Mountains and Moving Art
MAY 20 – 22, 2005
View the schedule…
The 2005 AMAAS Conference took AMAAS members into the heart of Alberta – the Rocky Mountains, where members explored the atmosphere and opportunities of meeting in Canada’s largest artists’ retreat, training and meeting centre – The Banff Arts Centre.
Within this landscape, AMAAS initiated a networking point with The Banff New Media Institute and investigated the work of a variety of contemporary artists and thinkers.
Culture and media theorist/artist Tom Sherman was the keynote speaker; video artist Valerie LeBlanc and writer David Garneau were special guests. A variety of workshops were offered to participants in fund development, critical writing, handcrafted film, and new media. Event programming included two screenings of short films by Alberta artists, as well as social opportunities, a Board Meeting, and the annual AMAAS AMG. Special events included a reception launching the first AMAAS publication, Found in Translation, and presentation of the first Helen Folkmann Award (to Grant Poirer), in conjunction with a brief ceremony which acknowledged Helen’s impact as a colleague and friend to so many in the arts community of Alberta, and across Canada. Programming was very tightly scheduled, and could have been improved with more time for informal networking and social events.
Overall, the Conference was a stimulating and animated event, fuelled by the energy of many talented individuals coming together with common interest, and heightened by the effect of a remarkable location.
AMAAS participants clearly value professional connection, information sharing and stimulation. Conference feedback on these themes was positive, with many notes that the opportunity to gather and network was very important to AMAAS participants, as was the high quality of guest artists. Participants also noted that they appreciated the value they received in relation to fees.
The AMAAS Conference programming was developed by AMAAS administration, in conjunction with a Board Conference Committee (Julia Burns, who also served briefly as Coordinator, Vaneesa Cline, Peter Morgan). Conference organisation, which received high marks from participants, was skillfully handled by our Conference Coordinator Kate Boorman. Her report includes detailed notes about organizational aspects of the Conference.
100% of Conference participants replying said they would attend the Conference again, and would recommend it to others.
