I’m not looking forward to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. I never watch sports, and I’m concerned about the costs, traffic, and the virtual declaration of martial law during the games. The fact that I once dreamed of being in the Olympics myself only makes me angrier at the travesty that they have become.
Still, I could almost reconcile myself to the games for the sake of all the First Nations art commissioned for them. Some of that art was on display this weekend at the Aboriginal Art Exhibition at Canada Place this weekend, and I thoroughly enjoyed it – even if the lack of organization at the event seems ominous if it is a foretaste of how the games themselves will be run.
Being appreciative of the commissioned art is something you can file under No-Brainer. I mean, what’s not to like about the art? There’re medals with Corrine Hunt designs, commemorative coins by Jody Broomfield. The snowboarding pavilion at Cypress Bowl will have a wall graced with a new work by Dean Heron. GM Place will have a new work by Alano Edzerza, Nat Bailey Stadium a new work by Aaron Nelson-Moody, and the list goes on and on.
After fumbling badly by making the symbol of the game the inukshuk – a symbol that has nothing to do with British Columbia, much less Vancouver – the games organizers have had the sense to commission locally, focusing on less established artists and on members of the Salish nation, whose territory the Vancouver venues are on. I understand that some 45 works of public art will be added to the Lower Mainland as a result of the games, and I consider that an unalloyed good.
Sadly, though, the Olympic organizers fumbled again in their first efforts to bring most of these works to the public. The display was almost completely unpublicized except for newspaper stories just before the event and some Internet transmission. Even then, it was called an exhibition, so that most people arrived unaware that most of the work on display was for sale – an oversight that bitterly disappointed the artists who had taken tables and paid the exorbitant prices charged for parking at Canada Place.
Even worse, the management of the event was haphazard. I heard artists complain that they were unable to set up for credit or debit cards, and the rumor was that the one bank machine in the exhibit hall required a substantial surcharge to use.
And perhaps the worst thing was that, in order to fill up the hall, the organizers seem to have let anyone exhibit who cared to pay for the table. As a result, many tables displayed tourist junk that did not belong in the same exhibit as the commissioned artists.
For me, the incompetence of the organizing was summed up by the sight of two singers on the stage gamely belting out songs to rows of empty chairs, and a snack bar that had closed down at least two hours before the end of the show. Meanwhile, the exhibitors were strolling around talking to each other.
Such poor planning undermines the celebration of the artists. My impression is that the exhibition organizers couldn’t have cared less if the artists were treated with respect.
Perhaps the organizers can learn, but if this is how they put on such a relatively small event, then we should expect chaos during the games themselves. I might be lured downtown to see the aboriginal market at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, but I, for one, plan to spend the three weeks of the games bunkered down safely in Burnaby, far away from the insanity.
Off the Wall 
I despise what the Olympics have become, how corrupt those who run them are and how they don’t glorify sport as much as sports equipment. I despise the BC gov’t for the way they completely suck up to the OIC (or whatever it’s called) to the detriment of the citizens of the province.
I do, however approve of the fact that SOME of the local art is celebrated, but wouldn’t it be nice if they chose to celebrate art done by other than natives? Instead, they reduce support for the arts by 60 plus percent province wide (it will be reduced by 90 percent in 2011)
This is a Vancouver and area celebration of “look-at-me” and has nothing much to offer the rest of us who don’t live on the lower mainland. It makes me sad.
I am a certified Coach, an active Athlete & I am Gitksan (Hazelton BC). Some of my friends are amazing Traditional Tsimshian Artists & one of my Uncles spearheaded the development of K’san Village.
First of all, I too supported the Olympics at one time, many years ago……I was younger.
The Gov’t & the OIC (or whatever it’s called) are one & the same. Amazing how blatent it has gotten, where the system just goes ahead & plans its big party, whether the obvious Majority agrees or not.
30 years ago, it was the same situation, the system just tried harder at giving us “an organized & respectful impression.”
Second, of course I am a total supporter of Traditional, Authentic Hereditary Art (also called 1st Nation Art). That being said, I hear the comment loud & clear by Mr Ron Stacy re: different Art to be dispayed.
I have no idea what is happening in Van, but I would have to agree with you. if you are hoping to see different Art, I am sure there are other people that feel the same way. We come back to organizers & THEIR agenda.
All I know is, the system ticks a lot of people off & puts them against each other. It makes me sad.
I understand what all parties are saying but I disagree whith your statement about the Olympics. Olympics are time where, even if it’s for a short period , we get together and show passion for our own nations, see what our athletes have accomplished and learn about the cultures. It lets us take a step back from all the problems going on in our lives and enjoy what determination and passion can get you.
Vancouver Canada ended up being one of the most “filled with pride” and showed tremendous amount of support towards the athletes who have worked very hard. I am sorry Peter Jackson that you don’t support the Games as you once did and Ron Stacey that you find that the Olympics are corrupt, I hope you can hear me out. Yes we’ll have to pay for the Games through taxes but so did every other country that has hosted them, they have to be hosted somewhere. Also, yes you might not want them here but alot of people do and is it for you to say that the athletes, artists and people who enjoy the Olympics shouldn’t host it in their own city?? Equipment will always be publicized for profit BUT those are one of the very few things that the Olympics stand for and obviously those bad things have clouded your vision and you are not able to see the majestic things that come out, the things that I see.. For example Alex Bilodeau winning our first gold medal, that showed us how his journey to excellence was because of a tremendous amount of hard work and as an athlete (skier myself) I know how much effort it would probably takes to get to that moment. When I was in Downtown, during the winning of the first gold medal, everybody was just soo happy and proud, even non athletes (literally everybody) was just happy. When was the last time you have seen such spirit?! That brought everybody together, made us proud and those are truly one of the good things that the Olympics are about.
When I was in downtown I went to many of the aboriginal exhibitions, they were truly beautiful and many people thought the same. I don’t know why you see all the faults of “disorganization” and what not but I didn’t see any of that all I saw was the spirit of Vancouver shown through the art. As an artist, I was mesmerized of the art and I can’t imagine the level of skill needed to execute such masterpieces. All I saw was greatness in the artwork present and publicized and you can’t say that not that many people have seen it, we were all surrounded by it. Many, including myself, ended up learning so much about the cultures of the first nations from all those exhibitions and art pieces that were publicized throughout the Vancouver Olympics. I am confident that many have seen the artwork and have appreciated it.
I hope you ended up seeing how successful the Olympics truly were. And the art really summed up Vancouver’s culture and spirit. And for those that are truly against the Olympics does that mean that you’re against determined, passionate, hard working and that doesn’t go for only the athletes but the Artists, all those amazing volunteers that worked day/night and many others?
I am very proud of Vancouver and I saw true greatness in that period of time through all the winnings, losses and every moment in between.
In your hymn to the Olympics, you seem to have missed the fact that I was talking about a single event. I talked about the disorganization at that event because it was blindingly obvious, and because most of the exhibitors were complaining about it. What happened at other events is another matter, and one that I wasn’t commenting on.
However, nothing changed my opinion of the Olympics. It was an expensive exercise in PR, and a lot of things were never honestly talked about, such as the damage it did to many businesses, including those that couldn’t get deliveries downtown to stay open, and those elsewhere in the city that found their trade depressed for three weeks.
As for your idea that questioning the Olympics means that you are against people who are “determined, passionate, and hard working,” that is a complete non-sequitur. For those who excel in sports, there are world championships in just about every event that are far more about sports and less about a media circus — and that cost far less to put on.