutique Demain peut-être.
During the presentation, the jury members took turns explaining the rationale behind their choices, emphasizing how the selected pieces capture different facets of Donnacona. According to municipal officials, the open-air exhibition specifically requires participating photographs to depict a recognizable element of the host city.
Sarah Genest Captures Industrial History and Local Parks
Among the six newly integrated photographs, three are credited to Sarah Genest. Her piece titled « Graffitis sur mémoire industrielle. » portrays an abandoned industrial structure, contrasting the heavy manufacturing history that defined Donnacona’s identity with the current state of the building reclaimed by residents.
Genest’s second selected work, « Là où le chemin rencontre la rivière », captures the active and family-oriented atmosphere of the Parc des Berges, designated as a community space for gathering and recreation. Her third contribution, « Éclat d’été au fil de l’eau », focuses on natural scenery where moving water creates a calm visual rhythm.
Philip Papillon’s photograph « Le Service de sécurité incendie de Donnacona en alerte » depicts a local emergency response scene under overcast autumn skies, capturing the sharp contrast of flashing emergency vehicle lights against a muted landscape.
France Provost contributed « Il était une fois… le St-Laurent », framing a person reading a book in the foreground of the St. Lawrence River to highlight an intimate, reflective spot along the water. Meanwhile, Alain Papillon’s work « Bâtisseur » focuses on the architectural textures of a local church, balancing stonework and warm tones to create a visual record of community heritage.
The current 18-piece open-air exhibition remains accessible to the public along the Donnacona pathway.
