Following the Visual Arts Summit

19•12•2007

This fall 2007 was a busy time for the Artist-Run Centres and Collectives Conference, as well as for visual arts in Canada. The Conference partnered with the Canadian Museums Association and peer organizations in the visual arts field, partnership that led to the Visual Arts Summit in late November. Some 450 people attended this Summit, demonstrating a keen interest in the advancement of visual arts in the country. Nearly 40 artist-run centres’ representatives, and numerous artists, were present.

The need to gather our forces together was strongly recognized by everyone attending. A “Collective Agenda for the Visual Arts” was published right at the end of the Summit (see in the News section of this site or http://www.petitiononline.com/visarts/petition.html/ for details) and partners have already started meeting to discuss ways of raising the profile of the visual arts. An “Alliance” grouping partners of the Summit and supporters is currently being formed.

During the Summit, our Board also met with Pierre Arpin, the new Head of Visual Arts at the Canada Council, and with officers working with artist-run centres. This first meeting allowed us to better inform Mr. Arpin of the needs of our organizations and to advocate for better funding. We have been collecting feedback from artist-run centres on the November grant application and will forward it to the Council in January, before peer juries meet. We have also learned that decisions concerning the allocation of new funds at the Canada Council were recently taken by its Board but will apparently not be publicized before February.

As you may have heard, CARFAC/RAAV has signed an “historical” agreement regarding artist fees with the Canadian Museum Association (CMA) and the Canadian Art Museum Directors’ Organization (CAMDO), after years of diverging positions. Although ARCCC/CCCAA was not part of this mediated agreement, the results of our survey on artist fees, realized in September and October of this year, were used as a benchmark to set the rates for Category 1 Solo Exhibition Fees and we are in regular and productive discussions with CARFAC/RAAV to make sure this new fee schedule is adapted to artist-run centres. CARFAC/RAAV also saluted the long-term commitment of artist-run centres to paying exhibition rights.

Details of this new fee schedule will be published shortly by CARFAC/RAAV. Most centres fall under Category 1, for organizations with a budget of less than $500K. Devised with the objective of allowing all “presenters” to reach the minimum recommended, the fee for this category is $1500. According to our study, it is slightly less than what many centres are already paying, but keep in mind that these are “minimum recommended” fees. This new fee schedule will be in force for the next five years, with a 3% yearly increase, thus allowing centres to better plan ahead.

This agreement between CARFAC/RAAV and CAMDO/CMA also includes advocating for the creation of an Exhibition Right Fund, in the model of the Public Lending Right Fund. We do not yet have much information about this proposed Exhibition Right Fund, but CARFAC/RAAV has expressed its strong commitment to include artist-run centres within it, and we will be working closely with the milieu to make sure centres get their fair share when it is created. Such a Fund will need a lot of preparatory discussions and a strong political will from our government; we are ready to advocate for it, in the best interest of artist-run centres.

In January, partners of the Visual Arts Summit and supporters will be meeting again to agree on a Memorandum of Understanding for the provisionally called Canadian Alliance for the Visual Arts, and to develop an action plan. This new Alliance will not be another organization, but a grouping of autonomous organizations united for a common cause. Artist-Run Centres and Collectives Conference will be participating, knowing that a better understanding between all stakeholders of the visual arts sector and collective efforts can only improve the health of our sector and, consequently, the well-being of artist-run centres and collectives across the country. You will be kept informed of developments and, meanwhile, your comments are always welcome at info@arccc-cccaa.org

ARCCC/CCCAA tries to be present everywhere artist-run centres’ concerns are discussed. We participated in the colloquium on Public Diplomacy organized by the Canadian Conference of the Arts and in the Independent Media Arts Alliance’s Forum. We met with our peers at the regional level for RCAAQ’s Annual General Meeting in November and will be attending ARCCO’s in January. Do not forget to inform us of any event concerning artist-run centres happening in your region, we would be happy to attend if possible.

We wish you all the best for the holidays and for the coming year.

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