What does the Canadian election mean for art and cultural policy?
When it comes to Canadian electoral politics, this autumn was about as intense and intriguing as it gets. Being the political wonk that I am, I was very grateful that…
Rob Maguire
Artist says Nope to Stephen Harper (again)
Four years ago, Bob Preston found himself in the same position as millions of Canadians: he desperately wanted to see prime minsiter Stephen Harper turfed from office. Influenced by Shepard…
Filmmakers pull out of Istanbul festival in government censorship protest
Nearly two dozen filmmakers have yanked their films from the 34th Istanbul Film Festival in response to the last-minute cancellation of documentary screening about the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The…
Touring Turkey with 18 litres of luxury
I’m sitting in Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, waiting for my connecting flight to Istanbul with my carry-on bag resting on my lap. When I arrive at the Ataturk airport later today,…
I’m teaching copywriting at UBC
This week I begin teaching a UBC Continuing Studies course on copywriting. While I’ve given plenty of workshops and conference presentations, I’m very much looking forward to working with the…
Hugs With Arms: art for folks who give a damn
After a little more than a year quietly toiling away between client projects, I’ve finally unveiled my own pet project, Hugs With Arms. Spurred by stories of socially-engaged artists who…
Hugs With Arms will put affordable art on your walls
After seven years of putting political art on your computer screen, I’m now hoping to put some art on your walls. We started Art Threat in 2007 because we felt…
Hot Docs 2014 preview: politically punchy program, diversity festival gap still needs work
It’s springtime in Toronto and that means Canada’s premiere documentary showcase is back for another jam-packed ten day event that will deliver the world of doc to eager local audiences…
Should artists be able to pay taxes with artwork?
As income tax filing deadlines approach across North America, many Mexican artists will be counting canvases instead of pay stubs. In Mexico, a country that has lost over $870 billion…
Revolutionary singer banned from Egyptian arts festival
Mohamed Mohsen, an Egyptian musician who became popular during the country’s 2011 uprising, was prevented from performing at the Cairo Opera House during an arts festival this past week. Known…
What it means to bring home the bacon and schtupp the schoolteacher
Copywriting can lead you down some strange rabbit holes. While hacking together some draft web copy this morning, I typed out “bring home the bacon” as a reference to earning…
Banksy video asks that we stand #WithSyria on third anniversary of conflict
This week marks the third anniversary of the crisis in Syria, and a new campaign involving Banksy asks that we stand in solidarity with Syrians. #WithSyria asks the public to…
Michelangelo’s David takes up arms in American gun ad
An American weapons manufacturer is the subject of outrage in Italy — but this international offensive lies strictly within the cultural realm. ArmaLite, an Illinois-based small arms engineering firm, has…
Contest: Win swag from Rhymes for Young Ghouls!
Rhymes for Young Ghouls, the debut feature film by Canadian director Jeff Barnaby that garnered well-deserved praise on the film festival circuit this year, including a top ten film nod…
Feminist Art editing marathon creates 100 new Wikipedia entries
Less than 13 percent of Wikipedia contributors are female, an uncomfortable imbalance that skews the content that is found on the tremendously popular resource. Last week nearly 600 volunteers around…
Pinko cyclists rejoice: Rob Ford film on the way
It was inevitable: a Rob Ford movie is coming soon to a theatre near you. Just one week after the book release of Crazy Town: The Rob Ford Story, by…
Skinny Puppy bills US military for music use in torture
The U.S. military is using a Vancouver band’s music to torture prisoners at Guantanamo Bay — and the artists are working to make sure they pay for it. Electro-industrial act…
Pussy Riot to be released from jail, leaked amnesty bill suggests
Rumblings out of Russia point to a possible imminent release of jailed Pussy Riot members Maria Alekhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova. According to Russian media reports, the Kremlin is planning to…
Video: Max Haiven on The Debt of Creativity
Activist and art professor Max Haiven recently delivered a TED talk at TEDxNovaScotia titled “>The Debt of Creativity, in which he elaborates on the ideas he discussed in his essay…
The Zombie Index explores the space between individuals and the collective
Artist George Pfau believes zombies are an irresistible cultural force. But while most of us limit our interest to binging on Walking Dead episodes, or perhaps taking part in a…