Centre A: Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art

What kinds of installation setup does your space have to offer?

Hanging systems, inventory list, plinths, AV equipment, elevators, floorplan, etc.

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

Media Art

Socially Engaged (that takes place outside of the traditional white-walled gallery)

Are you a member of CARFAC?

No

Does your organization have a membership(s) that artists can join?

Yes

canadahelps.org/en/charities/id/55368/

Do you have an active relationship with the local First Nations and Indigenous communities?

We have hired First Nations and Indigenous artists to present or perform for a non-FN audience as a part of yearly program.

We have sought and accepted advice, and regularly include First Nations and Indigenous artists.

Centre A’s location on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples informs our mandate and every aspect of our programming. We are deeply committed to fostering meaningful relationships with local First Nations and Indigenous communities and engaging meaningfully with calls for Reconciliation. This is reflected throughout our programming history and in the policies that govern our exhibition design and research.

The 2009 exhibition “Cosmologies: Anything That Exists Has A Beginning” was dedicated entirely to the exploration of complex cultural systems created by individual artists from various Indigenous cultures. More recently, the 2019 exhibition “(dis)location (dis)connect (dis)appearance” featured emerging Nehiyaw Isko artist, Cheyenne Rain LeGrande alongside Asian and Asian diasporic artists and the accompanying film screening All Our Father’s Relations that presented the interconnected histories of Chinese Canadian and First Nations relations along the Fraser River in British Columbia. Moreover, 30% of the artists featured in The Living Room, an experiential exhibition that took place from February to May 2022, were Indigenous.

Additionally, as part of our Arts Writing Mentorship program, we invited both David Garneau and Rita Wong as part of our Speakers Series. David Garneau is a painter, curator and critical art writer interested in creative expressions of Indigenous contemporary ways of being. Rita Wong’s works to support Indigenous communities’ efforts towards justice and health for water. By providing the art writing mentees a wide range of perspectives, the mentorship program was able to provide a better understanding of the nuance of diverse Indigenous cultures and ways of knowing in BC. By doing so, Centre A hoped to encourage the mentorship participants and our audience to build relationships with diverse communities through mutual respect and inclusion.

Do you have a diversity strategy, anti-racism or decolonization statement in place and can it be found on your website?

Yes

What are your current actions and  future commitments to build or maintain your relationship with the First Nations and Indigenous artists and community?

Centre A is a registered charity and the only public art gallery in Canada dedicated to contemporary Asian and Asian-diasporic perspectives since 1999. Situated on traditional and unceded Coast Salish Territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples, and in the heart of Vancouver’s Chinatown, Centre A is committed to providing a platform for engaging diverse communities through public access to the arts, creating mentorship opportunities for emerging artists/arts professionals, and stimulating critical dialogue through provocative exhibitions and innovative public programs.

Our mission is to build a community for contemporary Asian art, and foster greater inclusion and understanding of evolving and migratory cultural experiences and identities by:

– Providing an inclusive platform for the exhibition, appreciation, and dissemination of contemporary Asian art in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canada;

– Supporting the creation of new works by Asian and Asian-diasporic artists in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canada, particularly emerging artists, and artists within the Asian milieu whose voices are underrepresented;

– Facilitating collaboration and creative exchange between Asian artists in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canada, and Asian artists abroad, in order to engage critically with local, regional and national concerns;

– Fostering meaningful relationships with local arts organizations, artist collectives, community organizations and groups in the Asian community and beyond;

– Engaging meaningfully with the call for Reconciliation and contributing to the understanding and navigation of non-European settler identities from an Asian perspective.

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?

Centre A pays all artists CARFAC-standard fees equally and provides in-kind and/or financial support for all productions.

Although our programming predominantly focuses on an Asian Canadian and Asian diasporic perspective, we also successfully engage diverse voices from different communities in conversation with these perspectives that focus on solidarity and community building. Centre A encourages our audience to build renewed relationships with diverse communities through mutual respect and inclusion.

Centre A is also committed to creating space for diverse voices and underrepresented perspectives through our programming, responding to concerns relevant to the local community, and continually enhancing accessibility to engage with a broader public outside of the arts sector. Within this context, we support local artists and cultural practitioners by providing exhibition, internship and mentorship opportunities, supporting the creation of new works by intersectional artists with nontraditional practices, and facilitating collaboration and creative exchange. We are dedicated to serving its community as a space where the experiences of marginalization and underrepresentation are refocused in its artistic language.

Is your organization accessible via any of the following?

ASL translation

Elevators

Image and/or video descriptions for online content

Map of space with room/hallway dimensions

Subtitling in videos

Wheelchair accessibility

What opportunities do you offer for emerging artists?

Artist in Residence

Educational Outreach

Exhibitions

Mentorships

Workshops

How does your exhibition selection process work?

Curator Invitation

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

Auctions

Community/Programming (ex: member shows)

Fundraisers

Workshops

What supports do you provide for exhibiting artists?

Shipping (one way)

Two Way Shipping

(Value up to) Insurance

Listings and newsletters

Which CARFAC Fees do you pay for exhibitions?

Solo

Touring

Group

Permanent Collection

Performance

Exhibition in other public places

Reproduction

Work in public

Media art screenings and presentations

Which CARFAC Fees do you pay for digital programming?

Virtual exhibitions

Onsite and virtual exhibitions

Virtual tours of exhibitions or permanent collections

Which CARFAC Fees do you pay for non-commercial reproductions?

Audio-visual

Digital and electronic

Print

Which CARFAC Fees do you pay for commercial reproductions?

N/A

Which CARFAC Fees do you pay for artist professional services?

Presentation and consultation fees

Writing fees

Preparation fees

Installation fees

What accessibility supports do you have for artists?

Ramps

Hanging Height

Translations (ex: brail, ASL, etc)

Grant Writing Support

Alternative Submission Methods (ex: video submissions vs written, etc)

Consultations

What ways do you compensate artists?

Artwork Sales and Commissions

CARFAC Fees (https://carfac-raav.ca)

Fundraiser

Gallery Shop Sales

Honourariums

In-kind support