#FIRSTLOOK: MÉGANE FORTIN “SAVE THE CHIMPS” COLLECTION FEATURING BRYAN ADAMS AND OZZY OSBOURNE

What do Bryan Adams, Ozzy Osbourne, and 18-year-old Canadian artist Mégane Fortin have in common? They’ve all created art with chimpanzees.

Fortin, a rising Canadian abstract artist whose distinctive 3D paintings have gained international attention, is the latest artist to collaborate with the chimpanzee painters of Save the Chimps, one of the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuaries.

The resulting 15-piece collection will make its debut at Bromont en Art in Quebec, August 28–30, 2026 with proceeds benefiting the Florida sanctuary and its 212 rescued chimpanzees.

Fortin travelled to the sanctuary to begin each piece herself, painting base coats and choosing contrasting colours before turning the canvases over to chimpanzees who voluntarily participate in painting as an enrichment activity.

Only a small number of the sanctuary’s chimpanzees choose to paint — and those who do have their own approaches to the canvas. This link contains images and videos of Fortin and the chimps painting at the sanctuary.

“Only about 10 per cent of the chimpanzees enjoy painting, and I was delighted to collaborate with the artists at Save the Chimps while helping raise funds for the sanctuary,” says Fortin.

“Seeing the choices they make and the different ways they interact with a canvas gives people another opportunity to appreciate just how intelligent and individual chimpanzees are.”

Fortin first discovered the chimpanzee artists at an exhibition in Miami featuring a collaboration with Canadian rock icon Bryan Adams. Other notable supporters of the sanctuary include Pamela Anderson and Paul McCartney. Now Fortin is adding her name to the list.

At just 18, the Quebec artist has already attracted attention for her highly textured, three-dimensional abstract paintings and has exhibited internationally. Her latest collection brings together her signature approach with brushstrokes added by individual chimpanzees at the sanctuary.

The works will be unveiled publicly for the first time at Bromont en Art, which is expected to attract more than 25,000 visitors from August 28–30.

“When people learn that chimps express themselves creatively, their respect for these intelligent apes only deepens,” says Dan Mathews of Save the Chimps, who organizes the collaborations and will attend the Bromont opening.

ABOUT SAVE THE CHIMPS

Save the Chimps, located in Fort Pierce, Florida, is one of the world’s largest privately funded
chimpanzee sanctuaries. The 150-acre refuge is home to 212 chimpanzees, many of whom are
survivors of laboratory research and the entertainment industry. https://savethechimps.org/

ABOUT MÉGANE FORTIN
Mégane Fortin is an 18-year-old Quebec abstract artist from Stoneham whose work is collected
across Canada, the United States and Europe. She has exhibited internationally, including at
ARTexpo New York and Spectrum Miami, and her live painting performances have helped raise
more than $100,000 for charitable causes. In fall 2026, she will exhibit in Monaco, continuing to
bring her distinctive work to international audiences. https://www.megartiste.com/