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Art Matters growing up

Concordia's student-run art festival turns a corner in its 11th year
February 16, 2011
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By Russ Cooper


After 10 years, Art Matters is the biggest student-run, non-profit art festival in the country.

This year’s program has a noticeably professional tone – not that previous editions didn’t. But Art Matters co-producer Stephanie Laoun says a calculated maturity has been a prime objective since the festival’s planning began this past summer.

“This year, I feel we really polished every event,” says Laoun.

Art Matters runs March 1 to 19 with work from over 200 artists in 16 shows in 12 venues throughout the city.

“Art Matters has the reputation of being a party with art. We’ve tried to make events as professional as possible to give students the feeling of what it means to work in a professional setting, to work with gallery coordinators, to work with artists and manage them, and to have your work shown in a professional setting.”

Organizing this year’s festival also proved an opportunity for the team of five co-producers (Laoun, Helen Adilia Arceyut-Frixione, Stephanie Bokenfohr, Sean Yendrys and Stefan Spec) to glance back over the last decade.

They’ve been able to distill the festival’s history into a tight 123-page retrospective book featuring scads of names, artwork, statements, newspaper clippings, etc. Art Matters Festival: The First 10 Years 2001–2010 will be available for $5 at shows throughout the festival.

At the same time, producers took the opportunity to envision the next 10 years.

“We want to push the festival forward and expand,” says Arceyut-Frixione. “When there’s another retrospective publication done in 10 years, we want the festival to have evolved.”

Producers made a point of contacting more galleries and organizations than in the past. The results were surprising, says Laoun. She’s seen an increase in inquiries from external artist-run centres interested in collaborating with the festival, “…centres we didn’t even consider contacting because we didn’t think they’d respond.”

While they had to decline many requests due to having already confirmed arrangements, “we plan to build on those relationships for 2012,” says Arceyut-Frixione.

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Prior to the festival’s kick-off, Art Matters will be holding an event during Nuit Blanche entitled Extravagance - Excess - Decay on February 26 at The Dep[art]ment (48 Notre Dame St.).
The Art Matters opening party will be March 4 at Espace Réunion (6600 Hutchison St.). The big draw will be musical act Andrew W.K., who will be performing a DJ set. Other acts will include Pat Jordache, Cousins, Wilcox & Promise, Chevalier Avant Garde, Grimes and Doldrums.

W.K. will also give a motivational speech to fine arts students prior to the evening’s start. (Yes, that’s right, Andrew “party party party” W.K. will be imparting his wisdom to hundreds of artists.) “Now he’s all about going for it and pushing the limits and going for your dreams. It worked well with our theme,” says Arceyut-Frixione.


For full program with dates, times, and locations, visit artmattersfestival.com.

Related Links
•    “Art Matters Celebrates Ten Years” – Journal, March 4, 2010
•    Art Matters on Facebook
•    Art Matters on Twitter
•    Nuit blanche



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