Hatch renews collaboration with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts to support Parall(elles): A History of Women in Design

Montreal, Canada — Hatch is proud to renew its partnership with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) as a collaborator for the Parall(elles): A History of Women in Design exhibition. This major exhibition celebrates the instrumental role women have played in the world of design through a rich corpus of artworks and objects dating from the mid-19th century to this day. It examines the underrepresentation of women in the history of this discipline and encourages an expanded understanding of the broad spectrum of design.

Hatch’s collaboration with the MMFA (and other cultural institutions) is a reflection of its belief that today’s engineers must be able to apply their knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and broaden the scope, drawing inspiration from a variety of influences. This lens invokes solutions for future societies, ensuring that the projects Hatch designs reflect the communities that the company serves.

“At Hatch, an inclusive design approach that embraces diversity is a contributing factor to our success. We find solutions for our clients by drawing on different opinions and ideas within our project teams, and by looking to the local community for inspiration and ideas,” shared Stéphane Raymond, Regional Managing Director for Hatch Eastern Canada.

As with the historical underrepresentation of women in art that is examined through the Parall(elles) exhibition, so too has engineering seen an underrepresentation of women. As a global engineering, project management, and professional services firm, Hatch is committed to doing its part to create gender equality in our profession and in its broader communities through work with its clients.

“A major goal at Hatch is addressing the underrepresentation of women in engineering. We hope that women will reflect 40% of all Hatch employees by 2025. To reach this goal, we focus our efforts on increased recruitment, retention, and advancement for women in the organization, where several women role models currently hold executive positions,” added Safiatou Maïga, Regional Manager, Project Controls for Hatch Eastern Canada.

“In terms of diversity, in recent years we’ve made significant structural changes in hiring, support, and promotion. In particular, we've promoted the importance of women and the contributions they make to our industry,” said Stéphane Raymond.

Parall(elles) highlights the breadth and complexity of design pieces made by American and Canadian women artists by situating these works against the backdrop of social, political, and personal issues that shaped their experiences. It also considers the intersectionality of gender, identity, race, culture, and class to provide a deeper understanding of the achievements of these women. It traces the development of educational and professional opportunities available to women, the evolution of the status of crafts, and the impact of women’s rights movements. Finally, beyond revisiting traditional definitions of “design,” Parall(elles) opens a window onto a world of magnificent beauty and skill.

To learn more about how Hatch is striving to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and community, visit https://www.hatch.com/About-Us/Diversity.

About Hatch

Whatever our clients envision, our engineers can design and build. With over six decades of business and technical experience in the mining, energy, and infrastructure sectors, we know your business and understand that your challenges are changing rapidly. We respond quickly with solutions that are smarter, more efficient, and innovative. We draw upon our 9,000 staff with experience in over 150 countries to challenge the status quo and create positive change for our clients, our employees, and the communities we serve.

About the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Founded in 1860, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is the oldest art museum in Canada and a leading museum in North America. Its collection showcases Quebec and Canadian heritage and international art from a critical and intercultural perspective, and comprises over 45,000 paintings, sculptures, graphic art works, photographs, multimedia installations and decorative art objects dating from antiquity to the present. The MMFA’s exhibitions span every discipline from archaeology to fine arts, to contemporary practices. Laid out over five interconnecting pavilions, the Museum complex includes over 80 exhibition galleries, the Bourgie concert hall, an auditorium and movie theatre, the Boutique and Bookstore, an in-house publishing department, a public sculpture garden and the Michel de la Chenelière International Atelier for Education and Art Therapy. A pioneering museum in the provision of art therapy, the MMFA works with the community, education, health and technology sectors to give all people exposure to art through inclusive and enriching experiences. mbam.qc.ca