| A Polyvalent Laboratory |
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| Centre CLARK is a non-profit organization run by a collective of near 50 members, all artists and cultural workers. Active in research as well as production and diffusion, Clark defines itself as a flexible and polyvalent meeting place. The Centre is unique in grouping a variety of autonomous and complementary spaces in a single location. In addition to the gallery’s two exhibition rooms and individual work studios, in 1998 the Centre created Atelier Clark, one of the rare woodshops on the island of Montreal that is open to the public and offers both specialized equipment and professional-level technical support. Since 1998, the Centre’s exhibition calendar has been paired with a program of research and creative residencies which permit a number of artists and collectives to produce work within its walls. These foundations contribute to Clark’s ability to meet one of its key objectives, that of providing significant assistance to the training and professional development of young exhibiting artists or members and in so doing, helping advance their careers. These programs also encourage the growth and consolidation of a network of exchange with both local and international artists and organizations. Discussions concerning art-in-the-making and its development are an important part of Clark’s direction. This makes the Centre a stimulating crossroads for creating and exhibiting.  Mathieu Latulippe, La grande photographie – the big shots, 2009 |
 Dean Baldwin, Bunk Bed City, 2011 
Dominique Pétrin, Pompeii MMXII, 2011 |
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CLARK’S STRUCTURE |
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| Through the diversity of its actions, Clark encourages collaboration, communication and the circulation of ideas. The vitality of Clark is assured by the dedication and sustained presence of its members and the artists and/or cultural workers involved in the organization on a voluntary basis. The formation of various project committees allows each person to participate in the artistic planning and administration of the Centre. Clark defines itself as a space which brings people together, a meeting place for exchange and discovery between artists and the community at large. The welcoming and dynamic atmosphere of the gallery is generated by artists continually bringing their ideas and energy to the organization. Without pretension, Clark upholds its responsibility to reveal, to surprise, to delight… and why not, to annoy from time to time! All of this, risks included are part of the Centre’s "propagation" of art-in-the-making. In its activities, Clark addresses all audiences, curious and interested in contemporary art in all of its forms. |
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| GALLERY and RESIDENCE STUDIOS
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The gallery’s annual programming consists of 8 or 9 exhibition periods generally presented in tandem, one in each of the two rooms, but can also accommodate group shows. Privileging no particular discipline or medium, Clark declares itself open to a plurality of approaches paying close attention to the quality of artistic proposals and to their discursive sensibilities, whether considering first-time solo exhibitions or shows by veteran artists. Marie-Claude Bouthillier, Apparitions, 2008 (Gallery 1) |
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Each year, Clark receives several artists in residence for periods of approximately four weeks. The artists hosted in this research and creation program enjoy an individual studio and access to Clark’s woodshop for the length of their stay. Adjacent to the members’ studios and in the same building as the Gallery and Atelier Clark, this studio allows visiting artists to produce work in a stimulating context.
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 Mathias Tujague, KARST, 2012 — (Gallery 2) — Produced within residence program. |
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