What is it about Craft? The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery Faces an Uncertain Future

It was almost exactly eight years ago that I decided to move back to Canada as I had just accepted the position as the Director of the Canadian Craft & Design Museum in Vancouver. The museum was hidden in a courtyard at the corner of Georgia and Hornby across the street from the Vancouver Art Gallery. I was aware of some of the problems the institution had experienced over the years, and was not unaware that there were probably deeper issues than they were willing to divulge, as they were unable to cover the costs for me to fly to Vancouver for my interview.

I have always been attracted to positions that are somewhat risky, unstable and where the chance of failure is high. As the Canadian Craft & Design Museum had been without a permanent Director for more than a year, I knew that I would be going into a challenging situation, however, I was excited about the opportunity that this challenge presented.

It was mid-morning on my first day, when the Administrator knocked softly on my office door and said, "I have a feeling you have not seen this and think you will probably want to take a look." We spent the morning pouring over and discussing the year-end financials and projected 2002 budget. It was not looking good, but was not hopeless either.

My first few months were spent meeting with the staff, the board, representatives from the City of Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia, artists, community members, former board members, the Directors of other arts organizations in the city, etc. It was a little schizophrenic. While I was being interviewed and photographed by the media and talking about the bright future of the museum, I was trying to figure out how to keep the museum alive. I believed strongly in our mission and mandate. I believed in contemporary craft. I believed that there was a place and need for institutions such as the Canadian Craft & Design Museum in Vancouver and in Canada. However, the reality of our financial situation kept me awake at night. We needed money and we needed it now!

The funny thing is that in the big picture of things it was not really that much money. We were using our line of credit, which in an ideal world you would like to avoid, but it was the loss of our Canada Council Operating Grant that put us in crisis. Funding that amounted to only about $30,000 a year, but enough to make our cash flow situation impossible. We received notification from Canada Council mid-April, laid off the staff with the exception of the Administrator and myself on April 30th and closed our doors May 15, 2002.

In Canada we are fortunate to have access to multiple layers of government support, however, this support no longer meets the rising costs associated with running our public arts institutions. It costs money to run a building, maintain collections, research and mount exhibitions, pay for advertising and other administrative costs and to hire a professional staff. In most arts organizations salaries are considerably lower than comparable positions in other fields or in the private sector, and often the demands on the staff are much higher.

Every arts organizations attempts to balance the production or display of high quality artistic or cultural experiences within a limited budget. Every organization is unique and what works for one organization in a particular city or at a particular time may not work for another. While the needs and support for arts organizations vary tremendously, the importance of arts and culture in society is universal. It is our arts and culture that marks who we are as a society or a nation. It is one of the things that differentiates us as humans.

Sadly, it is support for the arts and culture that is often the first to go when we need to cut costs or save money. I would like to argue that the arts and culture are what we should maintain, support, encourage and embrace. Art is our universal language. We may not all appreciate the same works of art in the same way, but that is the beauty of expression and creativity.

It is seven and a half years since the Canadian Craft & Design Museum closed. It still haunts me and causes me sleepless nights. What if I would have done this, or not that, what if I had talked to that person, or made one more phone call, or ..........? The possibilities and scenarios are endless, yet, in total I was only there for four and a half months. Yes, if I could go back I may have done some things differently, but at the time I, together with my Board of Directors, staff, our funders, and the rest of the arts community were all reacting to a difficult crisis and situation. I don't think any of us realized until it was too late that the museum closed.

Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery
Waterloo, ON
image retrieved from: http://classes.uleth.ca/200603/nmed2005a/10/pat3.jpg

Last Tuesday, I heard that the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery in Waterloo, ON was facing a crisis of their own. A wave of nausea came over me. I felt like I was reliving late April - May 2002. How is it that we could possibly be losing our second major public institution devoted to craft in less than a decade?

The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery recently made a formal request to the City of Waterloo for bridge financing in the amount of $300,000 to sustain its operations over the next eighteen months as it re-evaluates its operations and builds a plan for a sustainable future. Robert Williams the vice-chair of the gallery's board of directors was quoted November 17, 2009 in The Record.com stating that The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery has an annual budget of $800,000, an art collection valued at more than $1 million, a staff of seven and averages 20,000 visitors a year.

The City of Waterloo currently owns the building and pays for its maintenance and utilities, but does not provide any assistance for general operations or programming. On November 30th The Record.com reported results from The Prosperity Council of Waterloo's Creative Enterprise Task Force concluding that the Kitchener / Waterloo region does not get a fair share of provincial or federal funding, that private sector contributions are below average, and that municipal investment in culture falls below the provincial mean and significantly lower than areas like Hamilton, Ottawa and London.

Gallery Director, Robert Achtemichuk was quoted in The Record.com last February stating that they receive $40,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and $30,000 from the Ontario Arts Council, but nothing from the City of Waterloo. The same article stated that the Kitchener - Waterloo Art Gallery (KWAG) received $56,000 from the City of Waterloo and a May 1st article in The Record.com stated that KWAG receives $187,ooo in total support from Canada Council and the Ontario Arts Council.

No arts organization can rely on one type of support, however, it is virtually impossible to survive without strong municipal support. Cities use their cultural facilities to attract visitors and to represent a high quality of life. The City of Waterloo is no exception. Their website states: "Waterloo is a mecca for the arts and culture enthusiast with galleries, studios, museums and festivals at every turn. We're proud to be home to numerous galleries celebrating and showcasing a great diversity of artistic undertakings ..... Be certain to visit our cultural attractions - the world renowned Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery ....."

Museums, galleries and arts organizations have not been alone in searching for ways to survive the recent economic downturn. Earnings from endowments are down or have become non-existent, many foundations have reduced the amounts given to local charities and organizations, corporate and personal giving has also been lower than normal and many areas have seen a drastic downturn in local tourist activity resulting in a decrease in visitors to local attractions. It is at times like this that we need our local arts and cultural institutions to assist us in maintaining and celebrating the vitality of our communities.

The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is not asking for a permanent hand-out, they are asking for bridge financing so that they can sustain themselves during the next year and a half as they plan and strategize for the future. While many organizations rely almost completely on various forms of government and public assistance, the Canadian Clay & Glass earns almost thirty percent of its revenue through Gift Shop sales allowing the gallery to continue to offer innovative high-quality programming in their galleries.

We need to believe in and support the cultural institutions in our country. Canada has a strong history and tradition of craft, yet, craft is typically under-represented in our visual arts organizations. The recent popular interest in DIY and crafting holds promise for the future, but what about the promise of continued success or even continued existence for the institutions devoted to or who have a curatorial interest in craft.

In some ways $300,000 seems like a lot of money, but in the larger picture, it is such a small investment towards securing the fiuture of an institution that should be the pride of the Kitchener / Waterloo community and a treasure for the country. We should not let our cultural institutions disappear so easily. The global economic situation has made it difficult for many of us, however, if we allow the Canadian Clay & Glass Museum to close, it will never have the opportunity to recover or rebuild. We need to give it a chance now!

Lindsay Craig, from exhibition Playing with Dolls, 2009
The Masquerade October 15 2009 - January 10, 2010
Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery
Waterloo, ON
image courtesy of Lindsay Craig
retrieved from: http://blog.glassquarterly.com/2009/09/29/the-canadian-clay-glass-gallerys-new-exhibit-reveals-as-it-conceals/

Visit the gallery to check out the current series of exhibitions that make up The Masquerade. Lindsay Craig's installation Playing with Dolls addresses issues of identity, feminity, and popular culture by adorning the "Composition Doll" with bronze masks and wreaths that carry multiple layers and symbolic meanings. Aganetha Dyck's The MMasked Ball transforms porcelain figurines with the help of honeybees. The result is beautiful and somewhat surreal as the honeycombs and beeswax create masks, wigs, and othewise alter the appearance of these figures. Carole Epp's A Collection of Innocent Crimes creates a place of dialogue, narrative and metaphor in the miniature vignettes she has created to look at the ethical position of the artist in relation to the subject matter they represent.

Aganetha Dyck, Checkers and Bees, from exhibition The MMasked Ball, 2009
The Masquerade October 15 2009 - January 10, 2010
Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery
Waterloo, ON
image courtesy of Aganetha Dyck
retrieved from: http://www.canadianclayandglass.ca/images/Checkers%20and%20Bees.jpg

Each of these three exhibitions together with Cedric Ginart's Cosmos presented in conjunction with the Perimeter Institute's Quantum to Cosmos Festival demonstrates the creative vitality and expression of meaning that exists in the contemporary craft community. The loss of the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery would leave a significant void in the cultural landscape of our country.

The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is located at 25 Caroline St North, Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5 They are open Tuesday - Friday from 11 - 6, Saturday 10 - 5, and Sunday 1 - 5. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for Students and Seniors and is free for everyone from 5 - 6pm Tuesday to Friday. Information on exhibitions, the collection and their extensive educational programs for adults, children, youth and school groups can be found on their website. The City of Waterloo City Council will be reviewing the gallery's request soon. Please join me to show your support for this vital Canadian institution and for craft in Canada. You can email Robert Achtemichuk, Director of the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery at: robert@canadianclayandglass.ca or Mayor Brenda Halloran at: brenda.halloran@waterloo.ca

Toronto Art Critics Talk Art: David Balzer, Otino Corsano, Rosemary Heather, Charlene Lau, Leah Sandals, Nadja Sayej and Murray Whyte

I have been thinking about King Tut: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs at the Art Gallery of Ontario quite a bit lately. Actually I have not been just thinking about it, I have been troubled by it. As a former museum director / curator I have to admit that I have a huge issue with Blockbuster exhibitions. I understand that they have the potential of bringing huge numbers of people through the door, and that they can expose your institution to new audiences, but are they really worth it?

I spent the entire drive to Waterloo on Tuesday morning subjecting my husband to all the reasons that I have issues with the blockbuster exhibition concept in general and the King Tut exhibition in particular. While he patiently listened to my rants, he reminded me as I got out of the car that maybe I should go check out the exhibition before condemning it! As I sat in my office waiting for students to come begging me to adjust their grades on their research papers, I switched on my computer and did a quick Google search for articles on the King Tut exhibit. One of the first listings was Murray Whyte's post on his Untitled: Contemporary Art in Toronto and beyond blog. It was interesting reading Murray's thoughts and the comments by David Balzer, Leah Sandals and others.

However, it was his most recent post that caught my eye. Nadja Sayej host of ArtStars* invited six of her Toronto art critic colleagues to join her in forming The Toronto Alliance of Art Critics for their first public event and panel Bring It! The Toronto Alliance of Art Critics says MAKE FACE MOFOS! held at Double Double Land earlier this evening. The event co-facilitated by The White House Studio and ArtStars* attracted a standing room only crowd and featured a panel of Toronto art critics and writers that included: David Balzer, Otino Corsano, Rosemary Heather, Charlene K Lau, Leah Sandals, and Murray Whyte.

The promo material stated that this will provide the audience with the opportunity to find out "... about what sucks about galleries, artists, art dealers, art fairs, art shows and press releases." While the evening did not turn out exactly as billed, Nadja kept the evening light-hearted, entertaining and interesting.

Rather than simply introducing the panelists, Nadja quizzed and provoked the panelists asking them pointed questions about their backgrounds, their interests in the arts, how much they get paid by various publications, life inside an art publication all of which provided the audience with an inside look at the reality of art writing and the world of art criticism.

A theme running through much of the evening was the topic of criticism. Who has the authority to act as a critic? What is criticism? How does art criticism differ from art writing? How critical should it be? Can artists be critics? And why and how art criticism differs from theatre and film criticism?

When discussing their role as critics, Nadja Sayej recounted a piece of advice she received early in her career from John Bentley Mays who told her that, "you need to decide between being a servant to power or a brat." Very poignant advice I thought, and advice that pertains to more than just art writing.

I think it was David Balzer who stated that artists want reassurance, recognition and to be noticed. He continued that "...we don't have the critical culture that we once had and as a result people aren't used to that kind of censure."

So while there was a general feeling that the critics are not critical enough - the question was raised as to whether or not we are ready for serious criticism.

Dan Adler, an art historian from York University and critic for ArtForum was not part of the panel, but stated that ".... critics and art writers need to know or understand who they are addressing and why. Once they know and understand this audience, they need to know how to inspire them."

The job of an art critic is understandably very difficult. Artists want reviews and mentions of their shows so that they can include them in their resume. Reviews give artists reassurance that they are doing the right thing, that they are noticed and appreciated. Galleries want and need reviews as it gives the gallery recognition that is priceless. Anyone can buy an ad, but only a few galleries and their artists get mentioned by the critics. Papers and publications need to sell issues or copies and need to satisfy both their advertisers and readers. Which leads us to the readers which make up the general art going and non-art going public. A group that did not get much mention by the art crowd in attendance.

While the general public may not be the audience that publications like ArtForum, Border Crossings, ArtPapers or C Magazine are targeting, they are the ones reading publications such as The Toronto Star, The Globe & Mail, Now Magazine and Eye Weekly. The public gets their information on the shows and artists that are worth seeing and talking about through the reviews. If you are not part of the "scene" the endless list of galleries, exhibitions and shows in the paper can be meaningless and daunting. If you don't know what you should see, it is easier to see nothing. As a result the general audience wants and needs to see art writing that is interesting, engaging and informative and goes as far as to tell them where to go, what they should look at and even sometimes what to buy.

I agreed with a lot of what some of the writers in attendance said. However, as a gallerist with a gallery outside of the "gallery district" and therefore, too far from the epicentre of the "scene," I left wondering how do we create a dynamic and inclusive art environment? I felt that many of the individuals in the room felt that the art critics and writers were writing for them and to them. Yet, there is an entire city that exists outside of the designated gallery district and that may or may not be currently interested in contemporary art, but needs to at least have access to knowing what is going on.

If the AGO is hoping that 1,000,000 people will see King Tut before it closes in April, why can't we also welcome and engage the public into our contemporary art world. Murray Whyte and David Balzer both touched on this. As artists we need people, outside of our immediate social and artistic circles to see and respond to our work, as galleries we need clients and collectors to view and buy work. We need to work together with the art critics and writers to open the dialogue. Last night was a good start and I look forward to where this discussion leads us.

Lauri Lynnxe Murphy: Strange Fruit on Kickstarter & Tenticular @ Plastic Chapel

I clearly remember the first time I heard about Lauri Lynnxe Murphy and her work. It was 1997 and at the time I was the Director / Curator of OneWest Art Center (now the Fort Collins Museum of Contemporary Art). I would typically head to Denver on Saturday morning to spend the day checking out what was happening at the various galleries, museums, and art centres in the city. Regular stops were Pirate: Contemporary Art and Edge on Navajo St., Robischon Gallery and Metro State: Center for the Visual Art on Wazee St., William Havu Gallery in the Golden Triangle, the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, and Rule Gallery.

It was Robin Rule that first introduced me to Lauri Lynnxe Murphy's work. Lauri had recently graduated from the Metropolitan State College of Denver. I remembered seeing her work in the ILK project space at Pirate, but it was Robin who reinforced that Lauri was someone that I must show and she predicted that Lauri will be an artist to watch. So, I watched her career for the next year and in 1998 she was selected to participate in the Colorado / Wyoming Biennial at OneWest Art Centre.

Lauri Lynnxe Murphy, Fancy Pants, 2007
Mixed-media on polyester resin

The Biennial coincided with my departure from OneWest Art Centre, however, this was the beginning of what has now been almost a twelve-year working relationship and friendship. During which time I have seen Lauri's work change and evolve in exciting new directions, always incorporating new ideas, materials and techniques.

Lauri Lynnxe Murphy, 15 Minutes, 2005
Mixed-media on urethane resin

Lauri's artistic practice is personal and involved, both in terms of her involvement in the work as well as the engagement she demands of her viewer. Part eye-candy, part dialogue; Lauri Lynnxe Murphy's work can be read and appreciated on a spectrum of levels from the pure almost decorative aesthetics of colour, texture, and form to the more subtle and sometimes overt messages her works contain.

Lauri Lynnxe Murphy, Flow, 2007
Mixed-media on urethane resin
Installation detail with Svava Juliusson's Nerve II & SVONA

Lauri Lynnxe Murphy's exhibit Scattershot was my second exhibit when I opened my gallery in Toronto in 2007. Flow cascaded across the back wall, while 15 Minutes playfully took a stab at our current obsession with youth, popular culture, fame and trendiness.

Lauri Lynnxe Murphy, Souvenir, (detail) 2007
Mixed-media on polyester resin

Underlying the bright colours, slick and textured surfaces, and imagery of Murphy's work is her interest in and dedication to her community, and in extension to the world we all inhabit. As always Lauri has numerous projects and ideas on the go which range from her art practice, teaching, community involvement, to her organic garden and cooking. If you are lucky to be one of her 1374 Facebook friends you will know the relentless pace and enthusiasm with which she approaches life and her work.

Lauri Lynnxe Murphy, Dicephaloptus Album, 2008

Mixed-media with automotive paint on fiberglass
Photo courtesy: Lauri Lynnxe Murphy

The organic resin forms that she created for Scattershot in 2007, evolved into experiments with fiberglass, automotive paint and taxidermy forms which allowed her to create bizarre, fantastical, and somewhat disturbing sculptures that address issues of bioengineering and transgenic mutation.

Lauri Lynnxe Murphy, Tenticular, 2009
Automotive paint on fiberglass
Photo courtesy: Lauri Lynnxe Murphy

Her most recent projects are a natural extention of these creative explorations. Tenticular opened November 14th and runs through December 9, 2009 at Plastic Chapel in Denver, CO. Tenticular is a colourful exploration of deep sea creatures. These tiny creatures with tentacles sprawling, curling, tangling, and crawling across the walls of the gallery are beautiful, unsettling and delightful.

Lauri Lynnxe Murphy, Black Lagoon, 2009
Automotive paint on fiberglass

Photo courtesy: Lauri Lynnxe Murphy

More ambitious is Murphy's proposed project for the Denver Biennial of the Americas. Slated to open in the summer of 2010 this two-month extravaganza is promoted to celebrate contemporary art and ideas from across the Americas. It is difficult to figure out what the Denver Biennial is all about, however, not one to wait, Lauri Lynnxe Murphy has proposed a publicly funded public art project for downtown Denver. Strangefruit explores the issue of GMO foods and transgenic mutations. She asks us to imagine a future where plants might sprout eyes or snouts.

Lauri Lynnxe Murphy, Sketch for Strangefruit, 2009
Courtesy: Lauri Lynnxe Murphy

Lauri has set out to fund this project solely with the help of the public. Using Kickstarter, her goal is to reach $10,000 by December 14, 2009. If you are not familiar with Kickstarter it is a new way to fund creative ideas through the power of the Internet.

Lauri Lynnxe Murphy, Sketch for Strangefruit, 2009
Courtesy: Lauri Lynnxe Murphy

To date Lauri has 28 backers but needs more to reach her goal. To encourage donations she is offering some pretty attractive incentives including your choice of the finished sculptures for donations of $2500 or more, or a 24" x 36" limited edition signed screened print for donations of $100. You can visit Strangefruit on Kickstarter to learn more about Strangefruit or to support this uniquely funded public art project. Every pledge over $1 helps and you do not pay unless she reaches her goal by December 14th.

Lauri Lynnxe Murphy, Sketch for Strangefruit, 2009
Courtesy: Lauri Lynnxe Murphy

If you are interested in seeing more of Lauri's work, Flow is on view in our hallway gallery and we have a wonderful selection of her collage drawings and resin works available. Lauri Lynnxe Murphy is represented by + Gallery in Denver and Brayham Contemporary Art in Toronto.

Lauri Lynnxe Murphy, Collage Drawing, 2007
Mixed-media collage

Steven James Brown @ Whodunit? OCAD's Mystery Art Sale

The Ontario College of Art & Design's annual Whodunit? Mystery Art Sale has become one of the most anticipated art events and auctions of the season. This year was no exception. 2009 marks the 8th year of this event which provides important funds for OCAD's programs,and proceeds from this years event were targeted towards the purchase of specialized equipment.

I attended the Gala Preview with Steven James Brown, one of my gallery artists. This was the first year that he had participated in this event and one of the two works he submitted was selected for the Silent Auction. We arrived just before 7 PM and OCAD was bustling with excitement and activity.

It was almost impossible to make your way to the Silent Auction works and even more difficult to actually squeeze your way in to make a bid. We found Steven's piece and were both relieved to see that it was getting attention. Charity art auctions are a funny thing. It is strangely stressful for artists who have work in the auction and for the galleries that represent the artists who have work on view. No matter how confident you are in the work, you always worry. What happens if no one bids on the work, what happens if the bids are too low, what happens if .........?

We made our way along the wall of work commenting on the bidding frenzy that some works generated and sadly, the lack of interest towards other very deserving works. There were numerous works that I would have liked to take home, but nothing that made it home with me that night.

We took a break from watching the Live Auction, a new feature this year, and headed downstairs to take a look at the 1431 lots available in the public sale. There was a lot of really good work, and some amazing art deals if you knew what and for whom to look for.

Steven James Brown, 8 mm Sankyo, 2006
Lot 860
1 of 7 cameras from Surreal Life Series

We found Steven's second work in Lot 860, and recognized the work of two of my other gallery artists J. Lynn Campbell in Lots 346 and 775, and Svava Thordis Juliusson in Lots 713 and 718.

Whodunit? presents work by OCAD students, faculty, and alumni as well as artists, designers and creative celebrities who all donate two or more works, all of which are the same size (5.5" x 7.5") and the same price ($75). The works selected for the Gala Preview Silent Auction start with a minimum bid of $150. The fun and mystery of the event is that the identity of the artist is unknown until the work is purchased.

Before re-joining the party upstairs, I made a list of work that I was interested in just in case I decided to brave the crowds and line-up hours before the doors opened at 10 am on Saturday, November 21st. As we made our way through the partying crowds we noticed that the action around the Silent Auction items was still intense. While we were both curious to see the auction results, we left moments before the Silent Auction lot that Steven was in was about to close.

Steven James Brown, Prozac, 2006
1 of 8 prescription drug bottles from Science Fiction series

I try to keep detailed records of who buys the work of the artists I represent, and as a result it felt weird not knowing who would take Steven's work home that night. It made me think that the mystery surrounding the event goes both ways. The purchasers of these precious small works of art do not know whose work they are collecting until they take possession of the work, however, in most cases the artist never knows who took home their work.

In Steven's case the collector of Prozac, his work in the Silent Auction is only somewhat of a mystery as she proudly blogged about her acquisition on the blog She Does the City - Toronto. So, thanks Christine for your interest in Steven James Brown's work and for your support of OCAD. Proceeds from the Gala Preview Auctions that night raised more than $68,000 for OCAD.

James Fowler's Skin @ MADE and PieceWORK @ the Gladstone Hotel

I have been wondering lately "Where has the last month and a half gone?" I had what I thought was a very attainable and manageable goal of writing two to three blog posts a week. Seemed manageable enough, but ..... So, this posting is actually my attempt to not only get back on track, but also to acknowledge that I am just not getting out to see as much art as I would like to.

My good friend James Fowler opened his exhibit Skin in the the MADE Cooler / project space on September 24th. As I was about to grab my camera and head to his opening I realized my camera was not there. It took me a few minutes to realize that all three of the cameras I had been downloading images from the night before were not where I had left them, and another minute for it to sink in that no I did not misplace them, no my husband did not put them away, but yes - we had been robbed! So instead of heading to James' opening I waited for the police to show up, write up a report, and fingerprint my doors and windows.

James Fowler, Home, Labyrinth & Poppy (installation detail) 2009
Recycled wool, duct tape and mixed-media
Skin in the MADE Cooler

Well almost seven weeks later on the second last day of his show, I finally made it to MADE to see Skin, James Fowler's installation in the MADE Cooler.

James Fowler, Scarves (detail) 2009
Recycled felted wool and recycled silk
PieceWORK, Gladstone Hotel

I first met James though another good friend Ron Kong who manages and curates the Circle Craft Co-Operative Shop and Gallery in Vancouver and their amazing annual Christmas Market. James and I have developed this wonderful arrangement where I give him my old cashmere sweaters, and in return I get a new pair of the most amazing felted cashmere mittens. If you have not yet discovered the wonders of cashmere, head to St. Lawrence Market on Saturday morning to visit James and pick up a pair of his felted mittens. Not only will you be helping to green the planet, but you will be able to keep your hands fashionably soft and warm.

James Fowler, Recycled Wool & Cashmere Mittens, 2009
Felted Recycled Wool and Felted Recycled Cashmere
PieceWORK, Gladstone Hotel

For the second year, James Fowler filled one of the Gladstone Hotel's second floor exhibition rooms for PieceWORK the annual textile and fibre art show and sale. This sale held in conjunction with the opening of the Gladstone Hotel's Annual Juried Textile Exhibition Hard Twist: New Twist, features work created by a selection of Toronto's creative fibre artists. James filled the walls of his room with his trademark recycled wool and cashmere mittens, recycled wool and silk scarves and a new line of recycled wool slippers. The beautiful fall weather we were experiencing that weekend was not particularly conducive to the idea of wearing mittens and scarves, but living in Canada it is always good to be prepared for the winter weather that is never that far away.

James Fowler, Labyrinth & Poppy(installation detail) 2009
Recycled wool, duct tape and mixed-media
Skin in the MADE Cooler

James' work in PieceWORK is fun, affordable, well-crafted and functional. His exhibit Skin in the MADE Cooler takes his interest in recycled and felted fabric and moves it from the purely functional to the realm of fine art.

I am always intrigued by how various businesses use the architectural details and building elements left by previous tenants to their advantage. In this case a plywood faced cooler at the rear of the MADE retail space has been re-purposed as a gallery space.

James Fowler, Labyrinth, 2009
Duct tape and linoleum
Skin in the MADE Cooler (installation detail)

The industrial grade walls of the cooler were brought to life with James' large pieced quilts and-mixed media assemblages, while the floor was quilted with orange duct tape for a piece he entitled Labyrinth.

James Fowler, Canada, 2009
Recycled 100% felted wool & fabric
64" x 64"
Skin in the MADE Cooler

Canada juxtaposed the symbolism of the Hudson's Bay Blanket with mountains, wildlife and a reference to Northwest Coast native imagery. This piece is a contemporary interpretation of Canadiana and I could picture it hanging in a classic Muskoka cottage or a downtown loft.

James Fowler, Canada (detail), 2009
Recycled 100% felted wool & fabric
Skin in the MADE Cooler

Hung directly across from the entrance to the cooler, Poppy beckoned one inside. The bright colours of the poppy against the dark background gave this work the feeling of pop art, yet the tactile softness of the felted wool moved it away from this tradition.

James Fowler, Poppy, 2009
Recycled 100% felted wool & plastic mesh
32" x 32"
Skin in the MADE Cooler

Fowler placed orange plastic mesh over the felted image, making the quilted work seem pixelated and almost imprisoned. This created a resulting tension, depth and mystery in the work which was at once harmonious and at the same time challenged the viewers perceptions.

James Fowler, Poppy (detail), 2009
Recycled 100% felted wool & plastic mesh
Skin in the MADE Cooler

Home a mixed-media assemblage contrasted disparate elements of memory, art history, and folk art with a sense of nostalgia.

James Fowler, Home, 2009
Mixed-media assemblage
6' x 6'
Skin in the MADE Cooler

The void left by the cut-out canvas allowed the wooden supports to be exposed, altering the sense of permanence, safety and security we typically associate with the notion of 'home'. The almost primitive house-shaped blocks placed on the lower framed edge were in contrast to the more representative figurative painting directly above.

James Fowler, Home (detail), 2009
Mixed-media assemblage
Skin in the MADE Cooler

While the outstretched arms reference Michelangelo's Creation of Adam on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the figure is neither Adam nor God, but rather is reminiscent of the bust of Queen Nefertiti. While the figure's floral print clothing is not in keeping with Egyptian style dress, it creates a sense of North American nostalgia, especially when placed adjacent to the quilted and cut-out letters spelling 'HOME.'

James Fowler, Home (detail), 2009
Mixed-media assemblage
Skin in the MADE Cooler

James Fowler's Skin demonstrates his versatility and skill as an artist. He successfully juxtaposes imagery that is at once familiar but placed in an unexpected context creating both tension, harmony and encouraging discourse.

James Fowler, made for MADE textile collection, 2009
100% recycled felted wool

While Skin closed November 14th, an inspiring collection of home textiles 'made for MADE' are still available. Part sculpture, part textile, and completely recycled these pillows, blankets and throws are beautiful and functional works of art.

Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009: Thoughts, Memories and Impressions

It is now well over a month since Scotiabank Nuit Blanche: Toronto's free all-night contemporary art thing. While I had intended to post images and thoughts about my Nuit Blanche experience right away, this time has given me a chance to reflect on and think about my overall experience.

I have to admit that I have a somewhat love / hate / ambivalence feeling about events such as Nuit Blanche. I love that an event that is billed as a "contemporary art thing" can bring out hundreds of thousands of people on a cold fall night. It is amazing and exciting to see the streets come alive with people and activity virtually all night and it is wonderful to see people engage with public space and public art, even if it is just temporary.

Jeff Koons, Rabbit Balloon, 2007
Toronto Eaton Centre
Curated Project Zone A, Curator Gregory Elgstrand
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009, Toronto, ON

What troubles me about these types of events is just what makes these events a success - all the people. How do you provide these hordes of people with a meaningful art experience? And is that even what these events are really about? Do the masses of people that filled the Toronto Eaton Centre to look up at Jeff Koons' Rabbit Balloon 2007 have any idea of who Jeff Koons is? Know anything about his bad boy image? The controversy surrounding his work in curatorial and art historical circles? Understand the evolution of Koons' use of balloons, over sized objects, shiny and mirrored surfaces, etc.? Or does any of this even matter? Is it enough for those viewing Koons' work to just get enjoyment from it as they delight in a big silver bunny floating overhead?

Jeff Koons, Rabbit Balloon, 2007
Toronto Eaton Centre
Curated Project Zone A, Curator Gregory Elgstrand
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009, Toronto, ON

Koons himself has declared that there is no hidden meanings in his work. It is okay to just love his big silver bunny as it floats in the atrium of a downtown shopping mall. I was excited to see Koons' work included in Nuit Blanche, although I have to admit that I would have loved to see it placed somewhere where it did not have to compete with the Sears signage.

Paulette Phillips, AS COULD BE, 2009
Old Bank of Toronto Building
Curated Project Zone A, Curator Thom Sokoloski
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009 Toronto, ON

One of my favorite works was found in the Old Bank of Toronto Building on Yonge Street across from the Eaton Centre. One of the commissioned projects in Curator Thom Sokoloski's Zone A Exhibition, What Were We Before, Paulette Phillips' As Could Be, 2009 was a stunning immersive installation piece. Phillips projected a three-dimensional animation based on Vladimir Tatlin's 1917 proposed The Monument to the Third International into the fog-filled space. Tatlin's monument was never built, however, it continues to represent Utopian ideals of man working in harmony with technology. The visual effect of the animated projection onto the fog against the beaux-arts architecture was almost breathtaking. However, it was the sound piece that accompanied the work that made this work so compelling. Phillips created a musical / sound composition out of interviews with a number of Torontonians discussing what the idea of work meant to them. Watching the image of Tatlin's monument flicker in the fog against the marble columns of this old bank building, while listening to the individual voices discussing their diverse experiences with work was captivating, uplifting, disturbing and thought-provoking. For me, public art is successful when it is visually interesting and stimulating, but at the same time makes you think about your own small piece of the world and where that fits into society as a whole.

Cara Spooner, Robin Lasser, Adrienne Pao, Ice Queen: Glacial Retreat Dress Tent, 2009
Toronto Eaton Centre
Open Call Project Zone A, Curator Thom Sokoloski
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009, Toronto, ON

One of the problems with one-night public art events is locating the art work so that it can be appreciated fully. Cara Spooner, Robin Lasser and Adrienne Pao's Ice Queen: Glacial Retreat Dress Tent, 2009 was a stunning performance piece. As we entered the crowded atrium of the Toronto Eaton Centre at the corner of Yonge and Dundas the Butoh-inspired dancer was just emerging from the centre of her 10-foot tall iceberg dress tent. Her movements were fluid, sensual and elegant.

Cara Spooner, Robin Lasser, Adrienne Pao, Ice Queen: Glacial Retreat Dress Tent, 2009
Toronto Eaton Centre
Open Call Project Zone A, Curator Thom Sokoloski
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009, Toronto, ON

The simplicity of this work which explores the catastrophic effects of global warming and the exploration of desire, body and land from a female-centered perspective competed with the busy almost chaotic environment in which it was placed. Despite these distractions, Ice Queen appeared to delight and mesmerize an audience taking them to a place of icy, quiet, coolness and away from the hustle, bustle and crowds of Nuit Blanche.

Susie Burpee, Dead Philosophers' Limbo, 2009
Court House Rotunda
Curated Project Zone A, Curator Gregory Elgstrand
Scotiabank NuitBlanche 2009, Toronto, ON

Another dance performance piece that deserved more time and attention than Nuit Blanche allowed was Susie Burpee's Dead Philosophers' Limbo, 2009. The Dead Philosophers' Limbo is a twelve-hour dance performance using twenty-four dancers telling the tale of two hundred dead philosophers. Part theatre, part dance, part philosophy lesson this mesmerizing performance brings history and philosophy to life. Dead Philosophers' Limbo fits neatly into Zone A curator Gregory Elgstrand's vision to create a venue for the celebration of ideas. His curatorial concept was based on both historical and contemporary notions of the festival or circus. A place where ideas circulate, influence or flow into other ideas or generate new ones. He termed his zone The Circle with a Hole in the Middle.

Heather Nicol, Imminent Departure, 2009
Union Station Great Hall
Curated Project Zone B, Curator Jim Drobnick & Jennifer Fisher, DisplayCult
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009, Toronto, ON

Curators Jim Drobnick and Jennifer Fisher of DisplayCult selected ten commissioned projects for their Zone B Exhibition: NIGHTSENSE. In their curatorial statement Drobnick and Fisher state that the exhibitions comprising "NIGHTSENSE invite a reconsideration of the sensory economy by intensifying the subtle but powerful links between bodies, aesthetic perception and shifts in capital."

Heather Nicol, Imminent Departure, 2009
Union Station Great Hall
Curated Project Zone B, Curator Jim Drobnick & Jennifer Fisher, DisplayCult
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009, Toronto, ON

Heather Nicol's multi-media sound and light installation, Imminent Departure played with our sense of space and place. Using the historic architecture of Union Station as a back-drop, Nicol's evoked a sense of mystery, memory, history, loss and desire in her delicate patterned ceiling projections, fog and the soundtrack of voices, trains, and the bustle of a busy city station. I found myself immersed in the experience. This was a work that required one to stop, slow down, and experience the totality of the visual and sensory experience.

Santiago Sierra, NO, 2009
Temperance Street

Curated Project Zone B, Curator Jim Drobnick & Jennifer Fisher, DisplayCult
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009, Toronto, ON

Internationally recognized artist Santiago Sierra is known for his performances and installations that address structures of power in art and society. NO, 2009 placed on a flatbed-semi on Temperance Street in the heart of Toronto's financial district was the Toronto stop on Sierra's NO, Global Tour. NO is a poignant statement that can be read in multiple ways. As we walked south from Temperance Street across the plaza one could not help but notice that Santiago Sierra's work was directly facing the deliberately lit up Scotiabank Tower, the headquarters of Scotiabank and sponsor of Nuit Blanche.

Center for Tactical Magic, Witches' Cradles, 2009
Brookfield Place, Allen Lambert Galleria

Curated Project Zone B, Curator Jim Drobnick & Jennifer Fisher, DisplayCult
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009, Toronto, ON

I think the Allen Lambert Galleria at Brookfield Place is among the most stunning contemporary commercial architectural spaces in Toronto. Designed by Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava, the cathedral like space is a contemporary glass jewel. When we first entered the space it was difficult to figure out what was going on. Crowds of people were standing around a line of suspended fabric sacks, the "witches' cradles" that were suspended from the ceiling. Juxtaposed against the soaring airy space of the Galleria, the "witches' cradles" brought one back to the middle ages and stories of the persecution of witches.

Center for Tactical Magic, Witches' Cradles, 2009
Brookfield Place, Allen Lambert Galleria

Curated Project Zone B, Curator Jim Drobnick & Jennifer Fisher, DisplayCult
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009, Toronto, ON

As we made our way through the crowd we watched as audience members were blind-folded then placed in the cradles. The cradles are designed to disrupt the vestibular sense and create subtle shifts in consciousness. I was both intrigued by the notion of experiencing sensory deprivation but at the same time overwhelmed by the thought of experiencing this in a public venue. What if I fell asleep, or worse yet panicked? I like having control of my senses. How would I react to the possibility of entering into an altered state? So rather than experiencing this for myself, I watched as did thousands of others, as more curious and brave individuals let themselves experience the Witches' Cradles.

Jean-Christian Knaff & Claude Micelli, Moon-een on McCaul, 2009
McCaul Street
Independent Project Zone A
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009, Toronto, ON

As I reflect on my Nuit Blanche experience I wonder how do you determine if events such as these are successful? We started our Nuit Blanche journey just after 7 PM. We walked, we lined-up to get into venues, we peered over the shoulders of othersto glimpse just what the crowds were watching, we passed by other venues not wishing to fight the crowds, and missed an entire Zone. By 3 AM we were saturated. Too much art, or were we just tired of the crowds? It was hard to tell. As we wandered up McCaul St. towards OCAD and the AGO, we encountered Jean-Christian Knaff and Claude Micelli's Moon-een on McCaul. This surrealist world of floating neon on white animated animals was engaging the early-morning crowds. We watched as individuals posed for photos, interacting and playing amongst the figures. Everyone was smiling, and enjoying themselves.

Jean-Christian Knaff & Claude Micelli, Moon-een on McCaul, 2009
OCAD, McCaul Street
Independent Project Zone A
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009, Toronto, ON

What is it that makes a work of art a success? On one level these balloon like figures were comical and child-like, on another they allowed the viewer to interact and engage and imagine themselves in a fantasy world.

D.A. Therrien, Beautiul Light: 4 Letter Word Machine, 2009
City Hall
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2009, Toronto, ON

There are many ways to experience art. For some it is the act of creation. For others it is a visit to a quiet museum or gallery space to think about and contemplate works of art. For others it is the excitement of gallery openings or performances. While others collect and surround themselves with works of art. And for some people art is not a conscious part of their daily lives. So, I am still left wondering, where exactly do events such as Nuit Blanche fit within all of this?

Caitlin Erskine-Smith, Writing Down the Gauntlet @ Luminato & Tug of Warp @ Scotiabank Nuit Blanche

I first fell in love with Caitlin Erskine-Smith's work at the Luminato Box in Sam Pollack Square during Luminato, the Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity last June. As I visited the Luminato Box each day of the ten day festival, I became intrigued and fascinated with the way each artist chose to utilize the space. While some artists used the space much as they would any other gallery space, others such as Erskine-Smith integrated their work within the space.

Caitlin Erskine- Smith, Writing down the Gauntlet 2009
Luminato Box, June 12, 2009
Sam Pollack Square, Toronto

As Erskine-Smith's textile work is about communication and information generation, her sensitive use of space is not surprising. Writing Down the Gauntlet investigates the complexities of viewing. For this work, Erskine-Smith created a series of large woven textiles that combine two different versions of the same story each woven on reverse sides of the cloth.

Caitlin Erskine- Smith, Writing down the Gauntlet 2009
installation detail
Luminato Box, June 12, 2009
Sam Pollack Square, Toronto

The woven textiles were hung and draped through the space, engaging the viewer as they move through the curtain-like structure. At first it appears as shapes, symbols and designs are woven on the cloth, but on closer inspection words appear. The competing duality of the words and text that appear in mirror image of one another play with both the viewers visual and cognitive senses. I found myself trying to decipher the words on the cloth as I looked for meaning and understanding, while at the same time my eyes danced and skipped across the cloth panels admiring the patterning of the individual letters and words and how seamlessly they integrated with the texture and fluidity of the cloth.

Caitlin Erskine- Smith, Writing down the Gauntlet 2009
installation detail
Luminato Box, June 12, 2009
Sam Pollack Square, Toronto

Erskine- Smith's artist statement reads: "Fabric and clothes play important roles in the construction of identity, marking our different experiences and communicating the struggle of cultural preservation or evolution in a dynamic and changing world. Fabrics serve to reinforce, reclaim or reject identities, which in turn serve as filters for communication, obscuring meaning as we strive to comprehend it." Utilizing traditional weaving techniques Caitlin Erskine-Smith forces the viewer to consider the contemporary world, where we are constantly barraged with visual and verbal messages that can overwhelm our senses causing us to question or search for meaning in this heightened communicative context.

Caitlin Erskine- Smith, Writing down the Gauntlet 2009
installation detail
Luminato Box, June 12, 2009
Sam Pollack Square, Toronto

Writing down the Gauntlet is one of those works that has remained rooted in my memory. I often find myself re-visiting the photographs I took of the installation when searching through iPhoto. There is something comforting but also disquieting about these distorted words woven into fabric in black and white.

Caitlin Erskine- Smith, Writing down the Gauntlet 2009
installation detail
Luminato Box, June 12, 2009
Sam Pollack Square, Toronto

Caitlin Erskine-Smith artistic practice focuses on the use of textiles to consider modern conflicts of identity, language and change. For Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, Erskine-Smith created Tug of Warp, on-site in Clarence Square, just south-east of the King Street West and Spadina Avenue intersection. This new work involved two separate looms placed 20 meters apart, at opposite ends of the park, attached to one another with threads of neon warp.

Caitlin Erskine-Smith, Tug of Warp 2009
Clarence Square. Toronto
Zone B, Independent Project
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, October 3, 2009

As the two artists simultaneously wove their weft threads through the warp, the looms were pulled ever slowly closer to one another reaching until they would meet in the centre. I visited Caitlin and Tug of Warp around midnight, at which point the looms had progressed about three meters inwards from their original starting positions. Despite the torrential downpour earlier in the evening, both artists were fervently weaving away in the midst of this quiet dark sanctuary, lit only by battery operated neon lights placed in the centre of the work and the ambient glow of the street-lights on Spadina.

Caitlin Erskine-Smith, Tug of Warp 2009
Clarence Square. Toronto
Zone B, Independent Project
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, October 3, 2009

Tug of Warp provided a wonderful and much-needed respite from the crowds, noise and spectacle of Nuit Blanche. Watching the shuttle filled with yarn shooting through the warp threads is rhythmic and soothing, but also somewhat life affirming as each pass of the shuttle turns individual threads into a piece of cloth.

Caitlin Erskine-Smith, Tug of Warp 2009
Clarence Square. Toronto
Zone B, Independent Project
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, October 3, 2009

One of the problems with events like Nuit Blanche and works such as Tug of Warp is that you only get to experience moments in time. With so much to see and only twelve over-night hours to do this in, one feels like one must always press on. I would have loved to see the looms meet as dawn approached and Clarence Square began to fill with light. But by then I was home and fast asleep.

Caitlin Erskine-Smith, Tug of Warp 2009
Clarence Square. Toronto
Zone B, Independent Project
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, October 3, 2009

Tug of Warp deals with issues of collaboration and communication. Each artist focuses on their own individual work, knowing that their work is connected and that the actions of each artist will affect the other as the looms get closer and tug against one another. Ultimately, the single piece must become two as the warp is cut freeing it from the two looms. I did wonder, what will happen to these two pieces of cloth? How different will they be and what qualities will they share? One thing I do know is that once again, Caitlin Erskine-Smith has created a work that not only engages the senses, but which prompts ongoing dialogue with itself and between the work, the artist(s) and viewer.

A second installment of Tug of Warp will be created as part of Nocturne in Halifax, October 17, 2009 at Pier 21. Writing down the Gauntlet will be exhibited as part of Ontario Craft '09 at the Ontario Craft Council Gallery in Toronto, November 12 - December 31, 2009.