Spruce cans
Every summer, the SAN becomes the base camp for Quebec street art. In the heart of the boreal forest, the Canettes d’épinette festival brings together some of the country’s most influential muralists and graffiti artists, alongside creators from elsewhere. In this intimate setting, with no audience or imposed performance, artists gather to paint, share and create works rooted in the spirit of the place.
Over a hundred murals have been created over the years, on the site’s facades and on large mobile canvases. Far from the hustle and bustle of the big cities, the SAN today houses one of the country’s most extensive collections of urban pictorial art, a collection in constant evolution, woven into the rhythm of retreats and seasons.
One of the largest street art galleries in America
An open-air art gallery
In the shadow of the spruce trees, a former industrial sector of the hospital village has been transformed into a vast terrain for expression. Very large walls, remnants of the sanatorium’s infrastructure, now provide a raw medium for artists. Here, brick, wood and steel become simple open surfaces where free gestures, fresh visions and bursts of color emerge.
Over the course of the seasons, the frescoes overlap, intersect and reinvent themselves, blending past and present in a continuous movement. The works dialogue with wind, light and silence, weaving an unexpected bridge between the urban energy of street art and the quiet majesty of the boreal forest. The powerful contrast between pictorial effervescence and natural tranquility gives SAN a rare, unusual and surprising signature, shaping an extraordinary place like no other: an open-air space where art manages to retain its share of the unexpected and the free.
A colorful retirement
The SAN offers artists a secluded and inspiring retreat where they can give free rein to their imagination. The only rule: soak up the spirit of the place – let yourself be carried away by the surrounding nature, by the historic and somewhat mythical setting, and by the passage of other talented artists. Here, time slows down, and creation is freed from gaze, rhythm and expectations.
An old 1916 building, one of the sanatorium’s first treatment houses, has been refurbished to house artists-in-residence in a large, light-filled space conducive to the free expression of creativity. The process, supervised by an experienced artistic team, leads to exhibition opportunities in Montreal, North America’s street art capital. For many artists, this retreat marked an intimate turning point in their creative journey.
Involved artists
SAN’s influence would not be possible without the active involvement of numerous artists and collaborators who nurture the project year after year. At the heart of this creative adventure, the collective Les Tontons Graffeurs (LTG) plays an essential role in ensuring the artistic direction of the festival and the coherence of the whole. Their constant presence has created a strong signature, both organic and open, rooted in respect for each participant.
Many of the country’s most influential crews have taken part in SAN retreats: Tyxna, K6A, Crazy Apes, OTM, as well as a host of independent artists who have become true ambassadors of the venue over the years. More than just a stopover, their involvement testifies to a lasting bond – a community of artists who recognize, in this unique place, a free and committed space for creation.
