February 11th, 2008

A NEW VOICE FOR CANADIAN VISUAL ARTS

Following 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:

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 Conference                            
514-524-4529, danielroy@arccc-cccaa.org                                            

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   

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

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

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