Summer 2013 Issue Alberta Craft Magazine
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ALBERTA CRAFT CULTURE IN THE MAKING PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE ALBERTA CRAFT COUNCIL > SUMMER 2013 ISSUE ALBERTA CRAFT MAGAZINE The Alberta Craft Council Magazine is published quarterly. Submission Deadline for the Fall 2013 Issue: August 25, 2013 The Alberta Craft Magazine makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, but assumes no liability in cases of error or changing conditions. Any business relations or other activities undertaken as a result of the information contained in the Alberta Craft Magazine, or arising there from, are the responsibility of the parties involved and not of the Alberta Craft Council. ALBERTA CRAFT COUNCIL Offices, Gallery & Shop: 10186-106th Street Edmonton, AB Canada T5J 1H4 Office Information: Hours: Monday – Friday 9 am to 5 pm Tel: (780) 488-6611 OR 1-800-DO CRAFT (1-800-362-7238) Fax: (780) 488-8855 E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.albertacraft.ab.ca Alberta Craft Gallery and Shop: Hours: Monday – Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm Open until 6 pm on Thursdays (780) 488-5900 Staff: Executive Director: Tom McFall, ext. 228 Administration Manager: Nancy St. Hilaire, ext. 234 Gallery Coordinators/ Membership: Joanne Hamel, ext. 221 Communications: Laura O’Connor, ext. 231 Events: Annette Aslund, ext. 221 Retail Gallery Coordinator: Linda Frena, ext. 232 Craft Shop Staff: Elaine Emerson, ext. 232 Board of Directors: Chair: Tara Owen, Calgary Past Chair: James Lavoie, Edmonton Directors: Xanthe Isbister, Medicine Hat Mary-Beth Laviolette, Canmore Heather Forbes, Grande Prairie Victor Steel, Fort McMurray Kari Woo, Canmore Patti Hartnagel, Edmonton Dawn Detarando, Red Deer Jennifer Salahub, Calgary Meghan Wagg, Edmonton Kai Georg Scholefield, Calgary Magazine Editor: Nancy St. Hilaire Magazine Design: Lime Design Inc. Alberta Craft Council is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing Alberta craft and the Alberta craft industry. Sponsors: Reports From the Executive Director Last year, the Alberta wind gizmos, as well as other aspects of Wonju Hanji Paper Arts Festival Craft Council focused folk craft in Alberta. (They thought I was an special attention on web expert!) communications with The Craft Council’s Pulp Paper Pages exhibition But the connecting didn’t stop there. I told the new and vastly bet- has been invited to the Wonju Hanji (Paper Arts) Wendy about an annual whirligig festival Festival for September and October 2013. Up to ter website along with (which I would love to attend) in Shelburne ten Craft Council member artists with work in expanded social media Nova Scotia where 150 makers gather to this exhibition have been invited as international activity. As a result, fewer show and demonstrate their most recent participants in the Hanji Festival. We are very that a dozen ACC mem- creation/inventions for an audience of grateful to the Edmonton Arts Council for their bers now don’t or can’t receive the ACC’s VXSSRUWDQGWKH(GPRQWRQ0D\RU·V2IÀFHLQ WKRXVDQGVRIZKLUOLJLJDÀFLRQDGRV7KLV weekly e-news and many more members are their facilitation of this project. hint led to a connection between the Galt using Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to con- and Shelburne… and Lethbridge is about to When the Craft Council hosted a VIP visit by nect and promote their work and events. KROGLWVÀUVWDQQXDOZKLUOLJLJIHVWLYDO$XJXVW coordinators of the Hanji Paper Festival in This year the special focus is on expanding 31, with an array of public events and $500 November of 2012 they generously left some the ACC’s provincial relationships. The Pulp prizes for best of show, peoples’ choice and Hanji paper for our artists. The paper was distributed to Pulp Paper Pages artists who have Paper Pages exhibition will be at the Leighton historic whirligigs. Wind Work, Wind Play, begun creating work with this thoughtful gift. Arts Centre (June 8 to July 14). The ACC’s Weathervanes & Whirligigs exhibition is on To view the current work created, please visit annual general meeting was held there on display until September 2. Visit the exhibition website: June 15 to coincide with the exhibition recep- www.galtmuseum.com for more details. www.pulp-paper-pages.com/hanji/ tion. The Golden Edge exhibition is at Red But my whirligig story doesn’t end with Deer College (July 8 to August 16) for Series. an exhibition, talk or new festival. While in Bird Bird Bird Book by Brenda Malkinson And the ACC has had some involvement in hanji, ink, thread and ribbon Lethbridge I was introduced to two really four different craft conferences organized Photo Credit: Laura O’Connor interesting contemporay whirligig mak- by Alberta Potters’ Association, Glass Arts ers – they aren’t just a thing of the past! Alex Association of Canada and ACAD, Hand Pavlenko and Doug Costall both have pieces Weavers, Spinners and Dyers of Alberta, in the Galt exhibition. Doug converts scrap and Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists steel into spinners and weather vanes. You Guild. can see Alex and one of his pieces in the Sometimes these web efforts and provincial Lethbridge Beat by googling “Alex Pavlenko connections converge, accidentally and whirligig”. He also has a giant whirligig in serendipitously: one such recent convergence the Lethbridge public art collection. involved whirligigs and the Galt Museum in So, do the goals of the Alberta Craft Coun- Lethbridge. (By the way, Lethbridge is a hap- cil’s Strategic Plan (or my job description) pening place culturally with major additions include promoting whirligig festivals. No, to the Galt and the Southern Alberta Art not really, but why not? This is the kind of Gallery, along with a bold new Community deliciously random convergence that can re- Arts Centre and plans for a performing arts sult from strategic initiatives such as expand- facility. But I digress.) ing member and public communications and On the Cover A few months ago, an ACC member in province-wide networking. Apple of Eden (detail Medicine Hat forwarded an exhibition no- from the installation Moreover, I would be delighted to see a Coming Out Party) tice. The Galt Museum was planning to host revival of whirligig making, and what better by Barbara J West a Canadian Museum of Civilization touring location than windy Lethbridge for this to Knitted, clay, wire show of whirligigs and weathervanes. Galt 7”x 7”x 7” happen. I’m delighted that the ACC’s new curator Wendy Aitkens was also looking The installation Coming website and social media can help promote for Alberta examples of this dying folk art. Out Party (mixed media projects such as this. And, I’m also delighted I thought this was an intriguing project and - 8’x8.25’x8’) posits to invite Alberta Craft Council members to one source of learning offered to re-circulate the news. participate in the August 31 Whirligig and about women’s role in Western culture, com- I also mentioned to Wendy that I happened Weathervane Festival at the Galt Museum. ing from Adam’s bite of to have several whirligigs in my own col- the apple in the Garden -Tom McFall lection of Alberta folk craft. One thing led to of Eden. another and two of my whirligigs are now Barbara J. West (Calgary) received her BA (Honours) exhibited at the Galt. I attended the exhibi- Degree in Embroidered Textiles from Middlesex University, London, UK in 2011. She has been juried into a number of tion opening and participated in a panel talk national and international exhibitions. about whirligigs, weathervanes and other Hanging by a Thread is featured on pages 6 & 7. SUMMER 2013 UÊÊÊ ,/Ê ,/Ê< ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊNÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ1 Reports Tom McFall receives the Syncrude Award ACC Member for Excellence in Arts Management Promotion Package Alberta Craft Council’s Syncrude strongly feels that Executive Director Tom there would be no art were it McFall received the Syn- not for the managerial The ACC Member Promotion crude Award for Excellence professionals who ensure Package is designed to let in Arts Management at the everything happens as it Mayors Celebration of the should. Tom recently customers know that you belong Arts. The event was held celebrated 15 years as Execu- to a professional organization at the Winspear Centre in tive Director of the ACC. Edmonton on April 27th. that recognizes a high standard Tom McFall, Alberta Craft This award is designed to in fine craft. You can use the Council board and staff encourage and honour an would like to thank Mayor signage anywhere you are selling individual/organization who Stephen Mandel, the Profes- has demonstrated innova- or promoting your work such as sional Arts Coalition of Scott Sullivan, Syncrude President and tion, leadership and vision in craft shows, markets, studio sales, Edmonton (PACE) and Syn- CEO presents Tom with the Syncrude the management of a profes- Award for Excellence in Arts Management crude for this great honour. events, etc. From tent cards and sional arts organization. mini-banners to a version that can be posted on your website, you Alberta Craft Council continues work on two new can build a package to best suit locations, King Edward Arts Hub in Calgary & Artists your needs. Quarters in Edmonton - 4x6 tent card $OEHUWD&UDIW&RXQFLOLVDPRQJWKHÀUVW City of Edmonton’s $8.3 million contribu- - 4x6, 5x7 or 8.5x11 poster eight arts organizations chosen as major WLRQRIODQGDQGPRQH\IRUERWKQRQSURÀW tenants in the King Edward Arts Hub at arts spaces and affordable live-work or - 4x14 horizontal mini-banner 17th St. and 30th Ave. SW. ACC board chair studios units. Planning and design continue Tara Owen and board member Kai Scho- through this summer on the 18-storey com- - website logo OHÀHOGDWWHQGHGD0DUFKFHUHPRQ\ZKHUH plex which will include about 50,000 sq ft of Culture Minister Heather Klimchuk handed space anchored by the Alberta Craft Coun- Contact Joanne at the over a $3.5 million provincial contribution cil, Rapid Fire Theatre, other provincial Alberta Craft Council to place to the $31 million project.