Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent
Accredited non-profit regional museum in Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, conserving Quebec contemporary art and Eastern Quebec photographic heritage while serving families, school groups, seniors, and youth through exhibitions, educational programs, and community-driven cultural mediation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersRivière-du-Loup, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent does
Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent (MBSL) is a non-profit, government-accredited regional museum (Institution muséale agréée) founded in 1975 and located at 300 rue Saint-Pierre in Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec. It is the only accredited museum in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region and operates with approximately 10 staff members under the leadership of General Manager Mélanie Girard. Its mission centers on the conservation, research, outreach, and education of Quebec contemporary art, ethnographic photography of Eastern Quebec, and regional cultural heritage, anchored by a significant archival collection of nearly 10,000 photographic negatives (the Marie-Alice Dumont collection) and a permanent exhibition titled "Visages et paysages." The museum also operates the Intervalle public art program, an outdoor collection of approximately 40 artworks distributed across the city of Rivière-du-Loup and supported by guided walking and electric-bike tours.
The institution serves a diversified audience spanning families with children, K-12 school groups, seniors (via partnerships with Réseau FADOQ), art enthusiasts and collectors, local and regional businesses, and youth aged 14-25 facing mental health challenges through the Espace Transition cultural mediation program co-developed with CHU Sainte-Justine and CISSS du Grand-Portage. It generates revenue through a portfolio of approximately eight distinct streams: walk-in admissions ($10 adult, $8.50 senior, $7.50 student, $18 family), tiered annual memberships ($30-$60 plus half-price students), donations (minimum $25 for tax receipts), a biennial auction of roughly 55-56 original artworks, photographic reproduction services ($15 per scan plus usage licenses), space rental of a 100-person auditorium, a museum boutique, and seasonal artistic day camps for children aged 6-12 ($65/day). Quebec's ministère de la Culture et des Communications contributes approximately one-third of operating funding, with the balance sourced from municipal partners (Ville de Rivière-du-Loup, MRC de Rivière-du-Loup) and diversified earned/contributed revenue.
Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent
- Legal name
- Musée du Bas-Saint-Laurent
- Website
- https://mbsl.qc.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Accredited non-profit regional museum in Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, conserving Quebec contemporary art and Eastern Quebec photographic heritage while serving families, school groups, seniors, and youth through exhibitions, educational programs, and community-driven cultural mediation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Museum and Cultural Heritage Services
- NAICS
- Museums (71211), Historical Sites (712120)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Art Museums (THAJADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Cultural Heritage & Historic District Tours (THAJAAAB), Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led) (THAJAAAC)
Keywords
Where Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rivière-du-Loup
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Admission fees: Visitors pay admission fees to access the museum's exhibitions. Current fees are $10 for adults, $8.50 for seniors, $7.50 for students, and $18 for families.
- Membership subscriptions: Annual memberships sold at individual ($40), duo ($60), senior ($30), and student (half price) tiers. Members receive free admission, invitations to previews, discounts at boutique and on subscriptions.
- Annual auction (Encan annuel): Major biennial fundraising event featuring artworks sold via live auction. The auction includes approximately 55-56 works from various artists including significant names. The 2025 edition featured 56 works.
- Photographic reproductions: Sale of high-resolution digital scans of historical photographs from the museum's collection. Basic scan fee of $15 per image, plus printing fees and usage licenses for publications, exhibitions, and digital use.
- Donations: Individual and corporate donations collected. Minimum donation of $25 for tax receipts. Donation campaigns such as the 'Rayonnement des collections' campaign targeting $125,000.
- Space rental: Auditorium rental for conferences, film screenings, meetings, and events. Accommodates up to 100 people with full equipment.
- Boutique sales: Sale of local artisan products including handicrafts, photographs, screen prints, publications, and postcards.
- Artistic camps and workshops: Summer artistic days for children aged 6-12, costing $65 per day plus taxes. Topics include mixed media techniques and sculpture.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Per visit | General admission for adults |
| Unit Pricing | Per visit | Admission for seniors (60+) |
| Unit Pricing | Per visit | Admission for students |
| Unit Pricing | Per visit | Family admission |
| Subscription | Annual | Individual membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Duo membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Senior membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Student membership |
| Unit Pricing | Per transaction | Photographic reproduction basic scan |
| Unit Pricing | Per event | Artistic day camp per child |
| Unit Pricing | Per visit | Guided walking tour of public art |
| Unit Pricing | Per visit | Electric bike tour - short circuit |
| Unit Pricing | Per visit | Electric bike tour - long circuit |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Musée du Bas-Saint-Laurent operates as a regional museum offering rotating temporary exhibitions, a permanent exhibition (Visages et paysages), virtual and touring exhibitions, and a public-art parcours across Rivière-du-Loup. It delivers educational and cultural-mediation programs, an annual art auction, a museum boutique, photographic reproduction services, auditorium rentals, and tiered annual memberships. Its core purpose is the conservation, research, and public dissemination of contemporary Quebec art and the ethnographic photographic heritage of Eastern Quebec.
Product overview
The Musée du Bas-Saint-Laurent operates as a regional cultural institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services centered around Quebec contemporary art, ethnographic photography, and Lower St. Lawrence heritage. The core offering includes rotating temporary exhibitions, a permanent exhibition (Visages et paysages), virtual and touring exhibitions, and a public art program (Intervalle). Supporting services include educational programs for schools and families, the Espace Transition cultural mediation initiative for youth, space rental facilities, a museum boutique, photographic reproduction services, an annual art auction, and membership/donation programs. The museum maintains a significant photographic archive collection spanning nearly 10,000 negatives documenting regional history.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Visages et paysages (Permanent Exhibition)
Quantifiable outcome
- 50% discount on admission to 15 partner museums across Quebec for members
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CHU Sainte-JustinecoreCHU Sainte-Justine hosts and partially funds the Espace Transition innovation project, of which the museum is a partner. The project provides artistic workshops for youth aged 14-25 facing mental health challenges.
- CISSS du Grand-PortagecoreThe Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux du Grand-Portage provides clinical support for the Espace Transition program through child psychiatry, with psychologist Éric Scalabrini serving as clinical accompanist.
- Hydro-QuébecminorHydro-Québec sponsors the 'Espace créatif' (Creative Space) within the museum, providing an interactive creative area for visitors.
- La Jeune Chambre de Rivière-du-LoupminorServing as honorary president of the 24th annual art auction in 2023, bringing visibility and community support to the major fundraising event.
- Centre de conservation du QuébecminorThe conservation center assists with artwork restoration and preservation, as demonstrated in October 2023 when they disassembled Michel Lagacé's artwork for conservation.
- Association des Médiateurs Culturels - CRAAM (Madagascar)minorPartnership with the cultural mediators association in Madagascar for the 'Capture ton patrimoine' cross-cultural photography project connecting youth in Quebec and Madagascar.
- Université d'AntananarivominorMadagascar university participating in the international cultural exchange through the 'Capture ton patrimoine' project with students from the French and Francophone Studies program.
- Action PatrimoineminorQuebec organization behind the 'Capture ton patrimoine' photography contest since 2000, whose concept inspired the international exchange project.
- Réseau FADOQminorOrganizes 'teatime' guided visits of exhibitions during fall and winter for FADOQ members, a senior citizens' network.
- Cégep de Rivière-du-LoupminorSupporting partner for the 'Matière et modernité' exhibition.
- Auberge Internationale Saint-LominorSupporting partner for the 'Matière et modernité' exhibition.
- Télé-QuébecminorSupporting partner for the 'Matière et modernité' exhibition.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Musée McCord Stewart: Montreal museum with a significant historical-photography collection and ethnographic holdings; comparable because MBSL's Marie-Alice Dumont archive plays a similar role for Eastern Quebec.
- Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec: Quebec's flagship art museum and the provincial reference institution for Quebec art, comparable because it covers the same curatorial domain (Quebec contemporary and historical art) but operates at much larger scale and broader scope than the MBSL.
- Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal: Montreal's contemporary art museum; comparable as a Quebec contemporary-art institution with similar exhibition, education, and mediation functions, though urban and at significantly larger scale.
- Canadian Museum of History: National museum focused on Canadian social history, comparable through its mandate to preserve and interpret regional heritage and ethnography for public education.
- Art Gallery of Ontario: Large Canadian art museum offering membership programmes, education, and community outreach comparable to MBSL's offerings, though at far greater scale and urban reach.
- Musée de la civilisation: Quebec City museum focused on regional heritage, ethnography, and culture, offering comparable cultural mediation, educational programmes, and touring exhibitions relevant to MBSL's mission.
Direct peers
- Musée régional de Rimouski: The closest regional art museum peer in the Bas-Saint-Laurent/adjacent region; similar size, mandate, accreditation profile, and visitor base, making it the most directly comparable institution.
Regional players
- Confederation Centre of the Arts: Atlantic Canadian arts centre combining art gallery with performing-arts programming; comparable as a regional Canadian cultural institution blending exhibitions, education, and community programming.
- Centre d'histoire et d'archéologie de la Haute-Saint-Charles: Regional Quebec heritage/archaeology centre of similar scale, accreditation tier, and community-museum mission, useful as a size and governance benchmark.
- Beaverbrook Art Gallery: New Brunswick regional art gallery of similar scale and accredited-museum status, with comparable curatorial mandate in Canadian art and strong community-fundraising model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent social profiles
Digital presenceMusée du Bas Saint-Laurent financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent
What does Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent do?
The Musée du Bas-Saint-Laurent operates as a regional museum offering rotating temporary exhibitions, a permanent exhibition (Visages et paysages), virtual and touring exhibitions, and a public-art parcours across Rivière-du-Loup. It delivers educational and cultural-mediation programs, an annual art auction, a museum boutique, photographic reproduction services, auditorium rentals, and tiered annual memberships. Its core purpose is the conservation, research, and public dissemination of contemporary Quebec art and the ethnographic photographic heritage of Eastern Quebec.
Is Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent a public or private company?
Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent founded?
Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent was founded in 1975. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent based?
Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent is headquartered in Rivière-du-Loup, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent make money?
Eight revenue lines are on record. Admission fees are the primary driver. The others are membership subscriptions, annual auction (Encan annuel), photographic reproductions, donations, space rental, boutique sales and artistic camps and workshops.
Who are Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Musée McCord Stewart, Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, Canadian Museum of History, Art Gallery of Ontario and Musée de la civilisation. Musée régional de Rimouski is listed as a direct peer. Regional players are Confederation Centre of the Arts, Centre d'histoire et d'archéologie de la Haute-Saint-Charles and Beaverbrook Art Gallery.
Does Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent have an API?
No public API is recorded for Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent.
What industry is Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent in?
Musée du Bas Saint-Laurent's product category is Museum and Cultural Heritage Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAA, Art Museums, with a secondary code of THAJADAH, Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit). Its NAICS code is 71211 and its SIC code is 7990.