Vancouver Magazine 2026 March\/April <\/p>\n\n\n
<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"break\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/break1.png\" alt=\"break\" width=\"49\" height=\"40\"><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Coming to my home town <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy-traveler.com\/vancouver-museum\/\" data-modified-href=\"https:\/\/www.artsy-traveler.com\/vancouver-museum\">Vancouver<\/a>? Consider taking the resin art jewelry workshop or another one of the craft workshops offered by Soign\u00e9, a mecca for craft enthusiasts on Powell Street, a short drive from Gastown and the cruise ship terminal.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.artsy-traveler.com\/make-jewelry-vancouver\/<\/p>\n<p><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"break\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/break1.png\" alt=\"break\" width=\"49\" height=\"40\"><\/em><\/p>\n<h2>“Beata Kacy and her Octopus Studios” at Telus Optik: 4:25 min segment<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ThDGIV7iA-s?feature=player_embedded\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"break\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/break1.png\" alt=\"break\" width=\"49\" height=\"40\"><\/em><\/p>\n<h2> <\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em> <\/em><\/p>\n<h2>The Express on Shaw TV<\/h2>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"> <\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JQ9uI-xGppA\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The Express Shaw TV: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JQ9uI-xGppA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JQ9uI-xGppA<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"break\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/break1.png\" alt=\"break\" width=\"49\" height=\"40\"><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/12\/Handmade.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"739\" height=\"476\"><\/em><\/p>\n<p>HANDMADE BUSINESS: <a href=\"http:\/\/viewer.zmags.com\/publication\/8d47ce2e#\/8d47ce2e\/34\">http:\/\/viewer.zmags.com\/publication\/8d47ce2e#\/8d47ce2e\/34<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Handmade\" href=\"http:\/\/viewer.zmags.com\/publication\/36a6d828#\/36a6d828\/25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/12\/handmade.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"677\" height=\"866\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">HANDMADE Magazine, page 24: <a title=\"Handmade\" href=\"http:\/\/viewer.zmags.com\/publication\/36a6d828#\/36a6d828\/25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/viewer.zmags.com\/publication\/36a6d828#\/36a6d828\/25<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"break\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/break1.png\" alt=\"break\" width=\"49\" height=\"40\"><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Britannia Art Gallery <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britanniaartgallery.org\/luca-apel--beata-kacy.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.britanniaartgallery.org\/luca-apel–beata-kacy.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"break\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/break1.png\" alt=\"break\" width=\"49\" height=\"40\"><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Britannia Art Gallery <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CI-Fso12NoE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CI-Fso12NoE<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Britannia Art Gallery <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/xFrULAHtVBM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/xFrULAHtVBM<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"break\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/break1.png\" alt=\"break\" width=\"49\" height=\"40\"><\/em><\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">CBC News: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/video\/#\/News\/Local_News\/BC\/ID=1339006063\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/video\/#\/News\/Local_News\/BC\/ID=1339006063<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em> <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"break\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/break1.png\" alt=\"break\" width=\"49\" height=\"40\"><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">West Coast Curated<\/p>\n<p><blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"tpX52LGXgo\"><a href=\"https:\/\/westcoastcurated.com\/welcome-to-the-26th-eastside-culture-crawl\/\">Welcome to The 26th Eastside Culture Crawl<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"“Welcome to The 26th Eastside Culture Crawl” — West Coast Curated\" src=\"https:\/\/westcoastcurated.com\/welcome-to-the-26th-eastside-culture-crawl\/embed\/#?secret=DWwvLB9DiV#?secret=tpX52LGXgo\" data-secret=\"tpX52LGXgo\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"break\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/break1.png\" alt=\"break\" width=\"49\" height=\"40\"><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>String Magazine- print<\/em><\/p>\nngg_shortcode_0_placeholder\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"break\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/break1.png\" alt=\"break\" width=\"49\" height=\"40\"><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em> <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Canadian Immigrants: <a href=\"http:\/\/canadianimmigrant.ca\/entertainment\/immigrant-artists-at-eastside-culture-crawl-nov-18-20\/\">http:\/\/canadianimmigrant.ca\/entertainment\/immigrant-artists-at-eastside-culture-crawl-nov-18-20\/<\/a><\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"break\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/break1.png\" alt=\"break\" width=\"49\" height=\"40\"><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Georgia Straight <span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.straight.com\/article-540081\/vancouver\/space-invaders\">http:\/\/www.straight.com\/article-540081\/vancouver\/space-invaders<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/391930_10150947525365261_594915260_21590771_309149754_n-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"391930_10150947525365261_594915260_21590771_309149754_n\"><\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"break\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/break1.png\" alt=\"break\" width=\"49\" height=\"40\"><\/em><\/p>\n<p>DARPAN MAGAZINE:<a href=\"http:\/\/www.darpanmagazine.com\/events\/festivals\/experience-a-visual-treat-eastside-culture-crawl-2015\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> http:\/\/www.darpanmagazine.com\/events\/festivals\/experience-a-visual-treat-eastside-culture-crawl-2015\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"break\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/break1.png\" alt=\"break\" width=\"49\" height=\"40\"><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">Uncle Paulie’s World <a title=\"UNCLE PAULIE'S WORLD\" href=\"http:\/\/unclepauliesworld.blogspot.ca\/2012\/11\/crawling-for-culture-on-vancouvers-east.html?m=1 brea\">http:\/\/unclepauliesworld.blogspot.ca\/2012\/11\/crawling-for-culture-on-vancouvers-east.html?m=1<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"> <\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"break\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/break1.png\" alt=\"break\" width=\"49\" height=\"40\"><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Eastside Culture Crawl – Beata Kacy artist of the day<br><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1794\" title=\"ecc\" src=\"http:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/ecc-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"ecc\" width=\"663\" height=\"372\" srcset=\"https:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/ecc-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/ecc-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 663px) 100vw, 663px\" \/><br><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;\">Vancouver Artists & the Business of Art<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">By: Kristin Ramsey<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\"><em>\u201cTo all viewers\u2026what matters is the product: the finished artwork. To [the artist], what matters is the process: the experience of shaping that artwork. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\"> David Bayles and Ted Orland, <em> Art & Fear<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">These are the elements of an artist\u2019s life we do not regularly see: the creative sparks, hours of detailed composition, negotiations with administration, and the inherent risks an artist takes by offering deeply personal work to others. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">Vancouver provides no shortage of artistic stimulation to satisfy our cultural appetites; creative individuals who colour our city put in hours of work to produce this vibrancy. But all is not well in the art world. A man standing off to the side of the recent rally at the Art Gallery to protest cuts to provincial arts funding held a large handwritten sign expressing it well: \u201cArt Feeds My family.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">This allusion to artists attempting to earn their living from their craft reminded me that, while imagination is important, culture helps us reflect, and art enhances education, it also provides critical income to innumerable individuals and families. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">Making it in the arts is a juggling act. Artists must balance the freedom of creative vision, unexplored territories, and the expansive nature of art with concrete business tasks of bookkeeping, networking, and managing finances. Not only do artists need to hone their craft, they also have to market their work, generate a following, and make the necessary sales to pay their bills. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">For Stevie Benisch, a new graduate of Simon Fraser University\u2019s theatre program, her first step towards sustenance is to find a day job to cover her expenses while she auditions for and performs in shows on the side. Sitting on a worn couch surrounded by photos of student life in Simon Fraser University\u2019s Student Development offices, Stevie, who balances her passion for student services with her love for contemporary theatre, shared her reservations about this time in her life. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">\u201cIt\u2019s a scary place to be, graduating from university in general at this point in the economy, let alone with a fine arts degree. So I am currently looking for a day job\u2026It is really hard to go out and be a young new artist and expect to pay for rent so I need something to look after myself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">When asked whether this will be a temporary requirement or a long term reality, she laughs \u201cwell my <em>ideal<\/em> situation is that I could just run off and make art and not have to worry about money and all that. But very realistically I need extended medical\u2026and art doesn\u2019t really offer good benefit plans.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">This is also true for the artists in East Vancouver\u2019s Octopus Studios, a 3000 square foot workspace in the heart of Strathcona’s Japan Town that houses twelve resident artists. Almost everyone in the studio has a full time day job. Beata Kacy, who runs the studio and is the creator and founder of the jewelry and craft company Soign\u00e9, works for interactive entertainment company Ubisoft by day and is a craftsperson by night. <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">\u201cI work from around nine to five or ten to six and then I come [to the studio] usually everyday in the evenings or on weekends, and then do my craft until ten or eleven. Then I go home and work on something I can do at home where I don\u2019t need my art space\u2026Even while I watch TV, I knit or make jewelry. I never sit still, I just love it\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">Kacy focuses her mind on art tasks tasks requiring high levels of concentration while at Ubisoft. By the end of the day when she is mentally exhausted (in a good way), she switches to her creative hands-on work that allows her to relax and her instinctive handiwork skills to be engaged, freeing her mind to explore ideas for tomorrow\u2019s work project. \u201cIt all feeds the other.\u201d <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">Not all artists are so lucky and many, like students, are trying to make ends meet however they can, working at a fast food outlet, a mall retail store, or a dead-end office position. To avoid these service jobs, many artists gravitate towards teaching. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">\u201cDancers that dance in companies, unless they\u2019re the most sought after, generally have another job, waitressing or sometimes it\u2019s teaching or other kinds of jobs within the sector. That\u2019s the nicest situation for them because they can stay involved\u2026I would say that an emerging dancer for sure would have to have some other means of support,\u201d stresses Barb Clausen, producer of New Works, a non-profit organization offering presentation and cluster management services to dancers and dance companies in Vancouver. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">For many artists, teaching becomes an integral part of their repertoire, and with this comes a wide range of perspectives. In <em>Art & Fear<\/em>, a book written by artists for artists about the difficulties of making it in the arts, Bayles and Orland outline some of the risks of combining teaching with practice: \u201cit is, after all, hard to imagine placing a full time teaching career without <em>something<\/em> going awry in the process.\u201d However, if the artist can find strategies to fuel both commitments, the classroom can also be reinvigorating as \u201cit allows you to draw energy from young minds filled with potential. It gives you a role in shaping the next generation of art. It keeps you alive.\u201d This is evident for Kacy as she teaches regular jewelry and soap-making classes in her studio, cherishing this opportunity to welcome new artists into her studio and share with them the crafts she loves.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\"> Eric Malapad, a fixture in Vancouver\u2019s hip hop dance industry, enjoys teaching but declares it a necessity in Vancouver for artists in the dance community. Lisa Metz, a friend of Malapad\u2019s and another member of Vancouver\u2019s hip hop community, confirms this: she balances her own personal dance commitments, such as dancing with Vancouver\u2019s Stonefoxx Dance Crew, with teaching jazz at the Richmond Academy of Dance. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">This idea of necessity abounds in art making, and there are many types of work artists undertake to feed themselves and their families, along with the art they produce. To make a living in Vancouver, hip hop dancers have to hustle: because of Vancouver\u2019s film industry, there are consistent auditions for parts in movies but the competition for castings is heavy. Most hip hop dancers want to perform, tour, be cast in a music video, or work for an artist, but the reality for most dancers in Vancouver is a combination of teaching, film work, and industrials, dance performances for a company or its consumers for training or promotional purposes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">For these artists and their artistic pursuits, calling Vancouver home comes with its fair share of assets and challenges. The dance community struggles because dance is, as Clausen humorously puts it, \u201ca stupidly expensive form. Once it\u2019s created it has to be rehearsed, then it has to be polished, then it has to be costumed, then it has to be lit. You need to be able to pay those dancers; they\u2019re not going to do it for free for very long\u2026well some of them will.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">To receive the funding that is often necessary, many choreographers and dance companies must create not-for-profit organizations to receive the government funding they so badly need, according to Clausen. When asked whether or not choreographers and dance companies should choose this route, Clausen advises \u201cI think that if we weren\u2019t in BC, weren\u2019t in Vancouver, my answer would more likely be absolutely not, you don\u2019t need that kind of trouble in your life. It\u2019s like having a baby: you have to take care of it. You have to feed it, have meetings, report to government.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">On the other hand, it\u2019s a tool that in British Columbia is necessary because the City of Vancouver gives grants only to organizations, not individuals. British Columbia gives individual grants but they\u2019re much smaller than grants to organizations. For many dancers, if they cannot secure funding in Vancouver, they move elsewhere. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">Space is another requirement to produce art. One element of Vancouver\u2019s assets for the arts is its communal arts spaces; for the dance community, this is the Scotiabank Dance Centre, a flagship for the community that no other city in Canada has. The craft sector has markets like the monthly Portobello West art and fashion market. The visual community has large events like the Eastside Culture Crawl during which East Vancouver artists open up their studio spaces to anyone who would like to visit, bringing together art makers and art appreciators through a common interest. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">For Benisch, the Wrecking Ball at The Vogue was an evening that brought Vancouver\u2019s theatre community together and demonstrated its supportive environment. Her face lit up as she retold the story, exclaiming \u201cit blew my mind because everyone donated everything: the Vogue gave the space for free, all of the technicians and staff were there because they wanted to be there, all of the performers and artists involved were there because they wanted to be there, no one got paid. It was a three hour long performance and most of it was funny and poked fun at the fact that they cut this much from the arts because what other industry could you cut that much from and they\u2019d still keep doing their work? But it was just about getting together and realizing this situation we\u2019re in sucks but we\u2019re still here for each other and we all still love art, we\u2019re in it for a reason.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">Life in the arts world is rife with these financial struggles. Finding adequate studio space has been another consistent source of anxiety for Vancouver\u2019s artists. <strong>Kacy recognizes that Vancouver apartments are small and expensive, so many artists inevitably need a second space for their art. Kacy decided to take over the lease for Octopus Studios with her partner, and they now rent the space out to twelve other artists, helping them pay their monthly studio rent while alleviating guilt if they don\u2019t make it into the studio that day. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">Challenges with zoning, property taxes, and unsafe work spaces mean artists are constantly being pushed out as redevelopment closes in, forcing them to give up their space or downsize and preventing them from functioning at full capacity. For Kacy, heating is the biggest issue, and in the winter the cold becomes intolerable at the back of her warehouse space; to fix it would cost approximately $8000, a large dent in an artist\u2019s budget. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">It is an interesting time in the Arts community because with the Olympics coming to Canada in mere weeks, our attention will be directed inwards at ourselves, and the Cultural Olympiad will be an opportunity for arts to shine. For some artists, this will bring a struggle to have their voices heard during the Olympic excitement. For others, like Marla Guloien, a recent SFU Communications graduate and emerging singer, this is an incredible platform to reach out to a different demographic and audience she wouldn\u2019t ordinarily be able to reach. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">\u201cPeople might see me and start watching me on YouTube. Because of the internet, it doesn\u2019t matter [where they\u2019re from], if they see me and they enjoy what I do, they may follow me and this is just a fantastic opportunity because there are so many less boundaries with the internet. Music is one of the art forms that really does bring us together. You don\u2019t even have to speak the same language and you can still feel the emotion.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">With Vancouver\u2019s unique mix of obstacles and benefits for artists, using the tools available to them and their own business skills will help Vancouver artists to shine during the Olympics and well beyond its conclusion. For Marla, one of the biggest barriers she sees for musicians in the city right now is navigating a music industry that is completely different than it once was. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">\u201cThe old model of the music industry doesn\u2019t work now. You can\u2019t just go to a label and have them distribute your music anymore. That was the advantage of the old model of the music industry because they controlled the means of distribution. Now it is digital distribution with different social media sites that you can control yourself. But unless you understand how to do all of that and you understand the importance of social media and have the foresight as to the direction that this is all going, then you are out of luck.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">Guloien wears both the creative and business hats as she launches her own music career and releases her own album, and is learning firsthand how all-consuming that can be.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">\u201cIt is shocking how much time I spend on business as a musician, how much time on a day to day basis that I\u2019m on my computer. Updating MySpace, ReverbNation, Facebook, MyBand. I have multiple, multiple, multiple accounts that I have to update regularly to stay relevant. And people are waiting and watching for changes. Just updating your electronic press kit and sending it off and applying for different auditions and competitions, and being on the pulse as to what\u2019s happening in the industry is all about business and it is very little about music.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">Kacy echoes the importance of the internet and social media. She has a blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr to promote her jewelry company, all of which feed each other, minimizing the amount of work she has to put into her online presence. She advises to check as many blogs as you can during the day to stay on top of the industries you are interested in, and by using Google\u2019s Reader tool, she checks her forty blogs every morning within half an hour. Being organized is key. <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">Clausen recommends to every young artist that if he or she can do nothing else, at least hire a publicist and someone else to handle their bookkeeping. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">\u201cI mean, I know how to do it, but it\u2019s not really a good use of anyone\u2019s time. It\u2019s one of those things like I could probably figure out how to cook really great French bread, but why would I? There are French bakeries and that\u2019s all they do and they\u2019re really good at it!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">Websites like <a href=\"http:\/\/artbusiness.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">artbusiness.com<\/a> offer pages of free advice to visual artists on how to navigate the often complicated business world of the arts. Artists must familiarize themselves with local galleries, and do everything they can to get their work out there: rent temporary venues with other artists and have group shows, network with others in the arts by attending openings, art classes, and local museums. The creator of the website, Alan Bamberger, urges artists to consider their artist statement and the impact it will have on their potential buyers. The more easily potential buyers understand it, and the more they are captivated by it, the more likely they are to buy the art. \u201cConfuse today\u2019s buyers and they\u2019re off to the next venue. They want to know what they\u2019re getting, why it\u2019s significant, how it\u2019s priced, what it means\u2026and more.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">Throwing successful openings, acquiring media coverage, and creating successful online presence heighten the levels of work and stress already upon these artists who are working around the clock to create original, meaningful pieces. The perseverance and determination is inspiring. The resourcefulness and innovation is profound. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">\u201cComing into theatre [at SFU] is not just about learning how to be an artist and how to act, it\u2019s life skills, how to survive. It\u2019s really survival training in many ways. I mean, they tell us that if you can survive as an artist, you can survive anywhere\u201d adds Benisch. \u201cI know the things I need in life and I know what I can live without. I know how to follow my dreams and fight for things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">For Kacy, the ability to be flexible is the most important thing for artists during this recession and challenging financial time. Expensive paintings are not selling like they once did. Understanding the market and knowing what is currently realistic has helped her to be successful: now she makes $10-$20 pieces of jewelry instead of $80-$100 pieces.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">The amount of work artists do on a daily basis in admirable. The beauty of their artwork extends into the public realm to animate the city and bring culture, vitality, and enjoyment to Vancouver residents. Without an appreciation for what artists do, and a solid support system to help them continue, we risk losing their valuable contributions. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">Kacy sits back in her chair and pauses for a moment, \u201cart gives you inspiration for life. It grows with you. I think many of the goals that we have came from a little drawing we maybe did in a book when we were a child. Art brings us all together.\u201d <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;\">When artists are fed, their creations feed the rest of us too. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vancouver Magazine 2026 March\/April “Octopus Studios” STORYHIVE Coming to my home town Vancouver? Consider taking the resin art jewelry workshop or another one of the craft workshops offered by Soign\u00e9, a mecca for craft enthusiasts on Powell Street, a short drive from Gastown and the cruise ship terminal. https:\/\/www.artsy-traveler.com\/make-jewelry-vancouver\/ “Beata Kacy and her Octopus Studios” at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-999","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=999"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/999\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13096,"href":"https:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/999\/revisions\/13096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/soigne.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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