As if you don’t look everyday anyway…but if you don’t you’d better head over to Plate a Day blog because they’re having a contest to celebrate plate/post # 200. (Congrats! that’s awesome!) All you need to do is send them, in the comments (on their site not mine), the url to your favorite plate, the name of the artist, and, if possible, any information you may have about how it was made. The winner will recieve a hand painted plate. The entry the winner chooses will also be posted as plate #200. The contest will close at midnight (Pacific) on Thursday, July 16th. Now if I could just figure out what to do for my 500th post…opps that’s the next one!

Generously Odd: Craft Now, Lexington Art League
Entry Deadline: July 31, 2009

In an attempt to chronicle the unique territory currently being examined by today’s avant-garde craft artists, LAL invites artists/ craftspeople to apply for an upcoming exhibition in the historic Loudoun House. Generously Odd: Craft Now will focus on contemporary craft objects that engagingly experiment with material, form and concept. While all craft media will be considered, the exhibition will place emphasis on works that explore abundant decoration, obsessive techniques, and peculiar narratives or concepts. Travis S. Townsend, artist, woodworker, and Lecturer of Art at Eastern Kentucky University, will curate the exhibition.

For more information about the curator, eligibility and entry procedures visit: http://www.lexingtonartleague.org/calltoartist.htm (near the bottom of the page)

Expression of Interest Deadline: Friday July 24th, 2009

The Gladstone Hotel seeks “Expressions of Interest” for innovative, cutting-edge, contemporary design and installation-based projects for The Gladstone Hotel’s annual alternative design event, Come Up To My Room. The seventh installment of CUTMR will take place from January 21st to 24th, 2010 at the historic Gladstone Hotel in downtown Toronto. Site-specific work will be mounted in the rooms and public spaces on the 2nd and main floors of The Gladstone.

Ideal candidates for juried consideration are makers who focus their practice in the areas of experimental, inter-disciplinary, self-taught, hand-made/craft-based work in any creative medium. We are looking for practitioners and emerging designers who approach their discipline with a radical personal vision, and who use design to converse, connect, collaborate and construct delight in the unexpected.

There are two ways to participate in Come Up To My Room 2010.

1) Room Installations: participants will create new work that is site-specific installation. Participants must be new to CUTMR or have not shown in past three years at CUTMR. The curatorial focus and submission review will be on strength of previous works.

2) Public Spaces: participants will create functional lighting, seating or wall-based projects which responds to the site, or a DJ booth and/or bar for the event. Past Participants of CUTMR are welcome to submit to this category. The curatorial focus will be on actual project proposals, as well as previous work. Please submit sketches and/or a written paragraph on your proposed installation.

For more information visit http://www.gladstonehotel.com/cutmr.html