Black and white portrait photograph of Françoise Bujold on glossy paper. Side view of Françoise lighting an oil lamp on a boat, cigarette in hand. Body of water with the Paspébiac Fishing Bank site in the background.

Photograph protected by copyright. Reproduction prohibited.

The object bears witness to the participation of people of Acadian origin in Quebec's artistic, political, and social effervescence. Indeed, the object bears witness to the work of Françoise Bujold, an Acadian artist from Bonaventure. Throughout her work, Françoise Bujold highlights the cultural characteristics of the Gaspé Peninsula, beginning with the communities that make up the region, the richness of the Gaspé language, and its territory. The photograph bears witness to Françoise Bujold's daily life and documentation activities.

This photograph was taken in Paspébiac. It is one of the only photographs whose location can be correctly identified. After analysis of the buildings by curator Jeannot Bourdages, it is believed to have been taken between 1955 and 1960. The building behind Françoise is the CRC. In 1960, a building was added opposite the CRC, blocking the view from the sea. In any case, the photograph must have been taken before 1964, before the great fire of Paspébiac.

Françoise Bujold (1933-1981) was the daughter of Oscar Bujold and Elise Grenier. She was a multidisciplinary artist from Bonaventure; a writer, poet, and artist. Along with Marie Anastasie, she was the first woman to study at the Institut des arts graphiques de Montréal. She studied graphic arts with Albert Dumouchel, graphic design and layout with Gilles Robert, and color separation with Arthur Gladu. During her lifetime, she published nine collections of poetry, five articles, and wrote short stories. She hosted and exhibited at the Percé Art Center for nearly twenty years. She also gave engraving workshops with the Mi'gmaqs of Gesgapegiag, which resulted in two collections: Une fleur debout dans un canot (1962) and La naissance du soleil (1966). She also made a film with Jacques Godbout featuring the Mi'gmaqs of Gesgapegiag, Le monde va nous prendre pour des sauvages. In the final years of her career, in 1979, she stayed in Miguasha to draw fossils. She died in January 1981.