#visual arts alberta

[yegactivist]

Art + Activism by Paula Kirman

[yegactivist]

Art + Activism by Paula Kirman

[visualartsalberta-carfac]

Just a little preview of the Draw More Income event in fall...

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Interview With Jason Foster

This Federal Election's voter turnout was about 68.5%, not including voters who registered at the polls. This shows over a 7% increase since the last election. The last time voter turnout hit these numbers was 22 years ago.

I can't help but be a little proud of these numbers, because as a 23 year old Canadian, I really saw people my age become politically engaged in an unprecedented way. I saw previously nonvoting friends outing themselves and committing to vote, people who I had never heard expressing their political position previously almost religiously posting about the election on social media, and young voters turning the election into a viral trend by posting voting selfies on every online platform possible. And I think this kind of engagement on social media does surpass the realms of armchair activism too, because the goal of informed voting is... well, to be informed. Reading news articles and engaging with friends, family, and even acquaintances is the probably one of the best ways to prepare to vote confidently and tell the federal government what you think.

It would be a shame if all this hype this was a one-time thing. Especially for artists. Voting did become a trend this year and, while this can be wonderful, trends have a tendency to become fads. That voting fever that was powerful enough to get the major parties to all release platforms regarding arts and culture may not resurface anytime soon if we don't stay engaged. Arts and culture is not historically a topic carefully considered by Canadian politicians and even getting a toe in the door like this year may not happen again soon if we do not keep engaging.

Artists aren't the only ones who want to try to pressure Mr. Trudeau to keep his promises. Articles are already cropping up that are focusing on how to hold Mr. Trudeau accountable and it's not hard to imagine why. The Liberal Party's platform was massive and, for various reasons, people are concerned about how much will actually get done considering the size of the to-do list and history of the Liberal party. There's even a Trudeaumetre now, which is a site dedicated to tracking the progress of Liberal platform promises.

Can the arts get any traction alongside this throng of proposals? How important is the arts to Canada's growth and development as a country?

I talked with Jason Foster about these issues yesterday to shed some light on these issues. Jason is an Assistant Professor of Human Resources and Labour Relations at Athabasca University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. He has also worked as the Director of Policy Analysis for The Alberta Federation of Labour in the past. The transcript is below.

“Transcript of Phone Interview Between Graeme Dearden and Jason Foster” Graeme Dearden: So, the first thing I was kind of wondering about was—well I was just reading an article recently that said during a recession arts funding is usually one of the first things to get cut. So I was kind of wondering whether or not you think that's actually something that should be happening or whether there should be other things ahead on the chopping block? Jason Foster: Right. Well, I think my answer would be two-fold to that. One, is that it's true, usually when money is tight governments cut various support programs for artists and support for art, arts and culture programming, and arts and culture departments. I think they tend to sort of see it as low-hanging fruit that isn't quote-unquote essential. I think there's a bit of an error in that thinking though. Arts and culture funding tends to be quite modest. We're not talking big numbers here. And, so we think about the provincial budget that's going to come down tomorrow; six to seven billion dollars in deficit when we're talking about tens of millions of dollars of funding that goes to the arts from the provincial government, just as an example. So, really arts doesn't make or break the government books. So, there is kind of a false thinking there, but it's because they think this is a group that is not particularly effective at being able to rally political support for their endeavours. Outside of Quebec, anyway. Quebec is a bit of an exception. So, ya it tends to be what they do; I think it tends to be bad thinking and partly the other piece of the puzzle—and I think this is what some of your question is trying to get around—is basically arts and culture is a significant contributor to the economy. And the reason why is that it's a highly efficient use of money. So, if you give a grant to an artist to produce some art or to a theatre troupe to produce a play, or whatever the form of art might be, that money—virtually one hundred percent—goes into the local economy and stays there. The artists use it obviously to keep a house over their head and feed themselves, but then if they're spending money on supplies; if they're a theatre company, they're spending money on actors; whatever it might be, that money is staying entirely within the economy. As is any revenue that that activity then generates. And so, people buy tickets to go see a play or a movie or whatever and that money too gets recirculated in the local economy, so it's actually a very efficient way to build a vibrant economic development. Which is even sort of setting aside all the important components of arts and culture in creating a viable and vibrant community that aren't monetized. Just having public art, or having creative spaces and people doing creative things makes our communities more interesting and dynamic places. GD: So, is that kind of what a multiplier effect is? I keep hearing that term being thrown around and I'm never quite sure what it means. Is that kind of what it means? That, you know, somebody returns to the economy more than they take? JF: Exactly. So, what it means is for every dollar of investment, x-number of dollars gets generated in the economy. It's an economist's term. And that's the number I don't have in front of me, but it wouldn't be too hard to find the multiplier effect for arts and culture, because it has been calculated.[1] And that spin off, and that multiplier, comes straight out of the jobs that get created from whatever the investment might be. GD: Okay, and I was just recently reading an article that was talking about the multiplier effect, and how the government could just hire people to dig holes and that would be a similar thing [to hiring people to make artwork], but I didn't quite get that, because I thought digging holes wouldn't have as much of an inherent value as creating art work would, because it appreciates.[2] Is that true? JF: Well partly and also the problem with digging holes is: well okay so you dig a hole, what then? Right? The whole point about multiplier effects is that you give a dollar to an artist to produce some art, if—for example— it's a theatre company, they'd then create jobs with that dollar, which then works its way through the economy, and if it's art, someone might buy that art and even if no one is buying the art, it's a public piece of art, it gets appreciated. The value comes of the fact that the thing that gets created from what you funded has value that is greater than the input that you put in. So, you give an artist a thousand dollars and they make some art, that art piece and the value to the community is going to be greater than a thousand dollars. It doesn't count for a hole; a hole doesn't increase value, it's just a hole. There is a multiplier effect, for example, to hire people to build needed public works. One of the most interesting experiences in the twentieth century was in the 1930s with the Roosevelt New Deal in the United States. In addition to creating programs to build public works and to build public infrastructure to keep people employed, they actually had a whole program that paid artists to create art. To create plays and write and create public art, and they were doing it as a way of keeping artists employed. And so the 1930s ended up being a really vibrant period in terms of the creation of some public art that sustained itself for decades. And because it was being supported by the government, it kept these people out of poverty and it allowed them to do something that they were both passionate about and very talented at. So, there is an economic and a social argument for investment in arts and culture that's well supported. GD: And, I know you don't have specific numbers in front of you, but is there many other Canadian industries that have that same type of appreciation for every dollar spent? JF: Ya, there are. A lot of when economists do this, they do this to make a point for industries and sectors where their economic impact is less obvious. Like, no one makes this calculation for the oil sands. Because, no one needs to make the calculation for the oil sands, because everyone goes “oh, well it's creating jobs and creating value, right?” So they tend to do it for industries where it's harder to see it, and we see it in terms of child care, we see it in terms early intervention programs for children, there's lots of evidence around the value that that creates in society. Arts and culture is not unique in that, but I think it's an argument that worth talking about, because it gets lost. People talk about the aesthetic value of art, but the problem with only talking about the aesthetic value of art  is that we lose that sense of what else it contributes to the economy. It's when you only talk about its merit on aesthetic terms that it becomes vulnerable to the argument that during hard times it should be one of the first things cut. Because, it's an extra. It's a frill. Ya, art's nice, but we don't need it in the same way we need healthcare. The counter-argument is: well okay, it's true, we need healthcare more than art, because healthcare is about life and death, but healthcare is also worth hundreds of billions of dollars and tens of millions into arts and culture can produce lots. GD: Ya, like by that logic the only thing we should be investing in is healthcare, rather than anything else. JF: Exactly. So if we're gonna create a vibrant community, one of the essential pillars to building a vibrant society is having a healthy creative class. In its various forms. GD: That makes perfect sense. The next thing I was kind of wondering about was, given the sort of economic climate right now, what do you think the likelihood is of the Liberals actually making good on their arts and culture policies in the next few years? JF: It's a good question. This is what I would sort of think; I think there will be a couple of high-profile initiatives. One would be the CBC for example. And there will be some kind of effort to show that they are supportive of arts and culture, but I think anything substantive that will work its way down to actual working artists, I'm a little more skeptical. It was a non-issue in the election. CBC became a bit of an issue, but in terms of sort of general arts and culture policy there just wasn't sufficient attention and so then there's not sufficient mobilization to kind of hold their feet to the fire on it and so, ya, I'm not personally feeling very hopeful that we'll see a ton of investments. I'm more hopeful on the provincial level to be honest. Both because it was explicitly in their platform and I think it's a government that has more direct connection to that kind of thinking about the value of arts and culture. So, I think there's more hope on a provincial level than on the federal level at this point. GD: Ya, like recently I was just doing kind of a series of articles about the history of arts funding amongst the major federal parties, and the thing that I was surprised by was that there was even a platform released at all by the major parties this time around. The all released a tiny little one page statement and then kind of hid it in the back and that was the best we've got in the past few decades. But, the other thing I was wondering about is—the last thing I was trying to get information about—given that there is so many other things that are in the fire right now, like the economy and election reform and climate change and things like that, do you think that the arts could, if there was a strong enough voice, be pushed to the forefront or do you think that's sort of foregone at this point? JF: Uhm… I mean, I always think there's potential for it. I think it would be a daunting challenge. But, again because of, in relative terms, the number of dollars in the global scheme of federal budgets and government budgets, I think it would require some mobilization on the part of the artists and their supporters. But, it's not impossible. I think it would just take some political will and some political strategizing and acumen to say, “okay, we're gonna make sure this is an issue in the coming term.” So, it's always possible. GD: That's hopeful! Resources: [1] “Portrait of the Arts in Canada: D) Contribution of the arts to Gross Domestic Product (GDP)” by The Canada Council for the Arts http://canadacouncil.ca/council/resources/arts-promotion/arts-promo-kit/part1#partD [2] “The economic imperative for investing in arts and culture” by Todd Hirsch http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/the-economic-imperative-for-investing-in-arts-and-culture/article10463290/ Other Related Links: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/turnout-in-federal-election-hits-685-per-cent-largest-since-1993-election/article26883906/?service=mobile http://commonsensecanadian.ca/harper-gone-now-what-10-trudeau-promises-canadians-need-kept/ http://m.metronews.ca/#/article/features/justin-trudeau-promises/2015/10/22/tracking-5-of-justin-trudeaus-election-promises.html https://www.trudeaumetre.ca https://www.liberal.ca/realchange/

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This week let's look into the Liberals federal arts policies. Luckily, Justin Trudeau has very recently commented on his stance concerning the arts via ET Canada. He the only candidate with this kind of recent commentary on the topic that I could find. Now, this doesn't mean that they don't all have opinions or plans for the arts, but it does reveal some information about where it ranks on each party's priority list. Trudeau told ET on August 18th: "I'm a Quebecer so I understand how important it is to support arts culture because its core to our identity ... Everything else that we do is great and important but how we see ourselves, how we challenge ourselves, how we expand our sense of place in our country, and how we exchange is through arts and culture and we need to make sure our government is setting a framework in place that's going to allow people to flourish and bloom." Trudeau actually has given some effort to outline his platform regarding Canadian culture, often with specific emphasis on Quebecois culture. In an interview with the CBC in late 2014, he describes how important the arts are for a society that needs to challenge itself and offer new perspectives to old problems. More specifically, he addresses the future funding of the CBC itself, which has suffered crippling cuts from the federal government during multiple years. He said, “All I know is the funding has to be substantial and significant ... How much and exactly how depends on how we create a vision that is relevant for the 21st century." But, Liberal voters might not be as committed as you might think. Looking at a study done by Canadian Media Research Inc., less than half of liberal voters in 2012 believed that artists should receive funding from the federal government. The Liberals have actually had quite a confusing relationship with the arts in the past. Referring back to Michael Dewing and The Library of Parliament, as we did for the Conservatives, the Liberals under Jean Chrétien were the ones who instituted The Status Of The Artist Act and created The Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal (CAPPRT) which lead to the coming of age of Canadian Artists’ Representation/Le Front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC) in 1999. In 1999 CARFAC became recognized as the collective bargaining representative for visual and media artists in Canada by CAPPRT. However, during the 90s, the Liberals were also responsible for some substantial cuts to the arts. “Heritage and culture programs were reduced from $2.9 billion in fiscal year 1994-1995 to $2.2 billion in 1997-1998. This represented a 23.3% reduction, compared to an 18.9% reduction in overall government spending. The CBC’s budget (which stood at $1.2 billion in 1990) was reduced by about $414 million, or 34.5%.” Aside from all this, Justin Trudeau likes Adam and Leonard Cohen. So there's that, I guess. Something I forgot to include last week were some of the references I have been using to research into federal arts policies. If you feel like reading more, check out the list so far: “Ordinary people don't care about arts: Harper” from The Toronto Star, 2008: http://www.thestar.com/news/politics/federalelection/2008/09/24/ordinary_folks_dont_care_about_arts_ harper.html “To be creative is, in fact, Canadian” by Margaret Atwood, 2008: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/to-be-creative-is-in-fact-canadian/article1062390/ "Canadian Arts Coaltion disappointed with federal budget” from Georgia Straight: http://www.straight.com/arts/435161/canadian-arts-coalition-disappointed-federal-budget “Federal Government Policy on Arts and Culture” by Michael Dewing, 2010: http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/ OP/ResearchPublications/2008-41-e.htm#a2 “Justin Trudeau Talks Arts, Politics And Pop Culture With ET Canada” from ET Canada: http://www.etcanada.com/blogs/etc_153679/justin-trudeau-talks-arts-politics-and-pop-culture-with-et- canada/news/ “Justin Trudeau outlines his vision for arts and culture in Canada” from CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/schedule-for-oct-22-2014-1.2926029/justin-trudeau-outlines-his-vision-for- arts-and-culture-in-canada-1.2926030 "Which Political Party Supports Arts & Culture? Not the iberals” from Canadian Media Research Inc.: http://mediatrends-research.blogspot.ca/2012/02/which-political-party-supports-arts.html “Federal Status of the Artist Certification” from CARFAC: http://www.carfac.ca/about/federal-status-of-the-artist-certification/

[visualartsalberta-carfac]

Never fear! VAA-CARFAC Tumblr Is Here!

After a short holiday break, VAA will be back our regular Tumbling, with more new editions of Don't Quit Your Day Job!

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Don't Quit Your Day Job #8: Natali Rodrigues (Special Video Edition)

Natali was born in Kenya, to a German mother and Goan father. In 1975 the family immigrated to Canada.  Her early education was in French, German and English. These various cultural facets could have lead to feelings of disenfranchisement and alienation. Fortunately the contrary was the case: what seems like disparate cultural elements are united by a rich familial history of story telling, of retaining and reinforcing identity through language, faith and journey.  Going against the conventional wisdom surrounding artists and craftspeople, Natali has never felt she is an outsider, or of being Other. Rather being a maker has allowed her to mark and contextualize her place within the multicultural, multi-faith and cosmopolitan community that is Canada. Natali’s work explores the threads that bind her family together across the globe, through the exploration of language, faith and journey. These three themes manifested themselves in works that link personal story to the larger narratives of liminal space and transformational experience.

For more information on Natali's work, visit her at DaDe Art and Design Lab: http://www.dadeartanddesignlab.com/natali-rodrigues ---------- Although today was a video edition of Don't Quit Your Day Job, we would still love to get your answers to our two regular questions. We will be continuing to do regular text posts (every 1-2 weeks). Don't Quit Your Day Job is a feature profiling Canadian artists and their experiences dealing with the often conflicting spheres of art-making and secondary employment. Each artist simply answers two questions: what job(s) have you worked while you have been a practicing artist, and how did that work effect you as an artist (creatively, financially, socially, etc.)?

We would love to hear your personal stories of employment and art production. If you’d like to participate, please email [email protected]. In your email answer both of the above questions (you can write answers as long or short as you’d like, with as much or as little detail as you care to give), provide a short bio (around 100-200 words), a website for us to link to if you’d like, and a photo of your work if you produce visual artwork.

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Upcoming in Visual Arts Alberta Gallery: Jennifer Akkermans

New Post has been published on http://callfor.art.gridhosted.co.uk/artysta/upcoming-in-visual-arts-alberta-gallery-jennifer-akkermans?Upcoming+in+Visual+Arts+Alberta+Gallery%3A+Jennifer+Akkermans

Upcoming in Visual Arts Alberta Gallery: Jennifer Akkermans

Jennifer Akkermans ‘institute of morphoid research’ 

Exhibition dates December 5th. 2013 to January 25th. 2014. Opening reception : Thursday December 5th. from 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm, Gallery B. Visual Arts Alberta Gallery third floor, 10215 112 Street NW Edmonton, AB

Gallery Hours: Wed – Fri 10am – 4pm & Sat noon – 4pm. Closed between December 21 – January 07th.