Cuivres d’Art Albert Gilles

Cuivres d’Art Albert Gilles, located in Château-Richer, Quebec, showcases over 90 years of family tradition in repoussé copper art. Founded by Albert Gilles, the museum features exhibitions on the history of copper, the artist’s works, and interactive workshops where visitors can experience the art firsthand. The boutique offers a variety of handcrafted copper items, including decorative objects and jewelry. Admission is free, and the museum is open year-round, with varying hours depending on the season.

Planning your visit

Repousse is metalwork hammered from the reverse, raising the design in relief from the back of a sheet — a technique going back to antiquity and one that requires enormous patience. Albert Gilles, a French coppersmith who emigrated to Quebec, established a workshop at Chateau-Richer on the Cote-de-Beaupre and spent his career producing religious commissions in copper for churches across North America.

The family has continued the work for over ninety years, and the museum covers the history of copper, the tools and techniques, and Gilles's own pieces — large-scale religious panels, doors and decorative work of considerable ambition.

The workshop element is the reason to go. Visitors can attempt repousse themselves under instruction, working a small copper piece, which conveys the difficulty of the technique better than any display.

Admission is free, and the boutique sells the family's work.

It sits on the scenic route between Quebec City and Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, easily combined with the Montmorency Falls and Ile d'Orleans.

Bookable options include entry with workshop sessions. Current availability is listed below.