Yelena Samoukova had been attending the Rendez-vous Arts Project, an initiative to help those with physical and mental challenges overcome social isolation through weekly art classes and an annual exhibition.
"We have tried to accommodate her in every way, including having many meetings with her and offering options (to her requests)," said program director Mary Clare Tanguay. "But as with any program, there are criteria that have to be met and there are certain guidelines that have to be respected."
Samoukova alleged WICA displayed favouritism by allowing some artists to sell crafts but not others and said that the fact that her name appeared first on a 12-name petition in 2010 requesting election of an artist representative and established group rules led to her removal.
"They became angry and told me if I wasn't happy, I should go away," said Samoukova.
The disputes between Samoukova and the program administrators escalated to the point where the former made a complaint to the Agence de la Santé et des Services Sociaux de Montréal (ASSS), an agency overseeing the operation of health and social services offered to citizens. Tanguay said the investigation found no wrongdoing on the part of WICA and the case is now closed.
"One of our original group members sells wood-burning crafts," said Tanguay, pointing out that Rendez-vous Arts enacted a policy shortly after he joined limiting artwork to paintings and books of poetry. Because the wood-burning artist is physically incapable of holding a paintbrush, WICA permitted him to continue working in this medium.
"It's not showing favouritism," said Tanguay. "It's a grandfather clause that was (extended) to him."
Tanguay said WICA had already appointed a group member as a representative as she is an established artist with prior exhibition organization experience.
"The committee chose the representative, not the artists," said Samoukova. "It's not democratic." Tanguay countered that the question of having a second independent representative was put to the group in a questionnaire with 60 per cent of the artists voting against the idea.
"The participants told me 'we come to do art and don't want to get involved with bureaucracy'," said Tanguay.
The Rendez-vous program and annual art exhibition held each fall at Dorval's Surrey Community Centre are run entirely by volunteers. Private foundation funding pays for the exhibition and the framing costs, as well as the paints, pastels, and inks used by the artists.
"We don't have the space or the funds to accommodate different material purchases for craftwork," said Tanguay.
The program has approximately 44 members and while a portion of participants attend the sessions held at WICA, some work from their homes, either with a coach or independently.
"We have an eligibility and exclusion policy that covers all of our advocates and volunteers," said Tanguay. The policy was recently adopted on the advice of the ASSS as well as a list of 12 guidelines for participating artists.
Despite the disagreements, Samoukova said she's grateful for the group and wants nothing more than to return to her weekly acrylic and watercolour programs but hopes to have an apology from WICA extended "to all the artists."
"I offered that she could reapply to the program, and she's perfectly free to do so," said Tanguay. "We would definitely try to come up with a compromise and a mediator has agreed to help the process."
