A Donation from the RBC Foundation to Increase Physical Accessibility at the MMFA
Photo: from left to right: Mélanie Deveault, Jo-Anne Duchesne, Valérie Dinh, Marjolaine Hudon, Eugenio Mannarino and Stéphane Aquin. Photo Gabriel Fournier
The MMFA Foundation is pleased to announce a $250,000 donation from the RBC Foundation, through its Community Spaces Grant, to support accessibility initiatives at the Museum. This gift will enhance access and the overall experience for thousands of visitors with reduced mobility each year.
Improving Physical Accessibility at the Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion
This donation will fund renovations to further improve physical accessibility at the Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion. The work will facilitate movement for people with reduced mobility, while also enhancing safety and independence for individuals with limited dexterity or strength. For instance, the donation will support the implementation of automated door systems across the Museum and the installation of an accessible sink at the MMFA’s Art Hive, a creative community studio that welcomes thousands of participants each year and is recognized as a leader in art therapy and museum mediation. This improvement will facilitate more independent participation in creative workshops and help foster a more inclusive and stimulating environment.
This project perfectly aligns with the MMFA’s vision as outlined in its 2023–2026 strategic plan: to become a welcoming and essential place for living and exchange, where art, through its bold, contemporary presentation, invites all audiences to come together for a more inclusive, accessible, and just world.
This initiative is also part of the MMFA’s broader commitment to inclusion, as it seeks to ensure that all visitors, regardless of their individual needs, feel supported, safe, and welcome.
“To truly be a space open to all and broaden its audience, the MMFA must improve its physical accessibility so that everyone can fully experience everything that it has to offer,” said Jo-Anne Duchesne, Director General of the MMFA Foundation. “We are deeply grateful to the RBC Foundation for supporting the Museum in this vision.”
About the RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant
Launched in April 2024, the RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant is part of the RBC Foundation’s ongoing commitment to creating more sustainable and inclusive community spaces.
The Grant supports retrofits, repairs or upgrades of existing public community buildings and spaces as well as construction of new public spaces that reduce environmental impacts of their operation and/or improve its building accessibility.
"We deeply believe that art and culture are treasures to be shared with everyone," said Marjolaine Hudon, Regional President of RBC in Quebec. "That is why, in partnership with the RBC Foundation, we support initiatives like the MMFA’s to make art installations more accessible to people with reduced mobility. Together, we are opening the doors of art to everyone, allowing all to experience the emotion it inspires."
