Artist run centre
Encyclopedia
An Artist Run Centre is an art institution that lacks many of the traits of a commercial
gallery space.
By methods and ideologies made popular (particularly in North America
) in the late 1970s, artist run culture came to prominence in response for the need of an alternative to conventional gallery spaces.
Generally working within an established framework, the artist run centre is now charged with understanding and challenging ongoing contemporary discourse. There aren't typically established limits (save, perhaps the cost) of what can be shown visually. The artist run centre often looks outside of its own limitations and boundaries to maintain an active status in its own community.
Artist run centres also generally operate/rely on government
grants, as opposed the sale of art
to maintain their spaces and programs. This assists in eliminating the need to make art specifically for sale, thus giving the participating artist the freedom to create pieces that, if they so choose, distinctly lack commercial ends (i.e.: performance art
, music
, experimental pieces, etc).
As a result, these institutions (generally found in urban center
s) become not only culturally relevant, but employ distinct voices within their respective communities. Artist run centres generally have a board of directors
and/or staff that are practicing artists or curators themselves (hence the moniker).
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
gallery space.
By methods and ideologies made popular (particularly in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
) in the late 1970s, artist run culture came to prominence in response for the need of an alternative to conventional gallery spaces.
Generally working within an established framework, the artist run centre is now charged with understanding and challenging ongoing contemporary discourse. There aren't typically established limits (save, perhaps the cost) of what can be shown visually. The artist run centre often looks outside of its own limitations and boundaries to maintain an active status in its own community.
Artist run centres also generally operate/rely on government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
grants, as opposed the sale of art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
to maintain their spaces and programs. This assists in eliminating the need to make art specifically for sale, thus giving the participating artist the freedom to create pieces that, if they so choose, distinctly lack commercial ends (i.e.: performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, experimental pieces, etc).
As a result, these institutions (generally found in urban center
Urban Center
The Urban Center is a gallery on Madison Avenue in New York City , which is run by the Municipal Art Society . The gallery serves to champion the fields of urban planning and design in New York, and is also the site of MAS' community development workshops, seminars, lectures, and other educational...
s) become not only culturally relevant, but employ distinct voices within their respective communities. Artist run centres generally have a board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
and/or staff that are practicing artists or curators themselves (hence the moniker).
See also
- Not-for-profit arts organizationNot-for-profit arts organizationA not-for-profit arts organization is usually in the form of a not-for-profit corporation, association, or foundation. Such organizations are formed for the purpose of developing and promoting the work of artists in various visual and performing art forms such as film, sculpture, dance, painting,...
- Canadian artist-run centresCanadian artist-run centresCanadian artist-run centres are a series of galleries and art spaces developed by artists in Canada since the 1960s. "Artist-run centre" is the common term of use for artist-initiated and managed organizations in Canada...
- Artist-run initiativeArtist-run initiativeAn artist-run initiative is any project run by visual artists to present their and others' projects. They might approximate a traditional art gallery space in appearance or function, or they may take a markedly different approach, limited only by the artist's understanding of the term...
- Artist-run centre
- Artist-run spaceArtist-run spaceAn artist-run space is a gallery space run by artists, thus circumventing the structures of public and private galleries.Artist-run spaces have become realised as an important factor in urban regeneration...