Artexte, one of the city's secret weapons as far as artists' archives go, has made the Navigateur Urbain even better by directly linking the map to Artexte’s Public Art database. If you visit http://www.navurb.com/ you'll find yourself in the middle of an interactive map created by the geomatic division of the City of Montreal. This electronic tool has for some time offered a city map allowing users to rapidly obtain diverse useful information. Thanks to the work of Cécile Lointier, the librarian at Artexte, and documentalist Marie-Orphée Duval, the Navigator is now able to take you directly into the archival boxes that line Artexte's shelves.

By selecting a specific overlay on the Navigator, users can now pinpoint works of public art in the Montreal area which are accessible free of charge to the interested viewer. These include works from the collection of the City of Montreal, and projects sponsored by the Quebec Ministry of Culture’s policy for the integration of the arts with architecture and the environment (the “1%” projects). By clicking on the icon derived from Artexte’s logo, users can consult a descriptive file of the artwork, then continue their research with the combination of Artexte’s on-line resources. Another window briefly describes Artexte and the organization’s activities in the domain of documenting public art. This collaboration presents an excellent tool, equally accessible to the general public and to specialists, for promoting consciousness about public art. Beyond the specific applications of the Navigator, Artexte hopes it will also contribute to broadening interest for all innovative and significant artistic practices.