Toronto Craft Alert

CRAFT SHOW: City of Craft 2012 (December 8 & 9)

jen — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 18:01:27 +0000

Hey guys,

Just popping in to make sure you all know that City of Craft, a show near and dear to my heart, is coming up this weekend. Now in it’s 6th year, the show is gonna be a juicy one with 2 additional venues nearby housing the most vendors ever (70!). I’ve been following the Pinterest board and the City of Craft blog gift guides in earnest and saving my shekels so that I can take home a few handmade goodies.

If you’ve never made it out to the show before, here are some pics [...]

FROM THE DESK OF TCA: Kid Icarus fundraising campaign (ends October 10, 2012)

jen — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 19:30:38 +0000

Hi guys, long time no post! Hope everyone is feeling their craft jones return after a long hot summer and are getting stoked for cozy nights in with tea, afghans, animals-of-choice, and a knitting project or the like. I know I am.

I’m poking in today to let you know about a fundraising campaign that is close to TCA’s heart, to help fuel Kid Icarus‘ dream of building a community printing space in their new expanded studio/shop in Kensington market (now located at 205 Augusta Ave). In case you weren’t [...]

CRAFTY HAPPENING: Bloorcourt Arts and Crafts Street Fair (August 18, 2012)

jen — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:56:10 +0000

Some of you guys may remember that I was involved in the coordination of the Bloorcourt Craft Fair last year – and hopefully you remember that it was filled with awesome stuff and sunshiney joy. It has now passed the the very capable hands of Miss Becky Johnson of City of Craft, who has pimped it even further to include a screenprinting throwdown and a bookmobile complete with camp-inspired activities rewarded by adorbs badges for participation. Sounds like a perfect Saturday afternoon through which to [...]

VENDOR CALL: City of Craft 2012 (Event: December 8&9, Deadline: August 31, 2012)

becky — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:06:29 +0000

Flyer design by Caitlyn Murphy

Even though it is the middle of summer, applications are now open for one of Toronto’s coolest winter craft fairs, City of Craft.

This much-anticipated show draws crowds upwards of 5000 people to its tightly curated Queen West West event annually. The competition to get in is historically tough but is worth the annual gamble to catch a ride on what feels like Toronto’s most dazzling annual indie craft carnival.

City of Craft 2012
December 8&9
The Theatre Centre
1087 [...]

VENDOR CALL: Bloorcourt Arts & Crafts Fair (Deadline: July 20, 2012; Event: August 18, 2012).

becky — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 21:52:45 +0000

Some of you may remember the Bloorcourt Arts & Crafts Fair from last year, as it was a Toronto Craft Alert production. Well now it has moved over to be produced under the City of Craft banner in collaboration with the Bloorcourt BIA. And for this summer’s fair and street festival the whole shebang has doubled in size. For all of Saturday, August 18, 2012, Bloor Street will be [...]

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: Modular Beauty @ Hamilton’s Supercrawl

jen — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 15:02:31 +0000

Well, Hello.

It’s been awhile – been busy here in Hamilton working on multiple projects which include Modular Beauty, a Beehive Craft Collective installation of hand-sewn, English paper pieced hexagons for the upcoming and always awesome Supercrawl festival in September. The hexagon clusters will creep and grow out of unexpected places along James Street North (the main corridor of art and culture in Hamilton), mimicking hives in the wild. We’ve set up some donation stations specifically to engage our crafty compatriots in in Toronto, and I wanted to invite you all [...]

FROM THE DESK OF TCA: We’re sticking around (as an archive)

jen — Mon, 28 May 2012 13:17:25 +0000

Just a quick note to let you know that, despite the project wrapping up in March, this site won’t be dissappearing anytime soon, courtesy of craft community champions Kid Icarus. The Kids have volunteered server space so that TCA can remain online as an archive. This not only means that our years of content, link gathering, etc. will remain accessible to you, but it also leaves open the possibility of us popping in periodically to share news or even post an article, should the fancy strike us. A huge thanks to Mike and Bianca for supporting this process [...]

CRAFT SHOW: City of Craft Spring (April 21, 2012)

jen — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:21:03 +0000

Hi guys!

Just popping in to make sure you are aware that the First Ever Spring Edition of City of Craft is taking place this coming Saturday at Trinity St. Paul’s United Church. If that dead zone between the winter holiday season and summer fairs has got you down, City of Craft is here to help with what promises to be a show budding with fresh goods!

This is a blown up version of the craft and rummage trunk show that goes down periodically at the workroom, with 40+ [...]

EVENT: Cormarama (A Fundraiser for Derek McCormack). April 10, 2012 & Ongoing Online.

becky — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:35:16 +0000

Creative workers don’t always live with much of a financial safety net, but, when they are good at what they do and active in their community, they do accumulate good will credits. That’s why, when local writer, bookseller, and Hallowe’enologist, Derek McCormack, fell ill last fall his substantial circle of talented friends came together to help.

The strategy is three-fold – 1) arrange an online art sale with an impressive list of Toronto artists 2) throw a one-night shindig 3) encourage [...]

POSTCARDS FROM THE ROAD: Thunder Bay

jen — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:18:25 +0000

Man, I LOVED Thunder Bay. Never having been this far north, this was the most anticipated stop on my craft tour of Ontario and I was not dissapointed. Incredible industrial architecture, a surprisingly robust Finnish culture (the largest Finnish population outside of Finland, who knew?), super warm people, insane thrift, and a bit of a “land that time forgot” vibe going on in the restaurants, cafes and shops. My discussions with makers revealed that a cultural regeneration is taking place and that we should [...]

POSTCARDS FROM THE ROAD: Joseph Schneider Haus in Kitchener Ontario

jen — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:24:45 +0000

Stop two on my Ontario craft road trip was Kitchener-Waterloo, and a definite highlight was visiting the Joseph Schneider Haus Museum and Gallery, a Pioneer Village-eque spot in downtown Kitchener. The central building is a Georgian farmhouse built by one of the area’s first pioneers, Joseph Schneider, a Pennsylvania-German Mennonite c. 1816. The rooms are filled with gorgeous woven Menonnite blankets and quilts, linen feedbags, super heavy duty functional ceramics, hand woven [...]

POSTCARDS FROM THE ROAD: Spark Box Studio in Picton, Ontario

jen — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:24:59 +0000

Spark Box Studio

With TCA wrapping up in just a few short days (whoa!) I wanted to try to squeeze in some pics from my Ontario craft odyssey to Prince Edward County, Kitchener Waterloo, and Thunder Bay this past November as part of an Ontario Crafts Council funded project to uncover regional issues for makers practicing outside of large urban centres. The trip was a real eye opener to this Toronto native about different cultures of craft [...]

CRAFTY CHAT: Rory MacDonald on Public Craft @ The Gardiner Museum (March 8, 2012)

jen — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:40:57 +0000

Everything about this talk sounds right on: ceramics, public space activism, live kiln work, oh my! Visit the Gardiner website to purchase tickets.

RORY MacDONALD: PUBLIC CRAFT (Lecture)
THURSDAY MARCH 8, 2012 6:30 – 8 pm

Ceramicist and NSCAD professor, Rory MacDonald discusses the importance of ceramics within the realm of public activism and public space. He highlights a new role for decoration as a disruption to our thinking about how we organize and build public space. [...]

EXHIBITION: The Toronto Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef at Roadside Attractions (February 25-March 30, 2012)

becky — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 04:00:53 +0000

Winter may still be blustery, but life never stops in the deep abyss (read: big green suitcase) of the Toronto Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef. After a two year hibernation, the reef has emerged once again to occupy another Toronto window Gallery, Roadside Attractions on Davenport at Christie, where it will be on display all day and night for the next five weeks. This emergence sees the reef bigger than ever with “more hanging things and more big things”.

Curated [...]

EXHIBITION: Perpetual Motion: Material Re-use in the Spirit of Thrift, Utility and Beauty @ TMC (March 10 – Sept 3, 2012)

jen — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:51:39 +0000

Upcycling (the repurposing of materials, giving them new life) has been a hot topic in craft over the past few years as consumption and waste has weighed heavy on a lot of makers’ minds. This upcoming show at the TMC pulls out pieces from their permanent collection that reflect this approach of seeing value in “trash “and creating something beautiful with it. I think it will be fascinating to see how this orientation threads through time and across cultures.

Perpetual [...]

SHOP CRAFTY: CBE Design Lab: Drink + Think (February 23, 2012)

jen — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:22:27 +0000

Fans of CBE‘s colour blocked (and stylishly monochrome) locally made hoodies will want to check out this event that invites you to join in a collective doodle AND allows you to walk away with a hoody (and drink in your belly) for just 25 smackers.

Design Lab: Drink + Think
Thursday February 23rd at 7pm
116 Geary Ave, Studio 201 on the second floor – near Dupont & Dovercourt
www.clothingbrandexperiment.com

Here at CBE we’re all about fostering Creativity [and having fun in the process.] We welcome all CBE [...]

GET SCHOOLED: Pysanky easter eggs with Kosa Kolektiv (March 2012)

jen — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:37:16 +0000

I posted a couple of years ago about the tradition of pysanky and if you haven’t tried it yet this workshop series hosted by Kosa Kolektiv is a great opportunity to learn the craft while supporting a worthy cause. PLUS look how cute this poster is. AND, how awesome is the mandate of this collective (see below)? Makes me wish I still lived in Toronto so I could crash their cute folk girl party.

Learn how to make beautiful pysanky: easter eggs in [...]

QUESTIONS FOR CRAFTERS: Amy Egerdeen

tara — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:42:51 +0000

Nightjar Books at City of Craft. Photo by Celine Kim.

Interview by Tara Bursey

Many of you will already be familiar with the work of Amy Egerdeen– you may remember her as a regular contributor to Toronto Craft Alert just a few short years ago, as well as for her hand bound books and journals made under the moniker Nightjar Books. After a couple of years in school, Amy is currently doing some really compelling and important work combining her love of books [...]

SHOP CRAFTY: Craft’d Pop-Up Shop @ the Gladstone Hotel (February 18th, 2012)

jen — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:12:12 +0000

The OCAD Material Art and Design shows are always great for discovering new talent and an opportunity to creep on emerging makers creative development. This Pop Up Shop at the Gladstone promise some lovely, fun (and racy!) works.OCADU and the Gladstone Hotel proudly present Craft’d Pop-Up Shop – a day of quality art & design. Hand made, local, and just what you’ve been looking for.

The event is a one-day pop-up shop located on the second floor of the Gladstone Hotel, that runs from 9am to [...]

GET TOGETHER: Make stuff at ARTiculations (February 2012)

jen — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:11:12 +0000

A little while ago I posted about the launch of ARTiculations, a supply store in the Junction. They are hosting a couple of workshops/craft socials this month for people to get together and make stuff.

Head over to:

ARTiculations
2928 Dundas St West, The Junction, Toronto, ON
417.901.7464
www.ARTiculations.ca
info (at) articulations.ca

to get in on the fun.

ARTICULATIONS Valentine’s Day ABC’s
Tuesday February 14th 8pm
Adults, Booze, Collage
not your girl guide crafting….We’ll provide a few materials, some tunes and chocolate (obvs) You bring [...]

FROM THE DESK OF TCA: We’re closing up shop.

jen — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:07:51 +0000

TCA Table circa 2007. Photo by Becky Johnson.

Dear TCA Readers,

I have some big news to share with you about Toronto Craft Alert’s future. As of the end of this month, we will be wrapping up the project and this blog will no longer be active. We may pop in for the occasional post while our hosting term is still active, but regular posting will no longer be in effect as of March [...]

CRAFTY HAPPENING: OCC Symposium (March 10, 2012)

jen — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:34:31 +0000

This has been floating around the internet (even making an appearance on Poppytalk!) but I thought I’d take a minute to let y’all know a bit about the Ontario Craft Council‘s symposium: Craft and the New Economy coming up in March. The Symposium was borne out of a recognition that craft artists, makers, and designers are employing new practices and creating and making a living in new contexts. The OCC wanted to create a forum where thinkers on these topics can be brought together [...]

EXHIBITION: A Homespun Web at the Living Arts Centre (January 28th-March 11, 2012, Reception: February 9th, 7-9pm)

tara — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:30:48 +0000

Here’s a fantastic looking three-person exhibition happening at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga which is crafty in both form and content. The show features some brand new work by Heather Goodchild, and you can preview some of exhibitor Tazeen Qayyum’s work at the Textile Museum right now in the show Veiled, which is up until February 12th.

A Homespun Web installation photo courtesy of The Living Arts Centre

A HOMESPUN WEB
Heather Goodchild, Noelle Hamlyn and Tazeen Qayyum

January 28 – March 11, [...]

CRAFT SHOW: 6th Annual Erotic Arts and Crafts Show at the Gladstone Hotel (February 11th, 2012; 12-8pm)

tara — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:02:52 +0000

I was lurking the upcoming Erotic Arts and Craft Show‘s website the other day and was pretty blown away by some of the work that will be featured this year. Big ups to Come As You Are for making this event happen annually for the past six years!

The 6th Annual Erotic Arts and Crafts Show
at the Gladstone Hotel
February 11th, 2012

Every year at the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto, Come As You Are hosts Canada’s only Erotic Arts and Crafts Fair. Since their opening [...]

CRAFT SHOW: Love and Rummage Trunk Show 4 (February 5, 2012)

jen — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:30:20 +0000

City of Craft & the workroom‘s annual Valentines & junk sale is here again! Here’s where crafty folk with great taste purge their supplies, vintage clothing and goodies, and other delightful wares alongside their own handmade works. Details below and beautiful bunnies above by Selena Wong.

City of Craft & the workroom present
The Love & Rummage Trunk Show 4
Sunday February 5, 2012
Noon-5pm
the workroom
1340 Queen Street West
http://www.cityofcraft.com/2012/loveandrummage/index.html

Show your love with local, handmade wares.

Free Gift [...]

CRAFTY BIZ: Artscape Launchpad Survey

jen — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:15:26 +0000

Perhaps some of you are aware that Artscape has plans to develop a facility for creative entrepreneurship in the areas that include art and design, new media, film, and performing arts. Artscape’s Launchpad will provide space, facilities, and expertise to support professional development and making work. They are hoping to create a hub for creative peeps to connect, share skills and support one another. If this sounds like something you’ll like to be a part of or have some ideas [...]

SPONSOR NEWS: February 2012

jen — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:08:38 +0000

This month we have another stellar line up of workshops for crafters and crafty biz people (including a cool new demo series) from Wise Daughters, and a unique opportunity to own some incredible rugs like the ones pictured above from Afghanistan. Read on for February news from our darling sponsors!

Please contact sponsors directly to sign up for classes or with any questions related to their listings.

Textile Museum of Canada
www.textilemuseum.ca
55 Centre Ave
Toronto, ON M5G 2H5
news@textilemuseum.ca

The Textile Museum of [...]

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Hamilton Supercrawl (deadline: March 1, 2012; crawl: September 14 &15, 2012)

jen — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:57:58 +0000

Knit Night on the Brain (2011). Installation by The Beehive Collective. Photo by Kate Hunter.

Last year’s Supercrawl (the annual music-enhanced version of Hamilton’s monthly James Street North Art Crawl) blew everyones minds. While the bands were incredible and the eats & treats delicious, the thing that really got me was the caliber of public art that studded the streets and sidewalks of James North. Beehive-like pods engulfed street lamps, trees painted day-glo in tentacle-like formations overtook roadways, and knit brickwork [...]

EXHIBITION: LOOK Out at Harbourfront Centre (January 28th-April 15th, 2012; Reception: January 27th, 6-10pm)

tara — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:47:21 +0000

Janet Macpherson, Censure. Photo courtesy of Harbourfront Centre.

There are a whole new crop of wonderful looking exhibitions opening at Harbourfront Centre tomorrow night. Among them is LOOK Out, which will feature the work of current Harbourfront Craft Department Artists-In-Residence. Take a look at Harbourfront’s website under current visual arts programs for a sneak peak at some of the seriously dynamic work that will be in the show. I’m particularly excited to check out the work of some [...]

EXHIBITION: Capacity 2012 (January 26 -29, 2012; reception January 28)

jen — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:12:40 +0000

A few of my favourite Toronto designers are in this show spotlighting the work of lady designers in Canada. This is part of Toronto Design Week which is in full swing – with shows including Come Up to My Room, Losing Parkdale at the OCC and DO Design on Dundas West. Visit this handy Toronto Design Offisite (TO DO) website for the lowdown on various Design Week events!

“CAPACITY” is an exhibit of new work by female, Canadian designers, curated by [...]