Elena Lee, Pioneer Gallerist

Danièle Bellemare Lee

Elena Lee’s determination, sincerity and passion successfully led her to follow her dreams. This documentary is a tribute to a gallerist who devoted her life to the development of Canadian glass art. She made it her mission to gain recognition for this little-known art form as a contemporary art and enable Canadian artists to propel themselves onto the international art scene. Much like an artist for his work, she gave this mission all of her energy and passion. Elena Lee brings to light the reality and challenges of a gallerist’s work with great openness. When she started in Montreal, she was initially perceived as naive and eccentric but her profound convictions and modesty established her as a leading figure in her field. Elena stands by her choices. She does not aim to please but rather to promote and shed light on her artists. Dark times revealed the inner strength of this pioneering woman. This portrait of her work invites others to venture beyond their comfort zone. For Elena, there are no regrets, only learning opportunities. The documentary is produced, directed and edited by Danièle Bellemare Lee.

Artist Bio: Danièle Bellemare Lee: Born in Montréal, Danièle Bellemare Lee is an actress, lecturer and filmmaker who obtained a master’s degree in movie script writing at Sorbonne in Paris. Since 2003, she has been based in Germany. There, her experience as a TV camerawoman and expat sparked her passion for documentary filmmaking and art video. Her latest documentary, Elena Lee, Pioneer Gallerist was screened at the Harbourfront Center in Toronto as part of the Craft and Design Symposium (2024). Her contact with Elena is very different from the other panellists: she is Elena’s daughter-in-law.

Caroline Ouellette has been a professional glassmaker since 1996. In 2004, she cofounded Welmo Glass Studio, located in Sainte-Julie. For many years, she made pieces for crafts shops and glass galleries. Since her first solo exhibit in 2003, she has participated in several solo and group exhibits in Canada, USA and Australia. 2006, she distinguished herself by receiving the Prix Francois Houdé from the City of Montréal and the Québec Craft Council. Her work is featured in many private and public collections, including the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts and Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec. Ouellette completed a PhD in Philosophy, specializing in Art Glass, in Adelaide, South Australia, where she also began teaching in 2012.