REBEL SOULFUL

The piece above is a response to the BC Government's cuts to core B.C. arts funding over the next two years. Arts and culture funding will be reduced by as much as 88%, from $19.5 million in 2008-'09 to 2.25 million in 2010-11 according to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture service plan. These cuts to the arts come after the Province of BC gutted post-secondary education funding by over 70 million.

The minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, James Moore said in a press conference Sept 25th, that supporting the arts during the economic downturn is a critical element in the federal government's economic stimulus program, BC is the only Province cutting arts programming. What's this economic stimulus program? Funding cuts do not strike me as 'a stimulus plan' unless 'economic stimulus' now means throwing arts organizations and artists into desperate, frenzied and economically devastating hard times.

Has everyone forgotten that those countries that survived the great depression and avoided devolution into fascism invested heavily in arts, culture and social infrastructure during economic recessions and depressions? Education and creativity are the most critical elements towards building resilient and creative communities during economically challenging times. 

At any rate...Vertigo Galleries, a working artist run community arts space is having an exhibit called: Headshot* A Portrait of the Artist in B.C.

Running from Thursday October 15th to Saturday November 7th. This exhibit is part of a provincial outcry to recent funding cuts. Meant to show that cultural communities consist of real people made of identifiable and actively engaged creators, artists and visionaries - not abstractions.

As Judith Jurica of the Vertigo Gallery writes about the exhibit: "A head shot refers to the photographic tradition of taking a shot of a person's face. This type of photograph is often used for identification purposes, such as a mugshot or a passport photo. Headshot, in this case, also refers to a mortal wound, a shot to the head, such as the one delivered to arts organizations across this province recently. This exhibition offers a chance for artists to express their personal reaction to the financial and emotional blow that the BC government's withdrawal of support to arts and culture represents."

~peacefully, I.B.