Discussing urban development with grunt’s Glenn Alteen

[Published by VANDOCUMENT]

Words by Brit Bachmann + Edits by Christopher Millin + Photos by Alisha Weng

Last month Western Front, grunt gallery, Arts Factory, VIVO and C-Space were awarded a combined $4.5 million in the form of CACs, or Community Amenities Contributions. This money was part of $6 million donated to the City of Vancouver by Rize Alliance Properties in exchange for zoning permits for their development on the corner of Broadway and Kingsway.

The amenities contributions will help fund new programming and development for these established arts organizations in Mount Pleasant. The CAC has been met with mixed responses, however. While $4.5million is a substantial chunk of money to the average person, certain organizations argue that it is not enough money to kickstart a cultural revival against the gentrification that is occurring in the neighbourhood, especially with the inflating costs of living and operations.

VANDOCUMENT will be interviewing representatives from each arts organization awarded CAC to hear their individual perspectives on arts funding and urban development. We previously publishedan interview with Elia Kirby, and this week we talk to Glenn Alteen of grunt gallery.

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Until the mid 90′s, Mount Pleasant was a low-income area of Vancouver. The affordability of live/work spaces attracted artist-runs operating on minimal funding. Organizations such as grunt gallery acted as drop-in centres for the neighbourhood. These galleries helped establish community identity by providing exhibition space to emerging and established artists alike.

CAC Party at grunt gallery July 10th, photographed by Alisha Weng

grunt gallery opened in 1984 in a storefront now occupied by The Whip on East 6th Ave. Back then, its programming focused on promoting local artists and ‘outsider art.’ grunt has expanded its reach since then. Its mandate is to provide artists with resources to further their practices, with an emphasis on community engagement. Glenn Alteen was one of the founding members of grunt. Since 1990, he has acted as Director.

(…Continue reading this article at VANDOCUMENT)

You’re invited to a special event at grunt gallery to celebrate the Community Amenity Contributions (CAC) funding that we’ve received.

The event takes play at grunt on Thursday July 10 (6:30 – 8:30 pm). Statements by grunt’s programming director and co-founder, Glenn Alteen, and a board representative, will take place at 7pm. Join us in raising a toast! We look forward to seeing you there.

“This is wonderful news for grunt as well as for the communities active within the Mount Pleasant area. The cultural vibrancy of this neighbourhood has seen incredible growth despite shortages of affordable rental space for artists to live and work.

grunt gallery has a 30-year record of welcoming and encouraging diverse and intriguing artists and practices in the local community. We have matured as an organization, ensuring we have the infrastructure and the policies to continue to serve our beloved community, particularly nurturing experimental, edgy and community-based innovations from a range of artists including First Nations artists, artists of colour, queer and performance artists, and those who employ community-engagement and relational practices. With this CAC funding, we aspire to continue serving our public with imaginative, unique and dynamic cultural programming.”
– Laiwan, Board Chair.

Complimentary refreshments will be provided.

grunt gallery: 116-350 East 2^nd Ave, Vancouver, BC, V5T4R8 | grunt.ca

Read more: https://grunt.ca/gruntgalleryproudrecipientofcacfunding/

Deshik drew cause I asked him to.

Because I introduced him to some new materials.

He entertained my suggestions and churned out a few new drawings.

He ended up resorting back to his favorite….felt pens.

As he drew this very detailed Boa Constrictor.

Then the questions started rolling in.

Questions like, “Is the rattler hollow like a music rattler?”

Like, “What is the oldest animal alive?”  & “What is the youngest?”

We did some research online.

He was fascinated with the still living, primitive fish the STURGEON.

It was only logical, to Deshik, that he BECOMES the STURGEON.

Read more here

It was all about the hammer.

First thing Henry grabbed when he entered the gallery.

But his mom brought in a folder of Henry’s drawings.

We spread them out on the floor and I marveled at his mark making.

Henry showed his embarrassment by grabbing the ones he thought I shouldn’t see.

The subject matter was that of any typical 12 year old……sci-fi, comic, warrior, fighting, robot beings.

But there was an intensity about the way he attacked the lines.

Also these were a few of many hundreds of drawings.  Henry draws ALL THE TIME.

But only with pencil.

I pulled out some charcoal sticks and large paper.

Asked Henry if he would like to try drawing with these materials.

Curious as always he jumped at the chance.

I showed him how an eraser and brush….and even the hammer…. could also be used as drawing tools.

He chose to draw ETRIGAN.  I don’t usually dig this boy stuff at all.

But watching this Demon (who actually does good deeds) come to life at the hands of Henry was like watching a live animation come to life.

Henry was ecstatic when I took the drawing and hung it on the wall.

Then some healthy destruction was needed.

He wandered the gallery with hammer in hand just wanting to rip it up.

I got a plywood sheet, a big piece of grey cardboard, and some sticks of chalk.

I love watching the process of experimenting with materials.

Is a magical, chaotic symphony.

In the end it was just about ways to dissect the chalky sticks.

I let him use scissors and a tool with a razor blade. He was so excited to use these ‘dangerous’ tools.

I let him continue using them as he listened to my safety and how-to-use-properly instructions very carefully.

Through the 2 hours Henry kept saying “quotes, quotes”

I kept asking him what he meant.  Eventually he pointed to the ETRIGAN drawing and said “quotes quotes”.

We went online and sure enough there are a bunch of quotes as said by this demon creature.

“It is the Demon who dominates, now! It is the Demon who will deal with our ruthless enemies! Instead of fading into limbo, so an imposter can take my place — I now have another chance to fight for my existence!”

Whoa.

Read more here

We’ve received a few postcards sent to us by grunt volunteers and staff who are travelling this summer.

 Amelie continues on the wall work started on Day 1.

Back up on the tall ladder she works with tape and geometric shapes.

We add long dangley clumps of plasticy jewels.

I do…this was too high for her to reach.

She joyfully splatters paint all over the wall work, tentacles out the purple strands and adds finishing touches.

This is a beautifully delicate work that measures 22 feet high!

On Day 3 Amelie is stuck.

She just messes around with some material in the studio area.

She pours pools of black & red ink on paper.

We sit back and watch it mix and move itself across the surface.

Soon she feels lost. “I dont know what to do now?”

She seems uninspired or bored.  We had talked about various options earlier.

I said, “I am not going to tell you what to do. It has to come from you. “

She fell silent and looked discouraged.

I said we can just sit here and if she is done with the project then we can just quit and the wall work is enough.

Before I could finish my sentence she said, “I want to paint one of those cubes.  Can I paint all over it?”

This cube was a giant plinth.

Removing tape is oh so satisfying.

Read more here

Isabelle is the dedicated sculpture / assembler of the Grunt group.

She loves colour, shape, pattern and texture.

She has a hard time with figuring out what to do.

I asked her to choose a few items…spontaneously.

Then we hung out on the floor and simply played with the materials.

Eventually a tower rose out of the chaos.

This was a brave balancing act that Isabelle carefully pursued .

She never gave up or got frustrated.

This is an amazing  8 foot tower that when looked at in person is totally a psychedelic optical mind game.

Read more here

Deshik does not have any pets.

Yet all he talks about and draws are animals and birds.

I promised I would bring my dog (Negrita) to the gallery so Deshik could meet her.

Upon meeting the dog Deshik spent the first 20 minutes running in a circle around her.

Then he spent a full hour examining Negritas fur, teeth, nose, inside of ears, etc.

Negrita is infinitely patient and gentle.

She is so mellow that she would often lay her head down amidst poking and prodding.

When this happened Deshik would ask “Is she dead now?”

Deshik started to get objects from the materials room and test them out on Negrita.

Basically this was the art process / project of the day.

I just let it unfold.

My favorite…..a bone balanced on dogs head.

Then he wanted to feed her.

I brought him half a carton of milk.

Deshik grabbed it and poured it directly on the gallery floor.

Fascinated, Deshik watched Negrita gently lap up the spilt milk.

He observed that as she licked away the white liquid  “…….It makes a moving drawing!”

For the last hour Deshik gets to drawing directly on the wall.

He draws animals. He draws quickly and with full assurance in his sweeping lines.

The whole while he talks about Negrita and his observations.

Mostly he repeated that Negrita was “…..so unusual cause she’s got a mane like a lion and fluffer ears.”

It started with zip ties.

Henry silently created knotty concoctions on his hands.

I thought they were meant to be playful faux weapons.

But Henry had other plans.

He pointed to the painting he made the week before and the new cans of paint I scrounged up.

The plastic hand weapons were actually self made paint applicators.

Henry started adding to the painting he made last week…the one I thought was so beautifully complete.

For the next hour Henry re-imagined his entire painting.

Using mostly his DIY applicators and other strange objects to scrape and scour the paint.

Then he completed the work with a roller.

I was speechless at his frenetic painting style and the re-visioned work.

And then Henry started to talk to me for the first time.

He took my hand, turned around to the opposite wall and walked us over to Amelies wallwork.

“Thats good.” Henry said.

Following that sweet moment Henry bustled around the materials room with a hammer in hand.

He was visibly hyper.

He eventually grabbed some chalk and a piece of 2×4.

For the next 30 minutes he smashed away, watching how chalk dust rise and fall on the board.

I’ve got some healthy destructive art making plans for Henry next week!

Stay tuned…..

grunt gallery is excited to announce a new youth arts engagement project entitled, gruntCraft

The project uses the popular computer game Minecraft as a tool and studio to create new and incredible structures in a virtual world. Youth participants will be mentored by professional artists to explore their creative processes and discover new ways to approach art making through a collaborative, online, video game environment.

Follow the development of the virtual studio by subscribing to gruntCraft’s YouTube site. As part of the studio program, youth studio members (aged 11-18) will have access to professional artists feedback and mentorship, 3D printing workshops, and opportunities to participate in studio open houses at grunt gallery.

gruntCraft will occur from July to December 2014 and is led by artist and project manager, Demian Petryshyn. Please visit gruntcraft.ca for more information and project updates.

We’re on the lookout for youth participants and volunteers.

Feel free to check out the studio server at: 50.23.129.103. If you are interested in becoming a youth studio member (aged 11-18) or would like to get involved as a volunteer, please contact Demian at gruntcraftvancouver@gmail.com or visit gruntcraft.ca for more info (coming soon).