I have always had one foot in the visual and the other in the performing arts, as did my mother. I find that there is one striking difference between the two communities of performing artists and visual artists: performing artists, by and large, create art as part of a collective; visual artists, for the most part, operate as independent small businesses.

My first job working on a professional theatre production happened with the permission of the Canadian Actors Equity Association (CAEA). The producing theatre company, the Arts Club Theatre, obtained the permission of the CAEA to utilize me, a non-union person, in a union position. I received permission with an advisory that I could only work on two more professional productions as an amateur. To turn my work into a career, I had to join the CAEA, and with that membership came prescribed wages, a union contract for every production, and a pension plan managed by the union.

The CAEA newsletters I received advanced my professionalism. As this newsletter tries to do for visual artists, the CAEA newsletter covered information about the full business lifestyle of professional artists: the artist as taxpayer, contract negotiator, marketer, sales manager, bookkeeper, copyright holder, and as a person needing to stay physically and emotionally well. The CAEA newsletter advised us of when, and how, to act to support initiatives in the House of Commons, provincial legislatures and, in some cases, on the actions of civic governments. It also kept us informed of professional goings on in other parts of the country and around the world. My CAEA membership card got me discounted tickets at other theatres, in Canada and abroad, as well as when I did business with various insurers and other local businesses. In all my years in the performing arts, I had no difficulties with Revenue Canada over my tax filings. This is how it is in the performing arts. The professional theatre, opera and dance producers of Canada are all obliged to work with professional actors and crew. Membership in the CAEA establishes your status as a working professional.

Life as a visual artist is much different. The support I received as a professional performing artist has made me a supporter and member of Canada's professional visual arts association - Canadian Artists Representation (CARFAC - the FAC is for Front des Artistes Canadiens). CARFAC has been providing the kinds of services to visual artists that I am used to as a former CAEA member. They have been doing so for many years, and each year they get stronger and stronger. But galleries nowhere in the western world have exclusivity agreements on programming with only members of some recognized visual arts professional association. That easy ability to define what it is to be professional in the performing arts (doing three CAEA shows as an amateur and with CAEA permission, for example, to gain entry to CAEA), cannot exist in the visual art world. Consequently, membership in CARFAC remains, for visual artists, an option, but it is by no means a way to obtain "professional status" in the visual arts.

What makes a visual artist "professional" to the CCRA (the Canadian taxing agency) is the artist's source of income: essentially, if 51% or more of the artist's income is derived from the sales of artwork or the teaching of (accredited) art classes, the person is an artist. What constitutes professionalism for my peers is the artist's complete resume. To the Canada Council, I expect a professional artist is someone who has had their work in three or more exhibitions (solo, or of a body of work), curated by a recognized Canadian curator. There are several routes to the status of professional in the visual arts.

The lack of clear definition has made it hard to advance the rights of visual artists. There is no national, strong, professional support association to serve professional Canadian visual artists. CARFAC remains voluntary and its constituency is under-represented in its membership. Still, over time, I hope it will receive the support of our country's visual artists. They are certainly earning their right to represent visual artists. (See the article in this month's Art News on their initiative to increase fees paid to visual artists in Canada.) If you are not aware of CARFAC's Copyright Collective, you should be. Its operation is, perhaps, CARFAC's greatest member service.

The nature of the work of a CAEA member is as part of a collective. Every actor, dancer, and stage crew member of a professional production works as part of a team-a team that requires faultless timing and choreography, on stage and off. This type of work builds community. The nature of the work, therefore, and the communication and professional support that comes with CAEA membership creates a feeling of community amongst members that lasts a lifetime. Performing artists form incredibly strong bonds. Proof of the strength, here in Vancouver, is the project undertaken by PAL Vancouver.

Performing Arts Lodge (PAL) Vancouver is a BC not-for-profit society, created to provide quality affordable housing and support for seniors in the performing arts and allied professions. Modeled on PAL Toronto (a project with identical goals and the inaugural PAL built in Canada), PAL Vancouver will support the health, well-being and continued creativity of local performance pioneers. PAL's goal is to build an innovative 111 unit residential development with12 two-bedroom market suites and 99 modest one-bedroom units. The Supporting Cast Committee of PAL, whose volunteer members are drawn from the performing arts community, will provide customized personal support services to residents in need.

PAL was conditionally awarded the City of Vancouver's non-market site at Georgia and Cardero Streets (Bayshore Gardens), which requires that PAL's rents address the reality of poverty for senior cultural workers. Elders in the performing arts earn an average annual income of about $10,000, or half the average income of all other Vancouverites over the age of 65.

Whereas PAL Toronto was built through government initiative, PAL Vancouver is being built through fundraising. On October 12, several leading Canadian performers, headed by Canadian prima ballerina, Evelyn Hart, are performing a benefit for PAL Vancouver at The Centre for the Performing Arts to raise money for the new building. Perhaps you will consider buying a ticket to support the actors, dancers and musicians who have been entertaining you here in Vancouver and Victoria all their lives. (Tickets are available through TicketMaster, 604-280-3311.)

Of course the "stars" of the performing arts world don't need subsidized housing, but many of the musicians, dancers, choreographers, costumers, directors, singers, and actors who made up the orchestra, worked backstage and in minor parts do. And those who stick it out for a lifetime, I often feel, had no choice but to be the artists they are. They had to work in the arts. And many did not earn enough to create sizeable pensions or to save RRSPs. Visual artists are the same-there are those who have tremendous success, and there are many, many more who dedicate their lives to making art and not to making money. Often, they need support in their senior years.

How I wish PAL Vancouver were for artists, period. Maybe one day, the kind of peer support I see in the performing arts will come to the visual arts. For now, all I can do is hope for the day that CARFAC is strong enough amongst the visual artists of Canada to instill within the visual arts community, the kind of elder support that exists for performing artists.