Archive: statements, letters, actions
This page purposefully functions as an ongoing work in progress. These letters, statements, websites, and documents are being listed in support of calls from BIPOC voices for action, learning, and abolition.
The majority of these listings are for artists living and working within Mohkinstsis (the Blackfoot name for the land colonially known as Calgary, Alberta, Canada.). These are the traditional and contemporary territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations (Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley), and the Métis Nation (Region 3).
These lists are being posted by a white settler (of English-Scottish ancestry) living on Treaty 7 land. Because of this the page will have a fluid format that responds to requests for information from BIPOC artists. Any suggestions or requests for listings/formatting/managing are welcome: email or message the @studiopublication instagram account.
To find a specific name, statement, letter, or date, press ctrl+f and type the word you are looking for into the search box that appears in your browser.
Letters/Statements from artists, galleries
Joint statement regarding Contemporary Calgary
(link here)
Released 8 September 2020
Joint statement written by a group of Indigenous and racialized artists calling on the gallery Contemporary Calgary to "acknowledge, examine and address their complicity with systemic racism and enlarge their capacity to offer meaningful support to the artists they work with."
Individual statements:
Rocio Graham: here
Dan Cardinal McCartney: here
Brittney Bearhat: here
Teresa Tam: here
Alia Shahab: forthcoming
Richelle Bearhat: forthcoming
Contemporary Calgary's 8 September 2020 response: here
Solidarity Statements:
AUArts Student Association
11 September: ends exhibition partnership with CC in solidarity with artists, announcement here
The New Gallery
18 September: "A Note in Solidarity", here
Stride Gallery
18 September: "Our solidarity & response", here
Truck Contemporary Art
18 September: solidarity statement, here
19 September: solidarity statement, here
Joint letter in solidarity with Pink Flamingo
(letter here)
Released 13 August 2020
Signing galleries and arts organizations (in addition to non-arts orgs)
- Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation
- Nasarimba
- The New Gallery
- Stride Gallery
- Truck Contemporary Art Gallery
- Untitled Art Society
- Woeza Africa Music & Dance Theatre Inc.
Extended statements:
The New Gallery
8 September: "BLM and Calgary Chinatown", here
Audits
Black Representation in Calgary's Contemporary Art Scene
(link here)
Released 20 September 2020
Audit of representations of Black artists in Mohkinstsis over the past ten years. Audit conducted by oaulie frost with data-gathering support from Alicia Buates Mckenzie, Michaela Bridgemohan, Uii Savage, and Levin Ifko.
Support statements from galleries, museums, institutions, publications
Statements of support re: Black Lives Matter, June 2020 onwards
Alberta Gallery of Art
2 June: black square, here
24 September: Statement on Alberta Biennial of Art, here (see Amy Malbeuf and Justin Waddell withdrawal)
Alberta Printmakers
2 June: black square post, here
11 June: 'Thank you' post, here
Alberta University of the Arts
2 June: black square post and statement written by Daniel Doz, President and CEO, here
Arts Commons
2 June: solidarity statement, here
AUArts Student Association
2 June: support statement, here
Banff Centre for the Arts
4 June: solidarity/values statement, here (no mention of BLM, Black artists or anti-black racism but timing of post suggests it is a response to BLM)
Calgary Arts Development
14 June: here
CARFAC National
2 June: here
CARFAC Alberta
9 June: repost of CARFAC National statement, no longer available
Contemporary Calgary
1 June : black square, here
18 June : support statement, here
Esker Foundation
2 June: solidarity statement and list of Black-led organizations, here
2 June: "Resources for Youth: Learning About Activism, Race and History" PDF, here
Femme Wave
3 June: re-post of ActionDignity statement and resource list, here
27 September: 2020 festival cancellation statement, here
Galleries West
16 June: "From the Editor", here
Glenbow Museum
3 June: black square post, here
Herringer Kiss Gallery
2 June: black square post, here
Indefinite Arts Centre
16 June: here
Jarvis Hall Gallery
1 June: black square post, here
The New Gallery
2 June: solidarity statement, here
Nickle Galleries
n/a
Newzones Gallery
2 June: black square post, here
Stride Gallery
17 June: "Opportunities for BIPOC writers", here
Southern Alberta Art Gallery
16 June: solidarity statement, here
TrepanierBaer Gallery
1 June: black square post, here
Truck Contemporary Art and Design
2 June: black square (no longer available)
3 June: here
Untitled Art Society
4 June: "Calling our communities..." statement and pledge to donate for letter writing, here
Walter Philips Gallery
4 June: re-post of Banff Centre statement, here
Withdrawals
Amy Malbeauf, Justin Waddell withdraw from Borderland biennial
In response to no Black artist ever being included in the Borderline biennial's twenty-four year history, artists Malbeauf and Waddell withdraw their work and participation from the biennial, co-presented by the Art Gallery of Alberta (located in Amiskwaciwâskahikan, colonially known as Edmonton) and Remai Modern (located in misâskwatôminihk, colonially known as Saskatoon).
AGA statement issued after withdrawal, here
Released 24 September 2020
CBC report with Justin Waddell statements, here
Released 11 October 2020
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