Preserving Spaces

One of the main things about art is its tangibility; its capacity to gather people from the most diverse backgrounds in one space and touch them with meaning and the capacity to be powerful without words.

With the isolation and fear promoted by the COVID-19 pandemic, art kept people sane and entertained and loved but something was lost. The myriad of feelings pertinent to the human race; the joy of appreciating and being touched by your peers while being moved by art itself was reduced to a square box. The organic characteristics of the handmade, its flaws that make them unique and its tangible properties got lost in the digital world. No matter how many photographs and videos of the craft or artwork being made, the haptic component of what makes them a work of Art is being lost.

Crafted Beasts, space curated Bruno Vinhas.
Pieces in photo by Tucker Ellis, Michael Harlick, Stephanie Stoker, Vicky Northey and Janet Peter.

““These spaces are now sitting quiet and are eagerly waiting to be reopened, however, the reality is that many will not weather this storm and may not make it through.””

As a textile artist and curator, I have been seeing a number of artists pulling out their exhibitions from gallery spaces because they believe that their work won’t be seen and appreciated for its intrinsic value and richness of details; because of the fear that the public won’t understand the worth of their work for what it is if it is promoted and displayed in a new way... And I wholeheartedly agree with that.

But on the other hand I fear the survival of galleries throughout the province. These long-lost spaces which have been on the edge of non-existence, that fight for funding month after month to promote art and craft, to educate the public and to push boundaries and artistic vision might be, once again, in jeopardy due to the current world situation. These spaces are now sitting quiet and are eagerly waiting to be reopened, however, the reality is that many will not weather this storm and may not make it through. We don’t know how long this pandemic will last and, worse, how the public will react when it is over.

“What if it runs until the next year or the year after? What if we have to cancel/postpone more shows? Will the gallery spaces still remain in their current state? Will adjustments need to be taken in order to ensure survival?” These are some of the many questions I ponder with no concrete answers.

My fear for gallery spaces is that if programming doesn’t happen they will no longer sustain the long history of tears, sweat and blood put on grant writing for funders that allow such spaces to exist and therefore will no longer be able to provide artists with a safe space for their creativity, experimentation and financial compensation. Art will become a museum and private collections item, craft might go back to be considered a daily functional object and online photographs, without the chance to be touched or felt or even appreciated for its unique details will be a reminder of the past when craft artists pushed so hard to blur the lines of “fine art” and be accepted in major artistic developments and exhibition spaces.

Here I reach a crossroads: 1. Online exhibitions and the proliferation of art in the digital world are part of the life we are currently living in, and somehow we accept that without question as it is a future we are encouraged to explore by our funders 2. The haptic sensation of being in the same room of that artwork you double-tapped might not happen again as galleries may be forced to adjust their operations due to the lack of funding and public awareness; all we will have are feeds to scroll through and digital profiles to peruse. So, what to do?

““Somewhere in all this we—curators, directors and artists—have to pull together and look at what is best for the long term keeping in mind that working together now ensures a stronger gallery tomorrow and next month and next year.””

Craft and art are all about the experience. Although online is the direction the majority of galleries are moving, I can understand why the craftspeople and some artists are resistant to the concept— it is not the way I would have hoped to present any artist's body of work. However, if galleries, including ours, do not go online and face that new future with support, we could lose all exhibitions, it is a trickle-down effect and therefore may lose all their funding (and this is already happening to many across the country).

CCNL Members Exhibition, 2018

As a gallery director, I have been trying my best to accommodate and move exhibitions to future dates, but there are only so many dates that can be rebooked and so many years ahead that we can plan. Somewhere in all this we—curators, directors and artists—have to pull together and look at what is best for the long term keeping in mind that working together now ensures a stronger gallery tomorrow and next month and next year.

Working in the only craft gallery in the province I can’t stop wondering that if the space I work on is compromised or lessened by the loss of funding... and if changed, what would this new look be? Where all the craftspeople and craft-based artists’ shows will end up? New spaces may open here and there, but what would happen to longer-run spaces in the new reality?

Exhibitions are so personal and have so much work involved. But if everyone decided to stop and move their shows until everything goes back to “normal,” are they considering what this will look like? For those who know me, they know that I will always fight for the gallery space and for the artists within the community, but I cannot fight this battle alone.

Communiqués is a new and ongoing series providing first-person perspectives on how the craft and design community is thinking about, responding and adapting to the current coronavirus pandemic and the ways in which it is reshaping our lives, activities and relationships. To discuss this piece, head over to our Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook pages. If you’re interested in contributing, please drop us a line at pitches@studiomagazine.ca with the subject line “Communiqués.” For more content from Studio Magazine, subscribe to our newsletter.