Who We Are
Art Deco is a twentieth century phenomenon that emerged in the period between the two world wars. First reaching public attention at the Exposition des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Moderne, held in Paris in 1925, it was a remarkable flowering of exuberant work that permeated all facets of design, from architecture to textiles and household goods. During the Depression, tastes changed again, and the exotic materials and flamboyant decoration of the pure Art Deco style transformed into the stripped down and streamlined Art Moderne, expressing the speed, vigour and vitality of new technologies. This became the de rigeur expression of modernism, especially in North America, and reached its heights at the World’s Fairs in New York and San Francisco of 1939-1940. The Art Deco styles had a profound impact worldwide, spread widely by the new movie industry, which had adopted Art Deco as THE style for its elaborate sets and backdrops. Contemporary magazines also helped popularize Art Deco around the world.
By the 1980s we were becoming aware of the value of our Art Deco legacy, in our built environment and also in decorative and applied arts. What we saw, however, was that we were losing this legacy quickly, both to neglect and ignorance. The Canadian Art Deco Society was founded in Victoria in 1984 by a group of individuals keenly interested in the protection and preservation of the Art Deco styles of design.
The society is a registered non-profit society and its operating budget is provided by membership fees and fundraising activities, including revenue from bus and walking tours, as well as the sale of promotional material. Over the course of the society’s lifetime we have been involved in numerous preservation advocacy activities, these include: the Georgia Medical Dental Building campaign; spearheading the salvage of the original lobby floor of the Marine Building; the campaigns to preserve the Lions Gate Bridge and the Burrard Bridge in Vancouver; and the writing of literally hundreds of letters regarding preservation issues worldwide.
The Mandate of the Canadian Art Deco Society is:
- To encourage the study and understanding of the Art Deco styles in Canada on a local, regional, and national basis in terms of:
- historical and cultural influences
- contemporary issues
- To support the conservation of the Art Deco environment that we have inherited, such as structures, interiors and furnishings
- To promote public awareness concerning the Art Deco environment through lectures, publications, tours, and newsletters
- To collect and preserve records of Twentieth Century architecture and design
The Canadian Art Deco Society is a member of the International Coalition of Art Deco Societies (ICADS), which includes member organizations throughout the World. As part of this worldwide network, we contributes to both the biannual global World Art Deco Congresses, and participate in public awareness campaigns initiated by the international organization. Our society has had representatives at each of the Art Deco World Congresses, which were held in Miami Beach in 1991; Perth, Australia in 1993; Brighton, England in 1995; Los Angeles, California in 1997; Napier, New Zealand in 1999; Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2001; Capetown, South Africa in 2003; New York, New York in 2005; and Melbourne, Australia in2007. The next World Congress is in Montréal, Quebec in 2009.
