Book excerpt: The second volume of Institutions by Artists looks at various global artist-run centers and initiatives within the historical contexts that saw their emergence--among them Western Front (Vancouver), Alice Yard (Trinidad and Tobago), ASCO (Los Angeles) and General Idea (Toronto). It compiles material presented at and around the Institutions by Artists conference, organized in Vancouver in 2012, documenting a series of historical and theoretical texts on artist-led practices as well as transcripts of two debates investigating the professionalization and state sponsorship of art.