Upcoming Canadian Craft Biennial

by | Jun 12, 2017 | workshops

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Celebrate at the Inaugural Canadian Craft Biennial

The Art Gallery of Burlington and Craft Ontario are pleased to announce that the official website for the inaugural Canadian Craft Biennial has been launched: www.canadiancraftbiennial.ca. This national event, taking place between August 19 and October 29, 2017, will showcase provincial, national, and international craft artists through four gallery exhibitions, a two-day symposium, two ten-day residencies, and additional community programming.

Denis Longchamps, Artistic Director and Chief Curator at the Art Gallery of Burlington, addresses the need for a national celebration of craft:

“The Biennial is a dream that started to develop a few years ago to bring together makers, scholars, collectors and craft aficionados together to discuss contemporary Canadian craft within a larger discourse.”

Today, this dream is a reality, with the inaugural Biennial being presented under the theme Can Craft? Craft Can!, which will explore historical contexts and offer critical insights into the future of craft in Canada. Aligning with Canada’s 150th anniversary, Can Craft? Craft Can! will highlight and celebrate Canadian craft professionals, and educate the public on the role that craft plays in Canadian arts and culture.

Learn more about Biennial Programming

EXHIBITIONS

You are Invited: The grand opening for all exhibitions is on Friday, September 15th, 6:00 pm, at the Art Gallery of Burlington (1333 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington).
Can Craft? Craft Can!
This national exhibition will be showcasing seventy makers from across Canada with a focus on the themes of identity, sustainability and materiality

Nothing is Newer than Tradition
A feature exhibition of emerging Ontario artists that reflect the way in which craft materials, tools and processes of creativity are reiterated through the hands of a new generation of makers
International Ceramic Exhibition: Anton Reijnders
Anton is internationally renowned for his site-specific ceramic installations

Setting Ontario’s Table:
Once Upon a Time
The Art Gallery of Burlington’s permanent collection’s exhibit will explore functional ware from Ontario ceramists, and juxtapose each artist’s early work with their recent work to explore the progression in their practice

SYMPOSIUM

The two-day symposium is where scholars and enthusiasts alike will come together to discuss a wide variety of topics related to the exhibition. Over two days split between Burlington on September 15th and Toronto on September 16th, participants will have the chance to learn, discover, and gain insight into the past and future of Canadian craft.
Friday September 15th
Burlington Holiday Inn 
3063 S. Service Rd, Burlington
8:30-6:00
Saturday September 16th
OCAD University
100 McCaul St. Toronto, ON
8:30-4:45
Craft Ontario members save $50 on symposium registration
Register in advance to secure your place

If you would like to take advantage of the shuttle bus service on Friday evening from the Burlington Holiday Inn to the Art Gallery of Burlington for the reception, and/or for Saturday from the Burlington Holiday Inn to OCAD University, it will be an additional $20 that can be selected on the online registration form.

Register Today!
Why Attend the Biennial? The Canadian Craft Biennial is a chance to unite those who make, appreciate, and study Canadian craft. For the first time, Burlington will host a national celebration of craft on the international stage, shining a spotlight on the immense creative spirit of our country.

Debra Sloan: 5 Day Workshop @ Leach Pottery in St. Ives

by | Apr 27, 2017 | workshops

Make your own roof Finial in the tradition of the West Country – Clay sculpture course to create a guardian to sit on a roof tile

29 May to 2 June 2017 (5 days), 10am- 4pm

£450

Maximum on the course: 8

All welcome anyone with, or without ceramic skills

Theme

For this workshop – in honour of the Leach Horseman on display at the “That Continuous Thing” exhibition at the Tate, St Ives – we will work with the idea of roof finials or guardians, a tradition of the West Country.  Please bring ideas and images of what kind of guardian you would like on your roof. If students are unsure of what to do, there will be images for them to choose from. Each student will have an earthenware ridge tile to work from.  There will be a short slide show about roof finials.

  • Three days building
  • Two days to finish

Hand building [sculpture] is an open and exploratory experience, and I try to conduct a class that makes the process accessible, and is deeply satisfying. Handwork is very a different experience from throwing pots, it is about imaginative structure.  I enjoy problem solving and working individually with each student to find ways and means.  Beginners and experienced alike are welcomed.  Though technical skills are helpful, beginners can make expressive and cogent work.

At the end of the workshop the student should have one or two figure/ finials that will be fired in the Leach Pottery kilns.  Pick up of the pieces would be about two weeks after the workshop. Once these pieces are fired they can be cemented onto a ridge tile and placed on your own roof – to honour the ridge tile tradition of the West Country. This hands-on experience will open up understanding of the ceramic experience and hopefully encourage the participants to continue exploring this wonderful material. The Leach Pottery will provide some hand tools – please bring any tools you may have.The work would be freestanding and within 8-14 inches, H/W.  The students would pick up their work around 4-6 weeks after the workshop.

Students to Bring:

·         A packed lunch, Leach Pottery will provide tea & coffee provided

·         Any tools you may have, knives, sticks etc., a towel, pencil and paper, dry-cleaner plastic, large sponges, and short fingernails.

·         An image you would like to work with – if you have one in mind – finials can be anything you can imagine – abstracted or representational.  We will discuss the images and how to make them .

For the class the Leach Pottery will provide:·

·         A generic earthenware ridge tile for each student to work from

·         Generic hand tools, and I can bring some, and some dry cleaner plastic.

·         ·      A bisque firing, and a final firing in the gas kiln, so that student pieces can be weather proof and put on the roof.    Most students would make 1 -2 pieces.

·         There will be no glazing, but a black and white clay slips for the surface will be available, for a bit of detail

BOOK NOW

More info: www.leachpottery.com

Find out more about Debra: www.debrasloan.com

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education opportunity: Minnesota New Institute for Ceramic Education

by | Apr 13, 2017 | call for entry, emerging artist, workshops

Northern Clay Center presents an advanced ceramics studio program in collaboration with ceramic artist and educator, Ursula Hargens. The New Institute for Ceramic Education provides up to 8 months of advanced, personalized instruction for artists who are serious about taking the next step in their ceramic education.

This pilot program is designed to respond to the changing needs of students and gives non-traditional students the same quality of information and critique found in a university program.  Designed for potters and sculptors alike, the Institute will support the development of studio work and provide high-level training in ceramic materials, history and theory, and professional practices.

Participants will earn a certificate of completion through a combination of instruction and individual mentoring. The program will extend beyond the classroom to include artist lectures, gallery tours, and studio visits with established artists to take advantage of the rich ceramic resources throughout the Twin Cities, including those from academic and non-traditional routes of study, artists of other media, and arts administrators.

Get updates about MN NICE classes, visiting artists, and events on the NCC blog. 

What can you hope to achieve from this program?

By the end of the 8-month program, students will earn a certificate and will possess the technical skills, artistic context, and personal insight to build a strong and cohesive body of work. They will learn how to present and promote their work, whether they are seeking gallery representation, applying to graduate school, or selling work to the public.

MN NICE combines the best aspects of a residency, university program, and apprenticeship. Certificate recipients will establish new connections with peers and established artists in the field, build professional credentials, and create a strong body of work based on individualized instruction. The program will culminate in a final exhibition at Northern Clay Center.

“It is not without trepidation that I look toward the future, but I am eager to stretch my wings using the tools, resources, and courage I have discovered through MN NICE.
I feel honored and proud to have been a part of this program.” — MN NICE participant, 2015-16

Is MN NICE right for you?

Now in its second year, MN NICE is designed to respond to the changing needs of students and to give non-traditional students the same quality of information and critique found in a university program. Designed for potters and sculptors alike, MN NICE will support the development of studio work and provide high-level training in ceramic materials, history and theory, and professional practices. Participants will earn a certificate of completion through a combination of instruction and individual mentoring, led by ceramic artist and educator Ursula Hargens.

Hargens states, “Many individuals are eager to further their ceramic education and seek a professional credential, but family, employment, financial, and time constraints limit their ability to do so within a traditional academic structure. This certificate program is designed to fill this gap, providing a flexible, yet challenging environment that responds to the needs of non-traditional students, giving them quality information, academic rigor, critical dialogue, and critique as they develop their artistic practice and strengthen their work.”

Click here to access the application form.

Listen to a conversation between course leader, Ursula Hargens and a couple members of the first group of MN NICE students on Ben Carter’s Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast.

Find out more here: www.northernclaycenter.org/education/minnesota-new-institute-ceramic-education

call for artists: Bursary opportunities for Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts

by | Apr 7, 2017 | emerging artist, workshops

Each year, the Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts is proud to be able to offer a number of full and partial bursaries to practicing Canadian artists. Financial assistance is available through the MISSA Bursary Program, for artists working in any medium, and the Betty Burroughs Memorial Fund for ceramic artists. MISSA also awards a number of Emerging Artist Bursaries to emerging artists 19-29 years old. Bursaries are available on a one-time basis and are applicable to any course offered at MISSA.

Bursary Application Process

Please email the scanned completed application form, 4-5 images and a brief bio combined as one PDF document which is under 4MB in size (please use low res images in your file) , to the Executive Director : [email protected] Applications due April 15, 2017. Only those applications which comply with the single PDF file format will be considered. Thank you.

MISSA BURSARY application 2017 [pdf]
MISSA BURSARY application 2017 [Word document]

Selection is undertaken by the Board of Directors and is based on artistic merit, financial need and commitment to art. Partial bursaries typically cover the workshop tuition. Full bursaries cover both tuition and accommodation & meals. Bursaries do not include required course supplies or travel expenses. Recipients are required to contribute a minimum of four hours volunteer time per week and to write a brief report outlining their MISSA experience.

The Vancouver Island Potters Guild offers a Betty Burroughs Memorial Bursary to members of their guild.  APPLICATION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL THE END OF APRIL. Please contact the Guild directly for further details.

missa.ca/missa-bursary-program/