Jen Graves thinks Vancouver B.C.’s art scene tops Seattle’s, which is a very Seattle thing to maintain. As long as I’ve lived here, Seattle’s been expert at complaining about itself.
How real is the complaint this time? Are we San Jose to Vancouver’s San Francisco, or San Diego to Vancouver’s LA?
If cities could slouch down runways (their tallest buildings serving as hats) or duke it out in boxing rings (their criminals ready with sucker punches), then declaring a winner makes sense. I’d rather think about how Portland, Seattle and Vancouver complement each other than crown one queen for a day.
Since the issue is on the table, however, there are a few things Graves left out.
Museums: Seattle compares to Vancouver only if the Seattle Art Museum disappears. Vancouver has no equivalent. The Vancouver Art Gallery compares well with the Henry Gallery. Since the former is better funded, VAG often tops Henry, but not always.
Alternative spaces: Both cities have reason to commend themselves. A draw, with Seattle’s Western Bridge giving it a slight edge.
Galleries: Seattle by a mile. The commercial gallery list in Vancouver is non-existent in comparison.
Critics:
Because Vancouver doesn’t have and never had anything like daily arts
journalism that covers the arts, Vancouver BC critics tend to be
academics. Seattle’s are more populist. One can imagine almost all of
them chewing gum as they type.
Patrons: Vancouver has the government. Seattle has collectors.
Artists: Vancouver
is far better at defining a character for the artists who live there.
Vancouver artists are known for their own version of photography-based
narratives and installations that could be bizarre science experiments.
(Don’t knock it till you tried it. Having a clear identity is an
excellent thing for the artists who fit into it, not so hot for
Vancouver artists who don’t.)
Seattle artists cannot be
corralled into a single identity. While that’s not good for marketing
(or collective career building), it’s great for diversity, depth and
range of choice. Can anyone say what the artist identity is in New
York? Of course not.
Identity politics: In the middle
of the 20th Century, regional critics found core identities that
brought fame to the artists who fit them: Bay Area Figurative, LA Cool,
Chicago New Image. It worked well then, but why go back? The problem
with these labels is that they distort more than they clarify.
What’s the alternative? As Joe Hill was led to his execution, he is
said to have said, “Don’t mourn for America. Organize.” It’s better to
work together than to pick a winner.
Seattle could learn a
lot from Vancouver on backing the home team. Seattle museums don’t.
Michael Darling at the Seattle Art Museum is best, but he’s not enough.
Last time I looked, Graves’ story attracted 62 comments. I especially enjoyed this one, from G. Wood:
Here is a pathetic list of the people who can spread the word about the arts in (Seattle):
Jen Graves–Completely neurotic
Matthew Kangas–Batshit crazy
Regina Hackett–Flighty and distracted
Adriana Grant–An inch a week in the Weekly
SuzanneBeallBeal — Great if you wanna get into fiberartsThis is a huge problem for Seattle artists. Every successful scene has always had good writers…
Emily Pothast response on Translinguistic Other to Graves’ essay here.
Sheesh. Good thing/too bad G. Wood doesn’t read the grassroots blogs. I’m curious to see how he/she would have described me (especially since “batshit crazy” is already taken).
Reply to Emily Pothast, from the Translinguistic Other: Surely not bat crazy, although bats have always seemed well focused to me. The thing about G. Wood’s list is, it rings a bell, a sour sound yes, but a bell. He’s not describing us at random. It would have been nice had he focused on the writing, as opposed to the bad impression we collectively seem to have made on him, but critics who dish it out need to be able to take it. Criticism, for good or ill. I think he left out your blog because he’d have been forced to say something nice.
I didn’t notice Graves mentioning painting as a specific. Where do painters fit within this condemnation? Are we immune or just ignored?
Nice comparative list, I feel a lot better.
I’ve been meaning to respond to Emily since she posted, because that article got under my skin in an unfavorable way.
I thought coming back from New York in 2004 that Seattle had grown tremendously in the six years I’d been gone, and I was kind of blown away. I suppose I’m lacking in the jaded department and feeling optimistic, but I was really enthused and excited about Seattle’s art world.
But you’re right, we have to give artists a reason to stay. I felt a little divided about this article because it made me feel slighted as a Seattle artist. I know I shouldn’t have felt that way, but I did. My kneejerk reaction was “Great Jen. Way to give me a reason to stay. Guess I’ll go to Vancouver.”
It would be nice if Seattle artists didn’t leave once they attain a certain level of success. That would be nice. Maybe we’d grow even more.
Hey Regina,
I guess I am an odd duck being both an academic and a writer. [3 years with the Capitol Hill Times] I would say I am more populist than popular but hey I go where I know!
Jen’s argument seems to be a cyclical rehash of Apples {Seattle} and Oranges {Vancouver} that appears every 8 or 9 years.
Art is not a sport thank god otherwise I would be bored batshitcrazy!
Loose thoughts:
I just moved down from Vancouver to Seattle six months ago and I’ve been really impressed with Seattle so far. I agree that the VAG doesn’t compare with the SAM, and I’ve been impressed with the private collection at the Frye, the small galleries + bars in Capitol Hill & Pioneer Square, and UW’s Henry (I don’t recall UBC having anything of this quality).
I do think that Emily Carr University of Art + Design has a greater presence in Vancouver than Cornish though.
All said, I’m more in favour of a complimentary approach/relationship between PDX/SEA/YVR … but Vancouverites don’t typically think in terms of being Northwest, as Vancouver is Southwest in terms of it’s country and province. In Vancouver, the North is seen as the Yukon, Alaska, the Arctic, etc… while Vancouver understands itself maybe as West Coast, Pacific Rim, maybe Cascadian, but ultimately Canadian. The Northwest is a very American-centric way of describing the region – something I’m growing accustomed to.
James. Good point. The whole we-are-one Northwest thing could appear to be a sneaky US attempt to take over. I prefer to think of it as an artificial boundary breaker, geography over nationality.
The grass is always greener in the Emerald City…
As a BC resident, I would say Vancouver has a fair bit of arts problems.
It doesnt have the likes of Boeing or Microsoft to help fund the arts. The government is quite draconian in cutting arts funding and tends to promote only service tourism(film, outdoor sports).
If you dont like photography or Haida art then Vancouver is pretty bleak.
Another sector of the arts that is bad in Vancouver is live performance-especially theater. The Ford Center for the Performing Arts had to become a convention center because it could not sustain itself. Ditto for Vancouver Ballet and the symphony.
There is a yuppie elitist streak here–it is not as supportive of local arts as one might think. We do not have an annual outdoor arts festival(there was an effort to create one in the late 90s but the city and business stopped it). The Vancouver Art Gallery was not supportive of it either even though they allowed the event on their property.
Most of the local arts has been pushed into East Vancouver–the west side is dominated by rich migrants and many of the community festivals that used to happen here have been disbanded. Vancouver has even abandoned its Youth Ministry–its becoming a gentrified city.
The arts community is so fractured here that a few months ago someone came in from texas and put on a show for new artists–they made lots of sales and the promoter left town with the proceeds. How is this possible? Because a) local artists are starving for venues and b)the local arts council Alliance for Arts doesnt involve itself in what goes on in town. It did however offer a course in the aftermath telling artists how to avoid scams. For a fee of course.
I listen to a Seattle classical music station and you have way more arts related activities than all of BC.