Toronto Craft Alert » “Outside of Toronto”

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: 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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

TCA POSTCARDS FROM THE ROAD: Vintage Pins at the Smithsonian, Washington, D.C.

tara — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:36:19 +0000

It’s an interesting time to be in the United States right now– protests have been heating up in New York City and across the country for weeks now. At the Smithsonian Museum of American History, the foyer is full of amazing historical and cultural odds and ends, including– fittingly– union flags, placards, and these political pinback buttons from the 1960s-1980s. I especially loved this one…

Tara is [...]

VENDOR CALL: Niagara Holiday Market (November 25, 2011 – January 1, 2012; application deadline: October 28)

jen — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:04:00 +0000

Growing up as a non-Christmas celebrator, I’ll admit to harbouring a certain amount of cranky attitude about the holiday for much of my youth. A month and a half of tacky tinsel, red and green everything, jammed malls, non-stop Christmas-themed sitcoms, friends being stressed about present-buying (not to mention getting huge presents!) did not inspire holiday cheer for someone watching from the sidelines. My icy Scrooge-like heart experienced a serious meltdown however when I found myself in Prague’s main [...]

QUESTIONS FOR CRAFTERS CHEONGJU: Aaron Oussoren

tara — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:24:23 +0000

Aaron Oussoren, Manhole Cover (Grey). Photo courtesy of the artist.

For our second Cheongju Craft Biennale artist profile, it is my pleasure to introduce you to the work of emerging Toronto-based glass artist, Aaron Oussoren. For more on him and his fantastic work, spend some time poking around his website.

How did you come to be one of the eight Canadians taking part in this year’s Craft Biennale in Cheongju?
I’m fortunate to be an Artist-In-Residence at Harbourfront Centre, and quite a [...]

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 [...]

POSTCARDS FROM THE ROAD: Niti Niti in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

becky — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:11:30 +0000

No, I am not in Slovenia at the moment (I wish) but I am going through pictures from my spring tour of the Continent and finding some real crafty gems. Ljubljana became one of my favourite cities on the planet from the first moment I set foot there. And it got even more wonderful on this spring visit when I discovered Niti Niti, a small knit boutique and supply store located right on the main canal through town. Carrying the works [...]

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 [...]

POSTCARDS FROM THE ROAD: Laundromat in Sackville, NB

jen — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 12:26:05 +0000

Hazel Meyer is a Toronto-based artist, aspiring athlete and amateur sports broadcaster who sometimes explores relationships between textiles and sports in her work. She recently did a residency at Struts Gallery and Faucet Media Arts Centre in Sackville New Brunswick, where she kept this blog documenting experiences, inspiration & process. She can also be found at www.hazelmeyer.com

I was warned of the Sackville panty snatcher and told NOT to leave my laundry alone, so, I stayed with my [...]

POSTCARDS FROM THE ROAD: Oil & Cotton in Dallas, Texas.

becky — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:05:20 +0000

Lots of postcards piling up in my virtual mailbox…stay tuned for some great little vignettes from crafty travels (like Becky’s below – wow!) over the next week – jen

It was impossible to choose one favourite [...]

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 [...]

POSTCARDS FROM THE ROAD: On the steps of the Met in NYC

jen — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:21:25 +0000

Grant Heaps is traveling about the US on the train stopping in cities and crocheting in public places.

In his words:

I am starting a new project made of crochet. The crochet pieces are found, donated, purchased or made by me or friends. I have a goal of working for five hours everyday. I wear a uniform that is blue and sombre and I believe looks like a textile worker from some past time. I hope to talk to people about crochet and I [...]

CRAFTY BIZ: Crafting a Well-Rounded Business Workshop by Becky Johnson (June 23, 2011)

jen — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:44:35 +0000

As regular readers are no doubt aware, Becky has many crafty feathers in her cap, including her celebrated sweetie pie press blog and the annual City of Craft festival. I believe that one of the reasons why her endeavours get so much love is her unwavering transparency and genuine support of her fellow makers in the age of premeditated social media strategy and soft-focus blogging. I am excited to announce that Becky will be sharing her unique perspective on indie business at the Etsy [...]

EXHIBITION: Surfacing: contemporary textile and craft objects – Hamilton (May 13-14, 2011)

jen — Tue, 10 May 2011 15:49:03 +0000

I am getting really excited for this Friday’s Art Crawl on Hamilton’s crafty-arty corridor, James Street North, not least because a whole whack of Torontonians are coming down to check it out on an intercity Fieldtrip. In addition to the mystery window display being put together at White Elephant, the show I am most anticipating is the Sheridan textile grad show Surfacing: contemporary textile and craft objects. I seem to have bad lucking making it out to Sheridan textile events and I know [...]

IT CAME FROM THE FORUM: Craft Retreats

jen — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:24:58 +0000

I swear I heard the birds chirping this morning, and despite the slushy snow covering our streets, I can feel the softness of Spring seeping back in to our lives like a dearly missed pal. Spring makes me think of getting out of the city, and I’ve been happy to see a couple of posts about craft retreats cropping up in the forum. What could be better than a weekend (or longer!) of uninterrupted making time, in uninterrupted surroundings?? Something to start thinking about now re: booking time off…

VENDOR CALL: The Beehive Summer Craft Fair (deadline: April 1, 2011; show: August 12-13, 2011)

jen — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:36:07 +0000

For some born and bred Torontonians, Hamilton may not come to mind as a bastion of creative exchange or a place to pursue a life of good and simple things.    This perception is quite simply totally whack. Each time I visit I become more inspired by the people, projects, and possibilities of this lovely city, and the activities of the newly formed Beehive Craft Collective will no doubt deepen my crush on the Hammer.

The Beehive is a Hamilton-based “craft and urban homesteading collective” composed of a talented group craft artists, makers, and [...]

VENDOR CALL: 2011 Craft show applications via Hello Craft

jen — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:17:08 +0000

If you haven’t already, you may want to consider traveling a bit further a-field to participate in (or even attend) craft shows happening in other parts of Canada, the U.S., and yes, even the UK! It is more of a financial investment, yes, but it can be a great excuse to check out a new craft community, visit a place you’ve never been before, and also connect with fellow makers & customers that you may never have reached otherwise. I was lucky enough to have participated in the first Renegade Craft show in [...]

GET SCHOOLED: PMC Workshop at London Clay Arts Centre (June 26)

rosalyn — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 02:53:54 +0000

Date: Saturday, June 26, 2010
Time: 10am – 3pm Location: London Clay Art Centre
664 Dundas Street, London, ON
Cost: $135 plus $35 kit fee (18gr bag of PMC+)
**taxes not included
**OCC Members receive a 10% discount off the price of this workshop

Join Shannon Kennedy and Juan Bohorquez of Cynosure Jewelry and discover PMC, a revolutionary clay-like medium that allows you to mould or sculpt pieces as you would soft clay [...]

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: From the Great Lakes (August-September, deadline: June 9)

rosalyn — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:03:15 +0000

De La Cason Arte Contemporanea is a brand new exhibition space in Venice, Italy and one of the very few in the city that exhibits works by emerging artists.

“From the Great Lakes” will be an exhibition showcasing work by emerging Canadian artists to an international community, curated by Michelle Galletta, an OCAD grad who now lives and works in Venice. This is an open invitation to artists who live in or are from Ontario and are making [...]

GET TOGETHER: World Wide Knit in Public Day (June 19)

rosalyn — Tue, 18 May 2010 12:55:24 +0000

Saturday, June 19 – 8am-12noon
Did you know June 12-20 is World Wide Knit in Public Week in 2010? Public knitting events will be held around the world.

To participate and celebrate the close connection knitting has to the industrial heritage of the area Cambridge Centre for the Arts Artist-in-Residence Sue Sturdy invites you to join hundreds of other knitters in an attempt to set a new world record for the most people knitting simultaneously!

Where and When?

Civic Square in [...]

VENDOR CALL: Appliquez a PUCES POP PRINTEMPS – Apply to SPRING PUCES POP (June 5-6, deadline May 10)

rosalyn — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:54:02 +0000

English message below!

Le soleil est de la partie et le printemps est ici… C’est le temps pour une nouvelle édition de

Puces Pop Printemps!

Marquez vos calendriers et sauvez la date, cette année, la foire se déroule le 5-6 Juin à la Fédération Ukrainienne.
Nous voulons voir ce sur quoi vous avez travaillé cet hiver !

•   Envoyez nous 3-5 photos qui représentent clairement votre travail.
•   Si vous avez un site Etsy, un groupe facebook, un site internet ou un magasin [...]

QUESTIONS FOR CRAFTERS: Hollie and Jane @ White Elephant

jen — Mon, 03 May 2010 18:52:33 +0000

Hollie and Jane on White Elephant’s 1st Birthday

Interview by Jen Anisef

When I mentioned a plan to visit friends in Hamilton, everyone crafty that I spoke to told me “you have to go to White Elephant!” (including said friends). So I went, and I strongly suggest that you believe the hype! The boutique (located at 152 James Street North) is a perfect fusion of sweet vintage housewares and stylish crafty goods from indie artists near and far (lots of TO talent represented as well as [...]

CRAFT SHOW: The Creators’ Marketplace Show & Sale (TODAY!)

rosalyn — Sat, 01 May 2010 15:36:47 +0000

Looking for a unique Mother’s Day gift? Or just want to find something really different for yourself?

Come check out over 8400 sq. ft. of original and handmade art, jewellery, toys, clothing, food and more at:

The Creators’ Marketplace Show & Sale
Thornhill Community Centre
7755 Bayview Ave., Markham
Saturday May 1, 2010
12-6 pm

FEATURING:
FREE Parking
FREE Kids Activities
FREE Workshops for guests of all ages!
Balloon art, Face Painting
Silent auction with proceeds going to the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

MEET: KURT LEHNER
Animation Artist for Disney, [...]

CRAFT SHOW: Stitch ‘n’ Kitsch Spring Show ‘n’ Sale (TODAY!)

rosalyn — Sat, 01 May 2010 15:22:58 +0000

In our efforts to support local, sustainable businesses, the Stitch’n’Kitsch Spring Show and Sale is the perfect opportunity to get to know some of our regional gems. You don’t have to worry about fair-trade practices, carbon footprints or child labor when you purchase from this craft collective. It has one rule – everything is handmade. It is free and runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 1 at First United Church, corner of King and William, Uptown Waterloo.

The Stitch’n’Kitsch collective began in 2004 as part of [...]

CRAFTY HAPPENING: SewFest West 2010 (April 30 & May 1)

rosalyn — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:06:24 +0000

SewFest West 2010
An exciting new sewing and needlework event!

The biggest and best sewing and needlework show in Southern Ontario this spring! Over 35 exhibitors, free seminars, make and take it! and classes.

Bingemans Conference Centre
425 Bingemans Centre Dr
Kitchener, ON N2B 3X7

Fri, Apr 30: 12noon to 8pm
Sat, May 1: 10am to 6pm

Admission $5 per day

Wheelchair accessible, snack bar, free parking, ATM on site

Contact address:
Joanne’s Creative Notions
P.O. Box 20071
8965 Chinguacousy Rd.
Brampton, ON L6Y 0L9
Toll Free: 1. 800.811.6611

Keynote [...]

VENDOR CALL: Funky Arts & Craft Show in the country! (June 12 & 13, deadline: June 1)

rosalyn — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:15:39 +0000

Call for Entry: Funky Arts & Craft Show in the country! in London, ON

Call for Entry
One of A Kind vendors receive discount

Application deadline: June 01, 2010

For the upcoming: Schoolhouse Studio Arts & Craft Show 2010
A small gathering of up to 30 artist and crafter vendors, showing unique works.
Indoor and outdoor booth spaces available

Show Dates: June 12 & 13, 2010
Location: Schoolhouse Studio
9924 Gold Creek Drive, KOMOKA, London, ON
Just [...]