MISSION
Artspace is Peterborough's artist-run centre, a non-profit organization committed to nurturing contemporary art and artists. We offer presentation spaces to accommodate the broad scope of disciplines that comprise Canada's vibrant contemporary arts community and favour work that is challenging, innovative and provocative.
Formally, our mandate aims to foster a stronger appreciation for Canadian contemporary art. In our ongoing efforts to generate excitement and awareness, we also aim to build on our reputation as one of our region's most vital arts organizations. And yet, that is but our starting point.
We advocate for artists. We nurture dialogue across disciplines, cultures and perspectives. We're also representatives, responsible for building ties with the community. Ours is a necessary voice in the cultural landscape and it has been since 1974 when Artspace was founded among a group of dedicated local artists. Six addresses, one flood and thirty-plus years on, we've built an active membership by providing a showcase for respected Canadian talent.
As of September 2006 our new location presents a great opportunity to extend our mandate. An expansive main gallery houses monthly exhibitions, while our incubator, the MUDROOM, is shared among local artists to produce and perform. Our resource centre, the Tool Box, welcomes both members and the public to further their understanding of contemporary art through a library, media archives and lending services. Ongoing exhibitions, screenings, a speaker series, symposiums and workshops round out a programming mix that continues to pique the interests of our community and artists across Canada.
Our programming, though national in scope, is regional in spirit. In connecting artists to the community and welcoming the community to get involved, we continue to attract respected talent from across the country, talent that we're proud to compensate with fees that exceed recommended CARFAC rates.
Artspace is funded by all levels of government; The Canada Council for the Arts, The Ontario Arts Council, The City of Peterborough; private sector partners, and built on the strength of its membership.
Mandate Objectives
- To advocate for the rights of artists on the local, regional, and national level and to further support artistic pursuits through the payment of artist fees.
- To take a leadership role in the interface between artists and community.
- To provide a safe environment within which artists at all levels of development can engage contemporary art and critical discourses.
- To encourage critical investigations by enabling exploration in curation, exhibition, and performance.
- To develop various alternate public forums such as: lecture, panel, and symposia presentations; workshops, broadcasts, publications, off-site exhibitions, and virtual projects.
- To foster dialogues between contemporary artists from diverse cultural/political perspectives without prejudice towards media.
- To serve as a versatile resource facility for local artists and curators and to further develop its facilities in order to best serve these mandates.
