Check out the short videos that we produced for the Canadian Art Foundation:

Just click right HERE.

Woman with the Devil, Drawing by Annie Pootoogook.
Image: sitemedia.ca/Feheley Fine Arts

• Dealer Wil Kucey of Le Gallery talks about his hot young artists and his prescient interest in illustrative, grafitti and street art

• Dealer Pat Feheley discusses the new Inuit art. It’s not soapstone sculptures of bears anymore, since Annie Pootoogook’s drawings were included in the last Documenta in Kassel, Germany.

• Artist Kim Dorland welcomes us into his studio as he talks about his influences, his recent work and how he hopes the viewer responds to his paintings.

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The OLD Canadian twenty dollar bill. Image: members.shaw.ca

Did you know that if you look at the NEW Canadian twenty dollar bill - you’ll need a magnifying glass - you will read the following quote by French-Canadian author Gabrielle Roy (1908 - 1983):

Could we ever know each other in the slightest without the arts?

Nous connaitrions-nous seulement un peu nous-memes, sans les arts?

At last night’s jam-packed town hall meeting, organized in response to the Stephen Harper’s Conservative government’s recent slashing of $62.06 million in Arts and Culture programs, there were several passionate speeches by Claire Hopkinson of the Toronto Arts Council, Susan Swan of the Writer’s Union and Lisa Fitzgibbons of the Documentary Organization of Canada, rising to a crescendo with a polished, fervent speech by writer and activist Naomi Klein.

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VoCA gives you the heads up on three major exhibitions coming to Canada this fall…

1. WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution

Vancouver Art Gallery

October 4, 2008 - January 11, 2009

The exhibition catalogue cover. Image: moca.org

VoCA loves ‘feminist’ (female, women’s) art. This comprehensive exhibition is not to be missed! You’ll see work by VoCA favorites Chantal Akerman, Lynda Benglis, Valie Export, Ana Mendieta, Annette Messager, Louise Bourgeois, Judy Chicago and Yoko Ono, among many others.

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Illustration: Allen Crawford of Plankton Art Co. Image: timeout.com

A new report - done in collaboration with the federal government - argues for the importance of Canada’s arts:

Canada’s arts community has been given a big boost in its fight against government funding cutbacks in a form of an new economic report arguing that culture is a major contributor to national wealth and prestige.

The 60-page study from the Conference Board of Canada, a private-sector think-tank that did the study in collaboration with the federal government, argues that culture generated $84.6 billion in direct and indirect economic benefits last year, or 7.4 per cent of total gross domestic product.

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Liberal leader Stephane Dion - a man who understands the importance of culture..we hope.
Image: voiceofcanada.files.wordpress.com

Liberal party leader Stephane Dion has finally responded to the unbelievable Conservative party cuts to cultural programs:

“Harper seems to not understand that we need to be stimulating those programs. We must encourage different arts and culture…”

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1. RADIANT DARK

August 26 - October 19, 2008

Cambridge Galleries, Cambridge Ontario

Loyal Loot Collective’s Log Bowls. Image: loyalloot.com

Just when we were wondering when a multi-disciplinary exhibition would come along that combines art, design and architecture, here it is, courtesy of Shaun Moore and Julie Nicholson of MADE in in Toronto.

MADE is a design shop in Toronto that specializes in young Canadian design. Taking the current trend toward gothic luxury, the two have brought together 29 designers including:

Andrée Wejsmann – click HERE
Loyal Loot Collective – click HERE
Molo Design – click HERE
Propellor Design – click HERE
Tamara Rushlow – click HERE
And many more…

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Image: toothpastefordinner.com

1. HERE’S WHAT THEY’RE SAYING IN CALGARY:

Wait a minute. If our dynamic Canadian culture is in such demand all over the world, then surely the world will beat a path to its door and pay full freight to watch the likes of Les Grands Ballets, if not Holy F—.

Was this another story of our splendid arts community banding together to combat the heartless, uncultured Harper Conservatives?

Read the full article from the Calgary Herald HERE.

2. AND HERE’S WHAT THEY’RE SAYING OUT EAST:

With new cuts to culture and arts funding, the Conservative government is showing once again its complete disrespect toward our country’s cultural institutions and a flagrant lack of vision that is hurting our arts community and culture

The Conservatives are now showing clearly what they have in mind for Canada’s arts and culture. The lack of explanation for the cuts and the silence of the Heritage minister is unacceptable.

Read more HERE.

3. THE LIBERAL PARTY SPEAKS UP - FINALLY

Liberal Heritage critic Denis Coderre has criticized the government for not being forthcoming with information about cuts to a slew of arts-and-culture programs.

“A Liberal government … will reinstate all those programs and [Canadians] will have … a true structural vision of what culture should be for our country,” he said, in a telephone interview from his riding in Montreal.

More on Liberal plans in THIS Globe and Mail article.

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In case you missed it, here’s a link to the latest on the Canadian culture cuts - from today’s Globe and Mail:

“The Tories are committed to cutting $44.8-million in spending on arts and culture by April of 2010…”

Click HERE for an article that basically amounts to a long list of cultural programs to be cut.

Yesterday, VoCA spoke with curator Barbara Fischer, whose proposal of London-based artist Mark Lewis was selected as Canadian representative at next year’s Venice Biennale - arguably the most important and high-profile art biennale in the world.

Ms. Fischer expressed concern over the cuts and suggested that the future of Canada’s pavilion is in danger, since about one third of the money needed for the pavilion comes from government funding programs.

Nota bene: In 2001, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller won a coveted prize at Venice for their installation, The Paradise Institute, which helped to catapult them into the stratosphere of global contemporary artists.

Fuse magazine editor Izida Zorde and publisher Heather Haynes (of Toronto Free Gallery) are organizing a Town Hall meeting in Toronto to address the recent and upcoming budget cuts to the arts.

Valuing Culture: TOWN HALL REGARDING CUTS TO CULTURAL AND HERITAGE GRANTING PROGRAMS

Who should come? Everyone concerned about the Federal Government’s blatant contempt for arts and culture.

Who will be speaking? Representatives from Government, visual arts, film, video, performing arts

What will we be doing? Strategizing on how to get our voices heard in the next election

Why is this important? Because the wave of cuts and policy changes are radically changing Canadian society.

Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 3, 2008 at 7pm.

The Theatre Centre
1087 Queen Street West, (South East Corner of Queen and Dovercourt)

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This Globe and Mail article quotes Canadian Heritage Minister Josée Verner:

“Culture is an essential element of the identity of a nation and in that sense, will always have its unfailing support,”

And yet…

“The Stabilization Projects, to be shut down in April, were established in seven cities from Victoria to Charlottetown to provide financial and administrative support to arts organizations….”

“The department also plans to end its annual contributions of $300,000 to the A-V Presentation Trust, $1.5-million to the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund and $2.5-million to the National Training Program in the Film and Video Sector…”

Yes, it’s all good, Mr. Harper. Image: conservativehome.blogs.com