Series LA.SC057.S1 - Members and associate members files

Identity area

Reference code

LA.SC057.S1

Title

Members and associate members files

Date(s)

  • 1978-[ca. 1996] (Creation)

Level of description

Series

Extent and medium

24 cm of textual records and other materials

Context area

Name of creator

(1974-1995)

Administrative history

Workscene Gallery was a non-profit, artist-run co-operative gallery in Toronto, 1974-1995. It originally provided studio space and a venue for exhibitions of members’ works, later expanding to exhibiting other artists’ works and curated exhibitions. Members were responsible for all programming and administration with individual artists responsible for content, installation and promotion of exhibitions. Members were required to have a strong art practice, to provide financial support through membership fees and be committed to promoting the arts community.
The co-operative was incorporated May 16, 1974 as Workscene Co-operative Corporation with the following directors: Gissa Geraldine Gold, Ian James Shaw, James Henry Tiley, Robert John Varty and Badanna Bernice Zack. In May 1988, the corporation was re-activated by the current group of artist members who began operating the Workscene Galley at 1020 Queen Street West as an exhibition space. This storefront gallery was formerly the Ruby-Fiorino Gallery and the co-operative remained in this space until the lease expired at the end of August 1990. In September 1990, Workscene Gallery relocated to 183 Bathurst Street, a building which was a focal point at that time for Toronto’s arts community and housed other artist-run centres, arts organizations and magazines. Workscene Co-operative Corporation also produced a magazine as an independent program, Work Seen Artists Forum, to provide a forum for artists to write about their work and issues of concern. In the summer of 1992 the magazine became a separate entity with no ties to the Workscene Gallery, changing its name to Artword Artists Forum.
Workscene Co-operative Corporation was dissolved in February 1992. Workscene Gallery Art Association Toronto Inc. was formed in June 1992 with the following directors: Jocelyne Regina Belcourt Salem (President), Yvonne Maria Eva Singer (1st Vice President), Ian David Lazarus (2nd Vice President), David John Renaud (Treasurer), and Sheila Ann Gregory (Secretary). The final exhibition of Workscene Gallery ended January 28, 1995. Workscene ceased operations permanently in 1995.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Series consists of artists’ CVs, artist statements, photographs and slides of the artists’ work, exhibition invitations, pamphlets and catalogues and published material about the artists from other sources, press releases and reviews who were members or associate members of the organization. Individual files contain some or all of these; the presence of slides or photographs is noted. Arrangement is alphabetical by artist name with the members followed by the associate members as indicated in the file titles.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open. Access to Special Collections is by appointment only. Please contact the reference desk for more information.

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

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Related descriptions

Notes area

Note

Language: Most of the material in English, some newspaper clippings in Parvaneh Radmard (member) file in Arabic.

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

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Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Edward P. Taylor Library and Archives, Art Gallery of Ontario

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Description originally prepared in 2012, uploaded 2019

Language(s)

  • Arabic
  • English

Script(s)

Sources

Accession area

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