Artropolis 2003 sous-fonds

Sous-fonds consists of records relating to the administration, exhibition planning and operation, promotion, and fundraising activities of the A.T. Eight Artropolis Society for the Artropolis 2003 show.

Sous-fonds is arranged into the following series:

1. General administration series (6-6.1)
2. Exhibition series (6-6.2)
3. Printed matter series (6-6.3)
4. Fundraising series (6-6.4)
5. Publicity series (6-6.5)

The sixth Artropolis exhibition was held from May 16 to June 8, 2003, at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Broadcasting Centre, located at 700 Hamilton Street in Vancouver. Artropolis 2003 was entitled The Big Picture: Perspectives on Change and featured 500 artworks in an exhibition space of approximately 18,400 square feet.

Artropolis 2003 was the first and only show to be exhibited after the A. T. Eight Artropolis Society committed to hosting a biennial series of shows in 2001. The major theme was the changing social, political, and environmental context of post-millennial British Columbia. Four of exhibits' five portions featured artwork selected by curators: "Art in Exile" highlighted 25 artists whose works re-imagined their physical or geographical space as an imperfect abstraction; 26 artists were exhibited in "Here," which featured artwork that evoked physicality obliquely; the third curated segment of Artropolis 2003, "Residue," featured 27 artists who emphasized the themes of rural to urban migration and the effects of human and industrial habitation on the environmental landscape. The adjunct show was designed by its curators to allow any willing artist in British Columbia to participate. Submissions included 350 works in the prescribed format of an 8" x 11" sheet of archival paper. The theme was representations of the human image in the landscape.

The juried portion exhibited 100 artists whose work reflected the broad theme of change: changes in the landscape; relocation and displacement; social and political change; cultural diversity and change; personal and emotional change; technological changes; and the collective memory.

The success of the exhibition and the society's commitment to representing artists to and from the entire province resulted in the Artropolis Road Show, a travelling multi-media event featuring a slide show, video presentation, and samples of work from Artropolis adjunct exhibits. The Artropolis Road Show was held from September 15 to November 7, 2004 and visited 13 communities throughout the province. Material relating to this show is also included in this sous-fonds.

The personnel of Artropolis 2003 consisted of the Board of Directors, a two-person staff, three curators, three jurors, three adjunct show organizers, an advisory board, an education committee, a curatorial committee, a design and catalogue committee, a webmaster, and over 50 volunteers.