CircleCraft

Celebrating the Infinite Variety of Craftsmanship

The crafts displayed in our gallery during this memorable Olympic month have been chosen to celebrate craftsmanship in all its different forms. The Olympic contenders have worked with dedicated intention to attain a bodily skill capable of performing with such beauty that those who watch will remember forever. Their spectacular achievement is a special kind of craftsmanship in which every part of the body must combine in partnership. In contrast, the work offered in this show is the work of hands. The pieces in this show have been assembled and mounted by Ron Kong, Circle Craft’s store manager.

He writes: The pieces for this presentation were chosen for their excellence in concept, design, and execution. I endeavoured to include various media and to provide a cross-section of work. Beauty, whimsy, elegance, and humour are evident, and the pieces are seen more strikingly by their contrasts and similarities. They are inspiring, provocative, and enjoyable; illustrating excellence in craft. 

by Thelma Ruck-Keene and Ron Kong

 FEATURED CRAFTSPEOPLE INCLUDE:

Angelica Werth
In the Circle Craft window are the designer’s “tent” dresses.
In this show are smaller garments made with the same attention to detail and exquisite hand-finishing

Katherine Soucie
A dress from Katherine’s Sans Soucie line of reclaimed, dyed, and printed nylon

Lina Cutnam
Hand-finished wool jacket and a selection of handbags

Susan Cain
A grouping of mixed media Coyote puppets sewn from a variety of materials

Lisa Samphire
Selected pieces from the artist’s line of hand-blown glass “Stone” vases

Lawrence Ruskin
Hand-blown glass bowl in rich blue tones

Nancy Walker
Hand-built, whimsical, and animated “automaton” made from glazed and stained earthenware

Rachelle Chinnery
Tall, hand-thrown and carved, glazed porcelain jar with a water-inspired pattern

Robert Bush
Vases with phenomenal crystalline glazes

Jeff Burnette
Jetson bowl and glass ray gun

Christiane Fortier
Porcelain tea service and bowl

Jason Marlow and Dale Rouleau
Collaboratively handturned 'Spruce Mermaids'   

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Circle Craft Student Scholarship Recipients

 

. . . and on the way consider

Four Youthful Views

On Graduating with $1,000

These young people have graduated with honour from four BC Colleges who offer individual courses in the crafts of Jewellery, Textiles, Ceramics and Metal. These are professional courses designed to maintain the legacy of working with hands. Machines are wonderful, but they do not invent; instead they reproduce what our hands learn by doing. The scholarships were established in 2003 to celebrate Circle Craft’s 30th birthday. In February we usually exhibit their work in our gallery, but this year the Olympics got in the way. Instead, examples of their works are displayed in the big store window inside the Net Loft. What follows are comments from each recipient about what the scholarship means to them.

Circle Craft Co-operative Student Scholarships 2009

Angie Arsenault | Vancouver Community College, Jewellery Program

Receiving the Circle Craft Scholarship allowed me a period of freedom to grow as an artist, during which I could experiment in the studio to my heart's delight! I was awarded a residency at the Nova Scotia Centre for Craft and Design in Halifax around the same time I received the Circle Craft Award. The residency was unpaid and the scholarship portion of the award assisted me financially, allowing me to forego working for the summer and enabling me to devote my time entirely to the studio. In treating my residency as a full time job, I was allowed a taste of independence as a jeweler that I would have, otherwise, had to forfeit. I would like to thank my instructors: Maciek Walentowicz, Susan Remnant and Dariusz Bebel as well as the Circle Craft Co-operative for the gift of time and the Nova Scotia Centre for Craft and Design for the gift of space.

Morija Reeb | Capilano College, Textile Arts Program

In the fall of 2009 I transferred to Emily Carr University to continue part-time towards my BFA degree. This scholarship has helped me fund my education and supplies costs. Most of all the scholarship has given me the confidence and support to pursue my education in the arts.

Hamza Vora and Raneen Nosh | Emily Carr University of Art & Design, Ceramics Program

Receiving the scholarship award from Circle Craft was amazing. At the Grad show it felt a little unexpected, but great since we did not know about the award at the time. After 8 long months of designing and production of ‘Fahem’ it was unbelievable to see the piece hanging in the Grad show, the award was pretty much the icing on the cake. The money was re -invested in the project since we have showcased the project a few times. We are still working on a light installation integrating LEDs into the tiles.

Patrick McIvor | Kootenay School of the Arts, Metal Program

After I finished at Kootenay School of the Arts I carried on in the development of my personal blacksmith studio and I received the money just in time to help me buy a new welder for a large public railing I am building for a place called Gyro Park located on a lookout in Nelson, BC. Receiving this scholarship meant a lot to me as I have never won anything like this before and it feels good to have the recognition for all the hard work I have put into developing my skills. This gives me hope that all I wish to achieve is possible.

Finally, take a trip to Granville Island on the weekend of March 27 and 28. Patrick McIvor will be in the Market by Circle Craft demonstrating the particular metal process he devised after working with European Master Blacksmiths whose skills often date from before Roman times.

by Thelma Ruck Keene

 

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  BLACKSMITHING DEMONSTRATION | March 27/28, 2010


Take a trip to Granville Island on the weekend of March 27 and 28. Patrick McIvor will be in the Market by Circle Craft demonstrating the particular metal process he devised after working with European Master Blacksmiths whose skills often date from before Roman times.

 Please click here for details.