CANADA COUNCIL – The Distinct Role of Artist-Run Centres in the Canadian Visual Arts Ecology

Scope:

The overall goal of this study, conducted on behalf of the Canada Council for the Arts was to document the role and place of Artist-Run Centres (ARCs) in the larger ecology of the Visual Arts today.Within this overall context, the study sought to:

  1. Identify the distinct role of ARCs in the visual arts ecosystem;
  2. Summarize the distinct role within the context of: place of artists, artistic practices and public engagement;
  3. Incorporate the interpretation of ARCs as understood by the centres them- selves;
  4. Categorize Artist-Run Centre activity into 6-8 categories and identify outliers and any gaps or other issues;
  5. Examine the situation of multiple ARCs in one city;
  6. Review and present the data on ARC funding levels from Provincial, Municipal and other Federal funders.