Thelma Pepper’s Last Interview
In October 2020, just months before she died, we had a chance to speak with the Saskatchewan photo artist, then 100, about her Remai Modern retrospective
Mutual Aid during a Pandemic: Why Artists Helped Form Toronto’s Encampment Support Network
Jeff Bierk, with friends and colleagues, helped mobilize support for underhoused people living outside early in the pandemic. With winter coming, they’re speaking out anew
Open Letter Decries Departure of Longtime Gallery Curator at Emily Carr University
High-profile Canadian and international artists, curators and educators are among more than 350 signatories
Community Speaks on Lack of Black Artists in Art Gallery of Alberta’s Biennials
Edmonton’s Black Arts Matters founder Nasra Adem says professionalized arts spaces in the city need to change—and have needed to for a long time now
Drop the Charges and Defund the Police, Says New Artists’ Letter for Black Lives
A public letter signed by more than two thousand artists and arts workers calls for charges to be dropped against three arrested in a BLM Toronto art action on July 18
Artists and Advocates Push for Universal Basic Income in Canada
Through an open letter, a petition and other forms of activism, artists and arts workers—like many others—are trying to see the advent of basic income soon
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Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Dismisses Director and Chief Curator Nathalie Bondil [UPDATED]
Bondil’s contract was terminated July 13 following employee complaints and a board conflict. This recap of related media coverage starts on that day, with updates appended for July 14, 16 and 20
Concern Rises Regarding Banff Centre Layoffs, Visual Arts Cutbacks
An open letter that started circulating this week, and signed by several prominent artists and curators, calls for centre leadership to shift priorities
John G. Hampton Appointed Interim Director and CEO of Mackenzie Art Gallery
He will be the first Indigenous director and CEO of a major Canadian art institution—even on an interim basis—and one of his projects is an exhibition on whiteness
More Galleries and Museums Reopen—But Will Audiences Follow?
Last week, some of Canada’s art museums reopened to the public—but a new survey suggests up to 69 per cent of their audience is delaying a return to these spaces
Artist-Run Centres Impacted Differently by COVID-19 Crisis
A recent survey indicates most ARCs predict losing 10 to 25 per cent of their revenue—but the ones that rely on project funding are the most at risk
Art Galleries and Museums Start to Reopen, Where Permitted
Last week, the Winnipeg Art Gallery reopened to the public, along with Quebec City’s Galerie3—but the blockbuster exhibition may never return, says one expert
Passing Time
The isolation of this slow spring has not been easy. Here, Canadian Art editors share thoughts on finding solace in language and surprising moments of coincidence
In Canada, Too, COVID-19 Impacts Commercial Art Dealers—and Their Artists
A new international study has shown a 72 per cent slump in gallery income worldwide due to COVID-19 crisis, and Canada is not insulated from that
65 Arts Organizations Call on Government to Better Support Sector During COVID-19 Crisis
Vancouver Art Gallery, Contemporary Calgary and Beaverbrook Art Gallery sign new open letter saying arts organizations are “facing a threat to their existence”
Museum and Gallery Associations Respond to New COVID-19 Support for Art Non-Profits
Two new national measures—one to support non-profit employment and another disbursing core grant instalments early—could help, but advocacy groups raise questions
In the Studio with Amanda Boulos
“I rely on painting to archive inherited ancestral knowledge,” says artist Amanda Boulos, and while on a residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, she found parallels to Beirut
Art for Strange Times
While we’re living and working in separation, art offers connection, distraction and ways to find ourselves anew. Here, five Canadian Art editors share what we’ve been looking at over the past week
How Arts Funding Is Being Affected by COVID-19
At all levels, from local to national, arts funders in Canada have been trying hard to respond to the COVID-19 crisis
Has “No Tolerance” for Harassment in the Arts Really Worked?
More than two years ago, the Canada Council and Canadian Heritage vowed “no tolerance” for harassment in organizations they fund. But by many indications, there’s still a long way to go
Even Prior to COVID-19 Outbreak, Ontario Galleries Were Facing Challenges
The recent closure of the Norfolk Arts Centre, uncertainty for Rodman Hall Art Centre and conflict between the City of Toronto and the Toronto Media Arts Centre all signal continuing uncertainty for Ontario's municipal galleries
Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre Wins International Award
The centre, which is housed in a former residential school in Sault Ste. Marie, was named Best Cultural Organisation at the Leading Culture Destinations Awards in Berlin
Indigenous Artists Make 68 Cents for Every Dollar Non-Indigenous Artists Make: Report
A new report called Demographic Diversity of Artists in Canada in 2016 is based on census data—and it shows substantial inequities in the national arts field
Former Remai Modern CEO Removed from Human Rights Investigation
Saskatchewan judge rules that inordinate delay in process, and prejudice suffered by former CEO as a result, is sufficient to grant a stay of proceedings against him
OCAD U Accountability Examined in New Report
Initiated after a public demonstration last spring, the report recommends Canada’s largest art and design university update policies and increase Indigenous supports
Creation
Sylvia Nickerson, Drawn & Quarterly, 192 pp., $24.95
From Environmental Activist to Minister of Canadian Heritage
In a Toronto chat just days into leading the nation’s culture file, Steven Guilbeault answers questions on climate crises, museums and an artist resale right
Montreal Artist Tunes In to Connections at Mexico–US Border
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s public artwork used spotlights, voices and heartbeats to manifest deep links between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez
There’s a New Minister of Canadian Heritage
For more than a decade, Steven Guilbeault led the Quebec nonprofit Équiterre. Now, as a rookie MP, he’s taking on Canada’s biggest arts and culture portfolio
Artists’ Public Installation Shut Down in BC
Cedric, Nathan and Jim Bomford’s previous installations in LA, Toronto and Vancouver managed to find workarounds on civic safety concerns. That was not the case in Campbell River
Free Anti-Harassment Training Now Available to Artists and Arts Orgs in Canada
New workshops, supported by federal funding, aim to open up discussion around bullying and sexual harassment in arts workplaces
Artists and Arts Workers Urged to Vote in Federal Election
“I would encourage artists to continue to be leaders in their communities and connected to the issues that matter in their communities,” says a Canadian Arts Coalition representative
Studio Spaces Disappearing in Vancouver’s Eastside: Report
Advocates say the area has the highest ratio of artists per capita in Canada, but facilities for them are increasingly scarce
Artist-Run Auction House Pays Out Artist Resale Right—Even Though It’s Not Legislated Yet
Artist and secondary-market dealer says that 5% of an artwork’s price shouldn’t be too much to ask, or to give, to support a national art scene
Jean Paul Riopelle Foundation Launches in Montreal
The new foundation, chaired by BC patron and collector Michael Audain, aims to increase national and international awareness around the late artist’s work
Some Canadian Arts Institutions Support Climate Strike—but More Sector Action Is Needed, Expert Says
A few art schools—especially ECUAD—made statements in support of the strike. But not many museums participated, or even made gestures toward the event
Vancouver’s Black History Highlighted in Deanna Bowen’s New Public Artwork
The massive wall piece, up for a year, continues Bowen’s focus on Black-, Asian- and South Asian–owned nightclubs in the city in the 1950s
Rarely Seen Gordon Matta-Clark Archive Goes On View in Montreal
Films, drawings and papers donated to CCA by the Matta-Clark estate in 2011 are finally coming out of the box
How Hurricane Dorian Impacted Arts and Culture in Nova Scotia
The Nova Scotia Museum, which runs 28 sites across the province, was hardest hit
Arctic and Amazon Artists Converge at Toronto Symposium
The symposium, taking place September 19 and 20, is a prelude to a wider exhibition and conference coming next year
New Google Doodle Honours Quebec Artist Marcelle Ferron
The doodle is loosely based on stained-glass works that Ferron made for metro stations and other sites around Montreal
Critiques Emerge after $110M Promised to Arts Commons and Contemporary Calgary
$80 million in federal funds is to go toward Arts Commons Transformation, and the other $30 million into a new Contemporary Calgary facility
Court’s New Morrisseau Forgery Decision a “Big Warning to Art Dealers”
Art dealing in Canada may become more transparent, some people hope, in the wake of a groundbreaking court decision issued this week
Artist Speaks Out on Opioid Deaths
Painter Alex Bierk is an addict in recovery, and he wants to keep the conversation alive about a critical social issue not often depicted in Canadian contemporary art
Carmen Papalia with Heather Kai Smith
Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff, June 15 to August 25, 2019
8 Lessons from an Artist-Run Centre’s Massive Expansion
SAW Gallery in Ottawa just opened a new space triple the size of its old one. Here’s what made it possible, and what other organizations can learn from the process
A Vancouver VR Lab Named for Indigenous Matriarchs
The IM4 Lab at Emily Carr University of Art and Design was founded by Loretta Todd, and its name is an acronym honouring four “Indigenous Matriarchs” who lead it
Canadian Impressionism Show Offers Unprecedented View of Overlooked Art-Historical Chapter
The exhibition just opened in Munich, and will soon tour to Lausanne and Montpellier with paintings by the Group of Seven, Emily Carr and Prudence Heward, among others
20-Storey Shepard Fairey Mural Kicks Off New Public Art Series in Vancouver
The mural will debut August 8 on a building near Georgia and Burrard as part of the new Surface Series
New Hope for Rodman Hall
Following controversy and criticism in April, Brock University is now working with a new artist and community board to ensure the future of Niagara’s largest art museum
Extremely Rare Buffalo Robe Painted by Sitting Bull Returns to Saskatchewan
It’s the only such known robe in existence—and for 10 months, it will be in Regina at the MacKenzie Art Gallery
Canadian Artist Cancels US Show After Curator Laid Off
Liz Magor’s exhibition “TIMESHARE” at 500 Capp Street in San Francisco closes this Saturday—months earlier than expected
A Preview of the AGO’s Groundbreaking New Caribbean Photo Collection
The pictures were recently acquired by the Art Gallery of Ontario as part of the largest-known collection of such photographs outside the Caribbean
What’s Missing from the World’s First Gauguin Portraits Exhibition?
National Gallery of Canada director admits more could be done to engage Indigenous artists and thinkers around this landmark show
$4.5-Million Kenora Art Centre to Open This Fall
Opening shows include landmark donation of 65 local Walter J. Phillips works, as well as a focus on Professional Native Indian Artists Inc. and the Triple K Cooperative
Artist Calls for More BIPOC Artworks and Staff at Canadian Museums
Chukwudubem Ukaigwe organized a performance in Winnipeg to highlight the whiteness of gallery collections. He also says there aren’t enough BIPOC staff at Canadian museums
Maria Hupfield of Indigenous Womxn’s Collective Reflects on Impact of Whitney Biennial Action
Ontario-born, New York–based Anishinaabe artist Maria Hupfield speaks about participating in the public action, which demanded Whitney board member Warren Kanders be removed
Indigenous Artists Collaborate on New Opera about the Beothuk
Jordan Bennett, Meagan Musseau, Jerry Evans, Lori Blondeau and Aria Evans are some of the talents who have brought the new Shanawdithit opera—which has its world premiere tonight—to fruition
New Graphic Novels Take On Motherhood and Postpartum Depression
At the Toronto Comic Arts Festival this week, five mothers and artists talked about opening up the graphic-novel field to tales of perinatal illness, traumatic birth and caregiver reflection
Lindsay Montgomery Paints Ceramic Art to Tell Feminist Stories
“For so long we were told ‘something that is decorative can’t be conceptual’—and that’s just sexist,” says this award-winning Canadian artist and teacher
Nadia Myre and Alan Michelson Recraft Venice’s Links to Indigenous Peoples
With glass beads and ocean buoys, Myre and Michelson address Venice as a place where some of the first European books and maps about Indigenous peoples were published
Art Gallery of Ontario Launches $35 Annual Pass
Pilot project hopes to increase accessibility and make gallery-going a habit—but some members are unhappy about the way the new initiative is being rolled out
Zacharias Kunuk Speaks on Isuma’s Venice Biennale Project
“We plan to film live at our floe edge, from the ice and the sea, where hunters hunt seals, and broadcast halfway around the world to Venice”
Montreal’s Phi Makes Venice Debut during the Biennale
Following projects in Amsterdam, Luxembourg and New York, Phi’s first foray in Venice features Marina Abramović and Renata Morales
Another Rembrandt You Can See For Free Arrives in Kingston
Curator says there are only seven authenticated Rembrandt paintings in public collections in Canada—and the Agnes Etherington Art Centre in Kingston owns four of them
Artists and Art Orgs Still Have Questions about Canada Council Changes
Over the past year, the Canada Council has overhauled its funding model dramatically. Artists and art organizations are broadly satisfied with the changes, but still have some questions
Montreal’s McCord Museum Receives $15 Million for New Expansion Project
The new 10-storey vertical reno will also house the collections of the Stewart Museum and the Fashion Museum
Artists in Toronto and Montreal Call for Removal of Whitney Museum Board Member
Thirza Cuthand and Caroline Monnet are both featured in this spring’s Whitney Biennial in New York—and both say board member Warren B. Kanders must go
Shifts Begin for Vancouver City Arts Funding
A new, more equity-focused assessment process has seen funding drops for some arts organizations, and important boosts for others. And there’s more to come.
Shocking Norval Morrisseau Forgery-Ring Story Hits the Big Screen
Curator hopes new film sheds light on “what happens when a significant person's work is capitalized upon by the unscrupulous”
More on the Plan for a New, $140-Million Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
The plan, revealed in recent days, touts a waterfront location and a much-expanded exhibition space
Esmaa Mohamoud Win Leads TFVA Awards
Mohamoud’s evocative works on sport, gender and blackness were recognized with a $15,000 Artist Prize. Other honourees this year include curator Katharine Lochnan
The Indigenous Repatriation Handbook Is Out Now, and Ready to Grow
This free, much-needed e-book was spotlighted at the Canadian Museums Association National Conference—an event heralding other key developments on Indigenous-museum relations, too
Auction House Loses, Museums Win in Federal Court Appeal
The Federal Court of Appeal finds that judge in a previous ruling didn’t grant CCPERB the deference it deserved in Caillebotte art-export decision
Questions Emerge About Métis Artist Funding in Quebec
Quebec’s arts council doesn’t accept Métis artists in its Recognition Program for Indigenous People—and says it’s because of provincial government guidelines
Former OCADU Instructor Found Not Guilty of Sexual Assault
A jury acquitted Keesic Douglas of sexual assault charges on April 13 at Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice, in Toronto
Sexual Assault Case of Former OCADU Instructor Heads to Court
This week, a jury heard testimony about incidents in a university darkroom, the Toronto Star reports
Here Are Ontario’s Highest-Paid Museum and Gallery Directors
The highest museum salary in Ontario, according to a new public list detailing provincial payrolls, is $516,308—much higher than what most folks in the arts make
When 1980s Classic Rock Becomes Public Art
A new public artwork by Kevin Schmidt pays tribute to Bryan Adams’s Reckless album in his hometown of North Vancouver—with riffs both sincere and ironic
The Many Creative Influences of Director X
“I can’t do that dance: The art-world dance,” X says when asked about artists he admires. “But I do know what resonates.”
Budget 2019 Changes Canada’s Art Laws, and More
Arts and culture organizations say they’re happy to see a restoration of incentives for cultural-property donations, and a boost to some arts-festival funding
Concordia’s Faculty of Fine Arts Gets $5.6 Million Donation
The gift from the Peter N. Thomson Family Trust will go toward graduate scholarships, cultural immersion opportunities for students, as well as large-scale student and faculty projects
Remai Modern CEO Responds to Harassment Allegation
Gregory Burke says he is “eager to clear any speculation of wrongdoing” and that further comment is coming soon. Board chair Scott Verity also issued a statement about workplace complaints at the museum.
“Canada Needs a More Robust Strategy on Cultural Diplomacy”
Why international relations will be a big focus for Simon Brault, the newly reappointed Canada Council director, in his second term
Canada Council Starts Pilot for New and Early Career Artists
The new program permits people who may not have qualified for a grant previously to apply for one
Remai Modern CEO Under Investigation by Human Rights Commission: CBC
The CBC is reporting that the investigation is related to a harassment complaint filed by a former female co-worker. It’s the latest in a series of concerning reports about the Remai.
Students and Others Speak Out on NSCAD University Strike
Multiple students say they are unhappy with how administration has handled labour concerns at the art school, and at least one city councillor is also concerned about the strike
What Will Our Next National Gallery Director Do?
Sasha Suda is smart, strategic and ambitious. She hasn't even started her new job as National Gallery of Canada director yet—but she already seems to be looking beyond it
Ontarians Protest Cuts to Indigenous Culture Fund
The fund provided “opportunity for cultures to be reborn, to be restored and revitalized within their own communities, driven by their own communities—this is exactly what the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called for,” says Jesse Wente
After Vancouver Strike, More Arts-Workplace Concerns Surface
Action by Vancouver Art Gallery workers puts spotlight on urgent labour issues at museums and art galleries across Canada
Canadian Museum Plans Exhibition on Menstruation
“Flow” opens March 6 at the Museum in Kitchener—the city that is also home, incidentally, to the DivaCup
BC Arts Council Gets $15 Million Boost in New Budget
The new BC provincial budget also mentions funds for a capital project at the Royal BC Museum
New Director Named for the National Gallery of Canada
Alexandra Suda, currently a curator of European art at the Art Gallery of Ontario, is the first woman to lead the NGC in more than 20 years
Strike Ends at Vancouver Art Gallery
Following session with a mediator on Sunday, gallery workers voted to ratify new offer on Monday
National Artist Laureate Bill Fails in Parliament
An artist laureate bill failed in the House of Commons—but arts groups are speaking out, and a senator says she will reintroduce the bill as soon as possible
Support Grows for Striking Vancouver Gallery Workers
Major patrons, local artists and other museum workers are speaking up
More Youth Visit Art Galleries Than Expected
And other lessons from a new study on arts audiences in Canada
Unprecedented Art-Law Appeal Heads to Court
A number of Canadian art museums are interveners in the appeal, arguing that the results affect public collections in a huge way
Vancouver Art Gallery Workers Go on Strike
Wage increases below the rate of inflation are a concern for workers, as is two-tier hiring
Vancouver Art Gallery Staff Give Notice to Strike
Gallery workers have been without a contract since 2017. The earliest staff could strike would likely be during the week of February 4
NSCAD Faculty Union Votes to Strike
Teachers and staff at the Halifax art school say they want same pay as peers at other Nova Scotia universities—especially now that NSCAD has posted a surplus
Shuvinai Ashoona Wins $50K Gershon Iskowitz Prize
The Inuk artist, known for her striking large-scale drawings, will have a related exhibition at Art Gallery of Ontario
Vancouver Art Gallery Gets $40 Mil for New Building
This Chan family gift is the largest-ever single private donation to an arts and culture organization in BC—and it brings the Herzog & de Meuron design closer to reality
Thunder Bay Art Gallery Gets $3.5 Mil Closer to New Building
With the latest donation to the building project, the gallery gets within 90 per cent of fundraising goal for a new waterfront property
1,000 Indigenous Artworks Given to Regina’s MacKenzie Gallery
Art by Ningiukulu Teevee, Joane Cardinal-Schubert, Alex Janvier and Shuvinai Ashoona are among the works donated.
15 Canadian Sites Make International Art Destinations List
Public artworks by Janet Cardiff, Douglas Coupland and Stan Douglas are among the highlights of a new Phaidon guide. But there are significant omissions, too
Study: Canada’s Arts and Culture Charities Are Falling Short
A recent study rates culture charities low on financial and social-impact transparency. But an arts leader says the study ignores key data
Photos of Young Indigenous Athletes Become Public Art
Ten-foot-tall portraits of players from a Squamish Nation girls basketball team will be displayed at a Vancouver SkyTrain station during the Capture Photography Festival
Carrie Mae Weems Leads 2019 Contact Festival in Toronto
One of the world's largest photography festivals has released its preliminary lineup. Other features include Nadia Myre, Ayana V. Jackson and Carmen Winant
New Project Turns Vancouver Buses Into Moving Public Art
Thirty TransLink buses will be wrapped with art for the year-long project. The buses will also host artist talks and art-making activities for families
Roundup: Canada’s Top Art News Stories of the Year
A repatriation push, a deaccessioning scandal, and a federal court upset: these are some of the stories that led national art news in 2018
A Year in Motherhood
Sometimes I doubt the value of talking about motherhood and the arts. But listening to some artists who are moms reminds me of the importance of doing so
New Public Art Series Links Moncton’s Past and Present
The 13 artists in Images Rémanentes riff on historical artworks (and art absences) in Acadie
Artists Protest Ontario Arts Council Indigenous Culture Fund Cuts
Petitions are circulating, and supporters are encouraged to write letters to MPPs and government leadership
MOCA CEO Abruptly Moves to AGO
Heidi Reitmaier began her CEO term at MOCA Toronto in January 2018. And in early 2019, she becomes deputy director and public programming chief at the AGO
New Award to Recognize Canada’s Outstanding Small Galleries
The Naomi and John Lacey Incubator Prize, created in association with the National Gallery of Canada, will reward the small, often artist-run, galleries that have taken big risks in developing national art talent
Government Cuts $50 Million for New Brunswick Museum Rebuild
Windows leak and the roof urgently needs replacing in the collections area, but provincial government has withdrawn monies promised for new building
Art-by-Prescription Trend Grows in Canada
Selected health-care providers can now write prescriptions for free visits to the Royal Ontario Museum and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts—and more galleries might be on board soon, too
Hard Lessons from the AGO’s Kusama Crowdfunding Problems
The Art Gallery of Ontario set out to raise $1.3 million in 30 days for a new Infinity Room. It ended up with half of that. Here are a few takeaways
Montreal Has a New Art Award
The recipient of the inaugural prize was announced this evening alongside winners of the Prix Pierre-Ayot and Prix Louis-Comtois
On Laundry, Playgrounds, Kids and Other Lost Art Legacies
Nobody becomes an artist alone—though that’s a favoured canonical myth. Montreal art duo Leisure, in contrast, surfaces relationality, family and connection
Montreal Film Fest and Image Biennial Team Up for First Time
In a new initiative, FIFA and Momenta are co-producing a program of emerging video art practices
A Bit of the High Line Is Coming to Toronto
The High Line Network Joint Art Initiative, which includes Toronto’s Bentway and three American sites, will launch its inaugural project in 2019
SFU Plans New Art Museum for Burnaby
12,000-square-foot facility to open in 2022 and replace existing 1,000-square-foot SFU Gallery
Reflecting on Canada’s Fall Auctions, Beyond the Big Sales
Without a resale right, artists are still losing thousands on secondary-market sales, and some wonder if the larger wins of the season can be sustained
Four Canadian Galleries Selected for NYC’s Armory Show
Two are new to the fair, while two others have already had successes there
Records Broken at Canada’s Fall Auctions
Heffel, Waddington's and Consignor all held their major fall auctions this week. Here are some of the highlights
Crisis Photography in Focus, and None Too Soon
As photos of California fires and Yemeni starvation dominate newsfeeds, the Ryerson Image Centre mounts a critical look at photographs of past crises
Indigenous Contemporary Art is Focus of New Edmonton Centre
The collective-run Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre will open downtown in late summer of 2019
Kapwani Kiwanga Wins Sobey Art Award
Born in Hamilton in 1978, Kiwanga studied anthropology and comparative religion at McGill University in Montreal. Now based in Paris, she takes home the $100,000 Sobey first prize.
Canadian Art Gallery Attendance Continues to Grow
A new study shows that public art gallery attendance has doubled in Canada over the past 25 years or so
Veronika Pausova Paints a Spidery Sublime
This artist spins webs of imagery by turns cartoonish and trompe l’oeil, ab ex and VFX, rife with loopy insects, nail-bitten fingers and other surreal turns
New Indigenous Biennial Launches at Winnipeg Art Gallery
The first Winnipeg Indigenous Biennial, themed on water, climate change and sustainability, is to commence in 2020
Art Curators and Dealers Still Can’t Agree on Court Decision
A recent panel on a contentious art-export ruling highlighted different points of view within Canada’s cultural sphere
Rhonda Pelley Divines a Newfoundland Tarot
The artist fell in love with her home province when surveying women affected by the fishing moratorium in the 1990s. Now, she pays homage to local truths, and myths, in a different way
Digging Deeper into the AGO’s Effort to Crowdfund a Kusama
The Toronto museum has made headlines with its attempt to raise $1.3 million in just 30 days in order to acquire a new Infinity Mirror Room. But what are the implications?
Manif d’Art, Now Quebec’s Only Contemporary Art Biennial, Makes Changes
With the demise of the Biennale de Montréal earlier this year, Manif d’art in Quebec City has become the province’s only contemporary art biennial. And it’s making some moves
Toronto Biennial Announces Artists
In fall 2019, the first Toronto Biennial of Art will spread itself along the city’s oft-neglected waterfront, with hopes to fight transient curatorial whims of the global biennial form
News in Brief: A Vancouver Museum Readies for the Big One
The Museum of Anthropology preps for earthquakes. Plus: Remai Modern tops its first-year attendance targets, significant fall auction items are revealed, and more.
Artist-Run Centres Leave Calgary Arts Commons
After more than 20 years of programming the +15 Galleries spaces at Arts Commons, five artist-run centres say a lack of transparency and respect has pushed them away
News in Brief: Vancouver Galleries at Risk and More
Plus: Canadian art and artists at FIAC, some big new shows and public art updates
Gender Inequality Is Still Real in Canada’s Arts Scene
New culture study confirms women’s incomes are lower than men’s, and that women’s artistic works receive significantly less public visibility and recognition
The World’s Biggest Indigenous Screen-Content Festival Grows
imagineNATIVE, now in its 19th year and based in Toronto, adds an expanded industry program and a large-scale digital/interactive showcase this year
News in Brief: $1 Million to the Inuit Art Centre and More
Also: announcing the EDAA award winner, remembering Pierre Théberge, and tracking multiple job shifts for curators and critics
Of #MeToo, Mental Health and the Arts
Famed Austrian artist Otto Muehl went to jail for sexual offences against minors. His art-world bios rarely acknowledge that—or the deeply traumatic impacts. Now, an arts festival tries to shed some light
A New Royal Alberta Museum Opens to the Public
It’s double the size of the old site—and questions the harmful “triumphalist story of Prairie settlement” told by older incarnations of the museum
News in Brief: A Free Indigenous Arts Guide for Classrooms
Plus: a call to action to end cultural appropriation in Canada, progress on #MeToo and the culture sector, chewing gum as public art, museum crises and more
Canada Needs New Museum Policy and Funding: Report
The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage calls on the federal government to respond to urgent needs in the museum sector
Gathie Falk and Others Featured at Frieze London
The Vancouver artist, along with Elizabeth McIntosh, Zadie Xa and more, are among the highlights of this week's fair, which puts concerted focus on women
News in Brief: A New Lind Prize Winner
Plus: a $3.5 million museum expansion, Inuit public art, hard data on admission-fee increases and more
Precarity a Major Concern for Canadian Art-School Faculty
Without contract academic labour, says one instructor, the nation’s art schools would collapse
News in Brief: Support Builds for Censored Artwork
An artwork on trans visibility recently removed from Arts Commons has found new venues in Edmonton, Calgary and Windsor. Plus: the Sobey Art Award announces a new set of residencies for select artists
Art, Development and the New MOCA Toronto
With five floors, 55,000 square feet and new commissions by Nep Sidhu and Rajni Perera—as well as contributions by international stars like Barbara Kruger—MOCA hopes to double its old attendance numbers
“If Emily Carr Were Born in Seattle, She’d Be World-Famous”
As curator Ian Thom prepares to open his final exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery, he discusses what he’s learned about Canadian art—and its problems
News in Brief: Public Art Galore and More
A massive shadow of a tree is now installed as art at UBC. Plus: six Canadians make the ArtNews Top 200 Collectors list and the Serpentine Pavilion is coming to Canada
Censorship Issues Surface at Arts Commons in Calgary
First, a video about trans visibility was switched off. Then, a gallery was told to remove even the switched-off monitors, as well as a printed poster listing names of murdered trans people
The Haida Language on Film, in Depth and at Last
A conversation with Gwaai Edenshaw: jeweller, carver and co-director of the world’s first Haida-language feature film
Do Canada’s Art Laws Need to Change?
The nation’s major museums are pushing for a speedy appeal to a recent court ruling. But is it the ruling, or the law itself, that needs to change?
News in Brief: Inuit Art Moves and More
The Kenojuak Cultural Centre opens and Avataq Cultural Institute joins forces with a museum. Also: a Chagall controversy revelation
TIFF Premieres Notable Artist Films
Maria Lassnig, Richard Billingham, Sky Hopinka, Beatrice Gibson and Steve McQueen are among those featured
MacKenzie Art Gallery Receives $25 Million Anonymous Donation
It's the largest such donation in the gallery’s history, and will support expanded exhibitions and programs
#MeToo at the Museum
Two Canadian museums have tried to address #MeToo in their programs lately—and gotten a lot of things wrong. What is the way forward?
News in Brief: An Indigenous Art Park Is Coming Soon, and More
A new park featuring public art by six Indigenous artists is opening imminently in Edmonton. Plus: A Victoria curator wins a Warhol grant, a Canadian is shortlisted for Ireland's largest art prize, and lots of staffing updates
The AIMIA | AGO Photography Prize Is No More
Leading Canadian photo prize quietly winds down after a decade of activity
News in Brief: Kanata Cancelled and More
The consequences grow for Robert Lepage’s cultural appropriation, comedians unite to get their art form officially recognized, Jillian Tamaki wins an Eisner Award, and New York’s New Museum comes to Canada
Artists Protest Jordan Peterson Talk at Calgary Arts Commons
Creators of open letter include leaders of local artist-run centres
Steve McQueen’s Latest Film Gets World Premiere at TIFF
The award-winning UK artist and filmmaker to debut Widows in Toronto in September
News in Brief: Canada at the Liverpool Biennial and More
Funding issues for the Vancouver Art Gallery expansion and more damage to public art (and its reputation) are also in the news this week
How Do the Latest Federal Culture Funds Actually Break Down?
Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly recently announced $125 million in new culture funding and export initiatives. Here’s how it breaks down, and how some art businesses are affected
Regional and Indigenous Arts Key to New BC Arts Council Plan
New strategic plan lays out broad strokes for new $15 million in funding promised by provincial government
After SLĀV, Some Next Steps
The Montreal Jazz Festival has cancelled SLĀV. What needs to be eliminated next is systemic bias in the arts
World Cup Meets White Cube
Artists and curators program soccer-related art for gallery spaces—and kick around ideas about politics and power in the process
Gillian Siddall Named President of Emily Carr University
During her term, Siddall hopes to prioritize decolonization and transdisciplinary research
News in Brief: Big Steps for Calgary and Victoria Galleries, and More
Chagall's controversial Eiffel Tower goes on view at the National Gallery, the Remai board disagrees with Saskatoon city councillors, and an artist designs an emoji for National Indigenous History Month
Montreal’s Big-Time Warhol Collector
How did Paul Maréchal become one of the world’s biggest collectors of Warhol’s printed matter? It all began with a Paul Anka album, and a dream
News in Brief: Artists Get New National Gallery Agreement and More
Plus: a new director of visual arts at the Banff Centre, a new director and Aboriginal curator at Open Space, Contact Festival and Fogo Island award wins and more
Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan Win $30K Award of Distinction
Since 1989, Winnipeg duo’s breakthrough feminist art includes We're Talking Vulva, Lesbian National Parks and Services, and A Day in the Life of a Bull-Dyke
Records Set at Canada’s Spring Auctions
A $3.6 million Borduas led sales at Toronto auctions in recent days
A Conversation with Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
On the occasion of his new Canadian survey, the Montreal-based interactive-art pioneer talks about his love of Agnes Martin, his melding of bytes with Bach, his grapplings with public-art censorship and more
An Unprecedented Sobey Shortlist
For the first time in the award’s history, four out of five finalists are BIPOC
Inside the Indigenous Architecture Project in Venice
On Saturday, “Unceded: Voices of the Land”—presented by Douglas Cardinal—opens to the public at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Get a preview here.
Musqueam Artist Susan Point Wins $30K Audain Prize
Lifetime achievement award honours Point as a key figure in re-establishing the vitality of Salish art.
Moyra Davey Wins $50K Scotiabank Photography Award
”Her lens shifts our eyes to unseen, ordinary, and often overlooked moments,” said award jury chair Edward Burtynsky.
Why the Chagall Debacle Still Matters, and What to Fix Now
The National Gallery of Canada is withdrawing Chagall’s La Tour Eiffel from a Christie’s auction. But its systemic accountability issues still need addressing.
Low Pay in the Culture Sector Hurts Artists—and Audiences
A new study says that real wages in Canada for arts managers and administrators have stalled since 2008. Here’s why that matters.
The New Ottawa Art Gallery Promises to Welcome All
Offering free admission, nightly access till 9 p.m., and free childcare every Wednesday afternoon, the new OAG emphasizes access as well as aesthetics.
Marc Mayer on the NGC’s Chagall Deaccession
In this interview, the National Gallery of Canada director and CEO says he never saw the Chagall deaccession controversy coming—and that the gallery is as transparent as it should be.
What to Know About the National Gallery’s Latest Chagall-David Move
Canada’s National Gallery has issued a release that brings some clarity to its recent decisions around deaccessions and acquisitions. But is it enough?
25 Artists Longlisted for the Sobey Art Award
The list represents a wide range of artists—some well-known, and some not—that everybody should be paying attention to.
The Many Lives of Vikky Alexander
In a career-spanning interview, the artist reflects on how her 1980s reshoots of fashion-magazine editorials have found a new audience in Canada and internationally.
Can Deaccessioning Become More Transparent?
An in-depth look at why public communication and engagement—or lack thereof—became a stumbling block for the National Gallery of Canada in its big Chagall sell-off.
Is This the Painting the National Gallery Is Hoping to Acquire After Chagall Sale?
Multiple breaking news stories suggest a Quebec church is the holder of the neoclassical canvas—and that the National Gallery is getting blowback from other museums.
National Gallery of Canada Deaccessions Eight More Objects
It's not just Chagall. Following Christie's announcement that it will be auctioning off the National Gallery of Canada's La Tour Eiffel, the gallery has shared that it is deaccessioning more from its permanent collection.
National Gallery of Canada Deaccessions Chagall Painting
The French painter’s La Tour Eiffel is of high value, and expected to fetch $6 to $9 million US at Christie’s. Why is Canada’s national art museum getting rid of it?
Biennale de Montréal Files for Bankruptcy
The critically lauded but financially troubled biennial reportedly leaves more than $200,000 of debts in its wake—much of it owed to art handlers and movers.
Nationwide Public Art Project to Feature 50 Indigenous Women
It started as an idea in the heart of Winnipeg. But this spring, “Resilience” will be on billboards from coast to coast to coast. Curator Lee-Ann Martin tells us how.
Three Artists Shortlisted for $50K Scotiabank Photography Award
The peer-reviewed award aims to recognize the achievements of established mid-to-late-career photo-based artists.
Three Artists Win New Generation Photography Award
A trio of younger Canadian artists—all of them women—each receives this inaugural edition of the prize, which is associated with the National Gallery of Canada’s Canadian Photography Institute.
What Artists and Art Orgs Need to Know About Budget 2018
The arts largely went unmentioned in this week’s federal budget release. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things to celebrate—as well as be concerned about.
Into the Deep
Tazeen Qayyum follows a cockroach into a black hole around beauty, legibility and the void.
Artists Win Governor General’s Awards
Seven Canadian artists—and one curator—are each $25,000 richer today thanks to the 2018 Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts.
What Happens (Or Doesn’t) at the Residency for Artists on Hiatus
In 2013, Shinobu Akimoto and Matthew Evans launched an artist residency that got rid of the art-making. Here’s what they’ve learned along the way.
Art Book Publishing in Canada Takes a Hit
What’s the future of Canadian art catalogues in the wake of Black Dog Publishing’s recent bankruptcy?
Canada’s Admissions-Fee Problem
When New York’s Met Museum hiked admission fees, an outcry ensued. Where are the dissenting voices north of the border?
Can the Public Be Trusted to Make Public Art?
After years of development, and days before launch, an interactive public artwork was shut down by authorities. The reason: fear of hate speech.
Art in 2017: A View from Toronto
Sometimes public art is the only art that the public ever sees. Here are outstanding examples from this year.
Craft Artists Concerned about Ontario Crisis
One of Canada's oldest and largest craft organizations needs $250,000 to stay alive in 2018.
Assault Allegations in the Halifax Arts Scene
The often close-knit Halifax arts community is grappling with how to best respond to allegations of assault by a former AFCOOP staffer.
Ticketing Chaos Hits AGO’s Kusama Show
Four hours. Six hours. More than twelve hours. This is how long many Art Gallery of Ontario members had to wait online to buy tickets for "Infinity Mirrors."
Tiny Art Houses Stand Up to Pipeline
This week, artists Christi Belcourt and Isaac Murdoch participated in the Tiny House Warriors project, which puts art-covered homes in path of a pipeline.
A $5 Million Art Fraud
A suit filed in Quebec Superior Court claims that Phi Centre's former president defrauded it—and its founder Phoebe Greenberg—of some $5 million.
Fall Auctions Test International Waters
Toronto isn't exactly an international art-market hub, but at least one auction house is trying to keep the dream alive.
Unmasking Rape Culture
The exhibition “20 Minutes of Action,” and a related conference, shed light on sexual violence within and beyond the white cube.
Major Canadian Collector Accused of Sexual Harassment
French-language newspaper La Presse publishes major exposé with multiple allegations against François Odermatt
Meet the Burlington Artist in the Istanbul Biennial
Iraqi-Canadian artist Mahmoud Obaidi has exhibited all over the world. But his art is rarely shown in Canada itself.
Turning Toronto’s Negatives into Art Positives
Artist Christian Kliegel's installation at Art Toronto uses cast potholes as supports and landfill debris as counterweights.
Kris Knight’s New Paintings Offer a Softer Masculinity
The Toronto painter has spent a decade upending notions of traditional machismo. How will his solo booth at Art Toronto resound in the age of Trump?
Mi’kmaq Artist Ursula Johnson Wins Sobey Art Award
Nova Scotia–based artist takes home $50,000 art prize with a remarkable moose-fence installation that portends bigger works and new materials.
Alex Colville’s Studio, Revealed
Alex Colville's studio has been donated to Mount Allison University where, this month, it will be unveiled.
This Artist Wants You to Adopt an Oil Well. Here’s Why.
Alana Bartol’s Orphan Well Adoption Agency helps Canadians make an emotional connection to the energy industry—and some of its consequences.
New Auction House Puts Montreal, and Dealers, Back in the Game
ByDealers is what it sounds like: an auction house run largely by dealers themselves. First lots include Riopelle, Ferron, Mitchell and more.
6 Questions About Canada’s New National Holocaust Monument
Canada’s new—and only—National Holocaust Monument opened to the public this week. Here are a few things to know about it.
10 Years of DHC/ART Foundation
On the 10th anniversary of DHC/ART, founder Phoebe Greenberg reflects on the changing Montreal art scene and her initial inspirations.
A Few Lessons on Making Art for the End of the World
The climate is changing. Nuclear tensions are rising. Forest fires are burning. And Imre Szeman wants to talk about how art and ideas can help.
What Was Revealed During Canada’s #AskACurator Day
An ancient nail clipper, a slightly less ancient video game, and a very-not-ancient arts and culture problem.
Meet the Canadians Who Published Solange’s Art Book
Montreal publisher Anteism has found success in the competitive art-book realm.
Meet Momenta Biennale, the Successor to Montreal’s Mois de la Photo
With a curator from France, the new Momenta Biennale de l’image aims to put Canadian and international artists on the same platform.
See Inside Canada’s Newest Art-School Campus
Coming in at $122 million and 290,000 square feet, the new campus for the Emily Carr University of Art and Design is worth a look.
Ending Nostalgia at the Heritage Museum
Nostalgic props—from period costumes to horse rides—create a false sense of the past at many museums. A curator, with artists, is aiming to subvert that.
The World’s Newest Biennale, in Outport Newfoundland
Spread over 50 kilometres of rugged coastline, the Bonavista Biennale aims to create a unique combination of art, people and place.
Claudia Rankine in Banff: On White Supremacy, Art and America
“Things are about to get bad in ways that we will and will not see,” said the award-winning poet during a July lecture. And she was right.
Bringing Skatepark to Still Life
Vancouver artist Andrew Dadson paints landscape in a way that highlights how it will keep changing—with or without him.
Artists and Art Installers Still Unpaid by Biennale de Montréal
Six months after the closing of the latest Biennale de Montreal, the event says it is in a "precarious" financial position, with some artists still unpaid.
What Makes a Canadian Artist?
A new group exhibition at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto tackles the complexity of Canadian identities.
Meet the Gatekeepers Flagging the Latest Annie Leibovitz Debacle
Generous donation? Or tax haven? It’s up to CPERB—a little-known Canadian group—to determine the difference.
A Stroll Through the Museum of Walking
What scaffolds, structures and supports exist for walking-based art and artists?
What Sells at a Canada 150 Auction?
On June 27, Waddington’s in Toronto held what it called “The Canada 150 Auction.” Here are 12 objects from the event, all of which found ready buyers.
Step by Step: Artists Walk to Resist Colonization, Ableism and More
Walking in North America has associations to colonial exploits. But it can also be leveraged to resist colonialism, racism, ableism and more.
Photographing the Artist’s Studio—More Than 100 Times Over
Hamilton photographer Joseph Hartman spent four years visiting artist’s studios across the country. Here are some behind-the-scenes views he captured.
The Art of Vaccination
What can art bring to emotionally charged debates around vaccination? This is just one question raised by a Canadian-led exhibition on now in Geneva.
$7.4-Million Jean Paul Riopelle Painting Breaks World Record at Auction
It is the second-highest amount ever paid for a Canadian artwork at auction—and according to auction house, it signals Toronto as a new art-market centre.
Canadian Oil Sands Waste Targeted in American Exhibition
On the Southeast Side of Chicago, an Alberta oil sands byproduct has wreaked environmental havoc. Artists, and an art museum, are responding.
Lani Maestro Bridges Boundaries at the Venice Biennale
Once a Halifax art professor, now a Venice Biennale exhibitor, Lani Maestro reminds viewers that "categories are not that important; consciousness is."
Inuit Art Makes a Global Breakthrough at the Venice Biennale
Inuit art is being featured at the Venice Biennale's main exhibition for the first time ever. See most of these drawings, and get the backstory, here.
Why We Need to Keep Talking about White Privilege in Arts Education
A recent study showed students at Toronto’s arts high schools are twice as likely to be white—reflecting a national trend. We need keep talking about that.
Hotboxing the White Cube: The Rise of Cannabis Culture in High Art
Pot is more visible than ever in North American pop culture. And it’s reaching into contemporary art, too.
A Conversation with the Artist behind UBC’s Reconciliation Pole
Haida master carver James Hart has been creating totem poles for more than 30 years. But he has never worked on anything quite like the Reconciliation Pole.
Winnipeg to Host Canada’s First Big Sixties Scoop Art Exhibition
The damage of the Sixties Scoop has been profound, and overlooked, for decades—but a new exhibition may mark a period of recognition and visibility.
How Will the Canada Council’s New $88.5 Million Digital Fund Be Spent?
Canada Council CEO says nation needs digital projects that benefit not just individual artists or organizations, but the entire arts sector.
When Menstruation Meets Decoration
What if house paint was mixed to match menstrual blood? What if a period stain was stitched in red beads? One artist has answered these questions—and more.
Canadian Lani Maestro to Represent Philippines at Venice Biennale
Canadian artist Lani Maestro—born in the Philippines and also based in France—is gearing up to exhibit at the Venice Biennale’s Philippine Pavilion.
Canadian Artists Out in Force at New York’s Armory Week
This week is one of the biggest in New York’s year of art. And many Canadian artists, gallerists and collectors are on hand.
Iranian Art Show in Toronto “More Charged” in Light of US Travel Ban
As some artists cancel travel to a rare survey of contemporary Iranian art debuting in Toronto, their art gains renewed relevance.
Canadian Artists Struggle with US Travel Ban
For some Canadian artists, the recent American travel ban is the latest in a stream of Islamophobia that has affected their lives and careers for years.
Curator Reminds Us That #RefugeesMakeCulture
The Centre Pompidou. “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Cloud Gate. Broadway Boogie-Woogie. None of these would exist without refugees, Brendan Cormier points out.
Building Prisons In Order to Destroy Them
With investments in the prison industry skyrocketing, the sculptural practice of Montreal’s Sheena Hoszko is more relevant than ever.
Police Repression and Black Activism Highlighted in New Exhibitions
From 1963 to 1971 to 2017, from Birmingham to Attica to Toronto, new shows from the Ryerson Image Centre are tackling police repression and black protest.
Aida Muluneh: From Ethiopia to Canada and Back Again
Aida Muluneh is shown from New York to Johannesburg, Basel to Addis Ababa. But few know that her photo love began in a tiny high-school darkroom in Calgary.
Artists and Allies Resist #Canada150 Push on Social Media
It’s just a couple of weeks into 2017, but Indigenous artists and their allies have already generated cogent critiques of the official #Canada150 hashtag.
Community Concerned After Toronto Gallery Co-Owner Tasered by Police
On New Year's Eve, Blank Canvas Gallery's co-owner was tasered by police—raising questions about racial bias in policing, and in the Canadian art scene.
Study: Canadians Spending Less Time on Arts and Culture
Canadians are spending less time and money on arts, culture and social leisure than they did before the recession. And art orgs need to take action.
Art in 2016: From Many, One
A critic at midlife on art that condenses time—wide, inconceivable, generational time—through repetition and incantation, aggregation and association.
Eliza Griffiths: Painting the Psyche
“The theme that has been emerging for the past while is trying to heal dysfunction and trauma,” Griffiths says. “But the humour sort of mediates it.”
Artists Question Proposed Changes at Newfoundland Art Gallery
Artists have "serious concerns about the impact that this restructuring could potentially have on the art gallery" at the Rooms, says one representative.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy: Art Can Be Activism
Anyone who thinks that art can’t affect politics—or that activist art can’t win widespread recognition—should learn about Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.
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Canadian Art Historian Embroiled in Van Gogh Sketchbook Controversy [Updated]
Canadian art historian Bogomila Welsh-Ovcharov has found herself at the centre of an international Van Gogh sketchbook controversy.
Canada Council Head Promises “New Era” in Arts Funding
In March, Trudeau’s government announced $550 million in new funding for the Canada Council. Today, the Council revealed how it will be spent.
What Happened When One Artist Tried to Walk Calgary’s 174-km City Limits
Canadian artist Alana Bartol took the notion of the flâneuse to a new level when she spent 10-hour days trying to trace Calgary's sprawling city limits.
Art Toronto Sales Report: Variations on a Theme
As Art Toronto exhibitors head home this week, many are thrilled with the sales they made at Canada’s largest international art fair. Some are disappointed.
Inuk Artists End Hunger Strike as Government Promises Action at Muskrat Falls
Inuit artist Billy Gauthier and writer Delilah Saunders, among others, ended hunger strike this morning as the government agreed to reconsider hydro risks.
Meet the Artist Who Crochets Paint
For the past five years, Vancouver artist Angela Teng has been crocheting paint. Here's why.
4 Questions for the Artists Behind Toronto’s Fake Condo Signs
Is Toronto the condo-parody art capital of North America?
Video: Kenojuak Ashevak Featured in New Heritage Minute
The first Heritage Minute ever to pay tribute to an Inuit artist takes on one of the greats—the late, world-renowned Kenojuak Ashevak.
A Different Way for Teenage Girls to Go Wild
When I found out my baby was going to be female, I was terrified. But an artwork made with teenage girls reminded me how stereotypes fuel this fear.
Inuit Artist on Hunger Strike to Protest Hydro Project
An award-winning artist who roots his work in Inuit land and traditions is on hunger strike due to concerns about methylmercury poisoning risks.
Parviz Tanavoli: The Leading Iranian Artist Who Calls Vancouver Home
After 27 years in Canada, a public-art breakthrough: Tanavoli's sculptures are finally installed for all to see. Here, some lessons from a life in art.
Scream into my Sculptures, Please: Babak Golkar and the Art of Frustration
From scream pots to must-wait-100-years time capsules to lost-in-Walmart sculptures—on view during London's Frieze Week—Vancouverite Babak Golkar surprises.
Indigenous Artists Remix NFB Footage in Four Films
The NFB invited artists including Kent Monkman and Caroline Monnet to create films from its archival clips. The results are remarkable—and they’re online.
Déja Viewed: Michael Snow on Looking Back, and Ahead
Toronto artist Michael Snow has had a six-decade career that’s about as influential as they come. Now, he discusses his past, present and future.
Sexual Assault: The Roadshow Takes Art and Activism Across Ontario
A transformed shipping container, organized by activist Jane Doe and poet Lillian Allen, blends art and activism to resist a culture of sexual assault.
Why Art21 Thinks Vancouver is Canada’s Top Art City
When the award-winning American TV series ART21 decided branch out into Canada, it put Vancouver first. Here’s why.
Meet the Artist Who Embroiders Kleenex and Cheerios, Not Cloth
Cheerios, paper towels, bouquets of flowers, leaves, and yes, Kleenex—Kate Jackson only wants to embroider materials whose lives are shorter than her own.
Public Art: It’s (Still) A Man’s World
It’s 2016. And for some reason, most public art commissions in Canada are still going to men.
Curators Demand Changes to Culturally Diverse Grant
A new petition calls for the Ontario Arts Council to widen the scope of Culturally Diverse Curatorial Projects and Aboriginal Curatorial Projects grants.
“Monumental Knitting” Circle Comes to Quebec this Weekend
Knitting circles are nothing new. But knitting a huge circle simultaneously, with some 80 people alongside you, together? That's a North American premiere.
Mike Bourscheid: Vancouver’s Other Venice Biennale Artist
Most Canadian art-worlders know that Geoffrey Farmer is showing in Venice. But what about Mike Bourscheid?
Meet the Brit Picked to Lead Canada’s Most Canadian Art Gallery
Is one show on Emily Carr, and another on the Group of Seven, enough experience to guide Dulwich's Ian Dejardin as he prepares to lead the McMichael?
Maud Lewis Biopic to Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival
The Canadian premiere of the biopic featuring Sally Hawkins as the iconic Nova Scotia folk artist will take place September 12 in Toronto.
Why Ontario’s New Culture Strategy Still Needs Work
Last week, the government of Ontario announced its first-ever culture strategy. It's a big step forward—but there's still a ways to go.
Montreal Artist Opens a Concert Hall—In Her Uterus
Dayna McLeod speaks about the grand opening of her Uterine Concert Hall, a small but "flexible and expandable" venue that wittily critiques sexism and bias.
Artists Pay Homage to Western Canada’s Gay Bar History
In the mid-1980s, Calgary had 18 gay restaurants, bars, baths and cafes. By 2014, there were only three. Artists Kegan McFadden and Mark Clintberg discuss.
Montrealer Becomes a Director for Venice Biennale
Montreal's Marie Chouinard, who has worked on dance's cutting edge for more than 30 years, has been appointed director of dance for the Venice Biennale.
Fight for your Data—And Other Ways to Design the Future
Gesche Joost, a designer and advisor to the EU, chats in Toronto about ways to fight the growing digital divide and create a more inclusive tech future.
Yvonne Mullock and the New Stampede Aesthetics
What is it like to be a printmaking assistant to a horse? One Calgary artist found out when she staged this warm and witty reframing of cowboy culture.
The Art of Diplomacy: What Obama Saw at our National Gallery
On June 29, the National Gallery of Canada hosted to the North American Leaders’ Summit. Here's some art that the presidents and PM saw.
Arts Reps Decry Exclusion from Cultural Advisory Group
Who gets the Heritage Minister’s ear during “a sweeping review of Canada’s cultural policies”? Not, it seems, experts in visual and literary arts.
Finally: An Artist-Fee Calculator for Canada
Traditionally, figuring an artist fee in Canada has not been easy. But that changes this week with the launch of a one-click online fee calculator.
Ottawa Gallery Pilots Free Child Care at Art Openings
Child care is an accessibility issue for galleries and museums, says Stephanie Nadeau, curator of public engagement at the Ottawa Art Gallery.
New AGNS CEO: Audiences More Vital Than Architecture
Libraries have adapted to people’s needs better than a lot of museums have, says Nancy Noble, new director of Atlantic Canada's biggest art museum.
Witness Blanket Melds 800+ Residential-School Artifacts
It likely all began with a single brick from Alberta. Now, The Witness Blanket is a huge installation built from 800-plus residential-school artifacts.
Why Canada’s Next Masterpiece Might Be 3-D Printed
Two of Canada’s top artists—Geoffrey Farmer and Duane Linklater—have, perhaps unexpectedly for their fans, snagged a new 3-D printing grant.
Wear Seth—And New Fabrics by 9 Other Canadian Artists
Fans of internationally renowned Canadian comics artist Seth will be able to purchase some of his custom-designed fabric starting this month.
8 Questions about Art, Motherhood and the Anthropocene
There’s discourse about art and motherhood, art and the Anthropocene, motherhood and climate change. In Edmonton this week, these topics finally intersect.
When a Private Trans Archive Becomes Public Art
The Casa Susanna photographs once belonged only to a small, private community. Now, they are public art. What are the ethical consequences?
45 Artists Named for Ambitious Biennale de Montréal
Can Montreal become home to “one of the most influential contemporary art biennials on the planet”? Partners in the Biennale de Montréal hope so.
Moyra Davey Discusses Her Mother Reader, 15 Years On
Acclaimed Canadian artist Moyra Davey published her perennially relevant Mother Reader in 2001. Now, she reveals how motherhood continues to affect her art.
Paper Hearts: In the Studio with Lizz Aston
Canadian artist Lizz Aston makes remarkable, often sculptural, works out of delicate materials—namely, papers, dyes and doilies. See how in this video.
When Postpartum Depression Becomes Performance Art
Through her recent performances and installations, Winnipeg artist Sarah Anne Johnson pays homage to her grandmother, who suffered from PPD—and much worse.
Guy Maddin, Net Artist? Auteur’s Latest “Film” Launches Online
Filmmaker Guy Maddin's latest project mixes his classic black-and-white scenes with GIF-y grabs—and is made to be experienced online.
Prestigious Awards Shine Light on Vancouver Artists
At the Audain and Viva awards ceremony this evening, top prize went to a man whose video was once called "not art" by the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Art as Child’s Play: Recent Projects with Kids in Vancouver
We live in an adult-centric world, not to mention an adult-centric artworld. So it's worth reflecting on what it means to produce art with children.
25 Canadian Artists Longlisted for $50K Sobey Art Award
It’s a year of change for the award, with a new National Gallery partnership and one international juror being added to the mix.
OCADU Receives $27 Million for Expansion
OCAD University plans to expand campus by 55,000 square feet to increase presence on McCaul and Duncan Streets in Toronto.
Louise Blouin Named in Panama Papers
Montreal native Blouin—publisher of Art + Auction, Modern Painters, and Blouin Artinfo—has been named in the Panama Papers, the Toronto Star reports.
New Brunswick Arts Board Budget Slashed
Sources say the cuts at ArtsNB have implications that stretch well beyond the arts specifically, or New Brunswick in particular.
Canadian Artists Win Guggenheim Fellowships
Fellowships, pulled from an applicant pool of 3,000, are designed to support recipients for six months to one year.
Beyond Press Releases: 5 Questions About Art Institutions
How does the “if you build it, they will come” syndrome persist? When will everyday citizens get their due in the naming-rights game? Questions abound.
How a Cartoonist Can Change an Art Gallery
In the past few months, cartoonist Eric Dyck has held live drawing sessions in and around the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery. Here's what he found.
Ambitious Plans Unveiled for New Canadian Art Museum
Can Canada’s newest art museum really act as “everyone’s living room”? Chantal Pontbriand, CEO of the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto-Canada, certainly hopes so.
Secrets of Canadian Museums Revealed
Photos seized by the government. Ancient Paleo-Indian tools stored in a barf bag. Stolen paintings. These are just some of the items revealed by #secretsMW.
Georgia O’Keeffe Loved Canada, “A Grand Place to Paint”
In 1932, Georgia O'Keeffe made two trips to Canada, praising the landscape in letters home. Some of her canvases made here also prefigure later work.
8 Things Everyone Needs to Know About Art and Disability
Number one, says Eliza Chandler of Tangled Art + Disability: recognize that disabled people aren't just audiences—they are artists, too.
Bold New Quebec Museum Addition Ramps Up for Opening
Quebec City boasts North America's first museum building by Rem Koolhaas' Office for Metropolitan Architecture.
How to Turn Your Local Mall into an Art Space
Frederic Loury, director of Art Souterrain, curates a 7-kilometre-long Montreal exhibition in 13 different non-art spaces. Here, his insights on success.
The Artist Who Reclaims What ISIS Has Destroyed
Iranian-American artist Morehshin Allahyari uses 3-D printers to bring ISIS-destroyed artifacts back to life. Now, she offers them in a Toronto world debut.
Drake-Parody Instagram Feed to Become Public Art in the 6ix
Drake is no stranger to the art world—but he's seldom been in official public art. That ends May 1, when Contact launches a @UofTDrizzy poster project.
8 Reasons the Camera Obscura is Still Worth Celebrating
Camera obscura tech may be ancient, but its sculptural possibilities keep it a favourite of some artists. Giant gold nugget as imaging device? No problem.
AGO Looks to the US for New Director Pick
Taking the helm of one of North America's largest art museums, Honolulu's Stephan Jost faces challenge of maintaining revenues for the institution.
When Is First Nations Art Also Outsider Art?
Paintings by late Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw artist Henry Speck are at the Outsider Art Fair in New York this week. But is that the right place for them?
Picturing Parenthood: A Conversation with Calgary Photographer Dona Schwartz
Perfect-belly pics and ideal-nursery fantasies get a reality check in Calgary photographer Dona Schwartz's new book and exhibition On the Nest.
Wafaa Bilal Revives Iraqi Library in Ontario Show
Wafaa Bilal's upcoming project at the Art Gallery of Windsor aims to collect 1,000 books requested by students and teachers in Baghdad.
6 Ways to Resist Art’s Dehumanization of Indigenous People
Lakota artist Dana Claxton reflects on how her newest body of work seeks to rectify the objectification of her people and their cultural belongings.
6 Questions About Art & Parenthood
When will the artworld finally be okay with parents making work about one of their primary life-changing experiences?
Marcel Barbeau, Painter Till the End, Dies at 90
One of the first Canadian painters to embrace abstraction died on January 2 in Montreal following a seven-decade career.
Leah Sandals’s Top 3 of 2014: This Time, It’s Personal
Leah Sandals lists her top three art experiences of 2014, focusing on art that resonated personally and offered moments of reflection.
5 Questions for Canadian Turner Prize Nominee Ciara Phillips
In this interview, Ottawa-born, Glasgow-based Turner Prize nominee Ciara Phillips talks collaboration, printmaking, social change and Canadian influences.
Artists Reach Trial Agreement with Nat’l Gallery
Following more than a decade of negotiation and litigation, the National Gallery of Canada is close to reaching an agreement with key artist groups on fees.
Amy Malbeuf Q&A: My References, My Self
Edmonton installation by Alberta-raised artist merges traditional Aboriginal craft with a range of quotations influential to her practice.
The House That Art Education Built
New Brunswick's Mount Allison University may be small, but it hopes to set a new standard for art-ed facilities with its latest building.
Exposure Photo Fest to Go Alberta-Wide in 2015
Focused on Calgary, Banff and Canmore for the past 10 years, the festival is now seeking proposals from across Alberta.
10 Thoughts on Why Nuit Blanche Has Triumphed—and Tanked—Across Canada
Over the past decade, Nuit Blanche-style events have spread from BC to Nova Scotia—what are the pros and cons of this?
Painter & Award Founder Joseph Plaskett Dies at 96
Respected BC-born artist known for intimate still-lifes founded $25,000 annual award for emerging Canadian painters.
5 Questions for CARFAC Arts Advocacy Winner Johnnene Maddison
Maddison, the 2014 winner of CARFAC's National Visual Arts Advocacy Award, talks about pressing issues facing Canadian artists today, and how to help.
Newfoundland Selects Artists for 2015 Venice Biennale
Jordan Bennett and Anne Troake have been selected as the artists in Newfoundland and Labrador's official Venice Biennale submission for 2015.
Hard Edges Cushioned at Softening the Corners
Birch Contemporary, Toronto July 17 to August 30, 2014
When Abstraction Gets Real: Nicole Ondre & Neil Campbell
Diaz Contemporary, Toronto July 26 to August 23, 2014
Canada-US Border in Focus in Windsor Exhibition
Art Gallery of Windsor January 25 to April 13, 2014
Divya Mehra Troubles Stereotypes in Toronto
Georgia Scherman Projects, Toronto March 6 to April 12, 2014
Photo-Art Show Takes on Topsy-Turvy Weather
Gallery 44, Toronto January 10 to February 15, 2014
Alex Bierk: When Addiction Becomes Art
General Hardware, Toronto January 16 to February 15, 2014
Heather Goodchild and Jérôme Havre: Fictions and Legends
Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto December 11, 2013, to April 13, 2014
A Flight from Face to Face, in Toronto
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto October 26, 2013, to May 2014
Duane Linklater: From the Inside Out, in Barrie
MacLaren Art Centre, Barrie December 5, 2013, to March 9, 2014
Art Toronto Responds to Monday-Opening Questions
Metro Toronto Convention Centre October 24 to 28, 2013
AGAC Reinforces Quebec Presence at Art Toronto
Metro Toronto Convention Centre October 24 to 28, 2013
Top Collector Observations at Art Toronto
Metro Toronto Convention Centre October 24 to 28, 2013
Whither the Next Generation of Canadian Art?
Metro Toronto Convention Centre October 24 to 28, 2013
More Artists Representing Themselves at Art Toronto
Metro Toronto Convention Centre October 24 to 28, 2013
Steady As She Goes: Art Toronto’s Leaders Talk Fair Challenges & Future Plans
Metro Toronto Convention Centre October 24 to 28, 2013
Amélie Proulx Wins $10,000 RBC Emerging Ceramics Award
Quebec City artist surprises with her unconventional approach to ceramics, winning public vote with a mechanical porcelain garden.
Q&A: Geoffrey Farmer Launches Haunted House in Edmonton
Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton September 14, 2013 to January 12, 2014
Q&A: Winnipeg’s Stephen Borys on Masterworks & Museums
Winnipeg Art Gallery May 11 to September 2, 2013
Q&A: Kent Monkman on the Calgary Stampede, Castors & More
Glenbow Museum, Calgary May 25 to August 18, 2013
Screen and Décor Finds Digital Through Analog
Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, Toronto June 8 to August 17, 2013
Louise Bourgeois and David Armstrong Six Meet at MOCCA
Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto June 22 to August 11, 2013
Q&A: Carson Chan on Denver’s Biennial & Urban Destinies
Various locations, Denver July 16 to September 2, 2013
Thunder Bay’s Definitely Superior Wins $50,000 Premier’s Award
Award recognizes active youth mentorship and collective program in addition to regular exhibitions at artist-run centre.
Jeremy Bailey Aims at Change with Important Portraits
Pari Nadimi Gallery, Toronto April 4 to May 4, 2013
The Atlantic Symposium: Art Crit as Nowhere… or Everywhere?
Various locations, Halifax April 19 to 21, 2013
From Cutting-Edge to Razor-Edge: Why the Plasticiens Matter
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec February 7 to May 12, 2013
Carol Wainio on Wentegate, Fairy Tales & Climate Change
Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto February 22 to March 23, 2013
Julia Dault’s First Canadian Solo Show Intrigues
Jessica Bradley Annex, Toronto January 25 to March 9, 2013
Even “Master Artists” Struggle, Met Matisse Show Opines
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York December 4, 2012 to March 17, 2013
Cedar Tavern Singers’ “Art Snob Solutions” Bring Smiles & Second Thoughts in Ottawa
Carleton University Art Gallery, Ottawa October 15 to December 16, 2012
Canadian Biennial Aims to Build Different Vision of National Art
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa November 2, 2012, to January 20, 2013
Suzy Lake: The School of Life
MSVU Art Gallery, Halifax, Aug 25 to Oct 7 2012
Mark Clintberg: Reno Rapture
Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton Jul 14 to Dec 30 2012
Heavy Industries: Big Art Business
Some of Canada's best known pieces of public art have come from one facility: the 36,000-square-foot shop of Calgary's Heavy Industries, which has carved an unusual niche in the field. In this article from our current issue, Leah Sandals finds out more.
Diane Borsato: Building on the Ephemeral
Over the past 10 years, Toronto artist Diane Borsato has built an increasingly concrete art career out of remarkably ephemeral works. In this article, Leah Sandals tours Borsato’s solo show at the Art Gallery of York University, feeling for hints of what might come next.
Clint Neufeld: The Difference Engines
Over the past five years, the ceramic engine sculptures of Saskatchewan artist Clint Neufeld have won increasing recognition. With a Mendel Art Gallery opening this week, and MASS MoCA’s “Oh, Canada” on the horizon, Neufeld talks with Leah Sandals about his military start, farm heritage and more.
Valérie Blass: Going All Out
Since a breakthrough at the 2008 Quebec Triennial, Valérie Blass’ star has risen quickly, and for good reason. Her current solo show in Montreal continues to demonstrate the evolution of a distinctly humane and witty sculptural intelligence.
Marina Abramović: The Gifts of the Present
This week, a new documentary on Marina Abramović had its Canadian premiere at the Reel Artists Film Festival in Toronto. In this interview with Leah Sandals, Abramović talks about the film, fundamental beliefs and future plans.
Shary Boyle: National Treasure, Too
Toronto artist Shary Boyle is known for taking on ambitious projects. One of her latest endeavours attempts a “preposterous, yet semi-logical, system of ancestry” for a generic Canadian artist. Here, Leah Sandals reports on the new work’s satire and seriousness.
Leah Sandals’ Top 3: The Institution, Reframed
Part 2 of our year-end best-of series offers top picks by our contributing editors and art director, and kicks off with a posting by associate online editor Leah Sandals. For Sandals, art's institutions (and their troubles) are what stood out during 2011.
Canada in Miami: Not-So-Cold Comforts
What's left to say about this year’s Art Basel Miami Beach and its dozens of concurrent fairs and events? Quite a lot, if you’re looking to know the Canadian artists, dealers and presence there. Find out more in Leah Sandals’ report.
Marc Mayer: The National Gallery and Taxpayers’ Money
Last week, National Gallery of Canada director Marc Mayer gave public talks in Toronto and Winnipeg on an oft-controversial arts topic: taxpayers’ money. Here, in follow-up interview with Leah Sandals, he discusses what he’s like to do with the gallery’s budget in the future.
Nuit Blanche: Alight, but for how Long?
Though Toronto’s Nuit Blanche is often a jubilant celebration, it's shadowed this year by the threat of municipal arts funding cuts. In this interview, programming manager Julian Sleath talks with Leah Sandals about the context and content of this Saturday’s fest.
Jamasie Pitseolak: Northern Soul
A serpentinite motorcycle, a stone-carved guitar and a caribou-antler camera: these are some of sculptures spurring interest in Jamasie Pitseolak, a Cape Dorset artist who, at 42, is opening his first solo exhibition in Vancouver this week.
Leah Sandals’ Top 3: Reassured by Objects
Is this what too much time on the web will do to a critic? Associate online editor Leah Sandals decides to get physical with her year-end picks, which tend to craft, sculpture and other tactile, three-dimensional realms.
Old School, Cool School
Heather Nicol finds the future on Shaw Street
Valérie Blass: Particle Collider
Though its industrial past was downright gritty, Montreal’s Darling Foundry is, today, a pretty tidy place. On the first floor, two large, pristine galleries host exhibitions. On the third floor, artists and curators lunch in a stylish open kitchen. Even on the second floor, where the artists’ studios are located, the hallways are clean, with nary a blot of paint or a dot of clay in sight.
Trade Secrets
Whither the “public” in “public art gallery”? Where’s the exhibitionism in exhibition-making? If the broadly understood purpose of art can be summarized by that old E. M. Forster chestnut “only connect,” why then does there seem, at times, to be so much disconnect between art and its audiences?
GGs in Review: Raising the Ottawa Bar
Though often considered staid, Ottawa is the city where the prime symbolic battles of Canadian visual culture are waged. Accordingly, the just-opened Governor General’s Awards exhibition provides much to debate about.
NeoHooDoo: Meet Me in Miami
It’s not uncommon, when visiting the Miami area during March Break, to run into fellow Canadians on the beach. But it is a surprise to run into familiar names like Brian Jungen and Rebecca Belmore at Florida’s major art museum. The context—a strong travelling exhibition called “NeoHooDoo”—makes the encounter extra-fortuitous.
Symposium Report: We, Ourselves and Us
With Obama in the White House, and confidence holding in the Canadian parliament, it’s timely to discuss the intersecting possibilities of community and history. So it was at “We, Ourselves and Us,” a recent symposium on themes of community featuring talks by Simon Critchley, Maria Lind, Nina Möntmann and others.
Jennifer Stillwell: Grate Expectations
If there’s anyone who can inject vibrancy into the mundane, grey everyday of Canadian winters, it’s witty sculptor Jennifer Stillwell. Now, with a solo exhibition on in Winnipeg, Stillwell chats about Canadian Tire, brain freezes, her new public art project and more.
Class of 2008
At the threshold of the art world: ten standout M.F.A. graduates
Trade Secrets: Swapping Curatorial Confidences
The past decade has seen tons of interest in the ways that architecture affects our experience of art. But what about the invisible conceptual architectures—that is, the theories and practices of curating—that affect our experience of art regardless of starchitect-led renos? Leah Sandals reports on a recent Banff Centre conference dedicated to discovering the meaning of curatorial life.
Interview with Kitty Scott: Banff’s 75th, Serpentine Lessons, National Gallery News Frenzy and More
As the Banff Centre celebrates its 75th anniversary, Kitty Scott, its director of Visual Arts, is reaching a different kind of milestone—completion of her first year there. Now, Scott talks about bolstering Banff, protecting the National Gallery, learning in London and more.
Joan Stebbins: Laframboise, and a Lethbridge Love Letter
Curator Joan Stebbins received the Order of Canada for her 25-year cultivation of Canada’s contemporary art. Now, after stepping down from the Southern Alberta Art Gallery’s top curating job, Stebbins talks about the gallery’s current Marie-Josée Laframboise show, a recent Shary Boyle survey and advice for young curators.
Cross-Country
Art professionals offer thoughts about Canada's largest city and art scene
The Bike Lane
There’s nothing like this year’s headlines to make Futurism feel like a quaint remnant of the past. Enamoured of internal combustion engine–propelled speed and flashy automobiles, it’s a school that’s hard to make a case for during our current moment of global warming and rising gasoline prices.
Pierre Huyghe
“Celebration Park,” Pierre Huyghe’s first solo exhibition in Britain, might have worked better if it had switched entrance facades with the Kandinsky exhibition that was showing concurrently at Tate Modern.
