AMAAS serves media artists and organizations through advocacy, development opportunities and connecting media artists and media art organizations across the Province.

Programs include educational and networking opportunities at our biannual conference & symposiums, publications, awards, sponsorship, and artist commissions.

Since its inception, AMAAS has been governed by a volunteer group of directors representing the media arts in Alberta.

AMAAS membership is free (for individuals) and is open to the public. Click here for more information.

CODE of CONDUCT

AMAAS adheres to a Code of Conduct which is a commitment to prevent and respond to harassment including sexual harassment, discrimination, racism, bullying and violence. AMAAS will ensure spaces/events [are] one[s] where safety, respect and professionalism are the norm.

We ask that our Members speak out against harassment and collectively champion positive change. 

Read our full Code of Conduct here.

History

AMAAS was registered on March 20, 1991 in order to encourage communication and collaboration across the province. A pivotal moment in the formation of AMAAS came at the 1989 Hinton Independent Film & Video Festival. Organized by Brent Spiess, the Festival was a showcase for Alberta film & video as well as a networking opportunity for administrators, artists and the general public, including the high-profile presence of then Alberta Minister of Culture & Multiculturalism, Doug Main. As the festival came to a close, there was a meeting organized between representatives of the production co-ops present: FAVA, CSIF, EMMEDIA, and Quickdraw Animation Society. The topic on their minds was the recently established Alberta Film and Video Arts Fund (AFVAF) as a lottery fund allocation. The fund, which they had lobbied for, was now the agency supporting the co-ops, and it was thought that political action might be necessary for its continued existence. The name “Alberta Media Arts Alliance” was conceived, and that September, Grant Poier penned the first of many lobbying letters to the Culture Minister in support of the AFVAF.

Three years later, with much time and dedication from the various personalities from the media-arts centres (including Liz Stobbe & Rick Gustavsen – FAVA, Brian Rusted, Ian Reid & Grant Poier – EMMEDIA, and Marcella Bienvenue – CSIF) the application for the Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society was filed and the organization was born!

Since then, AMAAS has continued to grow and expand its scope, and is recognized as the Provincial Arts Service Organization for the media arts. It advocates for the sector, creates connections between media arts centres and artists, rewards arts advocacy with the Spirit of Helen award, runs an biennial conference and creates opportunities for sponsorship and bursaries for media art and media artists in the province. Over the course of 17 years AMAAS produced annual exhibitions including Prairie Tales: Alberta Film & Video on Tour and the Gallery of Alberta Media Arts (GAMA). Those touring and exhibition galleries are now ended and AMAAS supports media art through collaborations, partnerships and sponsorships.

For a detailed history from 1991-2007, please read our publication: Sweet Sixteen: an amble through the history of the Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society.