Harcourt House
Encyclopedia
Harcourt House Arts Centre is one of only four public galleries, and one of three artist-run centres in Edmonton
, Canada
. The centre delivers a host of services to both artist
s and the community, and acts as an essential alternative site for the presentation, distribution and promotion of contemporary art
.
Harcourt House Arts Centre is an artist-run, charitable organization
that promotes contemporary visual art to interested individuals and organizations by providing education, exhibitions and resources.
The WECAN Society (Where Edmonton Community Artist Network) was incorporated in 1987 after forming the “Artists For Tornado Relief”, a successful art auction organized by Edmonton artists to help victims of the 1987 Edmonton Tornado. Following this event, the energized group of artists devoted their attention into creating a permanent arts centre. In September 1988 the WECAN Society acquired the Harcourt House buildings from the provincial government located at 112th St. and 102 Ave. in downtown Edmonton, where the facility is still located today.
The Centre includes two public gallery spaces; and as the single largest community of visual artists in Edmonton, it offers 42 low-rent studio
s for local practicing artists and other non-profit arts related organizations. A unique area of programming to Harcourt House is the Art Enrichment program that serves over 25 local low income and special needs organizations with low/no cost art education classes.
Public gallery status and charitable status were granted to the organization in 1990. Harcourt House has received its core funding from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts
, the City of Edmonton and the Edmonton Arts Council. Additional funding has been obtained from the Clifford E. Lee Foundation, Alberta Advanced Education and Career Development, the Government of Canada
and both individual and corporate donations.
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The centre delivers a host of services to both artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s and the community, and acts as an essential alternative site for the presentation, distribution and promotion of contemporary art
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
.
Harcourt House Arts Centre is an artist-run, charitable organization
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
that promotes contemporary visual art to interested individuals and organizations by providing education, exhibitions and resources.
The WECAN Society (Where Edmonton Community Artist Network) was incorporated in 1987 after forming the “Artists For Tornado Relief”, a successful art auction organized by Edmonton artists to help victims of the 1987 Edmonton Tornado. Following this event, the energized group of artists devoted their attention into creating a permanent arts centre. In September 1988 the WECAN Society acquired the Harcourt House buildings from the provincial government located at 112th St. and 102 Ave. in downtown Edmonton, where the facility is still located today.
The Centre includes two public gallery spaces; and as the single largest community of visual artists in Edmonton, it offers 42 low-rent studio
Studio
A studio is an artist's or worker's workroom, or the catchall term for an artist and his or her employees who work within that studio. This can be for the purpose of architecture, painting, pottery , sculpture, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, radio or television...
s for local practicing artists and other non-profit arts related organizations. A unique area of programming to Harcourt House is the Art Enrichment program that serves over 25 local low income and special needs organizations with low/no cost art education classes.
Public gallery status and charitable status were granted to the organization in 1990. Harcourt House has received its core funding from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts
Alberta Foundation for the Arts
The Alberta Foundation for the Arts is a crown agency of the Government of Alberta. As the primary arts funding body in Alberta, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts helps to unleash the potential of every artist...
, the City of Edmonton and the Edmonton Arts Council. Additional funding has been obtained from the Clifford E. Lee Foundation, Alberta Advanced Education and Career Development, the Government of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and both individual and corporate donations.