VANL-CARFAC
Visual Artists Newfoundland & Labrador

For Immediate Release:

October 12^th, 2017:   

VANL-CARFAC are expressing concern over the recent changes to the administrative structure of The Rooms’ Art Gallery.  In June, just prior to Vicky Chainey Gagnon’s departure as Director of the Art Gallery division, VANL-CARFAC had spoken with Mr. Brinton and had been assured that a new director, with a professional curatorial background, would be hired within six months to head the Art Gallery division.

On September 19^th, VANL-CARFAC representatives met with Minister Mitchelmore and The Rooms’ CEO, Dean Brinton, to discuss the community’s concerns regarding The Rooms’ Provincial Art Gallery, and the status of the hiring process.  Following this meeting, The Rooms issued a press release confirming that two divisions have now been placed under the directorship of a single administrator, and Anne Chafe, Director of the Museum Division, has been appointed as the Director of the Art Gallery Division.  As a part of this new structure, the press release stated a second curator will be hired immediately and $50,000 will be redirected into art gallery exhibitions and programming.  As well, VANL-CARFAC was told one of the two curator positions would be appointed as Chief Curator of the Art Gallery.

 “VANL-CARFAC has expressed the community’s concerns to Mr. Brinton that the Art Gallery must be allowed to maintain its autonomy within the corporation,” said VANL-CARFAC chair, Jane Walker.  “Without an arts professional representing the gallery at the management level, that autonomy could very easily be chipped away.  Art Gallery programming needs to remain independent and driven by the curatorial direction of visual arts professionals, at all levels of the corporation.  We have expressed to Mr. Brinton and Minister Mitchelmore that we feel it’s vital that there should also be artist representation on The Rooms’ board of directors, in order to adequately represent the Gallery’s interests.”

Both Minister Mitchelmore and Mr. Brinton have stated that the new administrative structure will have no effect on the Gallery’s federal funding, nor on gallery programming.  However, there has been much concern within the community that this will not be the case.  These concerns are shared by former Gallery director, Vicky Chainey Gagnon.  Gagnon, in a recent interview with the CBC, said abolishing her position would negatively impact the gallery’s work by excluding necessary expertise from the management table.

Walker continues: “We have been assured this change is purely administrative and will not affect the autonomy or curatorial vision of the Art Gallery.  However, since the passage of Bill 56 and the changes to the Rooms Act, there have also been assurances that there were no plans for major changes within the gallery, and, if changes were to happen, there would be public consultations before any were made.  We were also assured that a director with a curatorial background would be hired. None of those things have happened, and so, there is a natural fear throughout the community as to what the future actually holds for the gallery.”  

For media requests or more information, contact Shelby Millwater at the VANL-CARFAC offices, 709-738-7303 or vanl-carfac@nf.aibn.com

Position: Program Coordinator

Qualifications

• Completion of a visual arts related degree from a post secondary institution, or the equivalent in professional experience in visual arts or a related field.
• Some experience or specific interest in arts advocacy/policy.
• Organized, deadline oriented and a self starter.

Job Description:

VANL-CARFAC is the primary umbrella advocacy organization for the visual arts sector in Newfoundland and Labrador and as a member’s based group, VANL-CARFAC’s official motto is “artists working for artists.”  

The program coordinator will tasked with maintaining the VANL-CARFAC office and will serve as the primary contact for members and for non-member artists and organizations.  In this capacity the coordinator will be required to address individual concerns of artist members, locate and dispense the information and resources they may need and/or filter appropriate calls/emails to the Executive Director, the board or committee chairs.

 In addition the Program Coordinator is responsible for (but not limited to) the following duties:

• producing the weekly E-Bulletin highlighting exhibitions, gathering news from the visual arts sector, residencies and job opportunities, and sending it to the VANL membership.
• Bi-weekly bookkeeping, processing memberships and keeping the artist member databases current
• send membership/information packages to new members.
• co-ordinate with the Executive Director on all events and programming for the organization as they occur over the course of the year: including the Excellence in Visual Arts Awards, annual general meeting, board meetings, Professional Development workshops, Artist Talks, etc. and work with necessary committees to actualize all details of these programs..
• maintain updated media, gallery and patron contact lists as well as artist’s websites.

This is a 30 hour a week position.

Deadline for application: August 4^th 2017

For more information, or to email a resume and cover letter please contact: (toll free) 1-877-738-7303 & vanlcarfac@gmail.com

Resumes & cover letters can also be mailed or delivered in person to:

Visual Artists Newfoundland & Labrador (VANL-CARFAC)

59 Duckworth St. (Devon House, 3^rd Floor)

St. John’s, NL

A1C 1E6

VANL-CARFAC would like to acknowledge the departure of Vicky Chainey Gagnon as Director and chief curator for The Rooms.   During her three years in Newfoundland and Labrador, Chainey Gagnon has become known as a director who was committed to the province’s artists and visual arts community. She was engaged and supportive of artists working in all media, and at all levels of practice–emerging artists to senior artists to gallerists. As Director of the Art Gallery, she intelligently led her team in the production of top-quality, critically rigorous programming that recognized and celebrated the province’s role in a global cultural conversation, while always maintaining respect for its history and community.

VANL-CARFAC has received assurances from The Rooms CEO, Dean Brinton, that this upcoming personnel change will not affect or interrupt the gallery’s future programming.  We have been informed that a national search for the new gallery director will take place within six months, to find and appoint a candidate who will have the professional and curatorial experience essential to the gallery’s operation, and in accordance with the requirements of federal funding bodies.    

We would like to thank Vicky Chainey Gagnon for her work, her contribution to the province’s visual arts community, and wish her the best of luck in her new position as the Executive Director of the Campbell River Art Gallery.  We also thank the Art Gallery staff for their hard work and their dedication to supporting the local arts community.

For more information, contact Program Coordinator, Tessa Graham at vanlcarfac@gmail.com or 709-738-7303.

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Winners announced for the 2017 Excellence in Visual Arts Awards

For immediate release:

1. JOHN’S NL: The twelfth annual Excellence in Visual Arts Awards took place on May 26^th at the Rooms, St. John’s, Newfoundland. The event was hosted by Sheilagh O’Leary. The EVA Awards are the only awards program solely dedicated to celebrating the work of the visual artists of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Large Year Award celebrates a visual artist who has enjoyed an exceptional year, with at least one exhibition and critical recognition. This year’s Large Year Award 2017 went to Ned Pratt.

The Emerging Artist Award honors the promising start made by an emerging visual artist in the early stages of their career. The Emerging Artist Award 2017 went to St. John’s artist April White. This award was sponsored by Grenfell Campus, Memorial University.

The Kippy Goins Award – so named for the small pieces of wood one throws on a fire to “keep it going” – thanks an individual or organization whose efforts have helped to sustain and build the visual arts sector. The Kippy Goins Award went to the Anne Manuel. This award was sponsored in 2017 by Perfect Day.

The Critical Eye Award celebrates the best piece of critical writing about an NL artist in any print or online publication worldwide. This year’s winner was Mireille Eagan.

For more information or to arrange interviews, contact Program Coordinator, Tessa Graham at vanlcarfac@gmail.com or 709-738-7303.

The EVA Awards are a Visual Artists Newfoundland and Labrador initiative.

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