The author tackles the competition between small arts organizations and large institutions for sponsorship in Canada. She states that since contemporary art is not deemed essential, the industry can only resort to celebrity culture, branding, sponsorship advertising, and hype production. She also questions the art being produced by the burgeoning culture industries and art hubs.

Do the ideas of the avant-garde still make sense in a multi-polar artworld? The article discusses the historical perspective of the issues faced by art market. She refers to critic Hal Foster's writings to demonstrate the true character of the avant-garde as it has performed at various points in its history. She considers how these concepts can be useful when dealing with the current growing art industry.