POIRIER, Denis (1946)

Between 1964 and 1973, Denis Poirier completed studies in industrial drafting at the Institut de dessin technique de Montréal, in painting at the École des beaux-arts de Montréal, in sculpture (Bachelor’s degree) at the Université du Québec à Montréal and in teaching (Master’s degree) at the Université de Montréal. He took part in the 1978 sculpture symposium in Terrebonne and later taught in the arts department of the Collège de Valleyfield from 1979 to 2005. Poirier founded and continues to serve as director of Atelier du Soleil, a studio for young artists interested in the field of stained glass. He has also produced many works of integration into architecture, notably at the Valleyfield courthouse (1973, Plexiglas) and prison (1974, steel and aluminum), as well as the Cégep de La Pocatière (1981, steel and bronze). In 2004, he completed a monumental sculpture for the Mécachrome company in Mirabel entitled Prêt à s’envoler(“ready to take off”), which he created using glass, stainless steel, aluminum and airplane parts.