Art
Canadian Art magazine shuts down amid financial losses and internal conflict – The Globe and Mail
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Former Canadian Art Magazine editor David Balzer stepped down from his post in 2019, and he subsequently published a scathing critique of both Canadian Art and the cultural establishment.
After 37 years, Canadian Art is closing up shop. On its website Tuesday, the board of the visual art magazine announced that it was ceasing operations immediately due to financial losses associated with COVID-19. The magazine, which has lost both advertising and fundraising revenue during the pandemic, had already ceased print publication six months ago, and had also stopped updating its website while laying off most of its staff.
“The pandemic has disproportionately affected arts and culture institutions and organizations across Canada and we know that this will leave a hole in the Canadian arts landscape,” Lee Matheson and Dori Tunstall, co-chairs of the Canadian Art Foundation board, and board member Gabe Gonda, said in their statement. (As well as serving on the foundation’s board, Gonda is managing director of corporate development at The Globe and Mail.)
Canadian Art had long covered the art-museum and commercial-gallery scenes across the country with artist interviews, exhibition reviews and cultural essays, but it had entered the pandemic in a state of political turmoil. The magazine had become increasingly embroiled in controversy over how to respond to accusations of systemic racism both within its walls and in the art world beyond.
After he stepped down as editor-in-chief in 2019, David Balzer published a scathing critique of both Canadian Art and the cultural establishment in Hyperallergic, an online art magazine based in Brooklyn, N.Y. In that essay, Balzer drew a link between the source of money for cultural institutions and their ability to address racism, arguing that Canadian Art’s need to raise funds from private and corporate donors meant it only paid lip service to anti-racist principles. He described continual tension between the need to please wealthy white donors and the quest to publish politically challenging material in the magazine, saying that staff on the revenue side did not want to see the words “white supremacy” or “colonialism” in articles.
After Balzer’s essay appeared, Jas M. Morgan, the magazine’s former Indigenous editor-at-large, wrote in an open letter to the board that Balzer and other managers supported the role in theory but not in practice, and cited the magazine’s need to address its “institutional racism and inequity.”
When the Black Lives Matter movement came to the fore in 2020, the magazine made a renewed commitment to anti-racism and put the word “interim” in front of the job titles of senior staffers, including the new editor-in-chief Jayne Wilkinson, saying it was reimagining its structure.
However, before it could do that, financial losses became too great and it was forced to lay off 12 staffers last April. The magazine, which published a quarterly print edition of longer articles and maintained a newsy website, was a charity only partly funded by subscriptions and some government grants, and it lost income from advertising, corporate sponsorships and in-person events during the pandemic.
Last June, all of its board, aside from Matheson, Tunstall and Gonda, resigned, in theory stepping aside so that a fresh group could shake up the magazine’s structure. In a statement at that time, the board said it needed “to assess new business models and organizational structures that would be both financially viable and reflective of our commitments to the principles of decolonization, diversity, equity and inclusion … We also fully acknowledge that the charity has failed in its attempts to address these principles in a meaningful way in its operations.”
In Tuesday’s statement, the board said the windup would preserve the organization’s charitable status while donating a single copy of every previous issue to the Art Gallery of Ontario for safekeeping.
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The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House has reopened its doors to the public after a fire swept through the historic building in central London. While the gallery has resumed operations, the rest of the iconic site remains closed “until further notice.”
On Saturday, approximately 125 firefighters were called to the scene to battle the blaze, which sent smoke billowing across the city. Fortunately, the fire occurred in a part of the building not housing valuable artworks, and no injuries were reported. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.
Despite the disruption, art lovers queued outside the gallery before it reopened at 10:00 BST on Sunday. One visitor expressed his relief, saying, “I was sad to see the fire, but I’m relieved the art is safe.”
The Clark family, visiting London from Washington state, USA, had a unique perspective on the incident. While sightseeing on the London Eye, they watched as firefighters tackled the flames. Paul Clark, accompanied by his wife Jiorgia and their four children, shared their concern for the safety of the artwork inside Somerset House. “It was sad to see,” Mr. Clark told the BBC. As a fan of Vincent Van Gogh, he was particularly relieved to learn that the painter’s famous Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear had not been affected by the fire.
Blaze in the West Wing
The fire broke out around midday on Saturday in the west wing of Somerset House, a section of the building primarily used for offices and storage. Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset House Trust, assured the public that “no valuable artefacts or artworks” were located in that part of the building. By Sunday, fire engines were still stationed outside as investigations into the fire’s origin continued.
About Somerset House
Located on the Strand in central London, Somerset House is a prominent arts venue with a rich history dating back to the Georgian era. Built on the site of a former Tudor palace, the complex is known for its iconic courtyard and is home to the Courtauld Gallery. The gallery houses a prestigious collection from the Samuel Courtauld Trust, showcasing masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Among the notable works are pieces by impressionist legends such as Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, and Vincent Van Gogh.
Somerset House regularly hosts cultural exhibitions and public events, including its popular winter ice skating sessions in the courtyard. However, for now, the venue remains partially closed as authorities ensure the safety of the site following the fire.
Art lovers and the Somerset House community can take solace in knowing that the invaluable collection remains unharmed, and the Courtauld Gallery continues to welcome visitors, offering a reprieve amid the disruption.
Sudbury’s annual art and music festival is marking a significant milestone this year, celebrating its long-standing impact on the local cultural scene. The festival, which has grown from a small community event to a major celebration of creativity, brings together artists, musicians, and visitors from across the region for a weekend of vibrant performances and exhibitions.
The event features a diverse range of activities, from live music performances to art installations, workshops, and interactive exhibits that highlight both emerging and established talent. This year’s milestone celebration will also honor the festival’s history by showcasing some of the artists and performers who have contributed to its success over the years.
Organizers are excited to see how the festival has evolved, becoming a cornerstone of Sudbury’s cultural landscape. “This festival is a celebration of creativity, community, and the incredible talent we have here in Sudbury,” said one of the event’s coordinators. “It’s amazing to see how it has grown and the impact it continues to have on the arts community.”
With this year’s milestone celebration, the festival promises to be bigger and better than ever, with a full lineup of exciting events, workshops, and performances that will inspire and engage attendees of all ages.
The festival’s milestone is not just a reflection of its past success but a celebration of the continued vibrancy of Sudbury’s arts scene.
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