Griffin Art Projects (Griffin) is a non-profit visual art organization with a mandate to advance the public’s appreciation of the arts through a vibrant program of art exhibitions, public presentations, residencies, curatorial outreach and performance art events, and to provide a unique forum for professional artists to present their work. Griffin is committed to being a leading arts organization for the promotion and understanding of local, regional, national and international contemporary art.
Griffin’s mandate includes public programs and outreach programs that offer lectures, workshops, symposia and curator & artist talks that accompany the exhibitions and residency program, to examine a variety of themes on contemporary art and artists, and contemporary art collections. Griffin also enhances visual arts education in the region by offering internships and volunteer opportunities that are available to students from local high schools, colleges and universities. Griffin supports and develops solo and group projects and thematic exhibitions of works, collaborating with established cultural producers, guest curators, artists, writers and art educators in the region, nationally and locally to also produce exhibitions, public programs and publications on contemporary art in the region.
1174 Welch St, North Vancouver, BC V7P 1B2
6049850136
Tell us about your organization:
What kinds of installation setup does your space have to offer?
multi-media, plinths, hanging systems, audio, inventory list, floorplans
Are there artists from specific regions that you are interested in showcasing?
Local Artists
Regional Artists
National
International
Is there a specific medium/genre of art making that your organization focuses on?
Contemporary Art
Indigenous Art
Are you a member of CARFAC?
No
Does your organization have a membership(s) that artists can join?
No
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:
Do you have an active relationship with the local First Nations and Indigenous communities?
Griffin engages with local Indigenous communities through a variety of means: internship positions, residency opportunities, programming, and youth mentorship programs.
With support from Young Canada Works, we hire young Indigenous professionals in the role of Indigenous Curatorial & Marketing Intern to implement and integrate varied Indigenous perspectives and initiate new projects within our schedule of promotions, programs and exhibitions. Two interns in this role have been hired as part of Griffin’s permanent staff.
Committed to providing support, resources, and profile for Indigenous artists, Griffin offers Indigenous residency awards, which aim to present and highlight the artwork of established and emerging Indigenous artists living in the Metro-Vancouver area. Selected artists receive 2 months of rent-free studio space in our residency building, a residency artist fee, and the opportunity to share the works created throughout the residency during an open studio event organized and promoted by Griffin.
Our programming history reflects our commitment in supporting the work of Indigenous artists; since the inception of our Griffin Indigenous Studio Award we have hosted residencies Open Studios and talks by Award winning artists including James Harry who also provided a presentation about his most recent piece for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in collaboration with SOS Children’s Village BC, as well as Xwalacktun and Lindsay McIntyre on the work and research produced throughout their time at Griffin, in addition to many other events highlighting both established and emerging Indigenous artists.
We have newly launched a Youth Mentorship Program, with the focus on connecting with local Indigenous Youth. We plan to organize tours and outreach opportunities for the general public as well as for local university and high school students, with a particular focus on building relationships with Indigenous youth. We plan to deliver engaging and educational studio visits with youth at Griffin’s Studio Residency for informal tours, conversations and engagements with artists and the site of their work.
Griffin has also recently joined the Institutional Membership Program at the Indigenous Curatorial Collective to gain further guidance on how to better serve the Indigenous communities we interact with. We see ourselves in between 3 and 4 in the chart provided – the efforts listed above demonstrate our commitment to the support and guidance of Indigenous communities and artists, though we do not have an Indigenous board member.
Do you have a diversity strategy, anti-racism or decolonization statement in place and can it be found on your website?
No
What are your current actions and future commitments to build or maintain your relationship with the First Nations and Indigenous artists and community?
We intend to continue and expand on the efforts listed above (residency award opportunities, staffing and internship positions, youth mentorship program, develop programming highlighting Indigenous artists) and take guidance from the Indigenous Curatorial Collective on how to strengthen and grow our relationships with Indigenous artists and communities as well as look to enhancing roles at a leadership level.
Are you aware of Indigenous Protocols for the visual arts in your community?
Yes
Do you offer land acknowledgements?
Yes, during events and programs
Yes, on our website
Yes, on printed matter and promotional materials (postcards, brochures, business cards, etc.)
Are there specific power dynamics that your organization has identified? And what are your current actions to address them?
Griffin acknowledges the varying power dynamics in the relations between institutions as well as with stakeholders such as audiences, artists, curators, and cultural producers it serves and supports; we are committed to building equitable relationships by paying CARFAC exhibition fees and offering rent-free studio space and a residency artist fee to recipients of our diverse art awards. Three of our art residency awards, our Annual Emily Carr University Studio Residency Awards, specifically support artists in the beginning of their careers. The award recipients are selected in collaboration with Emily Carr University.
In addition, we acknowledge that Indigenous and racialized artists are further undercompensated, in comparison to their non-Indigenous and non-racialized peers. In response, Griffin offers BIPOC and Indigenous Studio Art Awards, specifically targeting historically underrepresented artists to offer support, resources including a materials stipend, solidarity and profile.
Our residency is also equipped with a living space, so we are able to offer out-of-town visiting artists a place to stay during their time with us. Our residency program offers artists and visitors the opportunity to engage with contemporary art outside of the dominant ‘white cube’ – each resident gives an artist talk, and an open studio, offering the public access and insight into their artistic process. Since the onset of COVID-19, we have increasingly opted for online programming as a means of improving accessibility for both artists-in-residence and viewers at home.
Is your organization accessible via any of the following?
Subtitling in videos
Wheelchair accessibility
An online navigable digital exhibition archive to ‘visit’ the space remotely
What opportunities do you offer for emerging artists?
Artist in Residence
Educational Outreach
Scholarships
Studio Space
Artists are provided with professional development through arranged studio visits with Griffin curatorial staff as well as providing introductions to key artists curators and arts administrators; the list of networking opportunities is developed in consultation with the artist and their wishes
Submission Process
How does your exhibition selection process work?
Curator Invitation
Submissions to a Programming Committe/Jury
Requests for Proposals/Calls for Submissions/ Expression of Interest
Do you offer other methods or opportunities for artists to showcase their works?
Artist Talks
Art Markets/Fairs
Open Studios
Workshops
What supports do you provide for exhibiting artists?
Two Way Shipping
(Value up to) Insurance
Listings and newsletters
CARFAC Fees
Which CARFAC Fees do you pay for exhibitions?
Solo
Group
Permanent Collection
Performance
Reproduction
Media art screenings and presentations
Which CARFAC Fees do you pay for digital programming?
Onsite and virtual exhibitions
Which CARFAC Fees do you pay for non-commercial reproductions?
Audio-visual
Digital and electronic
Which CARFAC Fees do you pay for commercial reproductions?
Commercial Print
Which CARFAC Fees do you pay for artist professional services?
Presentation and consultation fees
Jury fees
Writing fees
Preparation fees
Other Offered Support for Artists
What accessibility supports do you have for artists?
Alternative Submission Methods (ex: video submissions vs written, etc)
Consultations
What ways do you compensate artists?
CARFAC Fees (https://carfac-raav.ca)
Honourariums
We pay to show previously produced artwork