Category Archives: Vancouver Art Book Fair

Creative Response

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For our creative response, we decided to make a tote bag with a custom print. We decided to work together for this final piece as we gained a lot from “group work” during the times in which explored the art scene through the VABF. We felt that the most significant component of group work is communication, which helped us to develop ideas about this work,complementarily and thoughtfully. Because of the combined effort for this creative response, we had a division of labor. One of us (Anne) took charge of the printing process and the other (Noelle), constructed the tote. The bag was made secondary to the print; we both really loved the design and wanted to present it in a way that was different from the traditional ink on paper printed image.

One of the highlights of the VABF is the membership totes that are designed by different artists every year. This definitely inspired us to create our own tote bag; however, we were more motivated by the idea of creating something utilitarian. The biggest take away from the VABF was this notion of art as accessible and easily digestible. Working for the VABF we realized, witnessed and experienced ourselves, the transition between exclusivity and inclusivity within art. Since the very beginning the art scene has been connected to opulence and therefore has been run by the elite. Progressively, artists have and continue to critique this hierarchy, but, as we have learned in class, there are many ways in which the art scene still upholds exclusivity. Although the VABF might not provide all the answers on how to solve this problem completely, it is a great example of an organization that is working towards a more inclusive art scene; by providing a platform for artist of all levels and backgrounds to present their work and offering a chance for people (those who aren’t necessarily part of the upper crust) to be able to buy art. It was truly eye opening to be able to work for the VABF and be surrounded by such a diverse group of artists sharing knowledge about both bigger socio-political topics and personal interest and for both to be doing so through art, in the form of books and printed ephemera. Our creative response was heavily inspired by the happenings during the VABF but the first epiphany for the idea came about during a class discussion where it was mentioned: “bags are like the souvenir of the fashion show” and an art piece sometimes acts like as a souvenir of the artist. In both a comical and serious way we encapsulated this notion in our creative response. Prior to working for the VABF and learning more about what it means to be an artist in society, we would have never taken this statement seriously and would havenever considered a tote bag to be within the realm of art, but now that we’ve learned how powerful art can be in spreading knowledge, both personal interest and knowledge that can potentially make a huge difference in society. We want to continue to support art that is accessible with the hope that it will connect more people together and create greater dialogue.

Resume Line

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Vancouver Art Book Fair

September 2017 – November 2017

Vancouver, Canada

Program Intern

  • Drafted and organized documents such as exhibitor lists, membership renewals, information guides for the VABF.
  • Worked as a volunteer during events, helping out with hands on task (such as organizing/handing out totes and installation) as well as secretarial work (providing guest with information and directions).
  • Provided and collected feedback and data to help with improvement of further VABF events.

Resume Line

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Vancouver Art Book Fair

September 2017 – November 2017

Vancouver, Canada

Program Intern

•Work with board members to draft out a membership renewal letter

•Work with volunteers during Vancouver Book Fair, assisted in carrying carts of totes

•In charge of the welcoming gate and the information table.

•Conclude happenings during VABF and provide some feedbacks.

Blog #3 (VABF Day 3)

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Day three was definitely my favorite day. Anne and I worked the front desk area which was very dependent on talking with guest, which we both knew would be a challenge. We were both shy in the beginning, which was a given, but after a while we got a hang of it. I felt that having Sarah (who is a long time VABF staff member) be there with us was what really pushed Anne and I to be comfortable and confident. I have to give huge props to her because her personality and energy is something that I truly admire. For most of the shift we dealt with memberships and general questions. Other than that, it was a very easy going day, Anne and I had good conversation amongst each other, with the guest and staff. We were even able to check out Vancouver Art Gallery’s book sale and purchase some interesting art books.

If I could sum up my whole experience at the VABF in a couple words it would be: curious people making fruitful connections. Despite the utopic nature of this statement; I feel that the VABF has a different atmosphere compared to what would be typically associated with the art scene. For a long time, art (specifically big art institutions) has carried with it a sense of prestige. Even as art becomes more local and inclusive there is still a seductive quality to its atmosphere. In this sense, it is ‘inclusive’ in that art no longer solely belongs to big art galleries and sellers. However, these smaller ‘institutions’ that have been formed can still promote exclusivity. Localized art scenes tend to become niche, harvesting an atmosphere of ‘like-minded’ people, which would then situate those not falling within that category as outsiders. This is a classic example of scenes promoting this need to ‘fit in.’ As much as we would like to establish independence being accepted within a group is very seductive, especially when it comes to the arts, as it has become increasingly regarded as ‘hip, modern and cool.’ From my previous blog post raving about the inclusive nature of the VABF, it would be fair to assume that the VABF would function in this manner. In some respects, this is true. However, I find this to be more of a person to person scenario (exhibitors being from a certain school, thus classmates tend to flock around their booths etc.) The VABF doesn’t create this subliminal exclusive atmosphere, because it is not structured to support any art style or theory in particular. It’s free flowing nature and its lack of specificity when it comes to exhibitors really works towards this idea of art as an open forum. I feel that this is further emphasized as it is a public event, with many of their visitors being people who’ve stumbled upon the event at random, but are still able to participate as the art is presented in a more digestible and interactive way. You don’t have to have an extensive knowledge of art theory, you can simply ask the exhibitor about their work or purchase work you find interesting. With a complete diversity of people and topics, the VABF is reminiscent of organisms or atoms bumping into each other  in a flurry, transferring energies/information. It is a unique space where socializing doesn’t come with the heavy anxiety of trying to ‘fit in.’

https://youtu.be/HDZnh3ZK-sI

Blog Post #4

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Last task for Noelle and I was to summarize our experience volunteering with the VABF over the weekend October 13-15. I was very glad to hear from Emma who’s also a staff of VABF again, because we haven’t been assigned any tasks after the fair for a while. I hope to learn social skills and to connect what we learned from class to society so I treasure those experiences with them.

 

  • A brief description of who was involved, what happened, and what needs were filled or impacts made,
  • 3 “lessons learned” for other students who get involved in community-university partnerships, and
  • Any notes, ideas, or feedback would be greatly appreciated! 

 

For this task, Noelle and I were going to answer Emma’s questions together and I found organizing thoughts together as a way to communicate our thoughts and to show our team work. So I firstly sent Noelle my collection of memories and waited for her editions. Then when we got final edition of it, I really felt it helpful on making my language and statements clear, and this is actually a chance for Noelle and I exchange our ideas on VABF directly and more officially than chatting. For example, I agree with her insights on VABF “works as a great analogy for the push towards transparency especially in terms of powerful/elitist institutions”.
Furthermore, this time for recollecting memories after three weeks made me rethink that the fair can be more than a volunteering or visiting experience for me, while I would like to connect it with other events I took part in during these weeks.
The impressed thing for me during those events was that I noticed lots of female workers and artists gathered together communicating social relations and their artworks, this reminds me of what I learned from my theory course on argument from Griselda Pollock who formed the strand of feminist art history scholarship employing the Marxist socialist approach and questioned that women disappear from the history. Whereas, as a female worker during VABF, I didn’t feel my disappearance actually, people were glad to ask me questions for VABF and I felt free to communicate my insights with artists or workers there. Over half of the volunteers were women, lots of female artists were gathering there, being respectful from visitors and being remembered for this event. I felt the art event welcome everybody with or without art insights here and this is fair enough to connect its property as an art “fair”. History might changed a lot that today women including female artists are becoming respectful with their genius and creativities, although I have to admit that there’s still gender issues in our society as when I was watching movies, I still find myself connecting male gaze which is a feminist problem last for several years…

 

Blog #2 (VABF Day 2)

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I’ve put this off for a while and not because I have nothing to write about but because I was getting over this funk I was feeling for the past couple of weeks. I had attempted to write this early but my studies, not just in this class but in most of my visual arts course, took a very dark and sad turn. Nihilism, elitism and more nihilism can really make one feel quite hopeless, and I did; especially in terms of my perusal of a career in arts. Not to say that this is my dire excuse for not writing¾my last-minute cramming and general lethargy can also be added to the list. But, I thought I should mention it because it works as a juxtaposition when thinking back to my experience at the fair; at the very least it snapped me out of all this hypothetical worry.

On day two of the VABF I was stationed to organize and hand out totes for the first couple of hours, it was really relaxed and I had the opportunity to talk to other volunteers. I thought this was one of the most beneficial aspects of the whole experience because I got to talk to a lot of people not only about how they stumbled upon the VABF but also how and why they got interested in arts. It’s really amazing to see such a range of people working in so many different fields, some art related and some¾so far from it, come together because they feel that art is influential and important.  For the last two hours, I was stationed at the mezzanine to watch over the laptop/projector that displayed the program for the artist talks and to help guest find their way and answer general questions. Anne joined me during this time, and we were able to listen in on some of the talks. Although we weren’t able to sit through one fully, it was eye opening to find out what topics these artists have drawn from to create their works/books. Mostly because it ranges from wide socio-political issues to personal interest and to me, seeing this variety was reassuring because it reminded me that even art that doesn’t grasp such profound concepts can still connect with people deeply. That all ideas manifested in art are (in some ways) still worth presenting.

Contrary to what it might seem (standing around equated to boredom) I did enjoy working the mezzanine. Yes, it was quiet most of the time (which I really didn’t mind), but the best conversations transpired during that time. The most memorable takeaway was a conversation I had with an elderly lady who came from Ireland and stopped by Vancouver on her way across the world. The premise of her story ¾travelling solo across the globe at her age, is already so inspiring! She told me a lot about how the places in Vancouver and some of the people she met really reminded her of home (especially because there are areas of Vancouver that derive from Irish heritage [which I learned during this conversation]). However, what really got to me was this notion that people want to connect with other people and how it’s quite special that we are able to do so through heritage, souvenirs, art etc. It is notions such as this that remind me not to stress out over not being able to ‘solve’ huge ordeals/concepts. It reminds me that regardless how small or irrelevant I might think the content I present is, it’s important to realize how privileged I am to have the power to promote the content I want and have it be considered and receipted.

VABF 2nd & 3rd Day

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Blog Post #3

During the second and the last day of VABF, I really experienced that this organization cannot be operated without a powerful team that is the volunteer. Besides, I felt I did a great job on observation — watching viewers with different dressing styles talking in different ways with kindness and observing how volunteers’ work influenced each other within the volunteer team.

It is a non-profit organization so that’s why it recruits lots of volunteers to keep each event running. Noelle and I also took part in VABF as volunteers. We worked for 4 hours during the second day, and I was assigned the task of handing out totes for around two hours and a half with a boy from whom I’ve learned a lot. To begin with I only handed totes out with smile and simply said hi to the guest, but after a while I began to notice the boy’s enthusiasm when greeting: “Welcome to Vancouver Art Book Festival! Would you like free totes?”, “I like your hair style”, “Your stickers fit you well!”, “Enjoy the show!” He also cared about the people who were leaving: “Did you purchase anything today?”, “Have a good weekend!” Those greetings were accompanied by his fervor which made the visitor’s experience even more enjoyable. He is indeed positive with a powerful voice, and this positive attitude made me brave to say some simple phrases such as “welcome to the book fair”, “enjoy the show” … It was actual progress for me, especially when people asked me some questions about VABF, I could make myself confident enough to answer them. Thus, I noticed that people got influenced by each other positively within such a group.

Moreover, I gained a lot of perspective interacting with such a variety of people. I’ve always been afraid to talk to people with a certain unique and alternative style, because I was afraid they’d be cold and brush me off. However, as I greeted them while handing out totes, to my surprise, everyone was warm-hearted, especially when they accepted the totes with appreciation of my role as a volunteer. Then I realized it is not proper to assume how a person is especially when you haven’t gotten in touch with them yet.

On the last day of VABF, Noelle and I both felt tired, as we both stood for three hours during the second day and it was even harder for me to carry lots of totes in order to prepare for handing them out. However, we got different jobs each day and we were schedules to work for the Info and Membership table this day, so I felt really excited for this new job and ignored the fatigue I felt.

On the Info table, there were programs of the VABF, free stickers, and the task for us was to hand them out if needed and to answer questions posed by the public. I got nervous and I asked myself if I need to grasp more information about VABF to answer questions without a cheat sheet. How can I organize my language well to answer well instead of making grammar mistakes which would make people confused more? However, after working for half an hour, I realized questions were more related to when and where the VABF is, and even though I answered with an accent, they didn’t mind it. One hour later, I became more active, making conversations with people so that they felt more comfortable to ask me more: “are you looking for the book fair?”, “it’s free for public. It’s around the corner, so you just have to follow this way and you will find everything!”, “please take a program and a bunch of stickers!” These are words I used often when I was working at the Info table. I realized it was the first time I enjoyed speaking English when I got here, perhaps it’s because I find myself useful helping people find the way, becoming a “local” where visitors turned into the role of traveler.

VABF first day （#2

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First day of VABF, I was so excited to be there as this was my first time to Vancouver Art Book Fair. The Fair is around the corner of the gallery and has three floors. Noelle and I worked together as Exhibitor Room Floater, basically floating between two rooms of the third floor to see if there was any need for help. I was glad we got such a job as it was a great chance for us to know what’s going on there, and it was also a great chance for us to join into the event, getting chances to talk with exhibitors and artists.

When I was walking in, I noticed that all the stuffs were carefully set, and they could make you feel casual, for example, the setting of hydrogen balloon, colorful books and table cloth. Few minuets later, visitors walked in. The room then, filled with talking, laughing, emotions like satisfactory and exciting. The exhibitors could even go to others’ tables to have conversations or get others’ works. All of these experiences, discussions and settings make the atmosphere within VABF seemed to be easy going which was totally different from the gallery nearby, which seemed to be cheerless, totally surrounded by white wall, formal front, and all forms seem to be immutable.

Moreover, there was a digital art in the lobby near the second floor we found interesting. It was two different subject matters with different movement, one was about fire on a car and the other was about endlessly growing mushrooms. They were shown on screen of machines, but the machined might make people feel that such an artwork should have been in a gallery, as people could watch them but feel not free of touching them or bringing them home. However, it was so excited that Noelle and I found two flip books from one of exhibitors, they were exactly presenting the subjects in that digital art with same movements! It was tagged with price which means that it became accessible and one can bring this digital art home! I couldn’t find a word to describe my mood at that moment, because it was the time I could really feel the VABF’s existence of making art closer to public and I really felt art world does have connections with normal people …  It reminds me of what we learned from the class: because of these non-profit art organizations such as Vancouver Art Book Fair, people are getting close to art world and to artists, they could not only touch these art works but also have abilities to bring them home.

I also found that people here were polite, they showed respect to each other. For example, they took the book they hoped to see while they would put it back following the same position. Thus, because of such fine behaviors, I felt the public are welcome to art and they are interested and paying attention to what happens within art world now. Conversely, exhibitors and artists were also show their passion about this event as they are always excited talking to visitors about their works. “Take a free sticker, here! This is the last one! “ “-Can I take a photo? –Yes! Sure!”. Words were always warm spoken from them.

The final task for Noelle and I was back to the lobby, calling for donation but also handing out stickers which is also a logo of VABF. There was an older just finished his visiting, walking towards us and say:” Amazing place! You could hear artists express their own ideas about their own works. It’s a crazy place people gather together! It’s amazing… “ the conversation was quite brief and I lost some of his words but it made me rethink about the whole event during first day. It’s true that people are gathering discussing about the artwork with artists who did them or exhibitors who knew them well so that visitors could know the real meaning of the work or even progress of making it. While if a person stay in the gallery, he might be only thinking by himself and might be confused about that. So, people are getting close and getting to know each other through art in VABF and people are getting to know art through discussion with each other.

“Are you two also including in shows?”, also asked by the older. Lol, I guess, this sentence can be the perfect ending as the first day of VABF.

Blog #1 (Sept 28 & Oct 13)

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Leading up to the Vancouver Art Book Fair I had helped with smaller VABF events such as the silent auction and other online work. The silent auction at the Remington gallery was my first taste of what it would be like working for VABF. The vibe was casual and the work flow depended heavily on both teamwork and individual initiative. However, Individual drive was definitely the emphasis when it came to working the silent auction. Given my meek personality this first interaction was uncomfortable; it had nothing to do with VABF (they were so kind and patient), but more so that I didn’t feel I contributed as much as I could’ve. Granted, I tried to be more helpful through online work until the annual book fair, where I’d have another shot at being more of use.

On the first day of the VABF I was stationed on the third floor where most of the exhibitors were set up, my job was to tend to both exhibitors and guest. I can’t think of a better word to describe this experience than heartwarming; I was able to roam around and talk to the exhibitors and it was clear that everyone was genuinely passionate about art but more importantly building Vancouver’s art community. Something that I observed that triggered my use of the word ‘heartwarming’ was that a lot of the guest were reluctant to even touch the work being displayed at the booths but after the exhibitor prompted them to do so and was eager to talk about their work the whole interaction changed. You could actually see the guest becoming more comfortable and involved and that to me showed the influence of VABFs initiative.

VABFs notion of community building within the arts is an inclusive one and that is something I feel strongly about. I think that art can be used as a catalyst for change but to keep it in this exclusive and opulent light prevents it from doing so. Even though this statement may seem too ‘deep’ for the content of this brief blog post, I feel that it is still relevant. To have guest come up to me and say, “I’ve learned a lot”, “met a lot of inspiring people”, “I want to make my own zine” etc. It gives me reassurance that there is a space for newness in art, that it is not stagnant and that it is becoming something that more people are using as a tool to spread knowledge and connect with others.

Vancouver Art Book Fair

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As the largest art book fair in Western Canada, garnering over 5,000 visitors from Greater Vancouver and worldwide, the Vancouver Art Book Fair is an integral part of Artists’ Book Week. ABW is a series of events hosted by artists, collectives, curators and institutions across Vancouver to promote art through publication. This week-long event not only allows artist to share their work and expand their audience but shows that there is a growing interest in art within the community.

The VABF is a volunteer run grassroots organization that meticulously focuses on being beneficial for both the practice and consumption of art, with community growth in mind. The money made through memberships, sponsorships, donations etc. all go towards keeping the event free for the public as well as pay fair fees to presenters and arts workers. The VABF focuses on printed ephemera; the art work shared is easily accessible, you can touch it and even purchase it. The VABF offers a different way to experience art, it supports an art scene that is inclusive of everyone.

Vancouver Art Book Fair (link to poster)