by Erin Gunther One of the nice things about Emily Carr is the possibility of making lasting ties with like- minded folks. Along with many dif- ferent informal groups which grow from these school-based peer net- works and last long after gradua- tion, are several artist-run collectives. One of these is the Satellite Deli. The Deli is a non-profit collec- tive recently founded by nine Emily Carr students and alumni- | visited the Deli at their venue on Dunlevy in the aftermath of their last event/party. It felt like a cross between our most heavily used painting studios and a Kindergarten classroom. The dilapi- dated space has high ceilings and pipes showing. It is sunny and spa- cious and manages to be sober and playful all at once. Now, after the party is over, the whole place crackles with residual energy. The floor is paint-spattered and huge pieces of paper covered with paint and collage hang on the walls: the collaborative efforts of 30-40 people (mostly art students but a few who had never painted before) who came by that night to eat, play music and make art. The artwork is crowded, messy and exuberant... it looks like they had fun. But as we talk and finish off the leftover apple pie, Kelly Price, a founding member of the Deli, questions herself: “Was this event successful because it was attended by art students?” she asks slowly. “How do we make ‘art making’ accessible to the people on the street?” Questions like these often run through Kelly's mind. Although they have no set ‘leader,’ members of the collective agree that Kelly supplies the group with a strong backing vision. For years she’s been thinking about «How do we make art making accessible to alternative art practices, like working collaboratively with fellow artists and with the neighbour- hood. (The usual route for artists, she says, would be working all alone and ignoring your neigh- bours.) In Emily Carr instructor Sylvia Scott's Exploratory Media class last spring, Kelly and some fellow stu- dents worked on creating a virtual gallery space on the Internet. This project led to a haphazard collec- tive being formed. Soon after, the Deli held their inaugural event: a group show at Kelly’s house on the theme of ‘Domestics.’ DELI, INC. In June 1996 the Deli moved into their present location. With the unfamiliarity of trying to col- laborate with many artists, lots of projects flying around, and people leaving when they found they didn’t have enough time to con- tribute to the collective, the Deli members decided to do something to ensure the Deli some longevity. They worked during the summer to incorporate the Deli as a non-profit society. Kelly believes this will give the Deli a certain “recognizable credibility” as well as make it a legal entity — giving the legal entity an existence indepen- dant from its membership or any one member. Incorporation also provides financial credibility and enables the group to apply for grants and funding as well as receive tax- deductible donations, all of which would really help pay the rent. Kelly and former Deli member Ling Chiu put together the Deli’s Put vanilla pudding in it, top with toasted coconut and it’s Coconut Custard Jackie Blackmoore pie. Put canned sliced peaches in it, glaze with thickened syrup and it's a Pricilla Yeung Peach Mosaic. Put lime filling in it, top with a twist of lime, and it’s Key Jen Weih lime pie. Put lemon flavoured pie filling “= in it, garnish with meringue and it's Lemon Sydney Hermant Meringue pie. Put cream cheese and vanilla pudding in it, top with cherry filling and it's Cheese Rouge. the people on the street?» Put your favorite ice cream in it, top with sliced walnuts and it's Kyath Battie Ice Cream Cake. December 1996 / Planet of the Arts 21 Downtown Eastside Dell constitution and bylaws (the princi- ples and regulations by which they will govern themselves). They found the process chal- lenging, as it involved using unfa- miliar legal language and precise statements of the Deli’s aims. This may seem contrary to the group’s artistic sensibilities and emphasis on flexibility, however such things need to be done for the incorpora- tion to proceed. Legal incorporation helped the Deli to clarify its aims. One of the most basic of these is to provide the group with, in Deli member Priscilla Yeung’s words, “a differ- ent method to survive [artistically], not just working with each other but also giving support and build- ing a trust.” Members say this kind of thing is difficult to do at Emily Carr. Put chocolate pudding in it, top with fresh, sliced bananas and it’s Chocolate Kelly Price Pudding Pie. Suprise. \ Put drained fruit cocktail in it, glaze with thickened syrup and it's Fruit Suzy Osler Salad Pie. Creates Art Insurgency School is full of resources. It’s also full of structure and allows you to forget you have to survive on your own - leaving you in debt and ill- prepared for reality. “School is an opportunity to get away from pres- sures, and to work really intensely — it's a valuable resource... [but] it can be a very insular little world,” says Kelly, “I don’t know if | can take what | do in that world and apply it to the outside world.” Some Deli members are stressed out about this and some aren’‘t, but that’s beside the point. They've decided to go into Directed Studies, that is, make up for them- selves their own class - the Deli - and then get the school to give them credit for it. This reversal of affairs involves presenting a pro- posal to an instructor, who will set continued on page 24... Put strawberries in it, top with strawberry whip, and it’s a Strawberry Sylvia Nelson Put oranges in it, add orange flavoured pudding and it’s Alana Murray Mandarin Orange Dessert. MEANWHILE... L’vE Got To START TAKING My MepicATION AGAIN... ax 4 < 3 c S ES S 3 z ES December 1996 / Planet of the Arts 21 Downtown Eastside Deli Creates Art Insurgency by Erin Gunther alternative act practices, ike projects ying around, and people constitution and bylaws (he princi School i fl of resources. also ‘working collaboratively with fellow leaving when they found they ples and regulations by which they full of structure and allows you to Ce ofthe nice things about arts and with the neighbour: didn’vhave enough ime to on-__wll govern themselves) forget you have to survive on your Emily Crristhe possibilty of hood. 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