The Future of Art in Public Spaces
May 7, 2014 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Part of the Pressure Cooker Artist Talk / Lecture Series
Both within publicly funded arts spaces and the outdoor realm of installation exist challenges and constraints when dealing with the professional presentation of art. Weather, funding, permits, availability and support are all factors when planning projects in public spaces but they are not the real challenge facing artists as we move forward. As resources towards publicly funded art space continue to diminish, we watch as artists struggle or innovate to continue to pursue their craft. Will there be a return to publicly funded arts spaces or will the future be artists relying on their own ability to create spaces for themselves?
This panel discussion will delve into the concept of working within public spaces and discuss the issues surrounding the future availability of space. Panelists will present on their own artistic practice or organizational backgrounds followed by a conversation on where public space is headed. Presenters include Kristian Clarke, Fynn Leitch and Ann Marie Hadcock with White Water Gallery’s Director of Programming, Clayton Windatt moderating.
Kristian Clarke is an Art History graduate with an additional Certificate in Cultural Management from Humber College, Kristian has worked at Canadian Artists Representation/le front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC Ontario) www.carfacontario.ca for more than 13 years. Kristian sees himself as a Creative Visionary with particular interests in artist-run advocacy, proposal development, dispute resolution and policy development at municipal, provincial and federal levels. Kristian also serves on the Board for the Canadian Arts Resources Foundation of Ontario [(CARFO) recently rebranded as CANVAS] and Work In Culture, which supports the people who work in the cultural sector through life-long career development and business skills training. In his spare time, Kristian can be found engaging in performance-based art projects with his 8 year-old daughter named Phoibe at his cabin on Georgian Bay or listening to his wife, Krisztina Szabo, perform one of her many operatic roles.
Fynn Leitch has an MA in Visual Culture from Queen’s University (2006) where her work focused at the intersection of craft and protest. Since 2011 she has led the direction of ARTSPACE, including the development of an onsite Media Lab, and has renewed the centre’s commitment to critical writing and publishing. Curator, writer, and artist, her work has appeared in catalogues, magazines, and galleries across the country. She also works as an advocate for the arts regionally and provincially.
Ann Marie Hadcock was born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1979. She lives in Wiarton, Ontario. Ann has a Fine Art Diploma from Fanshawe College, Honours Visual Arts Degree from the University of Western Ontario and an MFA from the University of Windsor Ontario. She is a visual artist working with installation and sculpture creating anomalous material forms that inhabit places mirroring naturally occurring things. By inhabiting unexpected locations her creations enhance the visual language of public art extending beyond the confines of traditional public spaces. www.annmariehadcock.ca
The climate in which we exist is much different than the one in which we were founded. Funding constraints are a constant and growing concern. The provincial and federal agencies have implemented a decrease policy while an increase policy is, as yet, undrafted and shifted the language of “engagement” and “profile” to “market access”. But, in much the same way that survivors of the great depression learned how to manage money, we know how to strive under lean conditions. We are resourceful. We are frugal. We are hopeful. 
Most of all, we are in this together … For this iteration, a text has been reworked and printed on limited edition tote bags. It was first exhibited in three parts at three locations: the