Interview with Phil Anderson Executive Director of Gallery 1313

Interview with Phil Anderson (P. A), Executive Director of Gallery 1313 by Veronica Scarpati (V. S)

Gallery 1313 Executive Director Phil Anderson

V. S: Gallery 1313 is unique in many ways: a not-for-profit artist run gallery with a board, dedicated to exhibiting local, national and international contemporary art…how did the idea for this kind of structure come about?

P. A: Gallery 1313 is a bit of a hybrid gallery in the way that it is set up as an artist run centre but does not have core funding from the art councils, so we rely on rental income, membership dues, donations from patron members and project funding from art councils. To be a tenant in an Artscape building we were required to become a not-for-profit, and we decided to get our charitable  status in order to better allow for fundraising. Our programming reflects the diversity of the community while focusing on supporting artists by offering  contemporary art exhibitions and educational art programs. Of course, part of our mandate is that we serve as a community art gallery, and we have really become a local cultural hub over the years, taking on local projects and doing outreach projects with youth from the Parkdale area.

Gallery 1313 at 1313 Queen Street West

Models dressed in metal work by artists Iner Souster. Fantasy Fashion Show, 20o1

The Grey Area, Opening Reception, December 2, 2011

V. S: I’ve heard that you started this gallery by yourself, riding your bike from artist to artist, organizing the shows, hanging the works, doing everything yourself. How did the gallery grow into its current form and how have you evolved into your role as director?

P. A: The idea that I started the gallery by myself is  a Parkdale urban myth, as there were many other artists and community partners involved. Perhaps I was the most persistent – but it required many people!

Although I always enjoyed organizing and curating exhibitions, I was pursuing a career as a film director when the Board made me director of the gallery, and I slowly found myself on a different career path.   I learned by  through trial and error, and by looking to other galleries to see how they worked.

Phil Anderson is being interviewed by Artsync host Tali Dudin

Eco Art Exhibition, Opening Reception, January 26, 2012

V. S: Why was choosing Parkdale particularly important?

P. A: It basically happened that the space became available just as the Parkdale Village Arts Collective was starting back in 1994 and there were many artists in the area. You can say it was something of being in the right place at the right time, but even today the area has the highest concentration of cultural workers in the country.

Courvoisier Opening and award celebration Wednesday, August 10, 2011. Camilla Singh, one of the show curators. On the wall, Katie Prettie: Heaven knows (No Need To Fear) 2. Photo: Zach Slootsky

V. S: The gallery advocates stronger cultural and community involvement in the arts; what has the cultural development of the area been like since you first opened your doors?

P. A: The area has been in transition for many years, shaking off its rough and tumble reputation for drugs and prostitution to become somewhat hip, with new entrepreneurs opening up cafes, restaurants, and as well as  a few commercial galleries. As the area became more  desirable, fewer artists could afford to remain, and many galleries have come and gone in the struggle to survive financially. It’s evolved; when Gallery 1313 set up in Parkdale there were perhaps three galleries between Roncesvalles and Bathurst along Queen St. West. Now there are over thirty.

The Sex Show. February 6 -17, 2013. Installation view

V. S: As you look back over the years, is there an artist’s career you’ve watched grow with particular affection?

P.A: Recently I ran into Julia Dault, an arts writer and artist now living in Brooklyn. She was at an opening at Jessica Bradley’s new gallery where she was participating in a group exhibit, and she reminded me that her first show had been in Gallery 1313’s Process Gallery. As I recall the works were digital prints and the show pretty much sold out. I remember as well watching Shary Boyle doing a performance with Super 8 film in the gallery back in 1998 as part of a Parkdale film screening and then reading about her at the Venice Biennale. I have to say that over there years there have definitely been many precious moments where exhibits have really connected with the public and received widespread recognition.

Shary Boyle’s installation at the Venice Biennale, Canadian Pavilion, 2013

V. S: How many members does Gallery 1313 have? How can someone become a member?

P. A: Gallery 1313’s membership currently numbers around fifty, with members spread out across the GTA and beyond. Each member is accepted by a selection committee according to the criteria set up and our members vary in experience and practice, so that they are able to learn from each other. But if someone is looking to apply they can certainly find the information online.

Light Bringers, Opening Reception, July 25, 2012, guests wearing masks

James Gardner: Frank, Window Box, May 30 – June 9, 2013

1st Emerging Artists Show, Opening reception, January 5, 2012

V. S: What are some of the challenges you have to face looking towards the future of the gallery?

P. A: The gallery has had a good history and continues to build upon its local and international reputation. Like many centres it struggles to provide a variety of services as costs rise, but we continue to grow and seek to help artists along the way. In an ideal world, there would be lots of funding available to us and we would be able to expand on all that we offer.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *