City of Craft 2009

Okay...I've pretty recovered from City of Craft by now and am on to recovering from Christmas and gearing up for New Years Eve...! This will definitely be my last post about City of Craft this year, so I'll leave you with this link to my City of Craft 2009 installations Flickr page, which includes some great documentation of many of this year's on and off-site installations. Enjoy!

Also, thanks to all of my co-organizers, and all of this year's wonderful installation artists and participating artists in the Home and Away group exhibition:

Jen Anisef, Lizz Aston, Fiona Bailey, Rose Bianchini, Amy Borkwood, Leah Buckareff, The Caribou Collective, Marta Chudolinska, Heather Fagan, Rosalyn Faustino, Meags Fitzgerald and Pamela Norrish, Sara Guindon, Genevieve Jodouin, Becky Johnson, Jacinta Lodge, Serena McCarroll and Tyler Brett, Holly McClellan, The Misanthrope Specialty Co, Megan Morgan, Shanell Papp, Susan Rowe Harrison, Jen Spinner and Laurie McGregor, Streetknit and Ryan Kamstra, The Toronto Hyperbolic Reef Collective and Gillian Wilson.

Huge thanks also to our 2009 Queen Street West satellite installation venues:  Tanya and Scott of Fly Gallery, Janna of the Ontario Crafts Council, Sonja of Thieves, Kristin of The Knit Cafe and Royal Car Wash.

Hope to see you all next year!

City of Craft Window Decals

Here is some step-by-step documentation of the hand-cut vinyl decals I made to mark each City of Craft satellite installation. I got a ton of compliments on them...thanks everyone!

Thanks also to my dad for giving me the vinyl and mask to make these...!

Original City of Craft logo drawing by Amy Borkwood.

Bright Lights, Big City of Craft

I haven't posted in a while due to City of Craft craziness, but I will very likely be posting up a storm here in coming days with documentation, thoughts on the this year's show and acknowledgements of all the amazing people I worked with as one of this year's organizers.

Until then, here's a nice piece on City of Craft from Torontoist. Thanks, Tabassum!

http://torontoist.com/2009/12/bright_lights_big_city_of_craft.php

Home and Away (and In-Between)

The Home and Away show I am organizing as a City of Craft preview-of-sorts goes up tomorrow, and opens on Friday night! There are a ton of awesome artists participating, and I am even managing to sneak in a brand new piece of my own. Don't miss it! Here's all the info....

Home and Away (and In-Between) A thematic group exhibition brought to you by City of Craft

Opening Reception Friday, December 4^th. 7-10pm

Exhibition runs December 3-13, 2009.

City of Craft takes place December 12-13^th at The Theatre Centre, 1087 Queen St. West

Location:

Cream Tangerine Café

At the Great Hall

1087 Queen Street West, Toronto

Artists:

Lizz Aston, Fiona Bailey, Amy Borkwood, Leah Buckareff, Marta Chudolinska, Heather Fagan, Meags Fitzgerald, Sara Guindon, Genevieve Jodouin, Serena McCarroll and Tyler Brett, Laurie McGregor, The Misanthrope Specialty Co., Jen Spinner, Gillian Wilson and more.

The Exhibition:

Craft processes and acts of making have a way of rooting people to their surroundings. People make or purchase craft items to enhance their domestic spaces and make themselves “at home.” Alternately, people take comfort in craft and art making when they find themselves in unfamiliar territory or when situated in transitional spaces such as on planes and buses and in waiting rooms. Home and Away (and In-Between) is an exhibition that strives to explore how the act of making enables us to relate to where we are.

Home and Away (and In-Between) is a thematic group exhibition of selected vendors, organizers and installation artists involved with this year’s City of Craft event. The exhibition also includes a few invited special guests artists. Home and Away will serve as a pre-fair party as well as a public preview of the wares in store at this year’s City of Craft. Please join us in celebrating our third awesome year!

About City of Craft:

City of Craft is a collective of craft-engaged locals who aim to build community in the Toronto craftscape, support independent craft businesses, and encourage the larger community to get involved with crafty happenings in the city. City of Craft is also a community-based craft culture event where community-arts groups, craft based initiatives/projects, studios, and other organizations are invited to do outreach to the public alongside a curated craft fair and craft-based installations. City of Craft is a place to buy, observe, experience, chat about, share and re-imagine all things handmade. This year’s City of Craft event takes place December 12-13^th at the Theatre Centre. Don’t miss it!

Press Inquiries:

Please contact Tara Bursey

cleanteen@hotmail.com