In 2020, the Board of Directors of aceartinc. was disbanded and replaced with a new one. The goal of the new Board of Directors was to respond to community concerns, analyze the organization’s past mistakes and reflect on the role that aceartinc. can and should play in our community.
As an artist-run gallery, aceartinc. should be a community space where ideas can be shared, discussed, and debated fearlessly but not without accountability. We acknowledge that artists often play a vanguard role in society, exploring ideas in depth and unmasking taboos in ways that can be challenging. For this very reason, art can be dangerous. We do not want to remove this danger, nor dull the edge of important artistic statements. On the other hand, we do not want to perpetuate ignorance, reinforce oppressive structures, or maintain a space that is safe for some but not for others.
Over the course of many sessions and meetings, the new Board of Directors created a picture of what aceartinc. was, is, and can be. We examined the events of the past two years, contemplated the broader history of aceartinc., and attempted to envision its future. This months-long process was then filtered through a three-day facilitated strategic planning session engaging the Board and staff to turn ideas into concrete plans.
Our strategic planning process identified organizational strengths and weaknesses, defined goals, and set about sketching out a guide for our future work. We came to recognize that past mistakes were not made maliciously, but were the result of negligence and mismanagement. This does not justify them nor does it erase the harms they have caused. However, by making this distinction, we can more effectively address the issues that led to these mistakes and avoid making them again.
One of our key organizational strengths is a new, enthusiastic Board of Directors with heterogeneous perspectives, unified in its commitment to an aceartinc. that contributes to a thriving Winnipeg arts scene. aceartinc. also has a core staff that has remained steady in steering the organization through increasingly uncertain times. This organization has an amazing exhibition history, invaluable partnerships, and longstanding relationships with artists in the community. This solid base is what will give us the strength to materialize the aceartinc. that we all want to experience.
We have also identified areas in need of improvement. This includes expanding our Board capacity, in particular within the area of Human Resources. We also crucially need to fill the position of Program Director in order to fulfill our strategic plan and create a curatorial vision that will proactively create a program that reflects and positively challenges our community.
As we settle into our new location at 206 Princess Street, there are many opportunities that await us.
-Rob Crooks, Board Treasurer
Left to right: Tani Miki, Brianna Wentz Julia Lafreniere, Albyn Carias, Rob Crooks, Allison Yearwood. Front middle: Michelle Panting
Financial Statements
We believe in maintaining transparency at all levels of our organization. Our financial statements since the 2017-18 fiscal year are linked below. Financial statements from the years previous are in our physical archives, which may be accessed upon request.