Request for Proposals - Media Arts Collection Research Study

Posted on: Aug 18 2010 | Posted in: Arts, Culture, & Heritage


Media Arts Collection Research Study: Request for Proposals: Deadline August 31st, 4PM.
Project budget: $12,000

E-mail proposals to: admin@amaas.ca

Project Background

In partnership, the Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society (AMAAS), Metro Cinema Society and the Calgary Cinematheque Society are commissioning a report to provide recommendations on how to best include and recognize media art as part of Alberta’s cultural heritage. For example, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) currently collects, manages, and provides access to the AFA art collection, which represents the talents of more than 1,700 Alberta visual artists. AMAAS believes the art of practicing Alberta media artists should be acquired as well.

AMAAS defines media art as: independent artist initiated and controlled use of film, video, new media, audio art and related media. Media art is a relatively new art form, with motion picture film just over a century old, and video art practice only emerging in the 1980s. Due to its youth there has only been preliminary work on issues of acquisition and preservation of this kind of art.

Media art is mediated by technology, and as such creates complications for public institutions considering beginning or maintaining a collection. Ideal formats for acquisition, preservation, and exhibition may be different. Moreover, technological innovation has the potential to make video formats obsolete over relatively short timeframes. Furthermore, media art is a reproducible medium, leading to questions of valuation in a public collection.

Finally, there is a tragedy unfolding today as media arts treasures from our recent past are disappearing as the formats they were recorded on erode. All across Alberta in the province’s media arts production centres and libraries, there are collections of media art that are aging poorly and in some cases becoming irretrievable.

The Media Arts Collection Research Study will determine what the current state of Alberta media art collection is and what the best practices are in archiving and collecting media artwork. The report will also focus on the role of the Province of Alberta and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts in how they can best acquire, preserve and exhibit works of media art for future generations of Albertans.

Project Requirements

The researcher will:
Prepare a written report that:
-surveys media arts collection practices in public institutions,
-discovers best practices in the acquisition, preservation, exhibition and valuation of media art,
-makes recommendations to the AFA and other stakeholders on how best to collect media art, highlighting institution specific issues and opportunities for the Provincial Art Collection, including comment on copyright laws and exhibition rights; the needs/challenges of procuring and maintaining appropriate technology; and other concerns as appropriate,
-makes recommendations to the provincial media arts community on how to best preserve and maintain its media art collection,
-presents an appendix for further reading and a contact list of experts in this area, in order for AMAAS to make an acquisitions toolbox for its website.

Make a minimum of three public presentations of the report findings, one to the commissioning partners and interested parties in both Calgary and Edmonton, and one to Provincial Art Collection stakeholders.

Work within budget and timelines as supervised by the commissioning partners.

Selection Criteria

The winning bidder will be selected solely by the judgment of the project partners and will include the following components:

Project budget totaling $12,000
Project timeline with review benchmarks
AMAAS Membership input incorporation
Familiarity with Alberta’s Media Arts Community
Proven experience in research and report writing
Volunteer history
Short listed candidates will be interviewed by telephone.

Additional project information is available upon request. Please contact Kevin Allen, Executive Director, AMAAS at admin@amaas.ca or 403-890-7278.

The Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society (AMAAS) is a not-for-profit society which exists to promote, support, educate and advocate for Alberta media arts and to foster the common objectives of Alberta’s media arts organizations and artists. Media arts are defined as: independent, artist initiated and controlled use of film, video, new media, audio art, and related media.

AMAAS advances the image and reputation of the Alberta media arts scene as exciting, leading edge and excellent. By generating awareness of and support for media arts, it builds a sustainable future for the sector.

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