Visual art has been much more prevalent in recent years, as the development boom has brought so much of visual artists' work to the fore in the form of sculpture, frescoes, murals and other installations in vaulted lobbies and new green spaces across the city.
Add the annual Nuit Blanche, which introduces thousands in the space of a few hours to what’s been going on in visual art since Monet put down his brush, and you might say visual artists have never had it so good.
And yet, there’s this: “The average Canadian visual artist earns less than $15,000 a year, and half earn less than $8,000. Even Governor General’s Award-winning artists find it difficult if not impossible to make a living solely from their art.”
That’s according to CARFAC, Canadian Artists’ Representation/Le Front des artistes canadiens, the national organization of visual artists who are having their
annual conference in Toronto next week.
“Our work is involved with improving that situation,” says April Britski, CARFAC’s executive director in Ottawa, “and this is one of the ways we can do that – by providing a forum for artists to discuss the issues they are currently facing, and to share resources and information.”
From Sept. 18-21, in venues around the city, from 401 Richmond to the Roundhouse, CARFAC will be looking to engage artists in talks about their rights, getting paid and changes in the way art is made, disseminated, experienced and compensated under the rubric of Artists for Artists: art, activism and adaptation. All artists, members and non-members, are welcome to participate.
The activities will culminate in an 8 p.m. celebration Saturday at Artscape Youngplace of CARFAC’s recent Supreme Court victory in its fight with the National Gallery for minimum artist fees.
Other events include a discussion of emerging arts practices, performance art in Canada, and the opening of co-sponsor Manifesto’s Transcension featuring graffiti art by Mister Cartoon and live performances.
The conference events, which are free except for the Transcension opening, are funded by the Canada Council, the Ontario Arts Council and Access Copyright.
Writer: Bert Archer
Source: April Britski