Beating the bushes to figure out how to promote Canadian art

Starting from a position so far in the rear of most G8 or even many G20 countries in terms of cultural influence (especially visual art), Canadians need to look for ways to jump up the stairway two steps at a time, if not faster. We need to build followings, we need to create buzz, we need to extend our reach and so forth. One way to build up a following of course is to start a Facebook group. This is something we have done just recently.

Initially Canada was one of the more connected countries on the internet. I have heard that, of late, our leadership position has weakened quite a bit.

However, this is something that can be corrected, at least as long as Canada remains in a position of some economic advantage in comparison to the vast majority of countries in the world.

In terms of visual art, it just so happens that most of the countries that are head and shoulders beyond us in terms of influence and prestige, are also the ones that are pretty much on a par with us economically, such as Germany, the U.S., France and the U.K.

We can look for advantages to exploit... for example, one advantage is that we speak English in Canada. This gives us a built in marketing advantage, even though most "competitors" in non-English speaking countries strive to master their English and are very often successful in impressive fashion. In addition to this, a lot of Canadians also speak French - so that could be another advantage to explore.

But what else is there?

OK, let's try to make a list:

* we have access to a "little pond"; beginning Canadian art marketers can test the waters in the smaller Canadian market
* we are close to the U.S. and have other commonalities
* we are very diverse culturally and ethnically
* there are no dominant, overbearing powers in Canadian art overshadowing everything else
* or... you almost have the Jamaican Bobsled phenomenon in Canadian visual art
* apart from that, I'm not sure, but I guess one of the keys would be to use all of these angles to best advantage by applying social networking and other web techniques

Anyway, this is the assignment in a nutshell.

Influential Canadians in the Art World - Jeff Hamada

"People often say to me, You were really lucky to have made an art site when no one was doing it,' and that's true to a certain extent," Hamada says. "But as soon as you see the opportunity, you have to be able to pounce on it."

That's how Vancouver blogger Jeff Hamada, has been quoted describing his success in articles printed across Canada in the National Post and throughout the bankruptcy-protected Canwest chain this week.

Interesting that Hamada would agree that no one was making an art site before Booooooom.

Seems to me there have been a "couple" of art blogs around for slightly longer than that - lol.

What is amazing, though, is to compare the success of Hamada's blog to the dismal failure of the Canwest chain - especially the National Post.

Influential Canadians in the Art World - Louise T. Blouin

As much as I tend to minimize the influence of Canadians in the art world, there are, of course, some exceptions, including some people of indisputable international standing.

One is Louise Blouin, a Montrealer living in London, who controls a virtual empire of art information properties and carries on an impressive agenda of philanthropic activities.

In the '80s and '90s Blouin and her second husband built the huge network of Auto Trader and "Auto Hebdo" publications and leveraged the internet at the earliest opportunity to seize a commanding position in the dedicated classified publications biz. [on reflection, as the "Hebdo" family was started and first flourished in Quebec, this could be one reason why local newspapers and weeklies are so pathetic in that province]

Blouin's properties now include: Art-Info, Art+Auction, Modern Painters, Culture and Travel, Gordon's Art Sales Index, Gordon's Print Price Annual, Gordon's Photography Price Annual, Davenport's Art Reference & Price Guide, the Hislop Pocket Price Guide and The Art of Buying Art reference book.

She has also established the Louise T Blouin Foundation, a non-profit art-related organization in London, which has a 45,000 sq. ft. flagship headquarters building in west London, to serve as a head office, as well as a showcase for both established and emerging contemporary artists, think-tanks and artistic performances of all forms. The building is impressive, as it should be for having around $40 M worth of renovations.

Among the Foundation's activities are a Global Creative Leadership Summit held annually in New York whose attendees are as illustrious as the foundation's objectives are ambitious.

Surprise, surprise - Canada's artists completely ignored in Times ratings

Not exactly the most up-to-date report in the world of art news, as this came out back in June. Worth mentioning though due to its pertinence for the subject of this blog. Again, a very depressing (if predictable) result for Canadian art. At the same time, maybe it will be useful in some small way for inciting our art establishment to some kind of more effective action than the status quo has been.

The results of the Times Top 200 Artists of the 20th Century to Now survey were announced June 8, 2009. The Times Online poll was taken in conjunction with Saatchi Online and all artists received over 1.4 million votes.

Riopelle doesn't even make the list

In this entire list of 200 artists, there is only one Canadian to my knowledge - that is Jeff Wall, in 116th place. No Riopelle, no Carr, no Jackson, and none of the ~below~. Admittedly, I'm not sure what the methodology of this survey was. There must have been a list that you could pick from - so how many Canadians were on that, I do not know. Anyway, the end result is yet another slap in the face for Canadian art.

The very existence of this list now goes on to further perpetuate the fallacy that Canadian art has no place on the world stage. The work of all Canadian artists is devalued and the way ahead for future artists wishing to climb the rungs of recognition is made that much more difficult.