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| This is an article I wrote about my favourite non-profit arts centre. |
It has been said that art is everywhere. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t just some small, concentrated artistic spaces sprinkled throughout moderately sized cities. Spaces where there is art etched in the walls, flowing through the air and circulating in the minds of only a few people dedicated people. People enjoy the product of these spaces, but they may not necessarily know where it comes from, or how it comes to be.
Many people in the city of Guelph have heard the name ‘Ed Video,’ or maybe they have seen posters with the familiar logo around the bulletin boards downtown. Although it may ring a bell, they don’t quite know what Ed Video is, or what Ed Video does.
Locals who are familiar with the downtown area may avoid the location. Below is a youth centre often crowded with gaggles of ‘intimidating’ teenagers. However, upstairs a haven for local artists is producing creativity and contributing to the unique reputation that is downtown Guelph. As you walk into their fairly new location on 40 Baker Street you are greeted by a gallery space before you enter the office. Currently, intriguing projections that are part of the project ‘Put the Moves On’ light the white walls of the 1150 square foot room. The artist who created the installation attached a small camera to her her bicycle to get her footage all in one take. The video shows a dying cultured community in Shanghai. As the image continues to pan you see a variety of human activities, artists and people working.
With a motto like “Ed Video is artists supporting artists” one can imagine that many different types of people walk into the doors of these offices everyday. Ed Video is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to providing support to independent media artists through rentals, workshops, shows and anything else they may need. It was first established in 1976 and continues to help individuals not just in Guelph but in various parts of Canada to express themselves and opinions through media art. Ed Video offers their rentals and workshops at very reasonable prices allowing just about anyone, including students to take full advantage of all the centre has to offer.
Lalonde graduated University of Guelph in 2005 with a degree in Women’s Studies and a strong interest in filmmaking. Through the support offered at Ed Video she realized her dream of becoming a filmmaker. Lalonde made a 45 minute documentary on belly dancing, three short comedies and has many more projects up her sleeve. “Ed Video is a caring and welcoming environment. It doesn't matter if you've had 20 years of experience in media arts or have never picked up a camera before,” Lalonde says “They strive to be accessible and meet the needs of everyone who walks through the doors.”
The welcoming environment that has been established at the centre is obvious upon entering the building. Smiling faces, and eccentric personalities bring a certain energy to the place that isn’t found at many other work environments. Every staff member has to work long hard hours but they do it because they love it- another prominent aspect of this environment that remains difficult to come across in society. They want to provide help to these artists because they genuinely enjoy it.
Scott McGovern is the Program Director at Ed Video and has been at the centre for a little over four years. Although he has only been there a fraction of the lifespan of Ed Video, he has still seen many changes and growths. “I feel very strongly that interest in video and contemporary art will only continue to increase in the future,” McGovern says. “The centre is always in flux, continually working on dozens of projects with hundreds of people. Video technology and content changes rapidly, but the main focus of the centre, education, stays the same.” Not too many people can say that they love their job and working overtime. However the nature of the centre has always been about the love of art and there hasn’t been one staff member that hasn’t expressed their enjoyment in being a part of Ed Video. “I am lucky to have a job where creativity is not just tolerated, but required. Boredom never happens, although it is one of my aspirations,” jokes McGovern. “I really love it.”
Previously Ed Video occupied the space above NV lounge on Wyndham Street. However, finances and the conditions of the building among other problems moved them centre to their current location. Traces of history remain present in the fairly new location. A photo of the founders in 1976 was carried over from the old location to the current one and represents the beginning of an artistic era. Little did these few people know that 33 years later the centre they founded would still be making an impact in their city. Still images from films created in the 1990’s hang in mint condition upon walking into the office. Thousands of hours of moving history is stored in the archive room proving years of development, hard work and artistic dreams realized.
This place is constantly buzzing. A regular day at the centre assists dozens of people and yet everyday is so different. Three men sit in the editing suite cracking jokes while uploading their footage. A woman seeks help from one of the staff as she decides which camera to book for her shoot. Executive director Elizabeth Dent types quickly at her computer while answering phones. One of her main duties is to write grants to the government to keep the funding coming and the centre running smoothly. Although she explains that it is an amazing feeling seeing how happy an artist is at the end of a show, the funding can certainly be frustrating. “We could do so much more outreach and accessibility stuff if we only had enough money to make ends meet and could focus better on the task at hand,” Dent explains. “Instead I am stuck groveling for half the year to try and raise enough funds to get the job done.”
Challenges and financial shortages aren’t obstacles that Ed Video hasn’t seen before. Pay has been compromised, shows have been cancelled and budgets have been cut. However they’ve always pulled through and as long as there is an audience, the show will go on. McGovern has big visions for the future, and it is obvious that in this case, the passion trumps the technical glitches in this centre. “Sometimes I say it takes tiny steps to get to the top of a mountain, and there have been many of those. A lot has happened, dozens of staff members, hundreds of shows, thousands of members, and many more in audience watching it all happen. Ed Video has had 33 years of history so far, and I believe many more to come.”
