ARTS UPDATE 2010 Arts, Culture and Heritage Services “In the Landscape of the 21St Century, Nothing Looms Larger Than Culture
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City of Richmond ARTS UPDATE 2010 Arts, Culture and Heritage Services “In the landscape of the 21st century, nothing looms larger than culture. It is the new infrastructure, the civic bedrock on which the most successful modern metropolises are built. Culture is to the contemporary city what roads, sewers and bridges were in the 19th and early 20th centuries.” Christopher Hume, Urban Affairs Columnist, Toronto Star City of Richmond Introduction 2010 marked an exceptional year for the Arts in At the second annual Richmond Arts Awards, Richmond with our role as a Venue City in the 2010 Richmond Art Gallery won the Cultural Leadership Table of Contents Winter Olympic Games, the launch of new annual Award and was identified by Lord Cultural events such as Culture Days and Minoru Chapel Resources as one of the best small galleries in 3 Introduction Opera Nights, the expansion of arts programming Canada. And Gateway Theatre, Richmond’s only at the Richmond Cultural Centre and participation live professional theatre and the Lower Mainland’s 4 Community Cultural Development in the Vancouver Biennale 2009-11. third largest theatre company, saw its overall attendance surpass previous numbers seen in 7 Public Art Program The City’s modest investment in arts and culture its 25 history. Richmond’s Public Art Program 15 Richmond Arts Centre since the implementation of the 2010 Arts continued to raise its profile by expanding the & Culture Plan has increased the capacity of City’s investment in public art in the Richmond 18 Richmond Art Gallery organizations in the community, enhanced and Olympic Oval precinct and its involvement developed new high quality arts and culture with the Vancouver Biennale. Meanwhile, the 24 Gateway Theatre festivals and activities, identified and showcased Richmond Arts Centre furthered its commitment Richmond’s artistic talent, and leveraged to providing quality arts programming to the partnerships, grants and sponsorship opportunities community with the introduction of the Richmond that will ensure a legacy for years to come. Youth Dance Company, organization of two flash mobs and facilitation of the Dream Project, a filmmaking initiative targeting youth. This report presents a collection of the year’s highlights for the Arts in Richmond. Cover Photo: Olas de Viento (WInd Waves), Yvonne Damenge (Mexico), Garry Point Park Photographer: Dan Fairchild 3 2010 Arts Update Community Cultural Development Culture Days Minoru Chapel Opera Nights The April 15 event, which attracted 80 guests and the May 20 event, which attracted 50 guests, Culture Days, a new cross-Canada movement to This fall audiences had the opportunity to hear were presented in partnership with the Vancouver raise awareness, accessibility, participation and selections from classic operas performed in Biennale as both speakers are artists involved with engagement in the arts featured free, hands-on historic Minoru Chapel, a place that is typically the organization and have works on display in and interactive activities. From September 24- enjoyed only by wedding guests and movie crews. Richmond. 26, 2010 the public were invited to participate Arts, Culture and Heritage Services partnered with “behind the scenes” and discover the world of Opera Pro Cantanti, City Opera Vancouver and artists, creators, historians, architects, curators, Burnaby Lyric Opera on this well-received pilot 2010 Richmond Arts Awards and designers in their community. With support musical series. A spring series will be announced Created in partnership with the Richmond Arts from Tourism Richmond, the first annual event in January 2011. Coalition in 2009, as recommended in the showcased Richmond’s local art, culture and Richmond Arts Strategy (2004) and the 2010 heritage scene with 37 events registered. 2010 Lulu Series: Art in the City Arts & Culture Plan (2008), the second annual Richmond had more registered events than any Richmond Arts Awards recognized artistic other city in BC for Culture Days with attendance The 2010 Lulu Series of guest speakers presented achievements and contributions to the cultural estimated at over 7000. To help promote the the following free-to-the-public events about Art in community by City residents, artists, educators, event, a sneak preview bus tour was organized, the City and its importance to creating connections organizations and business leaders. The purpose which took media representatives to three sample between citizens and their communities: is to: events – a backstage tour of the Gateway Theatre, y March 25: Seattle-based public art coordinator, y honour major contributions by individuals, a curator-led tour of the Richmond Museum’s Barbara Luecke (with Brendan McLeod, poet) organizations and businesses to the arts; collections, and a hands-on experience and tour y April 15: Renowned New York-based artist y cultivate greater visibility and understanding of of Terra Nova Rural Park. Dennis Oppenheim (with Kellarissa, musician) the value of the arts; y May 20: Mumbai-based visual artist Hema y encourage excellence and build new leadership The Sky Below & Autumn Gem Upadhyay (with Babe Gurr, singer-songwriter) within the arts community; and, More than 100 guests attended a free screening Through emails, media releases, brochures, cards, y develop patrons for the arts. of the film, The Sky Below in August 2010, which posters, City webpage and print advertising (in In its second year, 67 nominations were reviewed by was followed by a Q&A with the New York-based the Richmond News, Richmond Review and the selection committee. Finalists were announced filmmaker, Sarah Singh. The documentary explores Georgia Straight), the word spread about the on April 9 with website announcements, emails to the creation of Pakistan and the 1947 Partition of “resurrection” of this series, which began in 2003. the Indian subcontinent. In November, a crowd of the arts community, media attention and a series 140 attended the screening of Autumn Gem, a The first event on March 25 attracted of three half-page ads in the Richmond News, each documentary on modern China’s first feminist. approximately 50 attendees. Ms. Luecke also met highlighting two of the six categories. separately with City Planning and Transportation staff to discuss her work with Sound Transit. 4 City of Richmond The winners were announced at the Richmond y Tax Relief workshop by Marianna Scott of y Sell Art, Not Out session with Laura Barron, flutist Arts Awards ceremony in Council Chambers. Quantum Accounting Services Mayor Brodie presided over the ceremony. Special y Getting Started with Social Networking session Response from participants was very positive, guests included Robert Kerr, Program Director of with Rebecca Coleman, marketing and media as evidenced in the feedback survey results; for the Cultural Olympiad; Royce Richert, an 11-year- relations specialist example, 100% of respondents indicated they would attend again next year. old violin prodigy, and opera vocalist Wendy y Communication by Design workshop by John Maxwell. Approximately 120 people attended McLachlan Similar to the previous year, approximately half the y One-on-one portfolio checks with painter and attendees were Richmond residents with the rest ART AT WORK: Arts Symposium Capilano University instructor, Kiff Holland from the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast. Created in partnership with the Richmond Arts Coalition as recommended in the 2010 Arts & Culture Plan (2008), Richmond’s second annual Arts Symposium, Art At Work, provided professional development opportunities for local artists and others working in the cultural sector. Its purpose is to: y support the growth and development of the arts and cultural sector; y provide artists and cultural workers with practical, inspiring and career-enhancing programming; and y encourage networking and sharing within the arts and culture community. On April 17, 2010, 47 registered artists and representatives from cultural organizations networked and attended their choice of the following programs: y Five Essentials for Marketing Your Art in a Changing Economy workshop presented by Ruth Payne, Curator for Ferry Building Gallery, West Vancouver y Media Relations for Dummies workshop by Cynthia Lockrey, Senior Manager of Media Relations for City of Richmond and Martin van den Hemel, staff reporter at the Richmond Review y Richmond Arts Awards (left to right) Mayor Macolm Brodie, Morri-Lynn Buchanan, Helmut Eppich 5 2010 Arts Update 2010 Winter Festival of the Arts y Uniting the World Through Play: A Child’s City Hall was also the site of two “Richmond Perspective on Culture, Education and Drug- Revealed” installations: The second annual six-week festival, as described Free Sport (presented by The Foundation for y Richmond Revealed: High Technology in the 2010 Arts & Culture Plan (2008), offered Global Sports Development) (showcasing artifacts from four high-tech a multidisciplinary, multicultural and multi- y The Great Canadian Speed Skate: Where Long companies) locational showcase of Richmond’s arts and Blades, Dynamic Art and an Icy Past come culture scene from February 1 through March y Richmond Revealed: Agriculture (cranberry pond) together (presented by Speed Skating Canada) 15. The 2010 Winter Festival of the Arts provided The City Hall exhibits were very well-received valuable promotional support to 33 events and and the final 17-day attendance figure during the programs presented by various arts and cultural O Zone was 54,211 visitors. organizations. Through the