Statement from the Board of Directors,
Canadian Art Foundation | July 2023
On June 28, 2023 Board Meeting and AGM, Canadian Art Foundation engaged a new board of directors, who approved its 2023 Rebirth Strategy.
The Context for Rebirth
On October 4, 2021, the Canadian Art Foundation Board of Directors announced the ceasing of operations for the Canadian Art magazine. Amongst other initiatives, its three remaining volunteers oversaw the out of court settlements that were voluntarily accepted by former staff, suppliers, and creditors. CAF was allowed to retain key intangible aspects such as its subscriber list, charitable status and tradename. It also decided that the remaining Board Members would resign as soon as replacements who were interested in determining the future of CAF were secured.
In the intervening months, CAF Board members were approached by representatives of various aspects of the visual arts community across Canada who were concerned about the void created by the demise of Canadian Art Magazine. Two of the three remaining Board members resigned leaving a slate of three: Raji Aujla, Stephen Bulger, and Dori Tunstall.
They canvassed the arts community to form a special advisory group of parties who represented communities for intentional structural inclusion (i.e. structurally marginalized), regional diversity, and different sectors of the visual arts in Canada. The key questions addressed were: “Should the CAF survive?”; “If yes, what should its activities include?”; and “How can it sustainably support those activities?”
Those discussions started in the Fall of 2022 and were refined over the Winter of 2023. The resulting CAF Rebirth Strategy includes new vision, mission, audience, programming, business model, and governance structures. The results were to be released following the 2023 Annual General Meeting.
Click to download/view CAF-2023AGM presentation
Submit your review and comment of the CAF 2023 Rebirth Strategy through a survey form at https://forms.gle/2pU3zAioDZX4YLWA9
The New 2023-2026 Board
In the 2023 Rebirth Strategy, it was determined that the Board of CAF should comprise 12 persons. However until there was wider knowledge of the Rebirth Strategy, the Board would not elect a full slate, nor begin to populate its sub-committees. The 2023-2026 slate of board members reflects CAF’s commitment to diversifying to include representatives from (1) identities sought for structural inclusion, (2) the multiple provinces of lands and waters claimed by Canada, and (3) different sectors of the arts community:
- Raji Aujla, Regional diversity: Ontario, Identities for Structural Inclusion: Asian, Woman
- Stephen Bulger, co-chair, Regional diversity: Ontario, Identities for Structural Inclusion:
- Camille Georgeson-Usher, Regional diversity: British Columbia, Identities for Structural Inclusion: Indigenous, Woman
- Rose-Anne Harder, Regional Diversity: Manitoba, Identities for Structural Inclusion: Woman
- Duane Jones, Regional diversity: Nova Scotia, Identities for Structural Inclusion: Black
- James Oscar, Regional diversity: Quebec, Identities for Structural Inclusion: Black, Neurodiverse
- Jung-Suk (JS) Ryu, Regional diversity: Alberta, Identities for Structural Inclusion: Asian
- Elizabeth (Dori) Tunstall, co-chair, Regional diversity: Ontario, California, Identities for Structural Inclusion: Black, Neurodiverse, and Woman
The Rebirth Strategy
The new board approved the 2023 Canadian Art Foundation Rebirth Strategy, which seeks to reposition Canadian Art Foundation away from its dominant image as publisher of a print-oriented magazine to become, according to its newly approved mission, “a generative and accessible platform, supporting organizations for/by artists and arts workers who represent communities across lands and waters claimed by Canada. By engaging new systems of inclusion, CAF ensures the equitable representation and celebration of artistic work and critically connects local, national, and global audiences.”
Without access to its traditional sources of revenue, CAF believes it can currently best serve its community as an umbrella organization that promotes organizations with similar interests and goals to a broader public. It also aspires to work in partnership with existing and new organizations to enhance their activities and improve their sustainability.
Again, the Board calls for the arts communities of the lands and waters claimed by Canada to review and comment on the CAF 2023 Rebirth Strategy at https://forms.gle/2pU3zAioDZX4YLWA9
Regards,
2023-2026 Board of Directors, Canadian Art Foundation
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On October 4, 2021, the Board of Directors announced the difficult decision to cease operations of Canadian Art after 37 years, due to its financial position and revenue loss directly resulting from the COVID pandemic.
Read the complete statement from October 4, 2021.
Board of Canadian Art Foundation
Lee Matheson, Co-Chair
Elizabeth (Dori) Tunstall, Co-Chair
Gabe Gonda
For more information, please contact Canadian Art Foundation, info@canadianart.ca