Why give?
The Conseil plays an important role in strengthening our arts and culture ecosystem.
Supporting the CAM means giving artists the means to achieve their ambitions
Their talent moves people, shakes things up and takes us to unexpected horizons. Let’s give to artists to support the essential work they do!
Faced with the immense challenges confronting the arts community and the inherent uncertainty of public funding, the Conseil works hand in hand with the philanthropic community. Our goal? To encourage donors to give to the arts and to raise new funds, all of which are channeled back to arts organizations, through our many programs and initiatives.
The impact of your donations, highlighted
Your donations return 100% to the artistic community
“Giving to CAM means simultaneously supporting 725 Montreal arts organizations and collectives so that they can continue to dazzle, inspire and transform us with their creativity and talent. Proud to be an ambassador of our philanthropic project, not only as President but also as a donor, I invite you to join us in keeping the creative heart of our cultural metropolis beating even faster.”
-Mathieu Bouchard, President
Make a difference: get involved!
Help make Montreal a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient artistic ecosystem for the benefit of all!
Equity and representativeness
Better reflecting Montréal’s diversity in the arts
Why is this a priority?
The CAM is actively working with communities facing equity and representation challenges to ensure their imaginations and artistic sensibilities are more present, more firmly anchored and better acknowledged in the milieu. Our goal is to identify and support more organizations and artists who reflect Montréal’s diversity.
How do your donations help?
Your generosity helps fund a range of programs and initiatives that support the professional artistic practices of Indigenous people (First Nations, Métis and Inuit), members of visible minorities, women, people with diverse abilities, members of ethnocultural minorities, people from 2ELGBTQIA+ communities and people in linguistic minority situations.
Your impact
The socio-ecological transition
Building the arts community’s capacity to embrace change
Why is this a priority?
A growing number of Montréal arts organizations want to adapt their practices to meet the challenges of climate change. However, the lack of resources, knowledge and support is a major challenge. The Conseil is keenly aware of these obstacles and the importance of decarbonizing the arts sector, and we are playing a leading role in strengthening the arts community’s ability to pursue an environmentally responsible transition.
How do your donations help?
Your generosity enables us to support innovative and sustainable artistic initiatives, provide training and give arts organizations the tools and resources they need. With your help, the CAM is doing more to make the arts a powerful vector of social and environmental change.
Your impact
Merit-based grants for artists
Rewarding artistic creativity and innovation
Why is this a priority?
Artists have some of the most precarious working conditions in the country, with median employment earnings of just $17,400 according to a Hill Strategies study published in 2024. However, to date, most of the Conseil’s grant programs have supported organizations or collectives rather than individual artists. Keenly aware that grants can make all the difference in an artist’s career, the Conseil has created a fund exclusively for deserving artists.
How do your donations help?
Your donations go directly to supporting artists in various disciplines who stand out thanks to their innovative and creative practice. These grants can be a real boost for the careers of the artists who receive them.
Your impact
The Conseil des arts de Montréal is a registered charitable organization: 888 076 643 RR 0001
Our philanthropic development team
Julien Valmary
514 280-3585
julien.valmary@montreal.caJulien Valmary’s appointment as Executive Director of the Conseil des arts de Montréal is a testament to his longstanding commitment to artists, arts organizations and support for Montreal’s cultural sector. Since joining the Conseil in 2014, he has contributed to several of the organization’s most sweeping transformations and developed a thorough understanding of its mission, its partners and the realities facing arts communities. He has also played an active role in the development and implementation of several strategic plans, including the current 2026–2030 version, For the Arts, for the World.
Over the years, he has held the positions of Director of Support and Strategic Initiatives (2014–2022), Director of Support and Philanthropy (2022–2026) and Deputy Executive Director (2026). A recognized leader and strategist in public policy for the arts, he is one of the key architects behind the ongoing development of support programs, structural reforms and initiatives created to address the changing needs of the arts community. His work has contributed to developing new support mechanisms, modernizing evaluation and management practices, strengthening philanthropic partnerships and integrating equity, diversity, accessibility and socio-ecological principles into the Conseil’s actions.
True to his conviction that better-supported artists, stronger organizations and the representation of pluralistic perspectives are key to Montréal’s artistic vitality, Valmary has played a leading role in rolling out programs for Indigenous artists, Deaf artists and artists with disabilities, as well as in introducing measures that better address the needs of historically underfunded organizations. As an advocate for improving artists’ working conditions, he has consistently sought to align policies, programs and resources with realities on the ground. That commitment is particularly evident in his efforts to find solutions to challenges involving creative spaces and artists’ studios, in cooperation with the City of Montréal and cultural sector stakeholders.
As an influential voice in shaping the future of the cultural sector, Valmary is a frequent participant in roundtables, conferences, panels and professional activities across Québec and Canada. His contributions to research, consensus-building and advocacy efforts focus on cultural policies, artists’ socioeconomic conditions and strengthening social safeguards within the industry. As a co-founder and member of the Municipal Arts Funders Roundtable (MUNARTS), his participation in national networks and various academic and sector-specific initiatives demonstrate his commitment to advancing knowledge and practices for the benefit of the entire community.
Hailing from Toulouse, France, Valmary forged his career at renowned cultural institutions in France and Canada before joining the Conseil des arts de Montréal. He served successively as a board member of Théâtre de Cahors (2000–2002), La Place de la Danse – Centre de développement chorégraphique national Toulouse – Occitanie (2003–2005) and Tarragon Theatre in Toronto (2006–2008), and then as Director of Development and Communications at Théâtre français de Toronto (2008–2010), Deputy General Manager of the Segal Centre for Performing Arts in Montréal (2010–2012) and Head of Development, Fundraising and Foundations at Les Grands Ballets Canadiens (2013–2014). These experiences gave him an in-depth understanding of artistic creation, institutional development, arts funding and philanthropy.
Trained at the Institut d’études théâtrales at the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle (Paris 3) and at ENSATT – École nationale supérieure des arts et techniques du théâtre in performing arts administration, Valmary has over 25 years’ experience in the arts and culture sector. Throughout his career, he has sought to put institutions at the service of artistic creation, backed by the belief that culture is built as much on support for artists as it is on organizations’ ability to innovate, transform and take risks. Drawing on his strong attachment to art, creativity and their role in society, he now steps into the role of Executive Director of the Conseil des arts de Montréal with the same wish to support artistic audacity and ensure the necessary conditions are in place for creativity to thrive.
Julien Valmary is a member of the Public Policy Forum’s Action Canada cohort and serves on the Inspirit Foundation’s Board of Directors.
