User:Pandelsocad/sandbox

Partners in Art (PIA)
Partners in Art (PIA) is a non-for-profit, charitable organization that funds and supports projects featuring contemporary artists across Canada. With roughly 160 members, they have been involved in over 80 different projects, collaborating with Canadian curators, educators, and art organizations, including the Art Gallery of Ontario, The Power Plant, and more. Through fundraisers, membership fees and donations, as well as donations from the public, PIA is able to continue their collaborative work, and carry out their mission, which they state is to “champion contemporary art, artists and organizations to provide thoughtful perspectives on our world.”

Since their founding date in 2002, they have raised over $4.7 million.

History
Partners in Art was founded in 2002 by a group of about 20 women. A number of the original members worked alongside each other during their time at the Art Gallery of Ontario, where they were members of the gallery’s Junior Committee. Through their work with the gallery, they realized a shared interest in learning more about contemporary art, and decided to branch off and form their own organization, where they could invest in projects they collectively were drawn to.

When asked by contemporary Toronto-based blog She Does The City about why it’s important for PIA to support contemporary, Canadian artists, former co-president Jennifer Morton answered, “I believe that Partners in Art is able to step in where other funding is not possible and move quickly to make projects happen. Supporting our artists builds unity and furthers our conversations with each other and the world.”

Projects
Partners in Art has been dedicated to supporting work that encourages collaboration and challenges the notions of contemporary art. To date, they have funded over 80 projects, which have included the work of over 230 artists, such as Camille Turner, Sandra Brewster, Michael Belmore, and Suzy Lake.

Notable Exhibitions
In 2013, prolific artist Ai Weiwei’s massive installation piece Snake Ceiling (2009) was installed in the Art Gallery of Ontario on the ceiling of the Margaret & Jim Fleck Gallery with the help of Partners in Art in advance of the travelling exhibition, Ai Weiwei: According to What? The piece consisted of a massive serpentine sculpture constructed from backpacks to commemorate the deaths of more than 5,000 school children, who died in China’s Sichuan province during the earthquake that occurred on May 12, 2008. Minky Worden of Human Rights Watch was invited by PIA to speak at the AGO about Chinese artists and Ai Weiwei.

More recently, PIA was a supportive partner of the project Mickalene Thomas: Femmes Noires, which was exhibited at the Art Gallery of Ontario. The work examined race, representation, and sexuality through the perspective of a Black, queer, feminist.

Launching in September of 2019, PIA is working with the Toronto Biennial of Art, a 72-day, free art exhibition that will take place every two years. They are listed as supporters of the Biennial, which will present local, national and international contemporary art throughout the city of Toronto.

LandMarks2017/Repres2017
In 2016, Partners in Art announced their project LandMarks2017/Repres2017. The project was selected as one of the Canada 150 Fund pan-Canadian Signature projects, and was supported by the Government of Canada, from who they received $2 million in funding. Presented by TD Bank, the project was a network of collaborative, contemporary art projects that spanned across 20 national parks and historic sites in Canada. The project brought together Canadian curators, contemporary artists, universities, and post-secondary art students to create large-scale works of art, and participate in creative activities. The featured works examined environmental issues and formed a dialogue around “people, places and perspectives that have shaped our past and are vital to our futures." Following the success of the project, as a thank you, PIA collaborated with Magenta Publishing and created a limited edition book for all of the participants, sponsors, and volunteers involved. The book, of the same name, discusses the project from its beginning stages, onward through its reception. It has since been published online to their website, along with an interactive website, where viewers can read up, and continue to experience the work.

Fundraising
On November 13, 2018, Partners in Art hosted ArtRageous, a fundraising event, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada (MOCA). The evening celebrated works of contemporary art and raised money for PIA's upcoming projects in 2019. The event featured live painting by artist David Strickland, hula-hoop performances, a sneaker art competition, and live musical entertainment. As a result of the evening, PIA managed to raise over $100,000.

Awards
In 2013, Partners in Art was the recipient of a $25,000 award presented at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA) Award gala, now known as the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada (MOCA). The gala is a biennial award ceremony, established in 2007, with the aim to recognize leading Canadians in contemporary art. Yvonne Fleck and Mimi Joh, members of PIA, announced upon receiving the award, “In the continued spirit of collaboration, we're pleased to announce that the generous $25,000 award from MOCCA will be 're-gifted' to the National Gallery of Canada's Venice Biennale fundraising committee in support of the 2013 Canadian artist representative, Shary Boyle."

Board of Directors

 * Mimi Joh – Chair
 * Antonella Vergati – Vice Chair and Management Committee Co-President
 * Judy Jarvis – Management Committee Co-President
 * Liza Mauer – Succession Planning
 * Leslie Giller – Secretary Policies
 * Laurel Achibald – Treasurer
 * Jane Brisebois – Chair Emeritus
 * Lisa Dinnick – Director
 * Barbara Macdonald – Director, Strategic Planning
 * Marie Claire Roche – Director

Partners
Committed to supporting and learning more about contemporary art, Partners in Art collaborates with a variety of different art driven institutions, organizations, and programs.

Partners include:


 * 1/edition: Art Book Fair
 * 2/edition: Art Book Fair
 * Art Gallery of Ontario
 * agYU
 * Art Canada Institute
 * Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
 * The Bentway
 * Canadian Art Foundation
 * Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival
 * Center for Contemporary Photography
 * Gallery TPW
 * Gardiner Museum
 * ICC at the ROM
 * Images Festival
 * Justina M. Barnicke Gallery
 * Koffler Gallery
 * Mercer Union
 * Museum of Contemporary Art
 * National Gallery of Canada
 * OCAD University
 * The Power Plant
 * Prefix
 * The Robert McLaughin Gallery
 * Ryerson Image Centre
 * StreetARToronto
 * Textile Museum of Canda
 * TIFF
 * Toronto Biennial of Art
 * Trinity Square Video
 * University of Toronto Art Centre