In Sunday’s (5/20) Globe and Mail (Toronto), Kate Taylor writes, “By day, Christina Wolf is the chief economist for the British Columbia Securities Commission. By night, the 42-year-old violinist is a dedicated amateur musician who is looking forward to performing Offenbach, Bruch and Dvorák at her next concert with the West Coast Symphony in Vancouver. … ‘We always say the word “amateur” means “for the love of it,” ’ says Wolf, disputing the negative connotation of the word. ‘You can do something at a very professional level and still be outside the professional circuit.’ Wolf, [photographer Jane] Southey and [radio producer JP] Davidson are part of a thriving hobbyist culture that is blurring the line between the professional and the amateur. In the process, they are helping to create a new kind of artist: the so-called pro-am. United and promoted through social media, distributed by YouTube, emboldened by a DIY culture or enraptured by the TV-talent contests, citizens are increasingly participating in the arts as creators rather than as passive consumers. They are also encouraged by a broad philosophical movement that seeks to democratize the arts by recognizing the creative spirit in everybody.”
Posted May 22, 2012
