EzraWinton.com | Media arts and politics

Well I came up with a doozy of an idea recently. The plan: launch a national contest for artists to submit portraits of Stephen Harper that show his “committment” to the arts. This is in the wake of massive cuts to the arts by Harper and his Conservatives and most recently his axing of the National Portrait Gallery. So Rob and Michael and myself are making it happen over at Art Threat. We’ve announced the contest and put together a jury that includes Sheila Copps, the former Minsiters of Heritage! The press release goes out tomorrow, but here’s a description of the contest from the Art Threat site:

Since Stephen Harper cancelled the National Portrait Gallery, we decided to create our own in his honour. We’re inviting artists to submit their portrait of Canada’s Prime Minister for inclusion in the Stephen Harper Portrait Gallery, and their chance to win (minor) fame and riches!

The Conservative Party has made many, many cuts to the arts, so our jury will be looking for portraits that best embody Stephen Harper’s “commitment” to the arts and culture in Canada.

Our favourite entry will win a minimum of $1000! Runners-up will also win loot, with other prizes to be announced shortly. There is no entry fee, and we encourage everyone to participate. Selected works will be put on display in an exhibition in Ottawa and Montreal with possible shows to follow in other Canadian cities.

Recently the Globe and Mail published an angry rant by one of Canada’s finest artists: the very talented and globally celebrated writer Margaret Atwood. Why is she angry? Because Stephen Harper apparently hates the arts and the artists who make the stuff that us “ordinary Canadians” celebrate, interact with and consume every day of our lives, regardless of where we are or who we are. Harper is certainly missing out on a global trend: “new economists” are pointing to a burgeoning new economy called “the knowledge economy” or the “culture industries” - one where jobs are created and where objects are created that are sold, and along the way taxes paid. I’m mostly on side with Ms. Atwood, and before watching tonight’s debate, I suggest reading her missive here in full. You may want to go have a stiff drink when you’re done, or maybe make some art! How about a documentary about the demise of art under fascism? Or a short film about how Stephen Harper’s cement hair actually controls his brain?

And just in case you’re wondering about “strategic voting” on October 14th, visit this site to see if it’s worth compromising your real choice or not: http://www.voteforenvironment.ca/.

To be creative is, in fact, Canadian

Mr. Harper is wrong: There’s more to the arts than a bunch of rich people at galas whining about their grants

From the Globe and Mail, Thursday, September 24, 2008

What sort of country do we want to live in? What sort of country do we already live in? What do we like? Who are we?

At present, we are a very creative country. For decades, we’ve been punching above our weight on the world stage - in writing, in popular music and in many other fields. Canada was once a cultural void on the world map, now it’s a force. In addition, the arts are a large segment of our economy: The Conference Board estimates Canada’s cultural sector generated $46-billion, or 3.8 per cent of Canada’s GDP, in 2007. And, according to the Canada Council, in 2003-2004, the sector accounted for an “estimated 600,000 jobs (roughly the same as agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, oil & gas and utilities combined).”

But we’ve just been sent a signal by Prime Minister Stephen Harper that he gives not a toss for these facts. Tuesday, he told us that some group called “ordinary people” didn’t care about something called “the arts.” His idea of “the arts” is a bunch of rich people gathering at galas whining about their grants. Well, I can count the number of moderately rich writers who live in Canada on the fingers of one hand: I’m one of them, and I’m no Warren Buffett. I don’t whine about my grants because I don’t get any grants. I whine about other grants - grants for young people, that may help them to turn into me, and thus pay to the federal and provincial governments the kinds of taxes I pay, and cover off the salaries of such as Mr. Harper. In fact, less than 10 per cent of writers actually make a living by their writing, however modest that living may be. They have other jobs. But people write, and want to write, and pack into creative writing classes, because they love this activity – not because they think they’ll be millionaires.

Read the rest of this entry »

I was with my little brother Tyrell las week in downtown Montreal, and low-and-behold, in front of the huge shopping mall on St Catharines Street, we saw street stencil art that was clearly done by the infamous Roadsworth. This semester we are showing a film about Roadsworth at Cinema Politica, done by my friend Sergeo Kirby.

The new street art was part of a city project, which surprised me to hear, considering how political it was. There were stencils of fish and text that said “Overfishing, Overshopping” and the ones pictured here with Tyrell that shows tree stumps and the text under “Made from Paper.” Pretty political in a major shopping area for the city of Montreal to rubber stamp. Nice work!

As Harper takes the lead in the polls and everyone in the creative sector braces for an ultra-Conservative chill to ooze over this country, some people have been busy making excellent missives against Harper and his gang of culture reformists. The video below is the most recent. Enjoy.

I saw this amazing advert recently (or more correctly, PSA - Public Service Announcement) by Duval Guillaume, commissioned by Medicins sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders). It’s called “Human Ball” with the tagline, “Don’t let AIDS gain more ground.” It is a simple concept, with fairly straightforward computer animation, but the lasting effect is superbly moving: what affects one of us, ultimately affects many of us. The video was produced for their campaign against AIDS. Thanks to Alternative Channel for the embedding code and for housing the ACT (Advertising Community Together) project, which has as its goal:

“…to federate, inspire and promote great work in advertising and communication, in favor of social responsibility and sustainable development, and to show how advertising plays a significant role in raising awareness in today’s crucial world issues.” (quote taken from the ACT page at Alternative Channel)

The campaign from AdForum is from 2006, but is news to me - I guess I should pay a little more attention to those seeking my attention…

The last few days at the Independent Media Arts Alliance (IMAA) Conference and Festival in Kelowna have been amazing. Rob and I have met so many incredible artists and media arts people that I’m wondering how I could have been floating around in the media arts for so long without joining this national organization. This edition of the conference is featuring indigenous culture and panels have tackled everything from intellectual property with aboriginal knowledge to First Nations communities and connectivity (or lack of: in BC there are 119 out of 202 nations without non-dial-up internet services). There have been screenings, fundraising workshops, art openings, local wine and beer tasting, roundtables, and sushi in the park.

I’ll find more time to write more reflections on this conference after it ends on Saturday as I make my way home to Montreal. For now, I have to say that one moment in particular I will always remember: in one room of the art gallery hosting part of the conference many delegates crowded around a TV to watch the apology by Stephen Harper. I only stayed for five minutes because our workshop had begun, but feeling the energy of that room–in which the majority were aboriginal–was like experiencing an electricity field. Later one delegate described the feeling as a group hug and another said he felt as though he needed as shower after watching such a hollow, emotionless “admission” from the PM. I feel fortunate to have been here when the event took place.

The photo above is a shot of Vancouver daily paper boxes from just under a week ago. I thought it was interesting to illustrate just how diverse corporate media is: all three publications in the city decided the top story of the day, better than ALL other stories, was about a woman who gave birth on an overpass. Anyone out there still arguing corporate media is diverse?

Concordia prof, activist, filmmaker and friend Liz Miller recently finished her documentary on the privatization of Highland Park’s water services in Detroit, Michigan, called The Water Front. We screened the film this past February 4th at the Concordia Cinema Politica. As the 600 or so audience members filed into the H-110 Auditorium, Liz and her assistant interviewed Svetla and myself on grassroots organizing of cinema screenings. The resulting short video actually makes it seem like we know what we’re talking about, so yes, we’re proud.

I was as thrilled as anyone else when the Canadian government announced their proposed bill to dampen phone spam (unsolicited phone calling) to Canadians a couple of years back. I was then very disappointed, but not all that surprised to learn that there was a loophole allowing many companies to be “exempt” from the opt-out list, effectively taking much of the wind out of the legislative sails. Then along came Michael Geist.

Media activist and newspaper columnist Geist has created a new website where Canadians can, in three simple steps, have their contact information removed from these “exempt” companies’ lists. I don’t know about you, but I won’t be disappointed to not hearthat mechanical, intrusive voice when the phone rings: “Good afternoon sir, I have some important information for you about Bell’s new internet package.”