Julianna Yau’s blog

This is a very exciting press release that came through my email from multiple sources today.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — February 11th, 2008Following the recent Visual Arts Summit, a new group of visual arts organizations has come together to form the Canadian Alliance for the Visual Arts (CAVA). Rather than an official organization, CAVA is an independent alliance of national visual arts organizations determined to advance the status of visual arts in Canada. Through communication, cooperation and collaborative action this network will achieve common goals, as outlined in the Visual Arts Summit’s Collective Agenda. (www.visualartssummit.ca)

Representatives from eleven of Canada’s national arts service organizations make up CAVA’s membership. These organizations, though diverse in focus, each have a vested interest in the promotion and advancement of Canadian visual arts. CAVA’s main objectives are to speak with a unified voice, to develop a cohesive strategy to improve the socio-economic conditions of artists, and to pursue the health of our art galleries, museums, artist-run centres and commercial art dealers so that Canada’s extraordinary visual arts can flourish.

After two productive teleconferences, CAVA held their first face-to-face meeting in Montreal on February 1st, with another scheduled for the 14th of March. These meetings have set in motion a number of joint projects which will affect change for Canadian visual arts, both in the artistic community and the general public. The group looks forward to the upcoming announcements on the disbursement of new funding by the Canada Council for the Arts, and will be in attendance at the Council’s meetings on February 12th.

For more information on CAVA and their planned initiatives, contact any member:

Shawn Van Sluys, Ottawa
Canadian Art Museum Directors’ Organization
613-862-5035, shawn.vansluys@camdo.ca

Lise Leblanc, Ottawa
L’Association des groupes en arts visuels francophones
613-244-9584, lleblanc@agavf.ca

April Britski, Ottawa
CARFAC (Canadian Artists’ Representation)
613-233-6161, carfac@carfac.ca

Christian Bédard, Montréal
Le Regroupement des artistes en arts visuels du Québec
514-866-7101, Christian.bedard@raav.org

Daniel Roy, Montreal
Artist-Run Centres and Collectives
514-524-4529, danielroy@arccc-cccaa.org

Maegen Black, Fredericton
Canadian Crafts Federation
506-444-3315, info@canadiancraftsfederation.ca

John McAvity, Ottawa
Canadian Museums Association
613-567-0099 x226, jmcavity@museums.ca

Patricia Feheley, Toronto
Art Dealers Association of Canada
416-323-1373, gallery@feheleyfinearts.com

Milly Ristvedt, Toronto
Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
416-408-2718, milly@kos.net

Jennifer Dorner, Montréal
Independent Media Arts Alliance
514-522-8240, dir@imaa.ca

Ryan Rice, Kahnawake, QC
Conference Aboriginal Curatorial Collective
514-756-6602, directoracc@gmail.com

There are merely two days left to send letters and emails of concern regarding the proposed drilling near The Spiral Jetty. If you don’t have time to draft a letter or email, you can use the standard letter from The Spiral Jetty website (PDF warning).

Here’s the email I sent:

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Honourable members of government,

RE: Application #8853

I am writing in opposition to the exploratory drilling in Utah’s Great Salt Lake which is being proposed by Pearl Montana Exploration & Production.

This proposed drilling is not merely an environmental concern, but one of preserving a work of land art. A drilling operation in such close vicinity to Robert Smithson’s The Spiral Jetty threatens it physical and artistic integrity. I thoroughly support the concerns of the Dia Art Foundation on this matter (http://www.diaart.org/dia/press/spiraljetty_drilling.html).

The Spiral Jetty has found its home in the Great Salt Lake, but is a work of art to be enjoyed by all. I urge the state to give serious consideration to the detrimental effects that drilling will have on Smithson’s work and on the environment, and to deny this and any future filings in the North Arm of Great Salt Lake that similarly constitute a threat to the artwork and the surrounding environment. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Julianna Yau