A very good friend who is an amazing artist notified me of the following, so my attempt for today is to sign.



SAVE THE CMCP / SAUVEZ LE MCPC



The National Gallery of Canada (NGC), under the direction of Marc Mayer, has recently announced that the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography (CMCP) will no longer occupy its building at 1 Rideau Canal. In fact, the building will no longer be a public space for the arts. It has been handed over to Parliament, to be gutted and renovated as office and meeting space. This decision marks the final stage in the destruction of the CMCP, a process that began subtly in 1994, and became very aggressive and visible to the public under former NGC director Pierre Théberge. In this brief analysis, I want to recapture for readers the crisis and vision that created the CMCP, and to consider whether anything good could yet come of this recent attack on the arts.
As the founding director of the CMCP, I obviously have an interest in its preservation, not in any form, but as a dynamic player on the Canadian and international scene. As a citizen of Canada, I also have an interest being informed by its publicly paid officials. In the absence of timely and accurate information, we are left with speculation and our own imaginings of what the CMCP could have and could yet become.
What was the CMCP? The CMCP was the federal museum mandated, among other things, to collect, preserve, and exhibit contemporary Canadian photography, both documentary photographs and works of art. But, it was also a materialization of what the arts community could achieve by coming together and fighting for its aims.
The CMCP was created in 1985 by an order-in-council transferring a collection of 120,000 photographic works, a mandate, a programme, a building project, and a 12-person staff to the National Museums of Canada (NMC) from the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). The NFB had decided to divest itself of its photographic responsibilities and the photographic community rose up because the initial plan was to shelve collection, terminate the exhibition and publication programs, cancel the building project, and reassign the staff. These decisions were made without consultation with staff or community, much as it is occurring now.
Protests grew over five months, leading up to the 1984 federal election. When Marcel Masse came into office as Minister of Communications, he was delivered a very large stack of mail and he assigned David Silcox to conduct a consultation with the community. This community was not just made up of photographers, but included representatives from across the arts professions, including the directors of galleries and artist-run spaces who used the travelling exhibition program, publishers, educators, philanthropists, and interested members of the public. Following the consultations, the decision to create the CMCP was announced before a jubilant crowd at Toronto's Harbourfront.
The CMCP would be a sub-museum, or affiliate, of the NGC, which accepted this arrangement knowing that the Minister was intent on protecting the autonomy of the CMCP and symbolizing that autonomy by installing the CMCP in its own building. This project was fast-tracked at the National Museums of Canada whose chief architect, Michael Lundholm, developed the concept for 1 Rideau Canal. What did the NGC stand to gain? First, the goodwill of a new minister when the NGC was involved in its own construction project, and second (a side deal that was only revealed to me later), the NGC was allowed to keep its library which the NMC had been trying to merge with the other three museum libraries. So there was a swap: take the CMCP and you can keep your library. This kind of horse-trading is not uncommon in government; in fact, this is what we are witnessing in reverse, as the CMCP becomes a pawn once more, though in a far less happy game.
In 1992, the CMCP opened the doors of its new $16M building at 1 Rideau Canal, beside the Château Laurier hotel in Ottawa. The building that Marc Mayer has recently dismissed as "sub-grade" was in fact a remarkable achievement. Built within the shell of a disused railway tunnel, it was a state-of-the-art design for the presentation and preservation of photographic works. Environmentally controlled throughout, the building also included a vault and a freezer for colour photographic materials - features installed in close consultation with NGC conservators and at great expense. Behind the scenes were other important facilities, including a professional recording booth and production studio for the Museum's oral history program.
The museum was designed to be a place of creation, as well as dissemination. There are four distinct exhibition spaces, as well as a theatre for lectures and screenings. There is also a study centre, holding the Museum's photographic library and artists' files, open to researchers and educators. Every other aspect of a professional museum is incorporated in the building, which was built by the National Capital Commission (NCC) and held by the NGC through a 50-year lease. Unfortunately, the NCC had more work to do on the bridges and roadway in front of the building - one might deduce that the membrane on the roof of the CMCP was compromised by this work, because after 14 years, the museum sprang a leak, causing damage to the public and office areas, and necessitating repairs that, according to NCC reports, are now nearing completion.
On the NGC side, however, we hear unconvincing cries of concern that the CMCP cannot go back to a leaky building (the NGC leaks; the AGO leaks). For this reason, the CMCP will be shrunk to a couple of rooms at the NGC, eventually - now I speculate - to completely disappear. The NGC's insistence on housing the CMCP is rather ironic, we might say, because the NGC is very tight for space - it has been lobbying for an expansion, looking hungrily at the War Museum when it vacated its building, and one of NGC's little secrets is that it maintains off-site storage for the collection. This was kept a secret because the Safdie building was widely criticized as having too much ceremonial space, and the NGC did not want its collection storage problems bruited about.
The leak was, perhaps, an 'act of god'. Earlier violations of the CMCP came from a lower place, then director of the NGC, Pierre Théberge. Budgetary restraints were always blamed for his administration's systematic downsizing of the CMCP program and staff. Inconsistencies never troubled Théberge whose pet project in Shawinigan, Quebec, was draining the resources of the NGC, both in terms of money (a reported $1 million for the inaugural show) and staff time. Putting the CMCP personnel to work at the NGC instead of 1 Rideau Canal surely helped to alleviate the problem. The Teflon Théberge has never responded to letters of complaint about his starvation of the CMCP, or indeed about the many egregious aspects of his management of the NGC. His successor, Marc Mayer, is taking a slightly different tack by announcing a consultation with the photographic community, but the nature of this process and what he hopes to accomplish by consulting advocates of the CMCP after throwing the building away is mysterious, to say the least. I have speculated elsewhere that the NGC's hidden agenda is an addition to the Sussex Drive building - to enlarge what one protestor has called 'the cathedral'. If I am right, the consultation is simply a publicity stunt for an expansion-minded NGC director.
Surely, the demise of 1 Rideau Canal as a standalone could be adjourned sine die, at least long enough to give the consultation process a veneer of dignity. Perhaps we should set the agenda for this public consultation, not Mark Mayer. Perhaps he should come ready to listen and to act like a National Gallery Director. A National Gallery Director would never give up a building situated where the CMCP now stands, at the very heart of the capital city. A National Gallery Director would have a little bit of historical knowledge and some imagination to think through what the CMCP represents and what it might become.
When the site for the CMCP was first proposed to me, I worried that it was too prominent - better suited to a wax museum, I thought. But I quickly realized that there was a model we could follow: the Institute for Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London, which casts itself as an interdisciplinary meeting place for the arts and occupies a very eccentric building. The CMCP had to become a place of exchange and debate. How could this occur? The chief ingredient - flexibility - was already there, and before I left the museum in 1994, I saw to it that CMCP's broader mandate (not just art, but all kinds of photographic imagery) and its responsiveness to cultural trends and community needs were enshrined in NGC policies covering every aspect of its mission.
People who remember the crisis that created the CMCP are working constructively, coming up with suggestions to restore the CMCP to its vigorous identity. This is encouraging because people have good ideas. They imagine the CMCP broadening its mandate to consider new technologies; they suggest that the CMCP could be doing more to break out of the Eurocentric mould, by featuring the work of First Nations and Inuit artists; they want the CMCP to help disseminate the work of Canadian artists abroad; they think the CMCP should be part of a growing discussion that mixes the categories of vernacular photography, journalism, and high art. But it is also saddening, because the CMCP has actually been doing many of these things, albeit too modestly and on a shoestring.
Is it possible to repeat the triumph of December 1984 and reinvent the CMCP as a cultural force? Righteous anger will not do it, though there is plenty to be angry about. Most of us hate waste, and this is a colossal waste of a fine institution. Most of us hate to be manipulated, and we are being strung a line by the NGC as its new eager beaver director tries to please the Harper government and get rid of a bothersome responsibility at the same time. We need to see such opportunism plain and protest loudly, because the CMCP building not only belongs to the people of Canada, it symbolizes its arts community as a proud collective achievement. Mr Harper, Mr Mayer: you have gone too far. History may mark you both down as philistines.
Martha Langford was the founding director of the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography. She is an Associate Professor and Concordia University Research Chair in Art History. This statement was commissioned by Ciel Variable magazine for its "Actualité" column, and is circulated with thanks to editor Jacques Doyon.
In Defence of the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography
By Martha Langford

travelling light

Travel is sometimes a reality. Right now we are in that boat. There are a few ways we are attempting to limit some of the environmental impacts and maximize some of the human relationships that can go along with travel as we move from Halifax back to Edmonton.

1) We downsized big time to fit all our stuff in one car and have room for a passenger. All the proceeds from the sales going to a local charity.

2) We are driving the most fuel efficient car nwe could find. My wife is driving because she is better at driving slow and as such reducing fuel consumption. The car also gives instant feedback on how much fuel we're using to reinforce conservation habits. (check out the following for tips if you want some ideas on reducing the impact of driving http://www.ecodrivingusa.com/#/ecodriving-practices/)

3) we are not flying.

4) We are stopping in cities with friends and family to maximize the good times and take advantage of a rare opportunity to connect with people we really like that are strewn across the country. We are taking a little longer than needed to increase the connection opportunities.

5) We are still eating and living as consciously as possible while on the road.

unfortunately a drop in blogging goes along with this travel, stay tuned though :)

Counteracting the Global FInancial Crisis

I just signed a petition and sent an email to the Managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a quick but hopefully valuable attempt at a better world::
http://www.one.org/international/gold/?rc=goldtaf

At the G20 summit in London, the IMF was tasked with coming up for a plan to sell some of their gold reserves to provide emergency funding for developing countries struggling through the financial crisis. I sent a letter to the IMF, because I want them to provide as much funding as they can, and provide it in way that won't create debt for developing countries, which may find their economic recovery cut short if they have to take high interest loans.

The issue of debt is an important one, and we need to let the IMF know that people care about it so they do the right thing. Please join me in taking action to let them know here:
http://www.one.org/international/gold/?rc=goldtaf

A ton of work has been done to try to get the world's rich nations to forgive the debilitating debts from loans 'given' to the worlds poorest nations to supposedly help them rebuild after years of exploitation and often tyrannical rule by the colonial powers. Cynics would say that these loans were just a new form of colonialism because they came with conditionalities which fundamentally undermined the recipient countries' economies and societies (called structural adjustment programs or SAPs). The interest rates on some of these former loans led to the vast majority of government's budgets going towards servicing the debt while the countries citizens went without basic necessities. Some of these debts were forgiven in the last decades, freeing up sorely needed funds for things like providing antiretrovirals to people suffering from aids, and providing primary schooling. To renew the debt burdens when claiming to be helping countries overcome the effects of the financial crisis would be incredibly ironic, unjust, and disappointing. So I emailed my buddy IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, to share my opinion that I think its great that we are providing some capital to help poor countries cope with the financial crisis, but it should not be a loan. It should be stimulus.

You are what you eat

If this is true then hopefully I am healthy, ethical, conscious, and delicious.

I love food. I really, really love food. I would estimate that I spend about 10% of my waking time thinking about food, and I am not even ashamed of it, because food matters. Food is something we can always share, it is a window into people's cultures and values, it is a form of artistic expression. Sharing food is an important part of building relationships, showing gratitude, celebrating things that should be celebrated, and comforting people that need to be comforted.





Half of my thinking about food is purely about me- satisfying my hunger and cravings, impressing my wife and friends and family on occasions, and being good to my body. The attempt at a better world part though is a little bit deeper and also often more challenging, but in the interest of avoiding analysis paralysis I have a few questions I attempt to keep in mind while shopping or looking at a menu (and examples of things I like for):


- How was it made?
how much energy was needed to produce/harvest it? (non processed, locally appropriate foods)
what was the impact on the ecosystem? (sustainable seafood - http://bit.ly/cEAp)
Does it require a lot of chemical fertilizer and pesticide/herbicide/fungicide to produce? (organic or natural foods)
where the people who made it treated fairly? (Fair trade certified or local: http://www.playyourpart.ca/)
if animals were involved were they treated humanely (free range eggs, food from farmers I know and trust)

- How did it get here?
What was the impact of its transport (local foods or food that can be shipped slowly en mass to minimize impact)

-Is it an industry I want to support?
I try to avoid heavily subsidized and politically powerful foods - like US rice which farmers are subsidized to produce and then excess is dumped in foreign market undercutting the prices that people rely on for their livelihoods, or mass produced Dairy which has such a strong political lobby that somehow dairy is a food group (its protein and vitamins and minerals can all come from other foods)?!
I try to buy from local farmers/producers and small holder farms

-Is it Healthy?
I avoid fat, especially saturated animal fats, minimize sugar and maximize fruits and veggies to give me energy and health to attempt to make the world a bit better for a long time to come.

For Easter this attempt meant a Lobster dinner (its local to Halifax, ethical, and delicious) with a lot of good veggies and good people to share it with.

Bon Appetit!

Critically engaging and thinking bigger

You have likely noticed that my posted attempts have not exactly been daily as intended. I am learning as I go and I have learned a couple important things so far:
1. This should not be a chore, it should be an exciting and worthwhile use of time. I made a bold commitment to try to shift myself more towards a bias of doing because I found that I was thinking a lot and not doing a lot. Nothing against thinking, I love to think, I just thought my balance was off.

2. Attempts that can be made daily are going to be limited in terms of depth, and potentially impact. I do want to daily attempt to make the world better, but some attempts might require a more time to come to fruition, but they may be very worthwhile still.

These two learnings will hopefully allow me to diversify my attempts and to be a bit more ambitious and deep in my attempts at a better world. Some will be quick still because sometimes quick, easy opportunities present themselves. Others will be multi stage actions requiring a lot of uninteresting back end work before the action takes place, or follow up in order to bring it to fruition. Like contacting the senate committees.

My attempt for today was along these lines. I will be in Ottawa in a little while and would like to take advantage of the opportunity for a personalized attempt at a better world. So today I contacted some people who I think are smart to try and plan a solid attempt for that day. So far I am just asking questions on the relative importance of a few issues. Stay tuned for coming stages:)

Access to medicine

My attempt for today was to try to volunteer for the local event promoting the following campaign which seems pretty awesome. Unfortunately the volunteering didn't work out so I had to settle for posting this on my blog and facebook and contacting my MP. I think I'll phone her since I emailed yesterday... I need to diversify my actions I think. Thanks to Anna for the lead on this one :)

From Cdn HIV/AIDS Legal Network site: http://www.aidslaw.ca/EN/camr/index.htm
April 1st, 2009 - National Day of Action and Awareness
April 1st, 2009 is traditionally April Fool's Day. This year, we are exposing the government's foolish delay in delivering life-saving drugs to people in developing countries who desperately need them.Do 1 or more of these 5 things - some of them will only take a few seconds!
Join others April 1st, 2009 at an event or start your own!Student and community groups in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Vancouver will be holding awareness-raising activities on April 1st. Join one or start up your own activity in your community. Contact Eowynne Feeney at efeeney@aidslaw.ca to find out how you can get involved in the actions in your city.
Tell your MP! Phone, meet with or send a postcard or e-mailSend a postcard to your MP to ask them to fix CAMR and support the "one-licence solution" that would streamline it, making it much easier for developing countries to get medicines their people need. Follow it up with a phone call, an e-mail or a letter, or even a meeting with your MP, asking him or her to help fix CAMR. (Find your MP using your postal code.)
Join us on Facebook and 4Real The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network is now on Facebook and 4Real.
Tell 3 friendsSpread the word. Tell friends, families and co-workers they can join in this important campaign to help get affordable medicines to people with HIV/AIDS in developing countries. Forward this simple link: www.aidslaw.ca/camr.
DonateEvery dollar you give helps create more awareness and ensure success. Whether it's $10 or $100, please consider financially supporting the CAMR campaign. Go to www.aidslaw.ca/donate.To get your free awareness kit and postcards, contact Eowynne Feeney, Outreach and Development Coordinator, at efeeney@aidslaw.ca.