Reply from the Minister of Industry
July 31, 2006 by AppropriationArt
Filed under Blogsphere, Political News
The Honorable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry looks forward to working with the Coalition of Art Professionals.
The Minister of Industry replied to the letter of concern by email, indicating that he was working closely with Minister Oda. He indicated that he wishes to ensure that the Act reflects current technological and legal realities. And he wants to ensure that the Act is supportive of innnovation and research. He also mentions providing balance between protection for copyright holders and access to copyrighted material.
CARFAC comes out with surprising statement against Artists.
July 28, 2006 by AppropriationArt
Filed under News
On July 12 a press release (link) was issued by CARFAC (RAAV / CARCC / SODART) in response to the open letter (link) sent to the Ministers of Industry and Canadian Heritage from Appropriation Art: A Coalition of Art Professionals. The CARFAC press release takes a surprising position against many artists, and displays a lack of understanding about contemporary art practice. The CARFAC press release contains several strategic omissions and misrepresents many of the issues addressed in the Appropriation Art letter.
CARFAC fails to acknowledge that it is responding to a letter from a large coalition (link)of artists and art professionals. The press release mentions only two Coalition founders. This omission attempts to marginalize the Appropriation Art coalition which carries 600+ signatures (including Governor General Laureates, RCA members as well as artists who have represented Canada in the Venice Biennale). Signatories also include hundreds of concerned educators, art professionals and organizations including CAMDO – Canadian Art Museum Directors Organization, CMA – Canadian Museums Association, and IMAA-AMMI / Independent Media Arts Alliance. Those in the coalition reflect the reality of Canada’s art community. Clearly “creative access” for artists is an issue of critical importance.
Reply from Minister of Canadian Heritage. No Meeting?
July 14, 2006 by AppropriationArt
Filed under News, Political News
The Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Honorable Bev Oda, has ignored a request for direct consultation from the Coalition of Art Professionals (Appropriation Art). The coalition includes over 600 of Canada’s most talented artists as well as influential organizations and prestigious art professionals. In her reply (link), Minister Oda states that she is working on new copyright legislation with the Minister of Industry, but does not address specific concerns brought up in the letter.
On August 10 The Coalition of Art Professionals – Appropriation Art received a dissapointing reply from Bev Oda, P.C., M.P., Minister of Canadian Heritage. Her reply fails to acknowledge the scope and size of the coalition. It does not address any of the specific points brought up in the Coalition’s letter of concern and sidesteps a direct request for consultation with the Minister of Heritage. The reply only invites members to follow proceedings through the Department of Canadian Heritage Web site (link). Given the specific request for consultation from such a large coalition, the Minister’s response is unacceptable.
Winnipeg Free Press: CTV flexes corporate muscle…
July 7, 2006 by AppropriationArt
Filed under Media
Winnipeg Free Press: CTV flexes corporate muscle, local film drops out of T.O. fest
Morley Walker
GOOD news, folks. A Winnipeg arts event in Toronto at the end of the month has its first official controversy.
And it’s a contentious one, playing to the current debate over federal copyright legislation and the eternal battle over freedom of expression.
A locally made satiric film, Death by Popcorn: The Tragedy of the Winnipeg Jets, has been yanked from the Harbourfront Centre’s ambitious From the Peg! festival slated for July 28-30.
Read more
The Globe and Mail: Who’s killing Death By Popcorn?
July 5, 2006 by AppropriationArt
Filed under Media
The Globe and Mail: Who’s killing Death By Popcorn?
Artists worry over copyright legislation as a new film is pulled from Harbourfront program
Val Ross
One day in March, 2005, the phone rang in the studio of a loose collective of Winnipeg historians-turned-video-artists known as L’Atelier national du Manitoba. An employee at CKY, the Winnipeg CTV affiliate, was calling to report a cornucopia of potential artistic source material: Because CKY was moving to a new location, 1980s footage of the now-vanished Winnipeg Jets hockey team (some tapes no longer easily viewed because of changed technology) was destined for the dumpster. “Better you guys should take it and do something with it, otherwise it’s just going to waste,” the employee told them.
