Julianna Yau’s blog

I’ve been doing more in the “real world” the past few days, and am terrified of the total count of blog posts waiting to be read. I’m very tempted to simply hit the wonderful “mark all as read” button!

What I’ve been up to:

• getting my studio and Globe Studios ready for Doors Open Waterloo next Saturday
• sculpting!
• meeting with Cindy Jacobsen
• meeting with Bill Poole from the Centre for Cultural Management and Technology In The Arts Canada to discuss my involvement with the next TitA conference

What’s coming:

• Thomas Homer-Dixon lecture: “Crisis and Resilience: Why the Future Won’t Be Anything like the Past and What We Can Do about It”
• more sculpting!
• Doors Open Waterloo
• opening receptions for exhibitions at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery
• CARFAC Ontario AGM
• Grace Wescott at the next ALAI meeting
• sleep, I hope!

I met with Cindy Jacobsen today to discuss some of the concerns artists have with the actions and direction with the Conservative government. These are, of course, not exhaustive or exclusive, but represent some of the high-profile areas:

Copyright

• creators’ groups not being consulted for the past two copyright bills, even though these groups exist and want to be involved
• the problems with DRM as an option to protect copyright, why it impacts consumers and artists, and how DRM is already posing a problem for consumers
• the monetization of filesharing is an option creators want, particularly when the pricing models ISPs offer are allowing them to profit greatly from the demand for content

C-10

• I only mentioned this in passing, but its “against public policy” stance speaks for itself

Funding & appreciation of the arts

• the arts funding cuts have been devastating, particularly because there was no consultation with the arts community
• there already isn’t much grant money available — an emerging artist grant from the OAC is merely $5,000
• artists aren’t looking for a handout (e.g. I work the equivalent of two full time jobs, with a day job as “private funding” for my arts practice), but need governmental support with things like reintroducing/strengthening the arts in primary and secondary schools, introducing more percent for art programs, and making policy changes to make affordable and safe live-work space available
• recognizing and fostering the need for art & culture to be part of a healthy community and a rich part of our lives

I felt really good about the meeting, and Cindy definitley understood the issues without me needing to convince her that there were problems.

I have still not heard back from Andrew Telegdi’s office with regards to a meeting.