Art's Birthday
Saturday January 17, 12 - 6pm
Join the celebration of Art's Birthday with Open Space, MediaNet and the Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria. Art's Birthday is an annual event first proposed in 1963 by French artist Robert Filliou. He suggested that 1,000,000 years ago, there was no art. But one day, on the 17th of January to be precise, Art was born. According to Filliou, it happened when someone dropped a dry sponge into a bucket of water.
For the 2009 celebration, the chaos and splendour of children's birthdays will be woven together into the confines of Open Space. Networked sound performances from Andreas Mueller and Norman Lowery will connect the Victoria event with artists around the world.
12:00 pm Birthday cakes by Lindsey Miller and card signings followed by musical chairs supported by the New Music Workshop Group and video projections by Grace Salez.
12:45 pm Networked performances by TransAtlantic-Transcontinental Cultural Exchange with Andreas Mueller (Germany), Norman Lowrey (New Jersey), and others with local musicians and LaSaM.
1:30 pm Pin the tail on the donkey and pinata breaking organized by John G Boehme, ending with a grand finale Happy Birthday singalong.
2:30 pm Birthday Wish for the Arts: a community conversation lead by Chris Creighton-Kelly, Peter Sandmark and Sandy Mayzell.
(Magician, the Great Giffoni may make a special guest appearance.)
This is a free event!
Public Conversation
Art's Birthday Wish
2:30-4:00pm
Birthday Wish for the Arts: a community conversation about restoring recent arts cuts—an essential part of any economic stimulus package
Organizations: Open Space, MediaNet, Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria
As part of Art's Birthday celebrations, bring your ideas and opinions to a community conversation lead by Chris Creighton-Kelly (artist, writer and critic), Peter Sandmark (MediaNet) and Sandy Mayzell (filmmaker). The conversation is intended to spark action, asserting the critical significance of the arts. The conversation will begin on Saturday, January 17 at 2:30pm, Open Space, 510 Fort Street.
The entire arts community has been keeping an eye on the ever-shifting economic and political terrain. All of us know that the arts sector is one of intense productivity. In Canada, the arts account directly and indirectly for 7% of the gross national product. Given the current economic downturn, the arts are an effective engine for economic renewal. Not only do the arts stimulate spending, they also offer effective ways to make sense of— or simply cope with—of uncertain times. The arts community is asking for reinstatement of the $45 million dollars for arts programming cut prior to the election call and to fulfill the promise of the extra $100 million it promised to The Canada Council for the Arts.
What's your birthday wish for the arts? Share your insights, suggestions and experiences. We would like to hear from you in this second in a series of public conversations about the arts and the economy.
Come early and enjoy birthday cake and refreshments, served at 2:00pm. Sign a special Art's Birthday card.