Informal Exhibition Space

For those of you who have been reading my blog and keeping up to date with what has been happening in Mississauga you will know that we still don't have any informal exhibition space with walking traffic and accessibility. I have begun the negotiation for a space that is west of the bridge on Lakeshore in Portcredit in an attempt to give some artists (mostly local) a chance to show their work. For me this was important because not all artists in Mississauga are focused on creating and showing work that can be displayed in a private gallery or a commercial setting.

I plan on packing the space and having an opening the week of the southside shuffle in order to maximize visibility and attendance. I have a number of people on board that are interested in being a part of this project already and am always looking for more. I have not begun the auditing process to see who has what work to show, but since there will be a fee to show work for the weekend I believe that this will sort out those who are not serious about showing the work.

Contact me if you read this and you are interested. I am encouraging everyone from the very experienced to the beginner. It will be a great chance to increase your network, learn about hanging a show and selling work (if that is your goal) and meeting the general public.

I come from a strong art community (OCAD) where these sorts of endeavours are quite common and are most of the time put together by students who are looking for exposure. It is sad and predictable that this has not happened repeatedly in Mississauga as of yet. At one point there were a few scattered student run projects but nothing that ever lasted. Of the three major spots to show work in Mississauga, not one is dedicated to giving local artists a solo show or a professional development. Workshops which aim to develop artists in the region are few and far between and are almost always run by our local community Non profit Mississauga Arts Council. It is sad that they are expected to do all the work.

There are a number of well run private galleries in Mississauga but they do nothing to increase awareness and expand the perspective of Mississauga's inhabitants. Bazgasht at the AGM proves that there are very large groups of culturally driven enthusiasts in Mississauga who are also being ignored when it comes to cultural development. If it wasn't for Asma Mahmood and her partner organizations they would most likely still not have a forum for expression of their cultural interests.

I am hopeful that things will begin to change. There is a social theory described by the phrase broken window. This simply means that all it takes is one person to throw a rock through an abandoned building's window for other people to begin doing the same. That first broken pane of glass says that we don't care even though that may not be the case. And the arts, much like an abandoned building doesn't have the interested parties financial backing to repair every window that is broken. However, in the exact reverse of this theory is the hope that when some good is done, it also spreads contagiously through a population. Positivism breeds positivism.