credit for cover logan caldbeck was born in Vancouver, BC. She has a BFA from Concordia University in Montreal, QC. While enrolled at Concordia, she began documenting hunting paraphernalia in small Vermont and West Texan towns. She has exhibited her photography in Canada and the US. (www.logancaldbeck.com)
photos of participating artists at the 2010 baie-saint-paul international symposium of contemporary art
credit for spread Co-directed by artists Anna Madelska & Jason Hallows, parker branch is an independent micro-museum and archive in London, Ontario focusing on collections, artifacts, and ephemera brought together through associative logic and incidental attractions. (www.parkerbranch.ca)
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syphon is an arts and culture publication, based in Kingston, Ontario that is meant to act as a conduit between the arts community in Kingston and communities elsewhere. Syphon has a mandate to feature local, national, and international arts coverage with an emphasis on arts scenes and activities that are located outside of the major art centres found in larger cities. The publication aims to engage a readership that includes its subscribers, the greater Kingston community and communities beyond. modern fuel artist-run centre is a non-profit organization facilitating the production, presentation, and interpretation of contemporary visual, time-based and interdisciplinary arts. Modern Fuel aims to meet the professional development needs of emerging and mid-career local, national and international artists, from diverse cultural communities, through exhibition, discussion, and mentorship opportunities. Modern Fuel supports innovation and experimentation, and is committed to the education of interested publics and the diversification of its audiences. board of directors Matthew Hills, President Catherine Toews, Vice President Riva Symko, Treasurer Donna-lee Iffla, Secretary Christine Dewancker Lisa Figge Wendy Huot Troy Leaman Pat McDermott Melinda Richka staff & personnel Michael Davidge, Artistic Director Bronwyn McLean, Admin Director Ted Worth, Bookkeeper and Finance Modern Fuel would not be able to function without the generosity and spirit of its volunteers. 21 Queen Street Kingston, Ontario, Canada k7k 1a1 613 548 4883 modernfuel@bellnet.ca www.modernfuel.org Gallery Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 12 noon to 5pm editorial & publishing for syphon Michael Davidge, Editor-in-chief Vincent Perez, Editor-at-large & Art Director Printed at McLaren Press, Bracebridge, Ontario.
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Stefan St-Laurent reports from the 2010 Baie-SaintPaul International Symposium of Contemporary Art
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had seen the catalogues and heard many great stories and rumours about the longest running art symposium in Canada, but had never visited. When I was approached to guest curate its 28th edition, I reluctantly said yes, knowing how unfamiliar I was with the idea of a contemporary art symposium, and the research I would have to do to create an event that would excite the public imagination in this isolated region of Canada, Baie-Saint-Paul, Québec. Since its inception, the symposium has mainly functioned as an open creative space, where visitors are allowed to come into direct contact with artists and their production. For close to 20 years, the symposium has been held in a downtown hockey arena during the whole month of August, where over 20,000 visitors descend on the small city (pop. 7,300) to exchange with contemporary artists at work. After making many visits to the city, I chose the theme “Unity Makes Us Stronger,” wanting to bridge the gap between contemporary art and craft, to create a space where artists and artisans could dialogue and learn together through an array of master classes, artist talks and events. Traditionally a paintingfocused symposium, I took a big leap of faith and invited 12 artists who worked in many different ways, through painting, printmaking, architectural installation, performance, video, sculpture and photography. A few years ago, when the symposium shifted to new practices in the visual arts, the regional community reacted strongly, and instated a permanent painting symposium an hour away in Quebec City, which still takes place on the exact dates of the Baie-SaintPaul symposium! This surely took pressure off the symposium organizers who were very reluctant to go back to painting no matter how strong the pressure. The public has indeed grown to appreciate contemporary art in all its forms, and I was lucky to be able to push the mandate even further by inviting artists who are rarely shown in Quebec and
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whose works are not necessarily co-opted yet by the Canadian art market. The local and national media outlets gave unanimous praise for this edition of the symposium, not particularly for its artistic content, but for the efforts made in inviting artists that love being around people, artists who privilege collaboration and exchange in all aspects of their practice. Some past editions of the symposium had turned a bit sour, where artists built curtained walls to block visitors from even seeing them or their works, and as can be imagined, the community was quick to turn its back too. I knew after doing enough research that it would be absolutely imperative to find artists who would get along with each other and who would be able to handle encountering thousands of visitors without getting cranky, annoyed, or worse, belligerent. During the symposium, I could see in front of my very eyes when people connected with the artists, and when they didn’t, a privilege of being on-site full-time. Our tour guides learned to develop different presentations depending on the groups that came in, and we invited the esteemed Québécois personality Louise Portal to narrate an audio guide, a first for the symposium. We had decided as a team that we needed to make sure visitors had a strong grasp of the artists’ projects before they came into contact with them, so that more rich exchanges could occur. As mentioned earlier, the master classes by local and international artists was a crowd favourite, and showed us the keen interest of visitors in not just talking about art, but making art themselves. I still get teary eyed when I look back at the Faith Ringgold quiltmaking workshop. An influential artist now in her 80s, Ringgold coordinated the production of a collaborative quilt to be made in the arena on a Saturday morning, inspired by the theme “Unity Makes Us Stronger.” I came in very early to make sure things were on track, and to my astonishment, there was already a gathering on the side of the arena of mainly senior women who were ready to get to work. Many in their 80s themselves, none accepted my help to bring their sewing machines inside. They all took them out of their car trunks, and walked stoically inside the arena with their heads held high, not smiling, just very proud. It had a chilling effect on me, one I rarely feel in the art world these days. Afterwards, almost all 30 participants came up to me in private to say they had waited so long to do something like that. Hearing that comment over and over again on that day made me rush to the sweaty arena locker room to have a good cry. It reconfirmed for