Toronto Craft Alert » Craftivism

TCA POSTCARDS FROM THE ROAD: Harriet Tubman Quilt at the Reginald Lewis Museum, Baltimore, Maryland

tara — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:39:05 +0000

There is a long history of quilting in Maryland, from the Amish quilts of Southern Maryland to the spectacular Baltimore album quilts of the 1800s. I spotted a few quilts at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History a few weeks ago, among them was this quilt commemorating the inspiring life of the abolitionist Harriet Tubman, made in 2002. On a related note, for some unbelievably interesting reading, do a quick online [...]

CRAFTIVISM: Auction to support Buddies in Bad Times (November 10, 2011)

jen — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:05:03 +0000

Buddies is one of Toronto’s most beloved queer institutions, and it is not at all surprising that they have managed to pull together a stellar line up of curators and emerging/established artists for this fundraising auction happening this Thursday to support the theatre. Read on for details….

ARTATTACK!
AN AUCTION IN SUPPORT OF BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE
Hosted by Gavin Crawford

Visual Art Curators Jon Davies, Michael Chambers, Keith Cole, Srimyoee Mitra, Sophie Hackett, Heather Keung & David Liss
Design Curator [...]

CRAFTIVISM: Let City Councillors Know That Torontonians Value the Arts!

tara — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 06:22:09 +0000

Need I say more? If you are a TCA reader, you understand the importance of art and culture to a vibrant and thriving city. Read on to find out more about this initiative, put forward by Friends of the Arts, an alliance of Toronto-based arts groups. Most importantly, sign the petition and have your say!

Photo courtesy of Jumblies Theatre

Send a Message to Protect the Arts!
Please take 30 seconds to add your name to the Friends of the Arts [...]

GET TOGETHER: The Great TTC Knitalong (July 9, 2011)

jen — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:07:48 +0000

We have all been there, stealing surreptitious glances at a stranger’s knitting across the subway aisle. Or perhaps you have been the one subtly ogled as you crochet hook bobs and weaves its way to your streetcar stop. All coyness goes out the window at the annual TTC Knitalong (KAL), which brings together knitters and hookers (aka crocheters) alike from all over the GTA, Ontario and beyond for a day of yarn related tourism, shopping, and chatting it up with fellow yarnheads. All funds raised [...]

CRAFTIVISM: Mayday: 1001 Chairs For Ai Weiwei at the Chinese Consulate (Sunday, May 15, 1-2pm)

tara — Thu, 12 May 2011 19:29:48 +0000

Ai Weiwei poster courtesy of dangerousminds.net

Many of us in the art and craft community have heard about the situation in China involving the arrest of renowned contemporary artist and activist Ai Weiwei. Ai Weiwei’s provocative work is often political and deeply human. For example, his recent work Sunflower Seeds consisted of one hundred million porcelain sunflower “seeds” made by artisans in Jingdezhen, which is known as the “porcelain capital” of China. This work was meant to be a [...]

CRAFTY HAPPENING: Spring Uber-SWAP Japan Fundraiser (April 30, 2011)

jen — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:46:05 +0000

I won’t be in town this Saturday – a day that is turning out to be ramalammed with crafty action (including the Toronto Etsy Street Team’s first ever craft show at the Gladstone!), but I just sent over a bag full of cute duds to Nathalie-Roze & co.‘s Uber-SWAP in support of Japan relief. Sounds like it’s gonna be pretty huge, so if you’re free, do head over and acquire some practically free new spring gear, and even get it altered to fit on [...]

CRAFTIVISM: Toronto Hearts Japan (March 31 – April 5, 2011; reception: April 1)

jen — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:35:21 +0000

Yet another great looking arts related fundraiser for Japan is coming up this weekend at the Gladstone. Co-hosted by beloved eye-candy purveyors Narwhal Art Projects and with an all-star roster of contributing artists (Sonja Ahlers, Shary Boyle, Nicholas DiGenova, Julie Moon, and Jacob Whibley, to name a few) and stellar raffle prize donors, this one should not be missed!

Narwhal Art Projects, Invisible-Friends and friends are excited to host Toronto Hearts Japan, a fundraiser for our far-away loves.

Our hearts have been broken by news of devastated towns and people separated [...]

CRAFTIVISM: Ashita: Artists For Japan (Tuesday, March 29, 2011, 7pm)

tara — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:27:21 +0000

Here is another art event that has been put together to benefit Japan. This one is a one-night gathering of music and performance art. Galleries such as Art Metropole and Magic Pony have donated books for sale at the show, and the work of awesome local art/illustration heavyweights such as Fiona Smyth and Nicholas Di Genova will be on sale as well. Sounds super!

Ashita: Artists for Japan
Our heart and minds [...]

CRAFTIVISM: Shop for the Cause – A Pop Up Sale for JAPAN/Red Cross (April 2 & 3, 2011)

jen — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:00:21 +0000

Leslieville boutique owner (and designer and journalist) Nathalie-Roze is without fail on it when it comes to pitching in with global (and local) disasters, so it came as no surprise that she had something big up her sleeve for fundraising for Japan. Please read on and attend or contribute what you can towards this crafty drive for relief funds.

Shop for the Cause: A Pop Up Sale for JAPAN/Red Cross

WHEN: Saturday April 2nd (11-6) & Sunday April 3rd (12-5)
WHERE: Nathalie-Roze & Co. ~ 1015 Queen St. East at Pape, [...]

CRAFTIVISM: Hello Sandwich Gift-Wrapping zine, proceeds to Red Cross re: Japan relief (with update)

jen — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 15:52:37 +0000

Wrapping presents has always been one of my favourite crafts – though the results are so temporary and depending on the recipient, sometimes unnoticed, there is something so satisfying about presenting your offering in a beautiful package. As an ADD crafter, I also like the short-termness and instant gratification factor involved in wrapping as well.

Becky alerted me to the fact that Hello Sandwich is donating proceeds of the PDF version their gift wrapping zine to Red Cross relief efforts for the survivors of the recent and devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. [...]

CRAFTY HAPPENING: Save Japan! Charity Market (Sunday March 20, 2011)

angelune — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 13:27:29 +0000

Several Japanese friends living in Toronto have organized a sale to raise funds for relief efforts back home. I know most of their relatives have been accounted for, but there are still some missing and many are now without homes and essentials. They have been feeling pretty helpless, so this sale is their way of contributing. There will be some sweet vintage clothes, handmade jewelry and accessories, and even a nail art booth!

The massive earthquake and tsunami that [...]

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Good Work at the Textile Arts Centre, Brooklyn (Deadline: March 25, 2011)

tara — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:42:40 +0000

I found this great looking call this morning on ArtClothText, a fantastic textile/craft blog out of Alberta. The deadline is coming up fairly soon, so if this exhibition’s theme grabs you, hop to it and prepare your submission!

Good Work
Curated by Tali Weinberg
Textile Arts Center and Oak Knit Studio Gallery

May Day is a celebration of spring, rejuvenation, fertility and life—a day to dance and weave the Maypole. And it is a day to honor laborers, to mark the social and economic achievements of the labor movement, and for workers around the [...]

IT CAME FROM THE FORUM: Affordable Artist Space – Aardvark Collective

jen — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:56:58 +0000

Affordable artist space can be so hard to find in Toronto’s totally inflated real estate market, so kudos to the Aardvark Collective for taking action to provide an accessible option.

Artist Studio/Non-Profit Activist space for rent
Aardvark Collective is seeking artists, activists, non-profits and any other suitable organizations or groups to rent a large warehouse space. Our aim is to provide affordable, non-profit space for artists and activist organizations.

Regenesis is a social justice and environmental non-profit dedicated to collective economics, activism and the arts. Aardvark’s mission is to
facilitate [...]

VENDOR CALL: Creative Heart Collective (deadline: March 30, 2011; show: April 16-17, 2011)

jen — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:29:48 +0000

Vanessa, organizer of the Creative Heart Collective, informed me that the door proceeds of this spring show will go towards The Corsage Project. This is a charity that helps graduating highschool girls unable to afford the expense of prom. The girls are paired with a volunteer personal shopper who helps them to select a new formal dress, shoes, and accessories free of charge at a Boutique Ball. As I recall prom (or “The Formal” as it was called in my high school) was a bloody expensive undertaking, so I can appreciate [...]

GET TOGETHER: Post a Letter Social Activity Club

jen — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 12:46:48 +0000

I remember the days, not too long ago, when I used to sit down on a semi-regular basis and scratch out letters to friends met through travels, or old pals who had moved away for school, love, or just to try something new. Nowadays, despite having so many channels to (supposedly) make communication easier, I find it harder to make time for moments of really personal life-sharing with buds overseas. I also find myself missing those handheld, smudgy, and tactile bits of my friends’ lives more and more.

Enter pal-sac, or the Post [...]

CRAFTIVISM: Z’s by the C – a radical crafting + napping project (July 17-18)

rosalyn — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 03:09:42 +0000

Come decorate a sleeping mask before catching some Z’s in downtown Toronto!

The residents of Toronto are invited to come personalize a sleeping mask using simple crafting techniques before covering their eyes and dozing off in the city. By creating a safe sleeping zone on the site of a proposed park in the Queen West neighbourhood, Eric Moschopedis and Mia Rushton seek to legitimize public napping under the aegis of art – just sweet public dreams!

MORE INFO: www.theatrecentre.org /

CRAFTIVISM: ArtsVote 2010 priorities

jen — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:40:38 +0000

As a member of the ArtsVote Facebook Group, I received the note below from them outlining their campaign priorities for 2010. Really interesting to note that Toronto’s arts and culture funding ($18 per Torontonian) falls significantly below Vancouver ($26) and Montreal’s ($33). Shame shame.

Looking forward to the ArtsVote Report Card in Sept. to help me decide how to vote!

*******

Hello Artsvote Fans, Folks and Friends,

ArtsVote Toronto 2010 is working to elect candidates who are committed to making Toronto a world-class hub for arts and culture. The highly anticipated ArtsVote Report Card, to be [...]

CRAFT CULTURE: Review of “Exit Through the Gift Shop”

angelune — Sun, 23 May 2010 13:13:13 +0000

Exit Through the Gift Shop: A Banksy Film
Review by Kalpna Patel

“Imagine a city where graffiti wasn’t illegal, a city where everybody could draw whatever they liked. Where every street was awash with a million colours and little phrases. Where standing at a bus stop was never boring. A city that felt like a party where everyone was invited, not just the estate agents and barons of big business. Imagine a [...]

GET SCHOOLED: Pysanky-Ukrainian easter egg workshop/orphanage fundraiser (March 28)

jen — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:56:23 +0000

This workshop is open to everyone who wants to learn how to make pysanky- traditional Ukrainian easter eggs. Instruction will begin around 2pm with explanation of techniques and a step by step run through of how to make a pysanka. Then everyone will have the opportunity to slowly work on their own pysanka with assistance. Making a pysanka for the first time takes a lot of time- be patient :) Give yourself 1.5-2 hours to make your first one. After that it’s up to you if you want to stay longer and keep [...]

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: make an Earth Hour video or photo essay, win a trip to see polar bears! (deadline: March 25)

jen — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:38:29 +0000

Attention crafty photo and video makers!

Are you living Earth Hour every hour? Maybe you’ve decided to bike or
take transit to work instead of driving your car. Or maybe you’re
trying to reduce the amount of waste your family throws out, or how
much electricity you use.Those little changes will add up to make a
huge difference!

Visit http://share.wwf.ca and upload a video or photo essay and you
could win a trip for two to see polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba.

**The deadline to submit photos and videos and collect votes is MARCH
25. [...]

CRAFTIVISM: fundraise for canadian-nurse delegation to haiti (March 6-7)

rosalyn — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:17:27 +0000

hello!

as a lot of you know, there are some massive mother earth happenings around the world we may or may not know about – most recent – earthquakes in Haiti and now Chile!

My sister and two other colleagues are heading to Haiti for 2 weeks to help volunteer their time and skills to help! They have the opportunity to join a medical team that is being hosted by ACTS. ACTS is partnered with Operation Hope for Haiti’s Children. For more information, please visit

CRAFTY HAPPENING: SHOP for the CAUSE: The Sequel (Tonight! January 29)

rosalyn — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:44:20 +0000

Please join us this Friday night for a discount shopping party & silent auction to benefit the Red Cross’ HAITI Earthquake Fund.

SHOP for the CAUSE: The Sequel is a showcase of all the leftover lovelies from our Shop for the Cause fundraiser on Saturday (which raised over $13.5K!). Lots of fab goodies left…

We’re selling off the remaining loot from local designers and shops as well as some swish silent auction items & services this Friday night to bump up our total donation. Tons under $40!

Refreshments will be served [...]

CRAFTIVISM: 5×7 + $30 = 1 Haircut at Shampoo (January 18 – March 5)

jen — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:40:44 +0000

Bring us a 5×7 piece of your own artwork, get a haircut for 30 bucks!

Here’s all you have to do:

1: Make Art. Only restriction is it must be 5×7.
2: Bring Art to Shampoo, with $30(plus tax) in your pocket.
3: Get your hairs cut.
4: Join us for a party/silent auction April 10th, where your art will be admired and then sold, with all profits going to our favorite charity.

Easy, right? Just have your piece in by March 6th!

Give us a shout at 416-542-1576 to make an appointment!

Start Time: Monday, [...]

CRAFTIVISM: Operation Sock Monkey, Sock-Monk-a-thon (January 19)

jen — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:15:04 +0000

Operation Sock Monkey, Sock-Monk-a-thon
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 / 6:00 – 9:00 pm

Where:

I’ve been thinking about how best to contribute to Haiti Aid efforts (with, I’ll admit it, a limited budget), and was really glad to see this info come through from Nathalie-Roze on this craft show/rummage sale/bake sale/etc. she is hosting in Leslievile next Saturday. This one is the second “Shop for the Cause” event she is hosting, the first one being for the 2005 Tsunami, during which over $16,000 was raised (Amazing!).

For those of us who are not flush with cash to donate, this is a great & effective way [...]

CRAFT SHOW: The Designer Trunk Show and Toy Drive (December 12 & 19)

jen — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:16:25 +0000

Saturday December 12th and 19th is the date you need to circle and the event to be a part of! We will be featuring the most talented designers in Toronto! Come out and support your community and be sure to bring a new toy with you!

If you’re a designer, musicians and/or artist! This is for you! Get your business in high gear and a new face to the public…nothing like some face to face time to establish you and your designs.

When: Saturday December 12 and 19 2009
Time: 11:00 am – 7:00 [...]

CRAFTIVISM: Act today for an artier city! (by November 30)

jen — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:20:39 +0000

FINAL VOTE ON BILLBOARD TAX FOR ART NOV. 30 / DEC 1

After seven years of BeautifulCity.ca Alliance campaigning, Toronto City Council will be voting on a billboard tax for art at its next meeting on November 30 and December 1.

The BeautifulCity.ca Alliance is seeking a tax on billboards with the funds going to art in the public sphere (e.g. murals, sculptures, festivals, accessible arts programming, outdoor performances, etc.) as well as enforcement of the new sign by-law that governs billboards. The proposal is endorsed by over 50 Toronto organizations, thousands of signatories and, [...]

EXHIBITION/CRAFT SHOW: “Dreams” — The Love Show 2009 at 918 Bathurst (reception: Nov 20, show Nov 20-22)

jen — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:20:17 +0000

“Dreams” — The Love Show 2009 at 918 Bathurst
November 20–22, 2009, 11am–5pm
**Opening Reception Friday November 20, 7–9 pm**

Miniature show of 8 x 8 inch pieces donated by local artists.

Each work on sale for $75, all proceeds going to support the Workman Arts Project at CAMH.

HISTORY
Since its creation in 2002, the Love Show has worked to raise awareness about the privilege that surrounds us and our responsibility to support others. Each year, proceeds from the show are used to support community-based organizations that combat violence and encourage self esteem. Each of [...]

EXHIBITION: The Ringo Show (July 16 – July 24; reception: July 18)

jen — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:54:12 +0000

The Ringo Show is a celebration of the unprecedented generosity shown by The Animal Clinic to me and my greyhound Ringo after he was struck by a car on May 1st. The Animal Clinic saved his life by financing the emergency care and two months of rehabilitation that Ringo required – they saved his life when I was unable to afford it. Ringo is recovering well, thanks to the support of our community.

13 artists have contributed to this group art show. It would be great to have you join us at the opening [...]

CRAFTIVISM: Robyn Love’s Knitting Sprawl

rosalyn — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:24:08 +0000

Information via art cloth text

Artist Robyn Love, is looking for knitters and others who are interested in getting together to ply their craft and talk about their life in the suburbs. She is working on a new project titled, Knitting Sprawl, which is a multi-media project exploring issues around the idea of community in Canadian suburban neighborhoods. Love will be traveling across Canada over the next year and a half, organizing and connecting with knitting groups for a series of conversations about the current [...]