december 1997 / planet of the arts 39 E INSTITU 41 Preparing For Emily's Big Anniversary Get ready to celebrate 75 years and the death/birth of the Millennium. 47 Students’ Union: accomplishments. 1996-97 Year In Review Bronwyn Masson, CGA A look back at productive 49 Presenting Half The Reps Your introduction to the 1997-98 Students’ Union Executive Committee. by Harald Gravelsins hat sort of sturm und drang does it take to make this art school rock? Maybe the yin and yang of a little APEC cash within spitting distance of anti-APEC conscience. There was no spitting, of course.-Not even any official APEC cash. But expectations of expectorating figured somewhere in the fretting imaginations of people involved in the dual events that occurred at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design on November 21, 1997. One of these events was the opening of the Orientation Show in the Institute’s Concourse Gallery (with food service in the Scott Gallery — more on that below). The other event was the ECIAD Students’ Union Pub Night, held in the Student Lounge to sponsor the anti-APEC initiative concerned with human rights abuses among Canada’s Asia-Pacific trading partners. The business of an art school, often forgotten in the rush to assert one’s personal agenda as the only true path to a shining future, is the renewal of culture and civility. Did we fulfill this higher mandate on November 21? Read on, and decide for yourself. We had cake, and ate it too. In the darkening, pre-revolutionary hours before the agitated anti-APEC hordes were expected to descend upon our dear institution, we celebrated the November birthdays of members of the Institute community. ill soc CT ARF Granville Island till In this corner: Adrienne Lai, Sam Shem, and dividing wall for Orientation, A Celebration of Contemporary Asian Art. No history of joys and sufferings in the affairs of humankind is complete without reference to cosmic factors confirming that what took place was meant to be. November 21 is the birthday of Bronwyn Masson and Irwin Oostindie. Both have rendered distinguished ser- vice to the Institute community as chairpersons of the ECIAD Students’ Union. One has family in New Zealand, the other in Old Zealand (Holland). More connections no doubt exist, but what is important is that Masson and Oostindie were both present to blow out candles with us on a day when the micropolitics of the Institute reflected issues of much larger significance. No political plotting is possible without factions and rumours of catastrophe, a lesson not lost on people here last February when the Institute community awaited the visit of B.C. Premier Glen Clark. [See Planet of the Arts, October 1997.] But then again, there is no need for factions if all perspectives can be accommodated, however strange and wonderful the mixture. At least no need for the avoid- ance, averted glances and refusal to extend ordinary greetings — regrettable tactics that some among us use to delineate their crowd against some demonized “other”. There are few, if any substitutes, for honest conversation. But this needs willingness and openness. The averted glances and avoidance that were in evidence prior to November 21 continued at the Institute after that day. What this indi- cates is that the factionalizing attitude dear to some members of our community went into overdrive upon perceiving the “demonic” dualism of the Orientation Show with the Pub Night. And some stu- dent politicos with a deep and abiding resentment of this writer con- tinue to share their gratuitous and snarling contempt with anyone who cares to listen and several more who do not. But these probably are tiny hurts in relation to considering the larger purposes of our Institute and whether these purposes were honoured on November 21. The mixture of the Orientation Show and the anti-APEC Pub Night was strange. “Hey Harald, this is weird,” is how photo-journal- ist Alexander Duff put it as he surveyed the adjacent crowds on November 21. Weird indeed, and highly worrisome for at least a few people at the Institute. In the days prior to the dual events, these peo- ple articulated their worries in terms of plumbing (would there be enough toilets for both crowds) food (would beer-drinkers swarm the food table in the art gallery), and noise (can gallery goers tolerate deep base chords and drumming). As it turned out, the toilets did not overflow, the effort to protect the sushi for the Orientation show within the confines of the Scott Gallery did nothing to keep a hungry swarm of Animation students from delighting their appetites, and closed doors worked marvel- lously to buffer the sound between the Concourse area and the Lounge. And then there was the demilitarized zone. The concern came forward that physical and verbal interaction between the drinkers attending the Pub Night and the art goers attending the gallery open- ing would inspire viciousness and cruelty, and heaven knows what injury to property, persons and egos. In response to this concern, the hall- way between the Concourse and the Lounge was deemed an alcohol-free zone and a patrol was established to guard against any outbreaks of unseemliness. | accepted patrol duty as one of the last major tasks of my two (often miserable) years of service on the executive of the Students’ Union. Property and persons seem to have survived November 21 unscathed. Both crowds seemed to have enjoyed themselves in activ- ities that validated their respective social and aesthetic viewpoints. Should the evening be noted as a success in Emily’s annals? Probably it should. But the answer will not become clear until we see the Institute willing to host other simultaneous events with potentially contradictory messages. The trump that was being played over and over in the days before November 21 was that eight months of preparation had gone into developing the Orientation Show, including its two-day speaker series. And all of a sudden their parade was supposedly going to be hijacked. As I heard it expressed, the minor potential inconveniences posed by other students’ more recently conceived desire to hold an event at the same time in another part of the building from the Orientation Show met with the kind of objections that deserve to be directed at jack-booted, pepper-spraying police and not at artsy hoi polloi. There was no reasonable basis for wild speculations about an unruly mob of RAPHS BY ALEXANDER DUFE Too much factional paranoia but more than enough toilets. Emily ROCKS (for a day)! ART SNR APEC In this corner: Irwin Oostindie, Nancy Bleck, and Joey Keithley (of DOA) at the Students’ Union Anti-APEC Pub Night. hooligans when the people assembling socially in the lounge of an art school were simply students espousing a critical social viewpoint. In fact, there was reason to hope for at least an informal level of enthu- siasm about anyone who was organizing an event concerned with paying attention to the world and who was doing so without regard for padding their resume. The respect for free expression and the recognition of the respon- sibilities that attach to it run fairly deep at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. It cannot be otherwise if culture and civility are to be renewed here. But it is abundantly clear from the strained interac- tions leading up to the events on November 21 that there are plenty among us who are fearful of free expression and skeptical about peo- ple taking effective responsibility for such expression. Acting out this fear and skepticism does a grave disservice to the daily putting into practice of our institu- tional mandate. The more authority that is wielded by those acting out such negativism, the worse the results. And the shorter the term of any benefits such negativism is meant to bring about — a contribution to the financial bottom line, a controversy-free reputation, silencing views not flattering to one’s own — the more tragic the motivation. On more than a couple of occasions in the days leading up to November 21, the organizers of the Pub Night needed to be thrown a life line to rescue their event and in so doing preserve the hope that this Institute is large enough in spirit to accommodate significantly differ- ent voices, and brave enough to communicate this achievement to a broad public. On November 21, honour prevailed but only barely. If the moral vision that guides the Institute showed itself on November 21, that vision showed itself to be somewhat debilitated. The causes are several, and many of them are external. But some are internal, such as the lack — real or perceived — of enthusiastic, lively debate and discussion about the purposes of the Institute. No top- down initiative will repair this situation. Fortunately some people in authority are willing to cut slack to people in the trenches who are trying in their own way to foster hope. Otherwise, let’s wish for a rapid decline in me-ism and a revival of honour. And let there be a lot more sturm und drang to unsettle our moral vision from its complacent silence. £<6) december 1997 / plonet of the orts 39 THE INSTITUTE | 47 Preparing For ‘Students’ Union: ‘Says Big Anniversary 1996-97 Year in Review Geen och 8 yan Bron Masson, CGA Eafe hat sort of sturm nd drang does it take to make this art school rock? Maybe the yin and yang ofa litle APEC cash within spitting distance of anti-APEC There was no spitting ofcourse: Not even any official APEC cash But expectations of expetorating figured somewhere in the freting imaginations of people involed in the dual events that occurred at 1997 es events asthe opening of the Orientation Show in Emily Carr ns One of the Institutes Concourse Gallery (with food service in the Scott te f Art and Design on November 2 leey ~ more on that below). The other event was the ECIAD Student? Union Pub Night, held in the Student Lounge to sponsor the anti-APEC initiative concerned with human rights abuses among (Canada's Asia-Pacific trading partners. The busines of an at school often forgotten in the rush to assert ‘one’ personal agends s the only true path to shining future the renewal of ealture and civility Did we ful this higher mandate on November 212 Read on, and decide for yoursl ‘We had cake, and ate it too. Inthe darkening, pre-evoltionary hours before the agitated anti-APEC hordes were expected to descend upon our dea institution, we celebrated the November birthdays of po members ofthe Institute community In this corer Advenne La, Sam Shem. ad ving wall {or Orientation, Celebration of Contemporary Asin Art 'No history of joys and sufferings inthe airs of humankind is complete without reference to cosmic factors confirming that what took place was meant tobe. November 2 isthe birthday of Br ‘Masson and Irwin Oostinde. Both have rendered distinguished ser vice 10 the Insitute community 3s chaipersons of the ECIAD Students’ Union, One has family in New Zealand, the other in Old Zedland (Holland). More connestions no doubt exist, but what i important is that Masson and Oostindie were both present to blow ‘ut candles with us on day when the micropolitis ofthe Institute reflected issues of much lage significance No politcal plotting possible without factions and rumours of catastrophe, lesson not lost on ople here last February when the ‘onmonity awaited the visit of B.C. Premier Glen Clark, See Planet of the Arts, October 1997] But then again, ther is no nee for factions ill perspectives can be accommodated, however strange and wonderful the mixture, Atleast no need for the avoid ance, averted glances and refusal to extend ordinary greetings regrettable tactics that some among us use to delineate their crowd against some demonized “other” There are few fay substitutes, for honest conversation. But this needs willingness and openness The averted glances and avoidance that wee in evidence prior to November 21 continued atthe Institut ater that day: What thi in ates is that the factonaizng attitude dear to some members of our ‘community went into overdrive upon perceiving the “demonic” dualism of the Orientation Show withthe Pub Night. And some stu ent politics witha deep and abiding resentment ofthis writer con tinue to share thie gratuitous and snarling contempt with anyone ‘who cares to listen and several more who donot. But these probably ae tiny hurts in relation to considering the larger purposes of our r te and whether these purposes were honoured on The mixture of the Orientation Show and the anti-APEC Pub ‘Night was strange "Hey Harald this i weir." how photo journal ist Alexander Duff put it ashe surveyed the adjacent crowds on November 21. Weird indeed, and highly worrisome for at least a few people atthe Institute In the day rir to the dual evens, these pe: ple articulated their worries i terms of plumbing (would there be ‘enough toilets for both crowds) food (would beer drinkers swarm the food table in theat gallery), and nose (can gallery goers tolerate