A few months before the end of his second term, the president and CEO of the Musée de la civilization announces that he will not seek reappointment. This is what he confirmed to me during an interview I had with him earlier this week.
Posted at 1:08 a.m.
Updated at 7:15 a.m.
“The chairman of the board asked me last summer if I wanted to continue. I asked to be able to think until January, which I did with my partner. I came to the conclusion that it was time to pass the torch. There is never a good time to leave, but you might as well do it when things are going well. »
Indeed, Stéphan La Roche is leaving the management of this museum, one of the jewels of Quebec City, after a decade crowned with success (Hergé in Quebec, Head in the cloud, One of a kind, Struggle. Quebec in the arena, Oh shit!)but also marked by the COVID-19 crisis.
“Strangely, this period gave me both negative and positive emotions. We closed and opened three times. You can imagine what that means for employees. There are projects that have not seen the light of day. Our team was so resilient that we came out stronger from this. »
Arriving in office in 2015, Stéphan La Roche contributed to the influence of this place which succeeds in creating a good balance between exhibitions of a universal nature (The time of the pharaohs, Pompeii. Immortal city) capable of attracting tourists and others who address themes closer to Quebec society.
But be careful, we realize that tourists are very interested in Quebec. If they come to see us, it’s because they want to learn more about us. The French, Americans and Mexicans frequent these exhibitions a lot. It is a reflection of who we are.
Stéphan La Roche
When Stéphan La Roche took over the management of the Musée de la civilization, he found himself with a healthy establishment, but one that had financial challenges. “We are in 2015, a period of great cutbacks in culture and other areas. There was an accumulated deficit; 2016 was a year of transition. Then came the exhibition Hergé in Quebec which was a huge success. This created high attendance, therefore an increase in revenue, subscriptions and sponsors. »
We can therefore say that Tintin came to the rescue of the Musée de la civilization de Québec! “We can say that,” he said, smiling. In any case, he contributed to its revival. From the moment we have a budgetary situation that is resolved, we can devote ourselves to other development priorities. »
The Museum of Civilization of ten years ago is not the one of today. Stéphan La Roche explains this by the constant change to which places dedicated to the history of societies must submit.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The exhibition On words. The sound of queb rappresented at the Musée de la civilization
To be relevant, a museum like ours must evolve at the same time as society. We are changing, the museum must change.
Stéphan La Roche
“Questions of inclusion, diversity and eco-responsibility, all of this has an impact on our choices,” says the man who will have to work on the development of the future National Museum of Quebec History. The mandate of this establishment currently raises several questions.
The role of a museum is to highlight its collections, but also to continue to enrich them. The CEO is proud of being able to preserve the collection of Réjean Ducharme’s estate. In a few years, visitors will be able to see the workshop and room where the famous author and visual artist worked. The Musée de la civilization also has the collection of the Lépine family of Lépine Cloutier funeral homes.
Stéphan La Roche also highlights the place today occupied by digital technologies in his museum. I take this opportunity to tell him that this term is often overused and that at the slightest mention, we think we can attract a younger audience.
“It appeals to young people and other audiences, it’s true. But you should also know that young people are not just interested in digital technology. A museum remains a place where objects, artifacts or works of art are presented. You need diversity to have an enriching experience. A museum is a place of credibility and it must remain so. »
A lawyer by training, Stéphan La Roche moved early in his career towards the world of arts and culture. Before arriving at the Musée de la civilization, he worked within the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ). Before that, he was general director of the Capitale-Nationale office of the Société de développement des enterprises culturelle du Québec (SODEC). He also worked on the relaunch of the Palais Montcalm in Quebec before being appointed director of Cultural Services at the General Delegation of Quebec in Paris, from 2001 to 2004.
It’s hard to believe that after leaving the Musée de la civilization, this manager with extensive experience in the field of culture finds himself facing an uncertain horizon. “A lot of things interest me. I don’t turn my back on museology, but I look around me. For the moment, I’m taking a step back. »
Stéphan La Roche will officially leave his position at the end of 2024 when the selection process for his successor is completed. Until then, he will prepare with his teams the exhibitions that we will be able to see this summer (Quebec differently said And Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum), as well as others planned for 2025 and 2026 (Titanic, the exhibition And Pleasure).
