{"id":17581,"date":"2013-02-08T10:34:15","date_gmt":"2013-02-08T15:34:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artoronto.ca\/?p=17581"},"modified":"2013-02-22T16:22:13","modified_gmt":"2013-02-22T21:22:13","slug":"interview-with-lise-beaudry-at-gallery-44","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/v2.artoronto.ca\/?p=17581","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Lise Beaudry, Director of Gallery 44"},"content":{"rendered":"

Salomeh Ahmadi (S.A)\u00a0interviewed Lise Beaudry (L.B), Director of Gallery 44 for Contemporary Photography about their recently received grant and their future plans.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some organizations get funding and others don’t. In Toronto and more broadly in Ontario, the arts and culture scene are most certainly flourishing, especially with the increased funding from Toronto Council of $22.5 million over the next 6 years.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Today I’m\u00a0in Gallery 44 for Contemporary Photography interviewing Lise Beaudry the Director. Gallery 44 is one of the few photo galleries in Toronto that houses a darkroom in the basement at 401 Richmond. They\u00a0exhibit Canadian and internationally known artists as well as\u00a0\u00a0showcase up and coming photographers weekly in the\u00a0Members Gallery. Gallery 44, the recent recipient of a grant from Ontario Arts Council for $149,000. We\u00a0talk about\u00a0where the funds will go, about photography, upcoming projects and what is\u00a0in store for 2013.<\/p>\n

S.A: \u00a0You have just been the recipient of a well deserved grant, congratulations. What do you have in store for the community at Gallery 44 with those funds?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span>Molly Crealock, Sparrow Stuck and Sleeping, 2008<\/span><\/p>\n

L.B: <\/span>We will use the [grant] funds for various things such as air conditioning the gallery space to make it more comfortable for guests and staff; for renovations of a space for Robin, our\u00a0media person who was hired last year. The renovations will allow privacy\u00a0for the staff\u00a0 by reconfiguring the reception area. We will also use the funds for new equipment for exhibitions; responding to what photography is today, such as buying new audio equipment; (photographic image and audio) an HD projector; we are still transforming the production facilities downstairs into a digital darkroom.\u00a0We have now\u00a0a 44” printer donated from HP that we have. We\u00a0 will provide a proper space with lighting to cut and store prints. We’ll move the scanner printers into that space too.\u00a0We will\u00a0invest in the darkroom a better\u00a0air ventilation and update the space. The grant came from a strategic planning evaluation we conducted with our members and the community to determine needs and what we can build on and where funds are needed. This grant will be utilized over one year.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Jason Brown, You Seem To Be Where I Belong, 2012<\/span><\/p>\n

S.A: \u00a0What do you think of the increased arts funding of $22.5 million, over the next 6 years, from the billboard tax that was passed by the Council on January 26th?<\/span><\/p>\n

L.B: We’re still waiting from the TAC [Toronto Arts Council] to see how the funds will be distributed.\u00a0We haven’t had an increased funds from TAC in over a decade, and it is\u00a0time to reflect the increased cost of living in the city for staff and artists. It’s exciting to see that [increased funds] happening and how that will affect Gallery 44 – it is\u00a0great news!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Marco Buonocore,\u00a0\u00a0art-photo-studio, 2012<\/span><\/p>\n

S.A:\u00a0Where do you think contemporary photography is heading?<\/span><\/p>\n

L.B: We still use the term ‘contemporary photography,’ but what we mean is ‘photographic image’ and it’s related medium. It is no longer just a print on a wall, although there is a lot of that here at Gallery 44. What we\u00a0are interested in is where the photographic image can\u00a0fit in\u00a0these days, the new ways\u00a0of\u00a0making images,\u00a0along with\u00a0its history of course. The diversity of the photographic image is getting more and more interesting and it could be used in many more ways than before because of the digital media.\u00a0Challenging the definition of the medium\u00a0creates an important dialogue in between the\u00a0artists and the visitors. On the other hand we still commit to the traditional method, we have a wet darkroom downstairs. There is\u00a0the revival in alternative and historic processes here that makes our gallery so exciting. Gallery 44 brings people from all walks of life to look, create – everyone from professional, emerging to amateur artists, to community partners – together\u00a0by using those\u00a0production facilities.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Marvin Antonio, Julienne Antonio Is_Isn’t Dead, 2012<\/span><\/p>\n

S.A: \u00a0What is\u00a0upcoming for Gallery 44?<\/span><\/p>\n

L.B: Implementation of the grant is big at the moment. We also have exciting shows\u00a0coming up and in\u00a0May\u00a0is CONTACT [Photography Festival] that brings\u00a0Doug Ishcar<\/em>, Chicago based artist to Gallery 44. He is a well established artist who\u00a0also does video installations. We will\u00a0be showing\u00a0 of his\u00a0trademark works\u00a0along with some new\u00a0ones\u00a0under the title\u00a0Undertow<\/em> from May 3 to June 1, 2013.\u00a0Collaboration is very important to us\u00a0with organizations\u00a0that have\u00a0similar\u00a0or different mandates than us, just like this one with Chicago.\u00a0Doug Ischar’s show will be accompanied\u00a0by a panel and critiques dicussion\u00a0from Canada and the US. And of course after that there are always more shows like Proof 20 in the summer!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Doug Ischar, MW 1, 1985 \/ 2009<\/span><\/p>\n

S.A: What’s Proof 20?<\/span><\/p>\n

L.B: Proof\u00a0 is an exhibition of emerging artists we do every year\u00a0and in 2013\u00a0we are\u00a0celebrating 20 years of that show. For the occasion, we have three curators, each responsible for selecting from one area: west, centre, and east, to get a better and deeper representation\u00a0of\u00a0 contemporary Canadian photography.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Proof 20 is also an event to engage emerging curators and showcase new talents from coast to coast. In the jury process, we bring artists from previous years’ Proof exhibit who will make the selection. It is\u00a0interesting to make projects in the course of 20 years and rethinking them. It is\u00a0also exciting to come up with some new projects too, mix them with the ones that have a history and shift the way they are implemented.\u00a0Proof 20\u00a0will happen in\u00a0July in this summer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n

by Salomeh Ahmadi<\/strong><\/p>\n

Challenging the definition of the medium creates an important dialogue in between the artists and the visitors.<\/p>\n

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