LE GRAND (ARI) TOUR
by CCAS Director David Broker

My initial interest Artist Run Initiatives (ARIs) – sometimes called ‘Artist Led Initiatives’ – was because I think, speaking artistically, they are where its at. My past impressions have been somewhat romantic and I’ve discovered there are a lot of misconceptions about ARI’s being the exclusive territory of cool young emerging artists who take the initiative to create spaces in which they can show their work. While they have tended to operate on the fringes of arts institutions, in the context of Australia’s current arts funding crisis, ARIs are amazingly diverse and encompass artists of all ages working in many different areas and ways. My current visits to Brisbane, Hobart, Adelaide and Melbourne generously supported by a travel grant from the Gordon Darling Foundation has been to study some (but certainly not all) of the diverse models, to meet the people involved in them, to research some of their histories and reach an understanding of their contribution in the context of the broader arts ecology.

https://canberracontemporaryartspace.wordpress.com/2018/10/17/le-grand-ari-tour