Bill Bartlett

Bill Bartlett has been a studio member of Xchanges Studios and Gallery since July 2014. His work focuses on the human form through drawing and multimedia.

Studio 1

BFA, Otis Art Institute, Los Angeles, CA. 1970. While attending Otis I participated in several collaborations; group exhibits of student works, a dance performance by artist Yvone Rainer, a performance piece with artist John White in Bronson Canyon, and participation with EAT (Experiments in Art and Technology) working on a 95-foot mylar dome mockup for the Pepsi Pavilion at Expo in Japan.

Founder, Director; Northwest Coast Institute of the Arts (which became Victoria College of Art) 1972-1975. Developed full time and part time arts program, gallery curator, instructor/administrator, hiring a staff of 22 professional artists, program development for Camosun College and Victoria School Board. Editor for the Community Arts Council of Victoria newsletter.

Artistic Director; Open Space; 1975-1978. Raised capital for the purchase and renovations of the 510 Fort Street building. Curator, program development, administrator. Developed funding sources from the Canada Council, National Museums of Canada, and local, regional, national, and private arts funding organizations. Curator of a Color Xerox artist-in-residence project exhibit which was to be toured by the Vancouver Art Gallery Extension. Participated in several group shows.

Founder, Direct Media Association 1978-1980. Artist Use of Technology. Developed freelance artist media events; Global artist use of pre-Internet computer networking system, including many multi-point artist links using several experimental networks and slow-scan video. Includes satellite-linked installations at the Vancouver Art Gallery, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, MIT in Boston, and at least a dozen artist centres around the world. Nominated for a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship at the Center For Advanced Visual Studies at MIT in Boston. Other installations and residency programs included the Music Gallery in Toronto, Western Front in Vancouver, York University, Toronto, Lech, Austria, an art centre in Amsterdam, and Sat-Tel-Comp at Open Space in Victoria. See their website for further details and later studies/seminars on this development. openspace.ca — search ‘Direct Media’.

President, Island Illustrators Society 1997-1998. Participated in several group shows. Started going to drop-in life drawing sessions they sponsored at Art Space which eventually became Sunday Night Drawing at Xchanges on William Street. Currently publishing a Victoria Life Drawing listing brochure for drop-in life drawing activities.

Postmaster, Canada Post, Saanichton; 1981-retired 2005. Contractor: Senior Retail Post Office Trainer, retired 2013.
Canada Post Stamp Advisory Committee Started 2010, Second Term 2013

Bill Bartlett Collectibles; owner; 1995-current. Children’s illustrated books, snapshot photos, ephemera. Doing local flea markets and collectible shows. booksvancouverisland.ca

Exhibitions & Events

Ars Electronica 40^th Anniversary Festival

Sept. 5-9, 2019 Linz Austria

Bill Bartlett and Open Space Guest Curator Doug Jarvis were invited to attend the 40^th Anniversary Ars Electronica Festival Sept. 5-9, in Linz, Austria, to participate in an interview and present archival material as part of the Ars Electronica History Day on Telecommunications Art. The material covered media arts work developed by Bill between 1978 and 1983. At that time Bill was Director of Open Space and went on to form Direct Media Association. Archival materials worked on during the 2018 Open Space show Distance Between Us, co-curated by Doug and Megan Quigley, made up the ten panel display. With attendance of over 110,000 people involving about 1,500 artists, Ars Electronica is one of the largest media arts events of it’s kind. To view the discussion section from Sept. 5^th, use the following link. The page will introduce all of the other History Day participants. Start with the introduction by Josephine Bosma which introduces Bill’s work.

http://ars.electronica.art/outofthebox/en/history-day-telecommunications/

Exploring The Human Form

(In memory of Eddie 1918-2018)

In Over 150 to 200 Recent Drawings, Paintings, and 3-D Works—in the Gallery and Two Open Studios

Art reflecting the human form through humor, anxiety, fun, shyness, sexuality, life, exposure, fashion, religion, irony, showing off, silliness, religious icons, sex, death, passion, challenges, fantasy, dreams, sarcasm, nudity, love, pride, self-esteem, integrity, and it’s up to the viewer to decide.

3 Days Only: Friday Nov. 23rd to Sunday Nov. 25th, 2018

Email Bill Bartlett (bgbartlett@telus.net)

This exhibition will combine gallery display and studio processes. Bill’s two studios will be open as part of the display, including portfolios with hundreds of drawings, references, etc. Works will include drawings, collage, watercolour, mixed media, and three-dimensional pieces incorporating “ready-made” found objects. Bill’s work is small in format and the display will group works of a similar exploration. A member of the drop-in life drawing artist community for over 18 years, this show is all about the human form.

“Art reflecting the human form through humor, anxiety, fun, shyness, sexuality, life, exposure, fashion, religion, irony, showing off, silliness, religious icons, sex, death, passion, challenges, dreams, sarcasm, nudity, love, pride, self-esteem, integrity, respect, and it’s up to the viewer to decide and interpret. Viewer discretion is advised. But keep in mind, the human body is a beautiful creation.”

This show is dedicated to Bill’s mother who recently passed away at age 100. Xchanges gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the CRD. Xchanges short, Pop-Up Exhibits are a new development in the gallery’s direction.