Investigating Existing and New Models of Distribution in Canadian Art Book Publishing

In early 2018, the UK-based publisher Black Dog declared bankruptcy. This headline wouldn’t have made a splash if not for numerous co-publishing partnerships held with Canadian art institutions. Black Dog’s liquidation left galleries and museums across the country with books stalled mid-production, resulting in delayed or cancelled exhibitions. Firstly, why were Canadian institutions partnering with a British publisher? Moving forward, what are opportunities and challenges for Canadian art book publishers? Partnering with Vancouver-based publisher Information Office, this research aims to investigate these questions and future feasibility of art book production by delving into one of the Canadian industry’s biggest hurdles: distribution. By looking at modes of production and distribution among Canadian art book publishers, we will aid building an effective distribution and marketing strategy. This strategy will be applied to the art publishing field, beyond Information Office’s existing business into a network that serves artists, institutions, publishers, and readers across Canada.

Faculty Supervisor:

Leanne Johnson

Student:

Emma Walter

Partner:

Information Office

Discipline:

Journalism / Media studies and communication

Sector:

Finance, insurance and business

University:

Simon Fraser University