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Artwork of the late Margo Lagassé on exhibition

Margo Lagassé died earlier this year at the age of 89, leaving behind an eclectic assortment of artwork now on display at the Musée St. Paul Museum.
Margo Lagassé died earlier this year at the age of 89, leaving behind an eclectic assortment of artwork now on display at the Musée St. Paul Museum. As is so often the case, the full scope of her artistic talent may only now be coming to light, following her death.

While the Lagassé name is well-known in St. Paul – after all, there is a waterfront park named after her late husband John – only long-time residents would be familiar with the name Margo Lagassé.

Clem Fontaine is among them. The museum volunteer has worked alongside Margo’s daughter, Annette Lagassé, to curate an exhibition of Margo’s work and today it is available for all to enjoy. The exhibition serves as a unique opportunity to learn about an artist who in many ways was unique herself.

“Not as much as she should have been, I feel,” Fontaine says when asked how well known locally Margo was during her lifetime in St. Paul. “She was probably recognized more across Canada because she had exhibited in Ottawa and Montreal.”

While he says it is likely there are many pieces of Margo’s art in private homes around the St. Paul area, he doubts many residents are familiar with the sheer scope of her work and her influence in many community initiatives and projects through the years.

“Each medium she touched, she excelled at,” Annette says of her mother, describing Margo as the “epitome of creativity,” exploring every medium possible and moving from one to the other with ease – from the potter’s wheel, to sculpture, to painting and beyond.

“Anyone that is artistic, that does anything artistic would come and just be mind-boggled at the talent. You can’t really appreciate the talent unless you understand how difficult each medium is in itself.”

While her husband was among the group that came up with the notion of the UFO landing pad to mark Canada’s centennial year in 1967, it was Margo who sketched out the vision for what has become the town’s landmark, according to Annette.

“Dad told Mom, and being an artist, she drew up a design for it.”

Margo not only thought outside of the box, she also lived outside the box. In recent years, she chose to live off the grid with no power or running water. Yet, in the mid 1960s, Margo designed her very own castle. Built on Horseshoe Bay Point at St. Vincent Lake, just north of St. Paul, it was crafted from cement blocks – payment from a local company for her husband’s legal services. It wasn’t long before it was rumoured to be haunted and Margo was convinced it was.

Later in life she published two books My Haunted Castle and My Haunted Castle reincarnation, chronicling her life’s experiences and that of her castle, which was to eventually be destroyed by fire – a fire which also claimed many pieces of Margo’s work, especially her paintings.

Margo was a teacher both in the classroom and outside of it, sharing her passion for the arts with all who were interested. Videos included in the exhibition portray her at the potter’s wheel easily creating tiny clay pots for people at what appears to be an outdoor fair.

Fontaine fondly remembers taking art lessons from her as a boy of 12.

“Sometimes she’d load us up in the station wagon and we’d go in the bush and do some scenery pictures. She didn’t charge us anything for those lessons, so this is my way of thanking her,” he says of the museum’s exhibition.

Annette recalls her mother’s little store known as the Dungeon in downtown St. Paul where she sold her artwork, and looking back now realizes that at the time, Margo, a mother of six children, was blazing a trail for women without batting an eye.

“She made it look normal and easy. That’s what I grew up with, watching her just work and do all this stuff and do it extremely well. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, women sure didn’t do that, they stayed home and had kids, which she did too.”

Following Margo’s death, Annette says that as she rummaged through boxes long stored away she found many items of art tucked away which are now on display for all to enjoy.

“I had forgotten myself how talented she was and how diverse her talent was,” says Annette.

“I just wanted to donate all of it to the museum and let people see it, she influenced so many people in this town. Between her and Dad, back then they did so much for the town. I think a lot of people might want to come and just have a last look.”

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through the summer months.









Clare Gauvreau

About the Author: Clare Gauvreau

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