Toronto Craft Alert

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 [...]

GET SCHOOLED: Valentine’s Craft Workshops at the Design Exchange (February 1st, 2012; 6:30-8:30pm and February 11th, 2012; 12-3pm)

tara — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:46:47 +0000

Lots of fantastic things have been happening at the Design Exchange as of late. Last week, I attended a screening there, where I learned about these great little Valentine’s-oriented workshops happening within the next few weeks, held in partnership with awesome locals Preloved and The Japanese Paper Place. Click the links below to save your spot…

Valentine’s Day at the DX  !

Share the Love with Preloved
February 1, 2012
6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Design Exchange, 234 Bay Street, Toronto
$85 / person
$75 [...]

EXHIBITION: Select Works: Contemporary Canadian Textile-Based Collection at Cambridge Galleries Riverside (January 24 – February 19, 2012; Reception: January 24th, 6:30pm)

tara — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:15:47 +0000

Knit #1 by Lyn Carter courtesy of the Ontario Association of Art Galleries website.

Did you know that Cambridge Galleries are super into textiles? Hosts of the annual Fibreworks juried art exhibition, Cambridge Galleries frequently features exhibitions of Canadian textile artists (notably Lyn Carter and Anna Torma) and also have an very impressive amount of contemporary textile work in their permanent collection. Catch a glimpse of some of their collection in the exhibition Select Works, opening this Tuesday. A [...]

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Eyelevel Reshelving Initiative 5 at Eyelevel Gallery, Halifax (Deadline: January 30th, 2012)

tara — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:58:21 +0000

Self-published book In My Baba’s Kitchen by Monique Motut-Firth, courtesy of the Eyelevel Reshelving Initiative 5 website.

The Eyelevel Reshelving Initiative is an exhibition of zines and small works that happens every two years at Eyelevel Gallery, a fantastic artist-run centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Zinesters and self-publishers, take heed! Register online, and send your work in by the end of the month!

ERI 5 is an exhibition and sale of artist books, zines, multiples and other kinds of artist-made [...]

CRAFTY HAPPENING: Everything Under the Moon @ Enwave Theatre (February 18-23, 2012)

jen — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:22:19 +0000

This sounds like pretty much the best thing ever. Projection, costumes, puppets. Xylophone, wurlitzer, ukulele, cello, trumpet. Sounds like a recipe for pure magic… act FAST if you want tickets!

A year and a half in the making, Everything Under the Moon is the most ambitious creation to date by celebrated Toronto visual and performance artist Shary Boyle and innovative Winnipeg songwriter and performer Christine Fellows. The pair have enchanted audiences with their daring, moving [...]

CRAFTY CHAT: Craft and Culture: Making Things with Rachel MacHenry at OCAD University (January 17th, 2012; 6:30-7:30pm)

tara — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:18:03 +0000

I went to a couple of CraftTalks- a lecture and panel series co-presented by OCADU and the Ontario Crafts Council- in 2010 and took an indescribable amount of knowledge and inspiration away from them. For some reason (homework and general school-related chaos, perhaps?) I ended up missing 2011′s lineup of talks altogether. 2012 is another year, and I’m excited to be attending the first of many scheduled CraftTalks tomorrow evening. The speaker is textile artist and educator Rachel MacHenry- find all [...]

SHOP CRAFTY: TMC textiles on Ebay

jen — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:04:59 +0000

This is kinda crazy news – the Textile Museum is now on Ebay!

At the moment they have listed five embroidered Central Asian panels originating from the late 19th to early 20th century as ‘Buy it now’ offers. All proceeds from the sale of Shop merchandise will benefit the TMC’s exhibitions, collection and educational programming. You can view all the TMC’s Shop merchandise here: http://bit.ly/ulQujV.

These pieces are also sold in the TMC museum shop so you can drop by at 55 [...]

VENDOR CALL: First Sunday Stroll, Pelham ON (show: June 3, 2012; deadline: March 31)

jen — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:58:44 +0000

Crafts & wine make fine bedfellows, and this show taking place in Pelham, ON (about 1.5 hours from Toronto) will give you the chance to enjoy both! As a bonus proceeds from the fair go towards local community charity, Pelham Cares. Early bird deadline to apply to vend (with a reduced booth fee) is January 31st. Visit the website for more information and to apply: http://www.firstsundaystroll.blogspot.com

If you are looking to vend closer to home, these two shows are looking for makers (via the [...]

EXHIBITION: Arthur Desmarteaux & Allison Moore: Micropolis 2.0 at Open Studio (January 12 – February 18, 2012; Reception January 12, 6:30-8:30 pm)

tara — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:35:51 +0000

Micropolis (detail), screen & digital prints on cardboard, 112 x 427 cm, 2010.

Arthur Desmarteaux & Allison Moore: Micropolis 2.0
January 12 – February 18, 2012
Opening Reception: Thursday, January 12, 2012, 6:30-8:30 pm

I came across a listing the other day for this really impressive project opening tomorrow at Open Studio, whose exhibitions seem to be getting more and more exciting as time goes on. Micropolis 2.0, by artists Arthur Desmarteaux and Allison Moore mashes up print media and animation [...]

EXHIBITION: Seripop @ Blackwood Gallery, UTM (January 18 – March 4, 2012 )

jen — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:42:04 +0000

Years ago when I lived in Montreal, one of the best things about strolling around my neighbourhood was checking out the gig posters that changed regularly on telephone poles, mailboxes & in cafe windows. A handful of extremely talented and visionary screenprinting artists used the streets as their gallery, and truth be told, sometimes their vision trumped basic communication about who was playing and when and where – though nobody seemed to mind. Seripop was definitely at the vanguard of this poster art movement, and it [...]

EXHIBITION: Will Munro @ AGYU (January 11- March 11, 2012)

jen — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:09:05 +0000

Image credit: Will Munro Infinity, 2010, stitched fabric, 34 x 58 inches. Courtesy of the Estate of Will Munro.

It is exciting to see a university institution embrace queer art (& craft!) with reckless abandon and to to provide a truly creative and relevant space for queer and trans youth to come together and make stuff. This programming celebratiing the work and spirit of the late, great, Will Munro looks rad and involves a bevvy of talented makers and creators. Definitely put this [...]

EXHIBITION: Jeannie Thib’s Column at *QueenSpecific (Runs December 2, 2011-January 17, 2012)

tara — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:22:42 +0000

Thanks to my pal Lizz and her blog post reminding me about interdisciplinary artist extraordinnaire Jeannie Thib’s installation in *QueenSpecific Gallery‘s window space. I passed by it a few nights ago in a mad holiday-fuelled rush and it provided me with both a brief respite and the lingering pleasure of pondering it for the rest of my walk…! Aren’t window galleries great for just these reasons?

Jeannie Thib, Column, 2011. Photo courtesy of *QueenSpecific Gallery.

Jeannie Thib
Column
02.12.11 – [...]

SPONSOR NEWS: January 2012

jen — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:17:49 +0000

day 55 by Lucky Jackson via the Craft Toronto flickr group

Happy New Year Everyone! After you emerge from your holiday food coma (and all-day pyjama fest), it’s a great time to think about picking up a new skill or taking your craft biz to the next level. Check out these listings from Wise Daughters for some great options.

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

WISE DAUGHTERS CRAFT MARKET
www.wisedaughters.com

VENDOR CALL: Call for Artists for 2012 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition (deadline: March 1; show July 6-8)

jen — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:13:02 +0000

If you’ve never done this show, perhaps it’s something to chew on over the holidays. Huge crowds, engagement with a diverse public alongside a bunch of great artists, and being part of something that has a deep (51!) year history in Toronto’s art scene while still keeping it relevant. And for those who had already decided to apply – here is a little nudge. Hoorah!

2012 APPLICATION FORM NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE!

Now in its 51st year, the Toronto Outdoor Art [...]

FROM THE DESK OF TCA: Holiday Wind Down

jen — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:06:33 +0000

Trimming our insane tree (filled to the gills with handmade love – thanks friends!)

Hi guys,

Well, I have been rooting around for something to post about and I have to admit, I think the focus part of my brain has already left for vacation. Recent days have been filled with holiday baking and candy making, trying to ready our very unfinished (and apocalyptically messy) house for hosting a big Christmas Eve family dinner, and getting a room ready for a first visit to our first [...]

GET SCHOOLED: Leather Accessories at The Make Den (January-February 2012)

jen — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:16:23 +0000

Finding handmade stuff for men is an ongoing challenge, even in this crafty mecca we call Toronto. So kudos to The Make Den for putting together this series of workshops to create objects that will warm your dude (or leather loving lady)’s heart on Valentine’s Day.

Make (Den) it for your Mate with Cat Essieambre

Rock your own adorable and totally matching DIY accessory kit – or give the BEST handmade Valentines Day gift ever!

This winter, The Make Den is your one stop [...]

HELP WANTED: Several Opportunities @ Artscape

jen — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:25:10 +0000

For those of you looking for meaningful employment in the Arts, look no further! Artscape is hiring for 3 juicy positions – one interim and two permanent. Click the links below to learn all about them, and get cracking on your applications as they close fairly soon!

Interim Director of Tenant Services> Closes January 13, 2012

Program & Events Coordinator: Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre> Closes December 23, 2011

Marketing & Outreach Coordinator: Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre> Closes December 23, 2011

CRAFTY HAPPENING: Za Za Zine Fair (London, Ontario – December 15, 2011)

becky — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Poster by Peter Thompson

I just caught wind of this wonderful looking zine fair happening tonight in London. On top of a killer line-up of artists I have long been a fan of (Diana Tamblyn, Lido Pimienta, Peter Thompson, Marc Bell), the evening also boasts, projections, workshops and bands to follow. I am sure all the zinesters I don’t know are just as great, too. You can peruse thewhole line-up with links

EXHIBITION: Neon Glow by Amanda McCavour at The Earl Selkirk Gallery @ ARTiculations (until January 20, 2011)

jen — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:08:31 +0000

The Junction is absolutely jammed with exciting design & craft shops and creative celebrations of late, so it was more of an ‘awesome, of course’ than an ‘no, really??’ when Amanda alerted me to to the fact that a ARTiculations, a cute new art supply store/workshop space/exhibition venue has opened there.

You can catch Amanda’s window installation and gallery show in the space until January 20th, check out the ARTiculations blog for upcoming workshops , and pop in to the [...]

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: World of Threads Festival 2012

tara — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:49:05 +0000

Sandra Gregson’s Ulysses, 2010. Photo courtesy of the World of Threads website.

Came across this call recently for the next World of Threads Festival– an annual event based out of Oakville that brings together fibre artists from Canada and all over the world. Check out their website for more information, and while you’re at it, give their excellent interview series a gander, which profiles fibre artists from T.O. and abroad.

The World of Threads [...]

CRAFTY HAPPENING: 2nd Annual XPACE Zine Fair (Saturday, December 17, 2011, 12-6pm)

tara — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:58:49 +0000

Zine haul from the last XPACE zine fair. Photo by Fiona Smyth, courtesy of her blog, The Wilding.

Zines make great stocking stuffers! Spread the zine gospel this holiday season by buying a heap of them at XPACE’s zine fair this coming weekend, and gift them to your friends and family. The fair will have handmade items, prints and other great stuff, too.

2ND ANNUAL XPACE ZINE FAIR
Saturday December 17, 2011, 12pm-6pm
XPACE Cultural Centre
58 Ossington [...]

GET SCHOOLED: Bohemian Wrapsody @ City of Craft 2011 (December 10, 2011)

jen — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:11:17 +0000

I mentioned this workshop briefly earlier this week, but thought I’d let you all know in more detail what myself & my pal Day will be going over in our DIY gift wrapping workshop at City of Craft tomorrow (!).

Bohemian Wrapsody
With Jen and Day
Saturday December 10th, 2011 – 4:00pm-6:00pm
At City of Craft 2011
The Theatre Centre , 1087 Queen Street West

Found some amazing, made-by-hand gifts for your special someones at City of Craft? Don’t dull your giftly treasures [...]

EXHIBITION: GRAFT: Linking Art, Textiles and Science at the Textile Museum of Canada (Exhibition: December 3, 2011-January 22, 2012; Reception: December 9, 2011, 5-7pm)

tara — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:06:49 +0000

Image: Joanne Jin, silkscreen print on hand painted silk. Image courtesy of the Textile Museum of Canada.

GRAFT is the latest exhibition happening at the Textile Museum of Canada, a collaboration between them and neighbours OCADU. A mash-up of art, textiles and science, this show will showcase the work of students from OCAD’s Material Art and Design program. The reception is tonight!

GRAFT: Linking Art, Textiles and Science
at the Textile Museum of Canada
December 3, 2011-January 22, 2012

CRAFT SHOW: Holiday Show Round-up!

jen — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:14:07 +0000

Vendor Hooray at Handmade Holiday 2011

With new jobs, school finals & running a giant show among the things keeping us up at night this holiday season, TCA has not had the chance to put together a list of holiday shows for y’all to sink your teeth in to. Luckily several major local news sources have been doing the job for us, and with a doozy craft fair weekend coming up in a couple of days I wanted to share [...]