Jan Allen

Jan Allen
Born	1952 (age 71–72) Windsor, Ontario
Occupation(s)	Curator, writer, artist, professor
Style	Contemporary art
Awards	Royal Canadian Academy of Arts Medal, 2019 Ontario Galleries Lifetime Achievement Award, 2019

Jan Allen (born 1952) is a Canadian curator, writer, visual artist, and assistant professor in the Department of Art History and Art Conservation, and the Cultural Studies Program, at Queen's University, in Kingston, Ontario.^[1][2]

Early life and education

Allen, born in Windsor, Ontario, was raised in Toronto and Mississauga.^[3] In 1972, she enrolled in Queen's University at Kingston to study history.^[3] She attended the Banff School of Fine Arts (now the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity) in the 1970s, where her studies were focused in Ceramic History as well as Intermediate and Advanced Ceramics.^[2] She was a studio potter from 1974 to 1986.^[3]

Allen completed a Bachelor of Arts (with a minor in History) in 1987, a Bachelor of Fine Arts (I Class) in 1990, and a Master of Arts in Art History in 1992; all from Queen's University.^[2] She curated art shows during and after her education, including at the Agnes Etherington gallery.^[3] She was hired as an associate curator at the Agnes Etherington gallery in 1992 and became curator of contemporary art in 1995.^[3]

Curatorial work

Allen's curatorial focus includes contemporary art with a concentration in Canadian art and her research interests include new media art, electronic media art, socially and politically engaged art, the exhibitionary complex, and arts policy.^[4]

As Chief Curator and Curator of Contemporary Art, at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre in Kingston, Allen has overseen numerous exhibitions, publications and programs since 1992. She became Acting Director at the Agnes Etherington in 2012 and was appointed Director in 2014.^[5] Since she became Director, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre has won several awards,^[6] and has nearly doubled its funding from the Canada Council for the Arts.^[7]

Select projects include Museopathy (2001),^[8][9] Better Worlds: Activist and Utopian Projects by Artists (2002),^[10][11] and Machine Life (2004).^[12][13]

Allen joined the Board of the Ontario Association of Art Galleries in 2012.^[14][15] She also serves on, and has chaired, the Arts Advisory Committee of the City of Kingston, its Visual Arts Working Group, and the Advocacy Committee of the Kingston Arts Council.^[16][17][18]

Allen has served on the Canada Council for the Arts Standing Peer Advisory Committee on International Exhibitions, and the Advisory Committee of the School of Image Arts, Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario.^[19]

Visual art practice and select solo exhibitions

• Speculative Science, Carleton University Art Gallery, 1999. In the exhibition catalogue, Sandra Dyck examines how Allen's sculptural works evoke relationships between biological, psychological and technological aspects of identity. Other subjects discussed include Allen's work in relation to themes of biotechnology, hybridity, and cybernetics.^[20][2]
• Terminal, Edward Day Gallery, Kingston, Ontario, 1996.^[21]
• Oblivion Station, Modern Fuel Gallery, Kingston, Ontario, 1996.^[2][22]
• In Heaven, Blackwood Gallery, Erindale College, Mississauga, Ontario, 1996.
• Trophy, State of Flux Gallery, Kingston, Ontario, 1994.^[2][22]
• Racing Inevitability, Kingston Artists' Association Gallery, Kingston, Ontario, 1991.
• Playing with Fire, Grad Club, Kingston, Ontario, 1991.
• St. Lawrence College, Brockville, Ontario.^[2]

Select curatorial work

• Geoffrey James: Inside Kingston Penitentiary, 2014.^[23][24][25]
• Allen, Jan (2011). Annie Pootoogook: Kinngait compositions. Pootoogook, Annie, 1969–2016., Agnes Etherington Art Centre. Kingston, Ont.: Agnes Etherington Art Centre. ISBN 9781553392606. OCLC 726821296.^[26]
• Allen, Jan (2010). Sorting daemons: art, surveillance regimes and social control. Goldstein, Brenda., Robertson, Kirsty, 1976–, Smith, Sarah, 1983–, Agnes Etherington Art Centre. Kingston, Ont.: Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen's University. ISBN 9781553392538. OCLC 471042720.^[27][28][29]
• Carole Conde and Karl Beveridge: Working Culture, 2008.^{[30][31][32][33]}
• Joyce Wieland: Twilit Record of Romantic Love, 1993.^[34][35]

Selected publications

Allen has contributed essays and reviews to publications such as Prefix Photo,^[36] C Magazine,^[37] Artexte, and Poliester. Other essays include:

• "David Askevold: Once Upon a Time in the East," Prefix Photo, Issue 26, Autumn-Winter 2012.^[36]
• "Marlene Creates: Interrogative Movement," Prefix Photo, Issue 19, Spring-Summer 2009.^[36]
• "Self-destroying Postcard Worlds: The Synthetic Landscapes of Isabelle Hayeur," Prefix Photo, Issue 19, Autumn-Winter 2005.^[36]
• "Letting Go: the fall in contemporary art," C Magazine, Issue 58, May–August 1998.^[37]
• "Reinventing the Mega Show: Europe's first Manifesta," C Magazine, Issue 52, February–April 1997.^[38]

Allen's poetry has been published in journals and anthologies and includes a cyber-punk inspired collection Personal Peripherals (2006).^[39]

Awards

Allen received the OAC (Ontario Arts Council) Exhibition Assistance Grant in 1999, 1998, 1993–1995, and 1991, respectively. From 1994 to 1995, she held the Canada Council B Grant in Visual Arts.^{[citation needed]}

Allen received a First Prize for Sculpture at the Queen's University Arts Fest in 1990 and the First Prize at St. Lawrence College's Environmental Art Show in 1992.^[2] In 1994 she received an Ontario Arts Council Visual Arts Grant.^[2]

In 2002, Allen accepted the 2002 Exhibition of the Year award from the Ontario Association of Art Galleries (OAAG), as the Coordinating Curator of Museopathy. The exhibition was recognized for its innovative and multi-site exhibition of regional, national and international artists' installations.^[40]

She was also the recipient of an educator award for her professional development of Exposures, at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre in 2008 (with Katrina Enros and Pat Sullivan).^[41] In 2009, she received an OAAG award for curatorial writing, for her chapter entitled "Working Culture" in the book Condé and Beveridge: Class Works (NSCAD Press, 2008).^[41]

In 2019 she was the sole recipient of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts Medal.^[42] Also in 2019 she was given a lifetime achievement award from Ontario Galleries.^[43]

References

1. "Curators in Context – Public Site". oaag.org. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
2. Dyck, Sandra (1999). Jan Allen's Speculative Science. Ottawa, ON: Carleton University Art Gallery. p. 15. ISBN 0770904238.
3. Dugan, Melanie (15 February 2003). "Allen aims to make art accessible". The Kingston Whig-Standard – via Proquest.
4. "Art History Faculty Art History & Art Conservation". Queen's University. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
5. "Jan Allen Named Acting Director of Agnes Etherington Art Centre". Canadian Art. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
6. "Award Winning Agnes". The Gazette. Queen's University. 18 November 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
7. Pearce, Nick (12 January 2018). "Agnes funding increases Canada Counsel for the Arts recognizes gallery". The Gazette. Queen's University. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
8. Milroy, Sarah (28 July 2001). "Please mess with the museum". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
9. Terry, Andrea (1 June 2015). Family Ties: Living History in Canadian House Museums. Kingston, Ontario: McGill-Queen's University Press. pp. 169–170. ISBN 978-0773545618. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
10. Gérin, Annie (2009). Public art in Canada : critical perspectives. Toronto: Univ. of Toronto Press. p. 242. ISBN 978-0802095688. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
11. "Better Worlds". Art Papers Magazine. 26 (1–6): 58. 2002. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
12. "Machine Life Collection,2004. Collection Number: 8213 Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections". Cornell University Library. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
13. "Machine Life & David Rokeby". Le Fondation Daniel Langlois. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
14. "Jan Allen". Ontario Association of Art Galleries. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
15. "About OAAG: Board of Directors". Ontario Association of Art Galleries. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
16. Schliesmann, Paul (13 March 2010). "Portraits of history". Kingston Whig-Standard. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
17. Glover, Megan (14 July 2017). "Mayor's Arts Awards to be handed out in the fall". The Whig. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
18. "City of Kingston Arts Advisory  Committee Meeting N umber  01- 201 7". City of Kingston. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
19. "School of Image Arts  Advisory Council" (PDF). Ryerson University. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
20. Dyck, Sandra (1999). JanAllen's Speculative Science. Ottawa: Carleton University Art Gallery. ISBN 0770904238. OCLC 49624472.
21. Parpart, Lee (9 November 1996). "Art in Review". Kingston Whig-Standard – via ProQuest.
22. "Programming: 1990–1999 | Modern Fuel Artist-Run Centre". www.modernfuel.org. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
23. Smith, Sarah (2017). "Kingston's Culture Gems: The Agnes Etherington Art Centre". Visit Kingston. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
24. Singhal, Sheila (26 January 2015). "Geoffrey James: Inside Kingston Penitentiary". National Gallery of Canada. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
25. "InsideKingston Penitentiary (1835–2013): Geoffrey James | Agnes Etherington Art Centre". agnes.queensu.ca. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
26. Sly, Mathieu (28 October 2011). "Deceptively simple Annie Pootoogook's exhibit, Kinngait Compositions, shows her view of an Inuit village". The Journal. Queen's University. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
27. "Sorting Daemons Exhibition Program" (PDF). JordanCrandall. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
28. "SORTING DAEMONS ART, SURVEILLANCE REGIMES  AND SOCIAL CONTROL" (PDF). NEWS FROM THE ART GALLERY OF MISSISSAUGA. 2011.
29. "Sorting Daemons: Art, Surveillance Regimes and Social Control". Social Justice & The Arts. 5 March 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
30. "Bruce Barber, ed.,  Condé and Beveridge: Class Works . (Review)" (PDF). RACAR: Revue d'art canadienne / Canadian Art Review. XXXV (1): 92–93. 2010. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
31. "Carole Conde & Karl Beveridge at Agnes Etherington Art Centre". Art & Education. 4 March 2008. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
32. Condé and Beveridge : class works. Barber, Bruce., Agnes Etherington Art Centre. Halifax, N.S.: Press of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. 2008. ISBN 9780919616486. OCLC 232367540.
33. Cronin, J. Keri; Robertson, Kirsty (2010). Imagining resistance : visual culture & activism in Canada. Waterloo, Ont.: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. ISBN 9781554582570. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
34. Nowell, Iris (2001). Joyce Wieland: A Life in Art. ECW Press. p. 478. ISBN 9781550286953.
35. Allen, Jan. "Joyce Wieland: Twilit Record of Romantic Love". The Canadian Art Database. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
36. "About Prefix Photo Magazine". Prefix. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
37. "C Magazine / Issue 58". C Magazine. 1998. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
38. "C Magazine / Issue 52". C Magazine. 1997. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
39. "Kingston WritersFest – Jan Allen". KingstonWritersFest. 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
40. "Awards 2002". Ontario Association of Art Galleries. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
41. "2009 OAAG AWARDS / REMISE DES PRIX AOGA". Akimbo. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
42. "Jan Allen Awarded RCA Medal". Agnes Etherington Art Centre. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
43. "Contemporary Art and a Lifetime of Achievement with Jan Allen – CFRC Podcast Network". Retrieved 18 April 2022.