Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
General material designation
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on the contents of the fonds
Level of description
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1984-2005 (Creation)
- Creator
- Artropolis
Physical description area
Physical description
5.40 m of textual records and other material
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The Artropolis exhibitions were held in Vancouver in the years 1987, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2001, and 2003. Atropolis’ purpose was to feature the works of contemporary British Columbia artists in non-traditional exhibition spaces. Artropolis’ impetus came from the success of the October and Warehouse Shows in 1983 and 1984. These predecessors to Artropolis began in the tradition of “salons des refuses”, as a reaction to the Vancouver Art Gallery’s plans for the show “Art and Artists: 1931 to 1983.” Intended to celebrate the Gallery’s re-opening in new facilities (the former court house at 750 Hornby Street), the exhibition was considered too exclusive by members of the Vancouver art community, who felt the Gallery should expand their exhibition programming to include emerging local artists. In response, the October Show was conceived and organized collaboratively, and featured over 120 artists. It also gave rise to the formation of the Vancouver Artists League. The Warehouse Show followed in 1984; it took place on seven floors of 522 Beatty Street, featured artwork by approximately 190 artists, and drew 10,000 visitors.
The first Artropolis took place in 1987 and was held at 788 Beatty Street. Artropolis 90 took place at what is now the Roundhouse Community Centre. Artropolis 93 was held in the former Woodward's building at 100 West Hastings Street. The 1997 version of Artropolis was entitled Browser. It again took place at Roundhouse Community Centre, but in a smaller exhibition space. Both Artropolis 2001 and 2003 were held in the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Broadcasting Centre at 700 Hamilton Street.
The Vancouver Artists League and the Unit 306 Society organized Artropolis 87. In 1988, the non-profit A. T. Eight Artropolis Society was created to undertake future exhibitions in the tradition of the earlier shows. The Board of Directors failed to register the society with the British Columbia Registrar of Companies in 2005. In 2004, grant applications for a proposed 2005 exhibition were rejected. As a result of these setbacks, the A. T. Eight Artropolis Society ceased to exist in 2005.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The fonds consists of records relating to the planning, administrative, fundraising, promotional, documentary and curatorial activities of the Artropolis exhibitions. These materials include: budgets, grant applications, proposals, research files and site plans; correspondence, financial statements, fundraising letters, logos, licenses and contracts, employee and volunteer files, minutes and reports; press releases and sponsorship agreements, banners, brochures and posters; and artists’ résumés and applications, attendance records, comment books, exhibition catalogues, scrapbooks, photo albums, photographs, video recordings, and artwork.
The records are arranged into the following sous-fonds: Artropolis 87 (1984 - 1990); Artropolis 90 (1987 - 1991); Artropolis 93 (1990, 1992 - 1993); Browser Artropolis 97 (1992, 1997 - 1998); Artropolis 2001 (1988, 1999 - 2001); Artropolis 2003 (1988, 1992, 2001 - 2005).
Notes area
Physical condition
Textual records include thermal facsimiles, which are fading.
Immediate source of acquisition
The fonds was donated by the A.T. Eight Artropolis Society in 1998. An accrual to the Artropolis fonds was donated in 2006 by former A. T. Eight Artropolis Society Director King Anderson.
Arrangement
Original arrangement has been preserved, unless otherwise specified.
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Box/file and series lists available.
Associated materials
Accruals
No further accruals to the fonds are expected.
Alpha-numeric designations
BCAUL control number: MHB-8
Physical description
Includes graphic material, architectural drawings, moving images, objects, and a cartographic record. Graphic materials include 1794 photographic images (prints frames on contact sheets, 35 mm negatives, copy negatives, and 35mm slides), graphic layouts for brochures and catalogues, as well as 54 posters, 2 banners, and 4 signs. Architectural drawings consist of draughts and blackline prints. Moving images consist of 15 VHS videocassettes. Computer records consist of 101 computer disks (14x14 cm floppy disks, 9x9 cm disks, 9x9 cm zip disks, CD-ROMs). The objects are 2 artworks and 3 T shirts. The cartographic record is a single map.
Conservation
Records have had paper clips removed and have been re-housed in acid-free folders and boxes. Graphic materials include colour photographs and negatives that are separated and re-housed to reduce fading.
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Vancouver Artists League (Subject)
- Unit 306 Society (Subject)
- A.T. Eight Artropolis Society (Subject)
Genre access points
Control area
Description record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules or conventions
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Revised Jan 5, 2012.