MANDATE : AKA's mandate is to support and encourage dissemination, development and experimentation in contemporary art. As the sole venue in Saskatoon committed to the presentation of contemporary art in all media, AKA's mandate covers a wide range of disciplines, including visual, performance and media arts. AKA prioritizes work that is non-commercial in nature and strives to find a balance in its presentation between a number of contending interests including local and national artists, as well as emerging and more established artists
VISION : AKA is an artist-run centre which fosters the enhancement and development of a lively and engaged community of artists and audiences.
MAIN GOALS : As the sole venue in Saskatoon committed to the presentation of contemporary visual art in all media, AKA’s mandate covers a wide range of disciplines. We strive to find a balance in our presentation between a number of contending interests including local and national artists, artists from diverse cultural backgrounds as well as emerging and more established artists. AKA’s ongoing areas of priority include diversity, integration, collaboration, outreach and development. AKA is committed to the principles of artist self-determination, consensus decision-making, freedom of expression, and professional treatment of artists. Artistic Objectives : Short-term artistic objectives related to our recent relocation to a new community fall into the two main categories of LOCATE and ANIMATE, through the means of RISK and HEALTH. These categories have us put our new community into the spotlight, while remaining healthy, relevant, responsible and interesting. AKA has demonstrated its commitment to compensating artists for their work, paying CARFAC fees (as a minimum) to artists, curators and presenters, and fair professional-level payment to writers, photographers, designers, and other contributors.
Brief History AKA evolved from the Shoestring Gallery, initiated in 1971. In 1982 the transition from a member-based visual arts and crafts co-operative to a non-profit artist run centre yielded AKA Gallery. In 1985 AKA moved to the Saskatoon Warehouse Artspace (SWA) where it resided for 20 years with The Photographer’s Gallery and Video Verite, (later to become PAVED Arts), Tribe and Blackflash magazine. AKA has been involved in many important partnerships through SWA, including notably the creation of Video Verite, a major 10 year partnership between AKA and Tribe (a First Nations/Indigenous artist collective) which has since been used as a model by other centres, and High Tech, a successful multi-organizational performance and story-telling festival, after which AKA initiated its ongoing series of performance art projects designed to make performance art a reliably visible element of the local culture. In 2005, the warehouse building that was home to these organizations was sold; SWA was dismantled and 20 Above Holdings Inc. was formed as the centres began the search for new homes. Since moving to our new street-level location in the heart of Riversdale in late 2005, AKA’s audience has nearly quadrupled, and positive response from members and the public is a constant reminder of the success of this major transition.
Artistic Community/Audiences Served AKA is the only artist-run centre in Saskatoon that presents all forms of contemporary artistic expression in the visual arts. We are committed to serving our membership, and to contributing to the contemporary visual art communities of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and Canada through the presentation and dissemination of contemporary visual art. AKA is newly relocated from the third floor of the Saskatchewan Warehouse Artspace Building (SWA) at 12-23rd Street East to a storefront space at 424 – 20th Street West in the heart of Riversdale, one of Saskatoon’s oldest and most culturally rich neighbourhoods and Saskatoon's designated cultural corridor. Though geographically isolated, Saskatoon sustains a vigorous and diverse arts community. AKA emphasizes Aboriginal involvement in programming and organizational activities. As an artist-run centre, AKA is committed to serving our membership and local art communities, and to contributing to the contemporary visual art communities of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and Canada.
People at AKA AKA's Board is composed of 5 to 7 members who serve a two-year term. AKA employs two full-time staff members: an Administrative Coordinator, and a Programme Coordinator in a non-hierarchical structure with both staff reporting directly to the Board. Temporary or project staff are hired as needed. Board and staff meet as a collective, under the Consensus Trust model, ensuring that everyone has equal voice. Staff |
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design by Troy
Gronsdahl