A visit to the Taipei Biennial, pictured here, was part of the most recent AICA international congress activities. Photo: Facebook / AICA USA.
The past decade has seen a burgeoning of art criticism programs at the post-secondary level in Canada. UBC was the first to offer a Master’s in Critical and Curatorial Studies in Canada. OCAD University has also stepped up, and now has both a BFA and MFA in Criticism and Curatorial Practice. Emily Carr University of Art and Design offers a Critical and Cultural Practices BFA, while the Alberta College of Art and Design has a BFA Critical and Creative Studies program. And the University of Toronto recently started offering a BA in Visual Studies with a specialty in critical practices as well.
But over the same decade, the vitality of AICA Canada—our national chapter of the International Art Critics Association—has fallen on harder times. Though the Canadian chapter has been around since 1955, of late membership has slid, and leadership been sometimes uncertain.
Now, however, a small group of critics and writers is looking to rebuild AICA Canada and attract new members.
AICA Canada’s new board, established in December 2018, includes William Forrestall, Reesa Greeberg, Michelle Jacques, Sarah Parsons and Jeffrey Spalding. It is led by interim president Chantal Pontbriand; Peggy Gale is vice-president, Édouard Lachapelle is interim treasurer and Nina Czegledy is interim secretary.
“AICA Canada was once very active—it had prizes and publications,” the new AICA Canada vice-president Peggy Gale tells Canadian Art.
Gale says one of the things she has always valued about her AICA membership—she has been a member for some years—is the way it provides access to an international network of art galleries, museums and art events. It is a professional credential and identification especially valuable for freelancers, she contends.
“The AICA card is a proper press card,” says Gale. She says she has accessed MoMA, the Grand Palais, the Venice Biennale and many other institutions with her valid AICA membership card. Given that AICA, internationally speaking, is headquartered in Paris, Gale says it is particularly recognized in Europe.
The renewed group is encouraging anyone interested to take note of their next application deadline: February 20.
Also, “the new executive since December plans to revitalize the association by setting up archives, holding seminars and symposia and developing links with various countries,” says a letter by interim president Chantal Pontbriand.
Some other AICA chapters internationally are quite active. The US chapter has more than 500 members, as well as a Young Art Critic’s Mentoring Program and Art Writing Workshop. AICA UK runs an annual lecture event, among other programs.
Internationally, AICA also runs an annual congress in which many members are involved. The most recent one took place in November 2018 in Taiwan and was themed on “Art Criticism in the Age of Virtuality and Democracy.” The next one is due to take place in the first week of October in Cologne and Berlin, Germany.
Gale says membership is free for the first year, and roughly $90 per year thereafter. Application information is available by contacting AICA at: aica.canada2019@gmail.com.
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