Toronto Craft Alert » Installation

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: 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 – [...]

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 [...]

CRAFT SHOW: City of Craft 2011 (December 10 & 11, 2011)

jen — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:14:31 +0000

In my biased (though I like to think educated) opinion, City of Craft gets better and better each year. To wit, the 2011 show, coming up this weekend (!) features:

An awesome new space (thanks Thrush Holmes Empire!) to house an expanded rosters of 55 hand-picked vendors of art, housewares, apparel, jewellery accessories, wood work, ceramics, textiles, handmade supplies, paper goods, children’s wares and more hailing from from Montreal, Philadelphia, Rochester, Pittsburgh and (mostly) The GTA & Southern Ontario. Visit [...]

SPONSOR NEWS: December 2011

jen — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:34:24 +0000

This month’s TCA Sponsor News is chock full of great holiday activities, sweet sales and even a sound and craft installation. Read on & get out there and make stuff!

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

NANOPOD: HYBRID STUDIO
www.nanopod.tv
322 Harbord Street
647.780.4478
nanotopia@me.com

Wonderlandish
December 10 (11:00am-6:00pm) & 11 (1:00am-5:00pm), 2011
a nanotopian installation
Sound + Vision by Andrei Gravelle & Tosca Teran

nanopod: Hybrid Studio is taking part in this year’s City [...]

EXHIBITION: Kristin Ledgett: Bones and Bluster at Communication Art Gallery (November 18th–December 3rd, 2011)

tara — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:39:06 +0000

Photo Courtesy of the Communication Art Gallery website.

I just read a short review on Akimblog of this knitty little exhibition of work by none other than local craft hero Kristin Ledgett of The Knit Cafe! I’m kicking myself about not finding out about this sooner. The show comes down in just a few days, so race over to Harbord Street and check it out before it disappears.

Kristin Ledgett
Bones and Bluster
Solo Exhibition at
Communication Art Gallery

Kristin Ledgett has [...]

EXHIBITION: Change of Seasons by Geneviève Jodouin at Freedom Clothing Collective (November 11, 2011 – Jan 31, 2012. Reception: Friday, November 25, 2011)

becky — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:05:48 +0000

Around the city, the change of season is certainly sensed in the present tense this week. For those of us not as fond of the colder months, a visit to local screen print artist, Geneviève Jodouin‘s, new exhibition Change of Seasons may be in order. Her 175 sequential figure drawings walk viewers through a year in the city as the urban backdrop changes form and the figure in the foreground changes clothes. Me, I might like to [...]

EXHIBITION: upArt 2011 Nature vs. Culture and Post Graffiti @ The Gladstone (October 28-30, 2011; reception: October 27)

jen — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:16:42 +0000

Yshia Wallace, Superorganism 1, porcelain and wire, 2011

I was lucky to meet one of Toronto’s boundary-bending graffitti artists this summer who gave me a window in to the codes and transgressive potential of this really distinct area of creative expression, so I am particularly interested in this aspect of this year’s upArt show. If you’ve never been, upArt is one of the great annual art festivals hosted by the Gladstone where multiple contemporary artists are invited to transform rooms and [...]

CRAFTY HAPPENING: Toronto Made Pop-Up Shop by Clothing Brand Experiment (October 19-December 30, 2011; opening October 22)

jen — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:41:00 +0000

Clothing Brand Experiment (best known for their most awesome colour-blocked hoodies), is opening the doors to its holiday Pop-Up Shop tomorrow, and will keep em open all the way until the end of December. In the spirit of all CBE projects, in addition to their clothing line, the Shop will feature the work of 15 Toronto-based makers (Monster Factory, SLO, Julie Sinden & Ella’s Botanicals to name a few) as well as rotating installation window by local artists including Lauren Hall, Caroline Larsen, Braden [...]

CALL FOR SUMBISSIONS: Expressions of Interest for Permanent Art for Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre (deadline: November 4, 2011)

jen — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:29:49 +0000

So far most of the successful projects coming out of Regent Park seem to emerge from honest engagement with the existing community and the local culture, and it sounds like this call for public art calls for a similar approach. I also appreciate the broad possible materials list that includes textiles and ceramics and the fact that this is open to collectives and community orgs. Excited to see what pieces they choose!

Artscape is seeking [...]

EXHIBITION: Veiled: Andrew McPhail, Grace Ndiritu, Tazeen Qayyum at the Textile Museum of Canada (Exhibition: October 12, 2011 – February 12, 2012)

tara — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:36:39 +0000

One of my favourite things about the Textile Museum of Canada is that their curators often integrate the work of contemporary artists with objects from their permanent collection of textiles. It is a relatively rare treat to see them focus an entire show on the textile-based and textile-related work of contemporary artists. Veiled will feature the work of three artists working across media. Looking so forward to seeing this once I’ve returned from my sojourn in the US of A…

Image: [...]

POSTCARDS FROM THE ROAD: Gallery Hoppin’ in Chelsea and the Lower East Side, NYC

tara — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:34:32 +0000

Last Saturday, I went on a fast and frantic tour of a few New York City art galleries on a day trip from Baltimore. 8 hours of driving, 6 hours of hanging out…what was I thinking?! Saw some great stuff though, including a model of the Expo ’67 Pulp and Paper Pavillion in a Chelsea gallery, as well some amazing sculpture by American artist Do Ho Suh. The glowing [...]

QUESTIONS FOR CRAFTERS CHEONGJU: Robyn Love

tara — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 08:52:32 +0000

Robyn lays down The Knitted Mile in Dallas, Texas (2008)

Greetings, readers! Welcome to the first installment of a short series of interviews with a few of the talented craftspeople taking part in this year’s International Craft Biennale in Cheongju, Korea, which opened just a few days ago. There are 8 Canadians taking part in the festivities this year– one of them being Robyn Love, who was invited to the Biennale to create an ambitious site-specific installation. Robyn is an [...]

FOR SALE: Giant Sign from Beside Herself.

becky — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:56:08 +0000

Sign by Beside Herself at City of Craft 2010

This just in from the girls at Beside Herself: they are losing some storage space and the giant sign that they had on display for TIFF 2010 and City of Craft is now for sale. It’s everything your shop/loft/wedding needs and more!

GET TOGETHER: Create A Collaborative Fabric Sculpture With Amanda Browder For Nuit Blanche! (Sewing Days: September 27th & 28th, 12-5pm)

tara — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:28:08 +0000

Wanna find a way to take part in this year’s Nuit Blanche? Check out this call for fabric and makers to help with Brooklyn-based artist Amanda Browder’s fabric-ky take on the art car. Group sewing days will conveniently take place at The Workroom on the Wednesday and Thursday afternoons before the big (white) night. Find all the details you need below!

Amanda Browder’s Rapunzel courtesy of amandabrowder.com

Be Part of the…Chronomatic Hi-Five!
How to participate in Nuit Blanche? Participate!

Artist Amanda Browder is [...]

CRAFTY HAPPENING: Knit Night on the Brain @ SUPERCRAWL in Hamilton (September 10, 2011)

jen — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:42:50 +0000

The Beehive Craft Collective here in Hamilton have been working hard to execute an ambitious and adorable installation plan for SUPERCRAWL, Hamilton’s indie music and art fest going down this Saturday. We are mid-way through the install of this piece and I am so excited to see how the whole thing comes together.

With the help of mums, aunts, friends, and members of the Hamilton area craft community, the Beehive [...]

EXHIBITION: Items May Shift @ The Tree Museum (September 11-October 27, 2011; opening: September 11)

jen — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:12:52 +0000

With the weather getting nippier it seems like opportunities for outdoor fun are becoming more and more precious. Filling up a mug of hot tea, donning some sturdy shoes, and taking a road trip to this exhibition at the Tree Museum sounds like a perfect fall outing.

Pollination Wunder Station by Sarah Peebles, photo by Rob Cruickshank

Items May Shift – NEW Exhibition September 11 to October 27, 2011
Opening: Sunday September 11, 2011, Noon to 5pm, meet the artists [...]

VENDOR CALL/CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Canzine 2011 (show: October 23, 2011, deadline for installation proposals: Sept. 9, 2011))

jen — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:48:59 +0000

Heads up to zine & chapbook makers, writers, artists, comic creators and general grassroots crafty types that registration is now open for Canzine 2011. At $15/table (which comes with a 1 year subscription to Broken Pencil) this is a pretty dang risk free way for you to share your pubs with the zine-loving masses. If you happen to be reading from Vancouver, details on the Van edition below!

Also, Broken Pencil is looking for artists who are interested [...]

VENDOR CALL: City of Craft 2011 (show: December 10 & 11, 2011; deadline: August 31, 2011)

jen — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:11:19 +0000

Just a quick and timely reminder that apps for City of Craft are due really soon (they will stay open through Midnight EST on August 31, 2011, to be precise). Read on below for details and instructions on how to apply. And get on it guys!

Planning to apply to vend at City of Craft 2011?

First, Read the Application FAQ

Then, APPLY!

Questions? Contact [...]

POSTCARDS FROM THE ROAD: Baby Fatso hidden installation in Berlin, Germany

jen — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:06:59 +0000

We had to climb over a gate and use a map to navigate the ruins of an abandoned factory – that also acts as an amazing gallery of spray painted art – to find the Baby Fatso installation by Karl Addison hidden on the fourth floor of one of the buildings. Our first attempt was on a Monday morning, but we didn’t feel comfortable scaling the front gate in front of the workers of [...]

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Show Off @ The Junction (deadline: August 26; event: October 18-30, 2011)

jen — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 13:20:04 +0000

Window Display Artist was one of my top childhood dream jobs (along with Florist and Copywriter), so I got pretty excited when Angelune pointed out this call for submissions from Mason Interior Design for designers & artists to create installations for window displays in Junction storefronts. This design event will take place from October 18-30, 2011. The call closes August 26, so if this piques your imagination, head over here for more information and to download an application for registration.

If you have [...]

CRAFT SHOW: Summer Craft Fair Presented by the Beehive Craft Collective (August 12-13, 2011)

jen — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:47:59 +0000

Mark your calendars folks, Hamilton’s crafty event of the summer will be taking place August 12 & 13! The show will feature handmade jewelry, ceramics, textiles and more by over 20 talented makers from Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia in one of the many beautifully restored buildings in downtown Hamilton. The space will also be adorned with installations by textile artists Courtney Lakin and Amanda McCavour.

I know you keep hearing about how fun the monthly Art Crawl is ( I for one keep [...]

CRAFTY HAPPENING: Electric Eclectics Festival in Meaford (July 29 – 31, 2011)

jen — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:50:45 +0000

Public Displays of Affection by Hilary Martin, Installation at Electric Eclectics

I have been hearing good things about this festival for awhile now, and it is deffo on my must-do list of fun summertime outings (which seems to be growing daily now that we have wheels and easier access to the highway!).

Electric Eclectics is an avant-garde music festival that takes place on a farm just outside of Meaford. Beyond electronic/experimental/cross-over [...]

CALL FOR SUBMISSION: Help Robyn Love Make Knitted Squares for the Cheongju Avenue of Trees! (Deadline: September 3, 2011)

tara — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 05:53:26 +0000

Photo courtesy of Robyn’s blog; http://myfairisle.blogspot.com

This just in from NFLD/NYC fibre artist extraordinnaire Robyn Love…a call for submissions of knitted or crocheted squares to put towards a massive piece of public art for the 2011 Cheongju International Craft Biennale! Robyn’s work is well known and loved for her understated and often profound takes on public art. The following text was scooped up from a recent post on her blog, My Fair Isle. Read on for [...]

EXHIBITION: Niagara File at Type Books (July 1-31, 2011; Reception: July 14, 6-8pm)

tara — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:17:29 +0000

I spotted this exhibition listing yesterday featuring a trio of TCA’s favourite crafty superstars, Grant Heaps, Sonja Ahlers and Alexx Boisjoli. Not only is Niagara File an exhibition, but the reception will double as a catalogue launch for the exhibition, which will feature the work of additional talented folks on top of the three exhibiting artists. I can’t wait to treat myself to a copy!

Installation detail by Alexx Boisjoli

NIAGARA FILE

TYPE Books [...]

CRAFTY HAPPENING: Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition 50th Anniversary Show (July 8-10, 2011)

jen — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:49:23 +0000

A heads up that your favourite (or at least my favourite!) outdoor art show is coming up next weekend! Due to ongoing construction on Nathan Phillips Square, TOAE will be a bit smaller this year, but while it is so hard to turn away many worthy artists, this makes for an extremely tight (as in outta site) show that is most pleasurable to navigate in the summer sun!

This is the 50th anniversary of the show, so not only will there be original art, craft & craft-art by several [...]

EXHIBITION & STUDIO SPACE: Happy Housekeeping (until June 1, 2011); Contemporary Textile Studio Co-op Membership for September (deadline: May 31, 2011)

jen — Fri, 06 May 2011 12:30:44 +0000

Two bits of news to share with you via the Contemporary Textile Studio Co-op (CTS):

1. Hello Housekeeping

Back in April, textile artist Eliza Plumley partnered with the CTS and the Hospitality Workers Training Centre to run workshops with hotel room attendant members of Local 75 UNITE Here, and members of the housing co-op at 60 Richmond. The workshop taught participants basic crochet techniques as well inspiring them to explore and manipulate materials that were collected from Eliza’s work as a hotel room [...]

EXHIBITION: Ice Box by Amanda McCavour @ MADE (May 5 – June 30, 2011)

jen — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:34:41 +0000

Amanda McCavour is one of my favourite local fibre artists & her upcoming show at MADE is looking hella-beautiful. Hopefully by the time the installation launches, the idea of ice will be a very distant memory!

MADE presents:

“Ice Box” – a new installation by Amanda McCavour
May 5th through June 30th, 2011, opening reception Thursday 5th May, 7pm to 9pm.

Acknowledging the previous life of the MADE cooler space, McCavour creates an installation of embroidered frost patterns and snow crystal forms that reference cut paper snowflakes, and [...]

EXHIBITION: Infinite Variety Quilt Exhibition (New York City, March 25-30, 2011)

becky — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 10:14:24 +0000

Photo courtesy the American Folk Art Museum

This is not a Toronto happening and may sting you in the jealousy sensors, but the project is a little too amazing to ignore – even from afar.

New York’s inimitable American Folk Art Museum is gearing up to open Infinite Variety, a six day installation of 650 red and white quilts (all on loan from the private collection of Joanna S. Rose) at the Park Avenue Armory (643 Park Avenue, New York, NY). [...]

CRAFTY HAPPENING: (Pop)corn Maze Performance/Installation by Tara Bursey.

becky — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:50:33 +0000

Photo courtesy Tara Bursey

If you were lucky enough to be walking through Dundas Square this balmy afternoon, you may have noticed the TCA’s own Tara Bursey working out her performance muscles with the public installation of a (pop)corn maze. Me, I just spied the photos on Flickr (to watch the whole series of photos, start here) and wished I was there. If you are not familiar with her body of work, I highly suggest a stroll through Tara’s portfolio [...]