The Musée International d'Art Naif de Magog (MIANM) is a dream come true for Canadian naive artist Yvon M. Daigle. In the late '60's, Yvon M. Daigle, of Acadian descent, settled in the Eastern Townships. A few years later, he began to paint and took interest in local as well as international naive art. As years went by he developed and nurtured a foolish dream seen as an illusion by many of creating his own international museum of naive art. In order to do so as his fame grew over the next 25 years, he collected, bought, exchanged and received art works as donations for his museum.
The encounter with Jean-Guy St-Roch, Mayor of the Township of Magog, and Paul-René Gilbert, former Mayor of Magog, brought the dream closer to reality. On May 30, 2001, letters patent were signed for the corporation du Musée international d'art naif Yvon M. Daigle. The Museum was finally a reality although on paper only. Eighteen months later consecration finally came. The Museum opened on September 24, 2002, at 69 Roy Road in the Township of Magog with a collection of 168 works from 18 countries. The merger between the City of Magog and the Township of Magog, following the 2003 referendum, brought great uncertainty. However, Marc Poulin, Mayor of the newly formed City of Magog, agreed to assume all the obligations of the former Township of Magog in regards to the support of the Museum.
Paul-René Doucet undertook to chair the Museum for the first year, until the annual meeting of 2003. Suzanne Valéry succeeded him for the next year. Michel Meyniel, a member of the Board of Directors since 2002, became the third president on April 23, 2004.
In 2005, the Museum obtained the status of charitable organization and was authorized to issue income tax receipts for gifts received. Yvon M. Daigle, the Museum's Curator since its beginning, left office when the Museum moved to its new location, Magog's Cultural Centre at 81, Desjardins Street.
In accordance with the Museum's development policy and its founder's agreement, on March 29, 2006, the Museum became known as the Musée International d'Art Naif de Magog (MIANM). With the support of the City of Magog and the Conseil local de développement Memphrémagog, the Museum began a process to refine its professional performances. The Museum defined its mission and values, established its goals for 2007-2011, identified policies for managing its collection, exhibitions and public programs. The Museum established a complete educational program for the three cycles of the primary level and also an exhaustive catalogue of its permanent collection.
In August 2008, Michel Meyniel left the Board of Director's presidency and was replaced by Pierre Roy. Thanks to the generosity of artists, collectors and art galleries, the Museum's collection has grown rapidly over the years. By 2008, 668 works of art from 243 artists representing 30 countries where part of the Museum's permanent collection. Since then, growth has continued at a slower pace in view of the restricted storage and exhibition space. In the last few years, the Board of Directors has begun negotiations with the City of Magog in order to increase the space granted to the Museum.
And on the day of June 14, 2012, all wishes were finally fulfilled with the opening of a new gallery, in downtown Magog.
The Museum presents four exhibitions a year. Since 2009, in agreement with its international status, the Museum devotes at least one exhibition per year to feature one or more foreign artists.