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arts commission by llona Be/ks Vision to Victory Arts Symposium '99 lunch--but h e r e at S y m p o s i u m '99 t h e r e i s ! " In fact, m o r e than lunch is free today. T h e r e is n o registration or workshop fee, o r c o s t of any kind t o participants. It's all a p a r t of the Commission's commitment t o develop, e n c o u r a g e , and s u p p o r t t h e arts i n d u s t r y o n t h e N o r t h Shore. First o n the agenda is K e y n o t e S p e a k e r Jill W e a v i n g . W e a v i n g is an artist, c o m m u n i t y arts p r o g r a m m e r w i t h the V a n c o u v e r Park B o a r d , and r e s e a r c h c o o r d i n a t o r at C a n a d a C o u n c i l . H e r talk, " A r t i s t s W o r k i n g W i t h C o m m u n i t i e s . " is t h o u g h t p r o v o k i n g and stimulating as she s h o w s slides illustrating c o m m u n i t y and public a r t p r o j e c t s in V a n c o u v e r . " T h e challenge f o r the artist in these types o f p r o j e c t s is t o get p e o ple w i t h i n t h e c o m m u n i t y t o think, trigger n e w ways of l o o k i n g at t h i n g s . . . " says W e a v i n g . " F o r e x a m p l e , o n e artist put a g r o u p of chairs in h e r driveway and s c r e e n e d films o n the garage d o o r s . S o o n , p e o p l e in t h e neighbourhood, w h o never interacted w i t h each o t h e r , w e r e sitting together, l o o k i n g at t h e films, and talking." She d e s c r i b e s h o w a g r o u p of artists p o o l e d t h e i r r e s o u r c e s and p r i n t e d a n e w s p a p e r s u p p l e m e n t containing t h e i r images and v i e w p o i n t s that they eventually d i s t r i b u t e d t o o v e r 30,000 h o m e s inside a real estate p u b l i c a tion. W e a v i n g urges artists t o rethink gallery s h o w s as t h e p r i m a r y way t o get t h e i r art s e e n . " A f t e r the o p e n i n g night, h o w many p e o p l e c o m e t o t h e g a l l e r y ; Take a s e r i o u s l o o k a putting A t " M a r k e t i n g for Visual Artists." o n e of the m o s t p o p u l a r sessions. A l i c e R i c h gives p r a c t i c a l , useful ideas y o u r art in public places. M o r e and m o r e , c o r p o r a t i o n s and c o m m u n i t i e s are p r o v i d i n g funds for this type of work." W e a v i n g instills a sense of p r a c t i cal o p t i m i s m w h i l e gently nudging artists t o l o o k b e y o n d the t r a d i t i o n a l avenues t o e n h a n c e t h e i r w o r k , t h e i r p r o c e s s , and t h e i r bank a c c o u n t . Inspired and o p t i m i s t i c , e v e r y o n e sets f o r t h e b r e a k o u t sessions, m o r e c o n c e r n e d a b o u t " M a k i n g It H a p p e n " than the weather. It's difficult t o c h o o s e w h i c h t h r e e of the six intriguing w o r k s h o p s t o a t t e n d . But in t h e e n d , y o u c o u l d n o t go w r o n g . In " T h e Taxing P r o b l e m . " W i l l i a m W o r r a l l . Q . C . , cuts t h r o u g h the daunting m a z e o f legalese in a straight-ahead p r e s e n t a t i o n a b o u t t a x a t i o n and i n c o r p o r a t i o n issues f o r selfe m p l o y e d artists of all disciplines. B e f o r e W o r r a l l even speaks, a c a r t o o n b u b b l e p o p s above my head encasing the w o r d s , "I a m an arts major." I realize that s o m e w h e r e along the way, I have fallen into the insidious trap that as an artist, I am a b s o l v e d of all responsibility t o deal w i t h such uncreative m a t t e r s such as i n c o m e tax, G S T , and copyrights. the N o r t h Shore Arts Commissioners (from right to left) Barbara Perrault, Mary Shaughnessy, John Blanche Kennedy, Howard, Ann Lee Barnes, Una Fester, and staff Mary Anderson & Lori J a n u a r y 23, 1999. I'm driving up t o t h e Lucas C e n t r e , site of t h e s e c o n d annual N o r t h Shore Arts Symposium. It's billed as " a day f o r artists and arts w o r k e r s t o gather, share ideas, n e t w o r k , and learn n e w and creative ways of p r o m o t i n g t h e m s e l v e s . " Interesting, m o t i v a t i n g stuff. But, it's also the first sunny Saturday in w h a t s e e m s like m o n t h s . B l u e - s k y d e p r i v e d , I w a l k in t o the c e n t r e t o r e g i s t e r . T h e fresh s n o w e d - u p o n m o u n t a i n s w h i c h are literally at the back d o o r of t h e c e n t r e taunt m e . Inwardly I l a m e n t , " l s h o u l d be up t h e r e o n skis right n o w ! " Symposium organizers. N o r t h S h o r e A r t s C o m m i s s i o n e r s , and v o l u n t e e r s stand w i t h a n x i o u s a n t i c i p a t i o n greeting registrants, put J! up i n f o r m a t i o n bulletin b o a r d s , and guide p r e s e n t e r s , p e r f o r m e r s , and j£ 2o e x h i b i t o r s . D e s p i t e t h e best-laid plans, they k n o w they have t w o f o r m i d a b l e tasks ahead of t h e m today. T h e first is t o m a t c h t h e success of last year's s y m p o s i u m , w h i c h b r o u g h t artists and s t a k e h o l d e r s t o g e t h e r t o e x c h a n g e ideas o n " H o w t o G e t R i c h in t h e A r t s . " It d r e w 100 m o r e p e o ple than t h e anticipated 5 0 . and e x c e e d e d their expectations. A p r e c e d e n t had been set. T h e s e c o n d challenge? T h e sun. It t h r e a t e n s t o be a d i s t r a c t i o n . I make my w a y t o t h e cafeteria, w h e r e the 100-plus participants are w r a p p e d a r o u n d highly inviting and appetizing coffees, juices, teas, s c o n e s , and muffins. W e all, quietly, gaze w i s t fully at the g l o r i o u s brilliant day o u t s i d e w h e n suddenly, d r u m s , h o r n s , t r u m p e t s , and t r o m b o n e s call us t o a t t e n t i o n and f o r m a l l y signal the beginning of the s y m p o s i u m . A live m a r c h i n g band issues an " a r t i s t i c - c a l l t o - a r m s , " and although I d o n ' t realize it at t h e m o m e n t , it sets the t o n e f o r the day. D o n W i l l i a m s , chair. N o r t h S h o r e Arts Commission (NSAC). welcomes us in the main f o r u m . " T h e y say there's n o such thing as a f r e e lUtk Sitane rts c o w a ^ i Q Ph/7/ips hear from the community at feedback session at the end of the day. Photo by llona Beiks