Kate Armstrong
Encyclopedia
Kate Armstrong is a Canadian artist, writer
and curator
with a history of projects focusing on experimental literary practices, networks and public space
.
and attended university at Queen's University
in Kingston, Ontario
, at the University of Montpellier
, France, The University of Glasgow
, Scotland, and at Memorial University
in St. John’s, Newfoundland
. She has also lived in Tokyo and New York. She resides in Vancouver, British Columbia
.
Armstrong publishes on issues in contemporary art
and has a book, Crisis and Repetition: Essays on Art and Culture (Michigan State University Press
, 2002).
She founded Upgrade Vancouver in 2003 and has produced over 100 events in the field of art and technology in Vancouver, as well as many international events and exhibitions in connection with Upgrade International, a network operating in 30 cities worldwide. Upgrade Vancouver was the first node in Upgrade International outside New York City.
In 2006, 2007 and 2008 Armstrong convened ArtCamp, an unconference devoted to art, design and media.
In 2008 Armstrong commissioned and curated Tributaries and Text-Fed Streams, a work by J.R. Carpenter, which investigated the formal properties of RSS syndication
as a literary form.
Kate Armstrong teaches at Emily Carr University of Art and Design and from 2005-2008 taught at Simon Fraser University
in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology in Surrey, British Columbia
. She lectures widely, most recently at Tate Britain
in mid 2009.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
with a history of projects focusing on experimental literary practices, networks and public space
Public space
A public space is a social space such as a town square that is open and accessible to all, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age or socio-economic level. One of the earliest examples of public spaces are commons. For example, no fees or paid tickets are required for entry, nor are the entrants...
.
Biography
Armstrong was born in Calgary, AlbertaCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
and attended university at Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, at the University of Montpellier
University of Montpellier
The University of Montpellier was a French university in Montpellier in the Languedoc-Roussillon région of the south of France. Its present-day successor universities are the University of Montpellier 1, Montpellier 2 University and Paul Valéry University, Montpellier III.-History:The university...
, France, The University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
, Scotland, and at Memorial University
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University of Newfoundland, is a comprehensive university located primarily in St...
in St. John’s, Newfoundland
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
. She has also lived in Tokyo and New York. She resides in Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
Career
Armstrong's network art projects include PING (2003), Grafik Dynamo (2005), Why Some Dolls Are Bad (2007), and Path (2008).Armstrong publishes on issues in 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...
and has a book, Crisis and Repetition: Essays on Art and Culture (Michigan State University Press
Michigan State University Press
Michigan State University Press, founded in 1947, is the scholarly publishing arm of Michigan State University. During the past six decades it has become a vital part of the institution's land-grant mission and is a catalyst for positive intellectual, social, and technological change through the...
, 2002).
She founded Upgrade Vancouver in 2003 and has produced over 100 events in the field of art and technology in Vancouver, as well as many international events and exhibitions in connection with Upgrade International, a network operating in 30 cities worldwide. Upgrade Vancouver was the first node in Upgrade International outside New York City.
In 2006, 2007 and 2008 Armstrong convened ArtCamp, an unconference devoted to art, design and media.
In 2008 Armstrong commissioned and curated Tributaries and Text-Fed Streams, a work by J.R. Carpenter, which investigated the formal properties of RSS syndication
RSS (file format)
RSS is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format...
as a literary form.
Kate Armstrong teaches at Emily Carr University of Art and Design and from 2005-2008 taught at Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology in Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
. She lectures widely, most recently at Tate Britain
Tate Britain
Tate Britain is an art gallery situated on Millbank in London, and part of the Tate gallery network in Britain, with Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It is the oldest gallery in the network, opening in 1897. It houses a substantial collection of the works of J. M. W. Turner.-History:It...
in mid 2009.