Special forum in conjunction with the art exhibition “Displacement” addressing issues and challenges facing artist spaces, along with solutions.

 

October 25 & 26, 2019
DUDOC (1489 Frances St)

The Eastside Culture Crawl Society (ECCS) is hosting a special forum in conjunction with the art exhibition “Displacement” addressing issues and challenges facing artist spaces, along with solutions.

It is meant to engage the public, artists, planners, policy makers and politicians around issues and challenges facing the arts community primarily around “space”.  It will also question the value of art in our society. The forum takes place in advance of the exhibit and has been designed and scheduled to begin with a tone of cynicism and end with a tone of hope.  Includes a lively debate coordinated by Turncoats.

Facilitated by Tony Osborn and Marianne Amodio

It’s not too late to do something!

This event is made possible through the generous support of the Vancouver Foundation, DUDOC, Strangefellows, Vancity and Turncoats.

Attend all events for $20.00

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EVENT 1: Setting The Stage … Numbers, Numbers, Numbers 
DATE: Fri, October 25 from 3:30pm – 5:30pm
ADMISSION: RSVP

• John Steil, ECCS Board member & Chair of ECCS Spaces Committee

• Esther Rausenberg, Artistic and Executive Director, ECCS 

ECCS identified a need to develop an inventory of artist production spaces in the city’s industrial areas, specifically in the “Eastside Arts District”. This was both broad–to identify existing inventory –and historical, to help us identify trends that civic policies can address.  The survey utilized 10 years of historical and recent data from ECCS’s database, space surveys, interviews, on-line survey of artists, discussions with building owners, and on the ground field work to identify sq ft amount; spatial distribution; and trends in the availability of artist production space.  The first of its kind, the key findings from the survey will be presented along with solutions for moving forward.The survey was made possible through the support of Vancity Credit Union, Stantec, the Arts Factory, City of Vancouver through the Infrastructure Program, Strathcona BIA, and the Vancouver Economic Commission.

EVENT 2: So What? 
DATE: Fri, October 25
6pm doors / 6:30pm start
ADMISSION: $10 (includes beverages)

• Debaters: Neil Campbell (artist) Sandy Garossino (Journalist), Brian McBay (Director, 221), Amy Nugent

• Moderator: Tony Osborn

Turncoats Vancouver coordinates playful and provocative debates. This event will borrow the format of a Turncoats debate. Two teams of two panelists each will debate the topic in a playful setting designed to elicit genuine discussion, with plenty of audience participation, and a splash of booze.

The debate topic:

So What? Vancouver’s sky-high cost of living has made it nearly impossible to make art here. You know what’s also hard? Starting a business, starting a family, buying a home, finding an apartment, commuting safely and comfortably, making a living wage, and affording freakin’ groceries. Everyone who didn’t win the property lottery is about two paycheques away from financial disaster in this wasteland of decadence. Why should artists be spared the struggle? Get creative like the rest of us! Make art that can be used to launder money from overseas. Make art in your parents’ basement. If all else fails, move your studio to Abbotsford! The beauty of the Turncoats debate is that each team makes its closing arguments from the opposing side. This means that each panelist must, at some point in the debate, argue both for and against the side they might personally believe in. It makes for a great debate and, often, a lot of laughs. 

EVENT 3: What the…?
DATE: Sat, October 26 from 10am – 12 noon
ADMISSION: $10

• Moderator: Marianne Amodio

• Oliver Hardwood (Old Foundry), Eri Ishii (Portside Studios & 901 Main Cooperative), Kim Cooper (Vancouver Co-Lab)

This event is about taking stock of what is actually happening to artists, so that everyone understands the scope and specifics of the problem. This is an opportunity for artists to share their own stories, humanizing the crisis and making it relatable to people who might not otherwise empathize with the struggle of local artists. 

EVENT 4: Now What?
DATE: Sat, October 26 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm
ADMISSION: $10

• Moderator: Tony Osborn

• Elvy Del Bianco (Vancity Credit Union), Mark Sheih (Take Root), Kristen Lambertson (City of Vancouver, Cultural Services), Holly Cruise (Terminal City Glass), Marianne Amodio (MA+HG Architects), Nick Waissbluth (W/A Office)

The last event in the series will offer solutions to the problem. Teams will be assembled of one artist and one expert (for example, a city planner, developer, architect, etc.) who will offer solutions to the artist displacement problem. Solutions may include: Zoning: How might zoning bylaws be modified to protect artist studios? Case studies: How have other cities approached the problem? Funding: What options do artists have if they want to purchase the building where their studio is housed? For the event, each of the teams will present their work, followed by a panel discussion, and audience questions. This information will be assembled prior to the opening date and displayed as part of the exhibition. 

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Marianne Amodio

The underlining theme of the work at MA+HG Architects is the creation of innovative architecture that is concise and practical, yet poetic and personal to the user. By challenging everyday suppositions about architecture and encouraging an artfulness that speaks to it surroundings, we are able to create novel works that are honest and playful, yet rooted in reality. The studio focuses on design solutions that explore alternative ways of home ownership and dwelling. This practice is rooted in the belief that we can craft solutions that speak to today’s issues of affordability and sustainability. We believe in the importance of beauty and the usefulness of creativity. Marianne holds a Master of Architecture Degree (Honours) from the University of Manitoba and is a registered Architect with the Architectural Institute of British Columbia. She began her eponymous firm, Marianne Amodio Architecture Studio, in 2009. The practice was awarded the Arthur Erickson Award for Emerging Architect, followed by the AIBC Award for Emerging Firm. In 2016, the firm welcomed Harley Grusko AIBC and in 2018 was renamed MA+HG Architects. Marianne is currently a member of the City of Vancouver Regulatory Review Advisory Committee and she sits on the Board of The Eastside Culture Crawl. She is a former Board Member of the Chinatown Heritage Area Planning Committee, the Council of the Architectural Institute of British Columbia and was the Chair of the Housing Innovation Committee for the City of Vancouver Housing Re:Set. She gleefully co-hosts Pecha Kucha Vancouver.

Neil Campbell
Neil Campbell is a Canadian artist, currently based in Vancouver. He studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The Vancouver School of Art and Concordia University, Montreal (MFA1979). Campbell’s work, which spans painting, sculpture and installation is known for presenting the viewer with large scale abstractions that are configured to capture the viewer’s attention and to direct that attention to an awareness of the contextual space or given context. His work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York, Galleria Franco Noero, Turin, Art and Public Geneva, Marianne Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Marianne Boeksy Gallery, New York, and Blanket Gallery Vancouver. HIs work has been included in group shows at a the National Galley of Canada, Ottawa, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, Hayward Gallery, London, Le Magasin, Grenoble, Palazzo Fortuny, Venice, Logan Art Centre, Chicago,  Belkin Gallery, Vancouver, VeneKlasen Werner, Berlin, Gladstone Gallery, New York,  and the Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver. Many Vancouverites may remember Campbell’s rhythmic blue light installation that was mounted in the Georgia Street facade of the Vancouver Art Gallery in 2006.

Kim Cooper 
Kim Cooper is an artist, designer and community facilitator. Kim is currently based in Vancouver, BC. on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations after having studied fine art in the USA and BC and architecture in Ontario. Her work has been exhibited in the US & Canada and she was recently awarded a public art commission for a new sculpture in Burnaby. Kim’s art practice questions the human condition, the environment and explores our emotional response to situations in society. Transformed into a tangible artifact, a physical manifestation of our emotional landscape, she sees each project as an opportunity to engage people on both intellectual and visceral planes, bringing others into contact with their environment in new ways. Kim is also a founder and long- standing member of the CoLab – a non-profit community workshop for artists and makers to share tools, space and skills.

Holly Cruise

Holly has been working in glass since 1995 and makes flameworked and blown glass objects & jewelry. She began her career in the arts at 19, working for UrbanGlass, the New York Experimental Glass Workshop in Brooklyn, NY. She then moved to New Orleans, LA where she worked in a production glassblowing facility. Holly came to Vancouver in 1999, and began working for New-Small & Sterling Studio Glass, and simultaneously worked in her own studio at the Glass Onion for several years. Holly also works as a graphic designer and illustrator, with clients across Canada and the US. Her graphic work is often translated into her 3 dimensional work, using the glass as a canvas for storytelling. Holly was a co-founder of Terminal City Glass Co-op in 2012, Canada’s first non-profit glass arts co-op, where she makes her glasswork.

 

Elvy Del Bianco
As Vancity’s Cooperative Portfolio Manager, Elvezio (“Elvy”) Del Bianco is a cooperative enterprise educator, developer, financier and advocate, and supports the growth of a vibrant ecology to realize new co-op creation, partnerships and growth. Elvezio coordinates Vancity’s support for new and established cooperatives, founded and coordinates the Cooperate Now co-op business boot camp, co-authored the “Seven Ways to Grow BC’s Co-op Sector” policy document, established a provincial network of co-op developers to better coordinate support services, and will get into the trenches to incorporate cooperatives. Elvezio also works with the University of Bologna to organize Vancity’s study tour of the cooperative economy of the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, which informs Vancity’s approach to supporting the development of British Columbia’s sector.

 

Sandy Garossino
Sandy is a former Crown prosecutor and prominent media commentator, whose bold commentary is read by millions across North America. Her writing provides depth on topics where the media’s analysis of controversial and urgent topics misses the mark. Winner of ‘Best Column’ in Canada in the 2016 Canadian Online Publishing Association’s awards, Garossino’s podcast, Judgment Call, launches soon on National Observer. She is a recent recipient of the 2019 Jack Webster Award for Journalism.

 

Oliver Hardwood 

Oliver is a professional sculptor with 20 years experience. As a graduate of Nova Scotia College of Art and Design he apprenticed in Italy for two seasons.  Focused for many years on sculpting stone, Oliver also works with metal, wood and other natural materials.  His work has developed through the years investigating the dichotomy of physical reality vs human perception.   As well as creating unique sculptures, Oliver has several Public Art projects, teaches both adult and school sculpture programs, exhibits regularly and runs a large sculpture studio in Vancouver, BC. Oliver has been running a sculpture studio in East Vancouver for 10 years with 14 artists working out of his studio.  It has been part of the East Side Culture Crawl for the last seven years.

 

Eri Ishii

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Eri Ishii moved to Canada to pursue a career in painting. Since then she has established herself as an artist and an educator while exhibiting widely across Canada and internationally including Taiwan National Art Education Museum in Taiwan, Halde Galerie in Switzerland and Centre A in Vancouver. 

In 2008, Eri spearheaded the “Save 901 Main” campaign trying to block the re-development of 901 Main studio. The campaign brought attention not only to their own plight, but to the scarcity of dedicated, affordable artists’ space in Vancouver. Today, as a studio director of 901 Artists Cooperative at Portside Studios, Eri continues to build a community for artists by providing affordable studio spaces in Vancouver. 

 

Kristen Lambertson

Kristen Lambertson currently works for the City of Vancouver in Cultural Services on the Cultural Spaces and Infrastructure team. Kristen’s primary focus is on major development projects, planning and policy, and some arts facilitation and regulatory work. Some of the projects she is currently working on include, an amenity space with social housing for artists and associated production space, a multi-use hub for cultural presentation and production, and an artist production space. Kristen previously worked in the non-profit arts and culture sector as a programmer and administrator. 

 

Brian McBay
Brian McBay is Executive Director of 221A, a Vancouver-based non-profit organization that works with artists and designers to research and develop social, cultural and ecological infrastructure. As a student Co-founder of 221A during the height of the 2007-08 global economic crisis, he is part of a new generation of leaders in the cultural sector aiming to reverse deepening inequality, xenophobia and colonialism in Canada. He is known for applying his unique skillset and training as an industrial designer to non-profit property design, construction and regulation. He was named a 2018 Fellow at the Salzburg Global Forum and has been invited to speak on art, policy and urban development at the Western Front, Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver Art Gallery, SFU Centre for Dialogue, UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Emily Carr University, the Creative City Network of Canada, the City of Kelowna, BC Alliance for Arts and Culture and the Vienna Design Fair. He has contributed to C magazine and Canadian Art magazine and is currently the President of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres and a member of the City of Vancouver Arts and Culture Advisory Committee. He was recently appointed as a member of the National Gallery of Canada’s Board of Trustees.

 

Amy Nugent

Amy Nugent is a cultural worker and resource developer. As the former president of Artspeak’s board, she has been recognized with a 2016 Mayor’s Arts Award for Board Member of the Year from the City of Vancouver. She has fundraised for cultural infrastructure projects including Artspeak, the Banff Centre and the Blue Cabin Floating Artist Residency. She is the arts and inclusion community representative on the Northeast False Creek Plan Stewardship Group and the NEFC Park Design Advisory that is helping set the long-term vision for the last remaining piece of undeveloped waterfront land in the downtown. Her own research over the past five years has focused on the inequity within Canadian public art collections and the limited acquisition funding to support them. While building a case for supporting new forms of national art acquisition funding she is a local advocate for competitive artists fees and salaries for and cultural workers, increases of public resources towards the arts and is a critic of artwashing vehicles for developers. 

 

Tony Osborn 

Tony Osborn is the principal architect and owner of TOAD, Tony Osborn Architecture + Design. TOAD’s focus is innovative and experimental architecture that engages with difficult to solve design problems. Tony is also an adjunct professor at the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at UBC, and the founder of Turncoats Vancouver, a public debate series on architecture.

 

Mark Shieh

CO-FOUNDER – Take Root

Mark Shieh is the co-founder of Tomo Spaces, a research-driven development company in Vancouver. Tomo stands for “together more;” its mission is helping people live happier together in densifying cities. Tomo is currently developing a network of cohousing lite homes for middle-income families. Mark started out as a Disney Imagineer and indulged a childhood dream to be a Disney character. Later, he worked as Director of User Research with Ecco Design in New York. Mark has a BS in Civil Engineering and an MS in Engineering Management, both from Stanford University. He was a Mayfield Entrepreneurship Fellow. He has served on the board of Vancouver Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver Heritage Foundation, and Vancouver City Planning Commission. Ask him about Chinatown House.

 

 

Nicholas Waissbluth 

Nicholas Waissbluth is an award-winning architect and owner of W/A Office, a Vancouver based architecture, design and research studio. He completed his studies in Architecture at Carleton University and postgraduate research in Barcelona at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) where he was a member of the award-winning Fab Lab House. He is also a co-founder of uAbureau, an international design collective with members from across Latin America and Europe, as well as the Insitu Foundation, a design-build initiative that looks at improving public space in developing communities. Nicholas is an adjunct professor at UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), a regular guest critic and member of graduate thesis committees.