2 PLANET OF THE ARTS / FEBRUARY - MARCH 1996

Planet of the Arts

Volume XI / Issue 3

Editorial Board Dawn Buie

Harald Gravelsins Jamie Lamberton Jonathan Lander

Layout/Production Lulu Conchita Galway Jacqueline Davey

Joao Cordeiro Shawnabelia Nygren Dafna Ohana Rebecca Pasch

Those Who Sold

Their Souls N. Akin

K. Battie

J. Bauming

J. Boehme

C. Brown

T. Conley

S. Coward

R. Del Pieve Gobbi C. Enger

R. Espinoza

K. Finlayson G. Fowler

D. Franson

B Gallant Gameshow Gramma and Grandpa D. Headly

N. Hewitt

A. Hoffman A. Horvath

H. Howes

F. Ignacio

S. lliuk

D. Johnstone S. Liss

M. Madison C. Moseiwitch C. Nash

C. Pollard

J. Riley

B. Sheppard J. Stanton

L. Szasz

R. Tunnicliffe D. Vogel

A. Wood

M. Yates

Disclaimer

PLANET OF THE ARTS IS A STUDENT PUBLICATION OF EMILY CARR INSTITUTE OF ART AND DESIGN, FUNDED BY THE STUDENT'S UNION. WE WELCOME UNSOLICITED CONTRIBUTIONS PROVIDED THEY INCLUDE THE CONTRIBUTOR'S REAL NAME. ARTICLES SHOULD BE LEGIBLE, PHOTOS AND DRAWINGS SHOULD BE BLACK AND WHITE. SUBMISSIONS CAN BE PUT IN THE PLANET MAILBOX IN THE AREA WHERE THE FACULTY MAILBOXES ARE. THE EDITORS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO EDIT SUBMISSIONS FOR CLARITY AND ELIMINATE RACISM, SEXISM, CLASSISM, AGEISM, SIZE-ISM, NICK COTEISM, COPYISM

AND HOMOPHOBIA.

Correspondence Planet Of The Arts

c/o ECIAD

1399 Johnston Street Vancouver, British Columbia Canada V6H 3R9

vox 604 844 3861 fax 604 844 3801

e-mail poa@eciad.bc.ca

world wide web http://www.eciad.be.ca/~poa/

editorial

THE ART STUDENT AS VANGUARD BY HARALD GRAVELSINS

Who is the enemy?

Is it greedy banks and tax-avoiding corporations? Is it politicians with too many business buddies?

Or is it school administra- tors who become lackeys of govern- ment in exchange for cushy salaries?

We might be able to find truth in any of the foregoing answers. And yet we might be just as far from a useful explanation of the larger problems raised by funding cutbacks to ECIAD.

Several people in this issue of PoA take up the question of reduced public funding to post-sec- ondary education, and offer a variety of interpretations on what is at stake. Their differences and disagreements give us space for reflection.

How should ECIAD students conduct their politics?

This question underlies evaluating whether the February 7th CFS demonstration was worth attending.

Demonstrations can be exhilarating when they draw enough participants and media attention. On these counts, the February 7th rally was a success.

But this hardly answers key questions about changes to the allo- cation of public funds, changes demonstrators protested against under the slogan "Stop the cuts.”

So, did we stop the cuts?

Your guess is as good as mine. What is certain is that for a brief time students from a number of CFS-affiliated schools and others united in raising their voices against cutbacks.

ECIAD students, wearing distinctive fluorescent hunters’ caps and carrying hand-painted placards, added a leaven of visual creativity to the proceedings.

Perhaps the most impor- tant accomplishment of the gather- ing was to give a boost to CFS leaders in their one-on-one, behind- the-scenes dealings with the educa- tion minister.

What the rally did not accomplish was recognition of the gulf that separates art education from other forms of educational and social spending. These distinctions are out of place in the context of the us/good versus them/bad rhetoric of such events.

Looking back now, we are better placed to ask difficult ques- tions about our purposes as ECIAD

eters '

what i want is more untrained dogs at school to destroy other peoples’ property and i want more coffee nites so that i can drum intensely with others and i want more of a lovevibe here at schcol

dear planet,

and i want hemp legalized. yours, -che goodness

Letter to the Editor,

students for demonstrating against changes to social spending.

For many of us, attending ECIAD represents a conscious choice to not follow our parents in their occupational choices as doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers, educa- tors and a host of other well-paying careers.

At the rally, we marched together with students from the Native Education Centre. Two schools, same oppression?

Absolutely not. For the most part, our oppression is a gar- ment we choose to wear starting in early adulthood despite solid middle class credentials. It is not the product of a centuries-long history of cultural genocide. Our oppression, if we can even call it that, turns up in such things as overdue telephone bill pay- ments. E

The history we were born

into has enabled us to use the system _

to get Jane and John Q. Taxpayer, via their government, to contribute $35,000 towards the cost (mostly salaries) over four years of our expressive self-discovery. This is the cost of an ECIAD education not cov- ered by our tuition payments.

A further $30,000 in loan money is available to us to cover liv- ing expenses over the same period.

What ECIAD students in general have in common with stu- dents of the Native Education Centre is the contempt of hundreds of thou- sands of BC taxpayers who sent two dozen Reform MP's to Ottawa after

the 1994 election. These voting masses dismiss First Nations’ land claims about as quickly as they dis- miss much of what we come up with at ECIAD in the way of art.

Our common ground is thin.

Unlike our sisters and brothers at the Native Education Centre, we have no morally superior claim to stake in the face of a hostile mass electorate. There are no wrongs to be righted in the history of art education in BC that compare to the injustices suffered by First Nations’ peoples.

The best we can do is to argue that society benefits from gen- erously subsidizing the self-actual- ization that occurs at ECIAD, however messy it turns out to be.

Of course there will always be philistines who find this argument self-indulgent and elitist.

These people don't feel for and don't understand the special responsibilities of a vanguard that is working to bring about a better and brighter cultural tomorrow.

Thankfully, despite Jane and John Q. Taxpayers’ hostility, we

and some well-placed friends in the.

government share this higher under-

standing and deep feeling for culture...

Did | say government? Weren't they one of the bad. guys?

Alas, the perils of doing reality checks, even for a vanguard.

Especially for the art stu- dent vanguard, whose worst enemy might well be itself. —@&

Jim sitting here & = {I | ae

sane \ 1S furs per fume.

ss 1% yu sd 30a ctu °

\t% Pall boc ox greets.

Acd fh on | keep bear ing thes

atomic BL AS

fom S° Ber

aad Jim tke... Wh&t gS this 22”

nf. (pewter on

cmcel\ .& ee

a

! believe the Chinese invented tea in about 8th century AD. maybe, maybe not. Originally intended as a cure for alcoholics and a substi- tute for cocaine. Since the cafeteria continues to serve Stash tea’s, | have had to endure countless pints of beer at the Arts Club, wilst playing pool at their pool table, and eating nachos and stuff with my hard earned money. | notice a lot of fellow Emily Carr students relaxing and laughing away nice afternoons before going home. Want to make future funds for continuing our high level of educa- tion? Maybe have tool crib’s hand out paint or canvas once in awhile? | hear there's a profit in selling alcohol, maybe even a nice place to sit an think over a nice glass of wine for tourists as ell, hell, maybe even well some art.

-Dylan Surridge

Dear Editor,

In response to the letter by Damon Crain which appeared in the December 1995 issue of Planet of the Arts, the ceramics department would like to make clear that it was not our intention to hinder the Aids cause by holding the Chrisman Print and Ceramics Sale on the same day as A Day Without Art. Our annual event has taken place on the same weekend for many years, and we were unaware that this year it coincided with the Aids awareness event. We would also like to clearly state that at no time did we SELL the red aids ribbons at the cash table. They were placed there for anyone to pick up.

It is unfortunate that the timing of the two events was off. Better communication in the futur will be needed.

Yours Truly, ECIAD Ceramics Department =e

Letter to the Editor,

A day without art. Good idea. Let's rid the world of culture, beauty and sanctuary. Let's dwell in our misery and flog ourselves with misguided reverence for those who have died of AIDS. Let's also have a day without mothers, sisters, daughters and wives to honour those who have died of breast cancer. Let's have a day with fathers, brothers, sons and husbands who have fallen victim to prostate cancer and heart disease. What good will it do? What is positive about having a day without art? Whose idea was it to deprive the whole world of art to remind us yet again of our mor- tality?

| suggest a day to honour art. A day to remind us of the impor- tance of savouring life and loved ones. Instead of closing galleries and museums, they could be open to the public free of charge - in honour of life. It could be a national holiday: Thanksgiving, Christmas and Art Appreciation Day. This country could really use a day dedicated to esthetic indulgence and reflection on what is meaningful in life.

So, Damon Crain, before you condemn the entire ceramic and print making student body of gross insensitivity, consider the real- ity of a world without art. We too have friends and family dying of AIDS, cancer and a myriad of other killing diseases. And as a former health-care professional who has worked with the termi- nally ill, | can tell you that the dying, more than anyone, know the value of enjoying life while you can. As artists we facilitate the enjoyment and celebration of life, not death. And | for one will not acknowledge such a destructive concept as silencing art.

-Rachelle LeGros

2 mover oF We Aes | remuA- WAR 1996

Planet of the Arts

Volume XI/Iasue 3

Editorial Board Dawn Buie

Harald Gravelsins Jamie Lamberton Jonathan Lander

Layout/Production Llu Conchita Galway, Jacqueline Davey

Joa0 Cordeiro ‘Shawnabella Nygren Dafna Ohana Rebecca Pasch

Those Who Sold

Their Souls N. Akin

K Battie

J. Bauming

J. Boehme Brown T.Conley

S. Coward R.Del Pieve Gobbi C Enger

R. Espinoza

K Finlayson G. Fowler

D. Franson

B Gallant Gameshow Gramma and Grandpa D. Headly N.Hewitt

‘A Hoffman ‘A Horvath H. Howes

F Ignacio

S. lk

D. Johnstone S. Liss

M. Madison C. Moseiwitch Nash Pollard

J Riley

B. Sheppard J. Stanton

L Sas R.Tunniclffe D. Vogel

‘A. Wood

M. Yates

Disclaimer

AND BY SIONS WE. WE LCE ASSAD BOE, ES HO ‘SleSSNS cE FUT NTH ANT ‘aon TH AA ETHEL aos A TH OOS SEE THE mae ac Ss CASSSNAGES Seu Meru corns

Correspondence Planet Of The Ats

fo EAD

1999 Joston Street Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada. VGH 3R9

vox 604 844 3861 fax 604 844 3801

email poa@ecadbecs

world wide web tp: meciad bcalspoal

editorial

‘THE ART STUDENT AS VANGUARD wy HARALD GRavelsss

But this hardly answers key questions about changes to the alo cation of public funds, changes demonstrators protested against under the slogan “Stop the cuts”

So, did we stop the cuts?

Your guess is as good as, mine. What is certain is that for a bie ime students from a number of (CF5-affliated schoo's and others united in raising ther voices against cutbacks

ECIAD students, wearing istinetive fuorescent hunters’ caps ‘and carrying hand-painted placards, ‘added a leven of visual creativity to the proceedings,

Perhaps the most impor tant accomplishment of the gather= {ng was to give a boost to CFS leaders in ther one-on-one, behing- the-scenes dealings withthe educa- tion minister.

What the elly didnot accomplish was recognition of the gulf that separates art education from other forms of educational and socal spending. Tese distinctions

Who is the enemy? Isit greedy banks and tax-avoiding corporations? I it politicians with too many business buddies?

Oris it schoo! administra tors who become lackeys of govern= ment in exchange for cushy salaries?

‘We might be able to find truth in any ofthe foregoing answers. And yet we might be ust as far from a useful explanation of the larger problems raised by funding cutbacks to ECIAD,

Several people in this issue of PoA take up the question of reduced public funding to post-sec- ‘ondary education, and offer a variety of interpretations on what is at stake, Their ditferences and disagreements sive us space for reflection.

How should ECIAD students conduct their politics?

This question underies evaluating whether the February 7th (FS demonstration was worth

attending, are out of pace inthe context ofthe Demonstrations can be _slgood versus thembad rhetoric of

‘extilarating when they draw enough such events,

participants and media attention. On Looking back now, we are

these counts the February 7th rally better placed to ask dificult ques-

asa success, tions about our purposes as ECIAD

tet

what want more untrained dog t School to destroy other people property and i wan more coffee nits So that can drum intensely with thes and want more of lovee here at sch! and want hemp legalized

he goodness

ear plane,

Letter othe Eto,

blieve the Chinese invented te in about th century AD. maybe, raf not. Original intended a a cute for leholis an subt= {ute for cocaine. Since the cafeteria continues to Sere Stash ea, |

students for demonstrating against changes to social spending

For many of us, attending ECIAD represents a conscious choice te not follow our parents in thie ‘occupational choices as doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers, educa- tors and a host of other wellspaying

At the aly, we marched together with students from the Native Education Centre. Two schools, same oppression?

Absolutely not For the ‘most pat, our oppression isa gar- iment we choose to wear starting in cary adulthood despite slid middle class credentials. Its not the product ‘of a centuries-long history of cultural ‘genocide. Our oppression, if we can ‘even cll it that, turns up in such ‘things as overdue telephone bil pay ments.”

The history we were born Into has enable us to use the sytem to get Jane and John . Taxpayer, via thei government, to contribute {$25,000 towards the cost (mostly ‘lares) over four years of our ‘expressive self-discovery. Tiss the cost ofan ECIAD education not cov ‘ered by our tution payments.

‘further $30,000 in loan ‘money is available to us to cover liv- ing expenses aver the same period.

What ECIAD students in ‘general have in common with stu- dents ofthe Native Education Centre isthe contempt of hundreds of thou- ‘sands of BC taxpayers who sent two ‘dozen Reform MP's to Ottawa after

Jin sitting eve & oll smell ys fers per fume: a yh stay alls fed then | es, be

afoante “eee divs aad bem Na cc WHS $his 72°

the 1994 election These voting ‘masses sismiss First Nations' and claims about as quicky as they i rmiss much of what we come up with at ECIAD in the way of art.

(Our common ground is

thin,

Unlike our sisters and ‘brother at the Native Education Centre, we have no morally superior claim to stake inthe face ofa hostile mass electorate. There are no wrongs to be righted inthe history of art ‘education in 8C that compare tothe injustices suffered by ist Nation’ peoples.

The best we can do is to argue that society benefits from gen- erously subsidizing the self-actual- ization that occurs at ECAD, however messy it turns out to be.

‘Of course there will always be philitines who fin this argument. self-indulgent and elitist

These people don't feel for ‘and don't understand the special responsibilities ofa vanguard that is working to bring about a better and brighter cultural tomorrow.

Thankfully, despite Jane ‘and John Q. Taxpayers’ hostility, we and some well-placed frends inthe ‘government share this higher under- ‘Standing and deep feeling for culture

Did I say government? Weren't they one ofthe bad guys?

‘Alas, the perils of doing realty checks, even fora vanguard

Especially for the at stu- dent vanguard, whose worst enemy might wel be itself,

lon

ing these

ap hewitt on

smell

7 Letter tothe Eto,

‘day without a Good idea. Let id the

tsovad,

wold of culture,

have ha to endure countless pints of beer atthe Arts Clu, wit Paying poo at thet pool tae, and eating nachos and tf with my hard earned money. ntice aot af felon Emily Care stoen's ‘elaxng and laughing away nice afternoons before ging home ‘Want te mate future fins for continuing our high level of educe- tion? Maybe have tol cbs hand out ait ox canvas once in while? I ear theres 2 profit seing aeaho, maybe even a rice Place wo sit an think ove nice glass of wine fr tur ae hel, ‘mayoecven well some at.

Dylon Surge

7. Dear Eto,

In respons tothe etter by Damon Cain which apeared inthe December 1995 issu of Planet of the Arts, the ceramics department woul ie to make clear that twas not our intention to hinder he ‘ids cause by hldng the Chsman Print and Ceramics Sale on the Same day a ADay Without Art Our annual event has taken place on the same weekend for many years, and we were unaware that ths yearitcoincied with the As awareness event We woul 0 lie to deat state tata no time aid we SELL the re id bBo the cash table. They were placed there for anyone to pickup

Iti unfortunate thatthe timing ofthe two events was of Beter communication nthe utr wl be nese

Yours Tay OID Ceramics Department 7

beauty and sanctuary Lets dell incur misery and fog ourselves with misguided reverence for those who have ied of AIDS. Lets also have a dy without mothers, sts, daughters and wives to honour those who have ded of breast cancer et’ have aay With ates brothers, sons and huskands who have fallen victim to prostate cancer and heart dase What good wilt o? What is positive about having a day without art? Whose idea was i to deprive the whole wor of to remind s yet

tal?

{suggest a day to honour art A day to remind us ofthe impor tance of savoring life and loved ones. Instead of esng galleries ‘and museums, they could be open tothe public ree of charge =n honour fife I cold be a national haliay: Thanksgiving, ‘hrstmas and Art Appreciation Day. This country coud realy se 2 day dicate to esthetic indulgence an reflection on what is mean in ite

‘So, Damon Cain, before you condemn the entire ceramic and frit making stafent body of gross insensitivity consider the rel- ity ofa world without art We too have friends nd amy yng ‘OF AIDS, cancer anda myriad of ether ling diseases. And 253 Toomer health-care proesiona who has worked with the term ‘nal, can tell you tat the ding, more than anyone, know the ‘alue of enjoying le while you can. As atts we fata the njyment and celebration of ite, not death And | for one wll. rot acknowledge such 2 destructive concept 5 slencing at.

facheleLeeos 7