VIVO Media Arts Centre Archive > Metro Media Society
Collage created EATa II: The Metro Media Society [2014]. Artist: Elisa Ferrari.

Metro Media Society

About Metro Media

From its inception in 1971 to its dissolution in 1983, Metro Media impacted Vancouver’s media arts scene in a myriad of ways – from its commitment to access for alternative media producers, early partnerships  with feminist collectives like Reel Feelings and ISIS, its fight to revolutionize the media landscape through community cable, to its leap into experimental film, xerox art, mail art, and sound art in its last years. Remembered as advocate, workhorse, innovator, and fighter, Metro Media’s contributions to Vancouver’s media scene have been undervalued; its significance overshadowed by the system’s survivors.

 

Metro Media materials at the CDMLA

Metro Media media and activities are represented by four fonds at the CDMLA with distinct accrual dates:

-Satellite Video Exchange Society Metro Media Video Library sous-fonds. Metro Media had a library of videotapes available to the public. This collection includes 250 1/2″ open reel video tapesproduced by both Metro Media and by other organizations and individuals who accessed their equipment equipment. The sous-fonds also includes 1″ open reel video of programs they recorded for their cable television programs.  Many of the videos have no titles or credits. The Video Library was purchased by the SVES collective at a yard sale in 1983.

-The Lenore Herb Archive. Herb was the Metro Media Director c.1980s  (event documentation, xerox, mail art 1979-1984; textual records, photographs 1971+). The Lenore Herb Archive Metro Media sous-fonds holds the largest collection of administrative documents and publications by Metro Media, including those related to the 1970s Video Library.

-Terry Ketler, Metro Media producer (including of at least one of their Under the Rug Series  (video, photographs, 1970s).

-Bill Day, Metro Media producer (video, ephemera)

 

Access

View online, by remote links, or in-person at VIVO Media Arts Centre.
Researchers are encouraged to contact our Archivist, library@vivomediaarts.com