TORONTO BEING THE CANADIAN CAPITAL of population and money, artists looking to build a career know they must pay tribute from time to time. Cold calls and party-crashing are the normal strategies to gaining a toe-hold in the scene, but old-fashioned entrepreneurship has its place too. Mixed media artist Heidi Barkun, sculptor Glen LeMesurier and two painters, Julie Desmarais and Janice Tayler, made the trek from Montreal last week for the second edition of The Artist Project, a trade show for the visual arts held at the Exhibition Grounds. It was a bazaar experience – somewhere between prime time Wal-Mart and a high school road trip.
Pitched as an “independent artists exhibition and sale,” the annual event is organised by MMPI (Merchandise Mart Properties Inc.), a Chicago-based firm that specializes in trade shows and conferences ranging from real estate, construction, interior design and crafts. Montreal-born Steve Levy is the mastermind behind MMPI’s Canadian branch, which puts on some 50 events each year. The Artist Project brings artists and their public together without the gallery middlemen.
Over four days, some 8,000 art lovers paid $10 – $12 to get into the Liberty Grande ballroom-style emporium, where some 150 artists displayed their work in makeshift white cubicles lining four corridors, for which they’d each paid between $1000 and $2500. Announced as a juried event, there was evidence of quality control in the process – some truly outstanding work, though a considerable amount of kitsch made it through.
Many of the artists I spoke to thought sales were down this year compared with last. While some blamed the economy, others blamed the organizers for opening up a wing at the back and sticking a few unfortunates upstairs. This year’s event received considerably less media attention than the fair’s 2008 debut. Nevertheless, attendance grew steadily over the first few days until by Sunday the rooms were packed. Organisers say roughly 70 per cent of participating artists have signed up to return next year.
“This is definitely not my neck of the woods,” said Glen LeMesurier, who forges his impressive iron works in a studio on Van Horne Ave. But after 11 years working in the hothouse atmosphere of Montreal, he’s ready to talk the talk, if it means finding an outlet for his work in a city that buys art. LeMesurier recently showed several pieces at Toronto’s Arta Gallery, and has been invited to the Engine Gallery in the trendy Distillery complex. The Engine’s directors want a piece for display outside their new space. A far cry from the reception he’s used to in Montreal. LeMesurier’s guerrilla installation at the Park-Pine intersection was first reported on by newspapers, then stolen.
Julie Desmarais’ sympathetic landscapes flew off the walls, while the edgier mixed media sculptures and paperworks of Heidi Barkun and Janet Tayler’s bold abstracts garnered critical acclaim and compliments. The Montreal artists were generally satisfied that the effort and expense paid off - if not in sales, at least in terms of exposure.
But if MMPI hopes to build a national reputation for this fresh, new art market, they would do well to lift their heads a little. There were few concessions to and no acknowledgement of out-of-town artists. The panels and art talks organized for members of the public were heavily Toronto-centric. A little hospitality to non-Hogtownies who spent small fortunes to be there would be a nice. After all, Toronto, you can swill your own bathwater any day of the week.
For information, check out www.theartistprojecttoronto.com
Image shown: Tis But a Flesh Wound by Heidi Barkun see www.heidibarkun.com
