circle craft newsletter WINTER/SPRING 2017
Celebrating 45 Years of Circle Craft!
Circle Craft is a unique BC Artist Cooperative dedicated to providing opportunities for craftspeople to connect with the community. Formed in 1972, Circle Craft has grown to become a major force in the marketing and promotion of quality craft. Built on a reputation for integrity and quality, both our annual Christmas Market and the shop and gallery on Granville Island are Vancouver traditions for locals and visitors alike., and encompass a wide variety of media and design styles. Circle Craft of self-sustaining and is supported by commission on sales and participation fees,. Our 1994 mission statement reflects the aims of our founding members: “To promote the development recognition, and success of members and their work.” We are proud of our achievement in fulfilling and continuing to work towards our mission: Circle Craft is one of the most successful organizations of it’s kind in North America.
Cover: Credit—Alarte Silks/Louise Valentine & Brian Provencher
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circle craft SHOW PRODUCER
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Paul Yard
SHOW COORDINATOR
Rossanne Clamp
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STORE MANAGERS
Ann Uusoja, David Camisa, Emily Cowan ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Andrea Sanders
BOARD OF DIRECTORS CO-CHAIR
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Vesna Jankovic CO-CHAIR GALLERY CHAIR
Andrea Roberts
SELECTIONS CHAIR
Jason Marlow
SCHOLARSHIP CHAIR
Gordon Hutchens
MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
Svea Vatch
BOARD MEMBERS
Carolyne Curran—Knight
Circle Craft Shop & Gallery 1-1666 Johnston Street Net Loft, Granville Island Vancouver, BC V6H 3S2 t: (604) 669.8021 f: (604) 669.8585 Circle Craft Office 203-1537 West 8th Avenue Vancouver, BC V6J 1T5 t: (604) 801.5220 f: (604) 801.5221
from the board
Credit— Lina Cutnam
from the co-chairs REPORT FROM ANDREA ROBERTS AND VESNA JANKOVIC
Dear Circle Craft Members, This year Circle Craft is celebrating 45 years of Excellence. To celebrate this milestone, the Board has decided to set up a special exhibition to landmark this extraordinary achievement of 4.5 decades. On this occasion, the old and new gallery spaces will be aligning the history of the Co-op followed by acceptance entry years from each member together with your outstanding artwork designed for this show. It is shaping up to be a very exciting event and we are hoping to see the many of you on the opening reception of July 6 to celebrate this landmark! To date we have already received fantastic response from about 50 members who will participate in the show! The event will take place from July 6th to September 3rd. Two letters have already been sent out to remind everyone that it is not too late to state your participation. Please make sure to voice your interest in taking part no later than April 25 to andrea@circlecraft.net. More details about this event will come out soon as the Board is currently discussing an Excellence Award that will be dedicated to recognition for outstanding achievements for Circle Craft members that will be a part of CC culture. Here are the other shows taking place in the Gallery promoting
the Best of Craft for this year: Fredi Rahn is curating a ceramic show 'last cone standing' that is taking place in tandem with the Canadian Clay Symposium in March with work from: Fredi Rahn, Sharon Reay, Linda Doherty, Jay MacLennan, Tony Wilson, Sabrina Keskula, Robert Stickney and Cheryl Stapleton (from March 02 until April 02). From April 06 to May 01 will be 'The Book' , a group show with Vesna Jankovic and Jan MacLeod. This mixed media / paper – metal show is exploring the book as inspiration and as an art object. Kaija Rautiainen will curate a fibre art group show from May 04 – June 04, “Of Land and Sea”. Featuring 5 artists, who work in a variety of media and styles with Anni Hunt (textile vessels), Catherine Nicholls (textile art), Julie Pongrac (basketry), Michelle Sirois-Silver (hand hooking, applique) and Kaija Rautiainen. June 08 to July 02 Laura Murdoch, a Vancouver based, award -winning glass artist will exhibit one-of-a-kind vessels in a solo show. From July 06 to September 03 the Circle Craft 45 years Excellence Show will take place and September 07 to October 02 Miran Elbakyan will showcase one-of-a-kind metal sculptures. We hope you agree that the store team is doing an excellent job in keeping the store looking great on displaying members work. Both teams in the store and the office work very harmoniously together. The Board is
extremely pleased to see that constant improvements on display in the store to bring out your artwork best are taking place. Together with improved social media presence it is keeping members work fresh and inviting. Other improvements from the end of last year include newly painted plinths and lighting to increase better visibility of your artwork that will translate in better sales. A few glass cubes will be also replaced as scratches don't really leave a good view to pieces in the showcase. Soon some of the wood shelf units on the north wall of the store will be partly painted white and will receive overhead lighting and glass inserts to bring out and illuminate artwork in a much better way. Board work does not only include administrative work. It is founded on its members vision that is carried forward into the future and it needs members involvement to insure the Co-op will thrive years from now approaching half a century in a few years. We need your involvement, any involvement really, that will support the Whole to insure the well-being of the organization. That's why we are a Co-op. Talk to any of the board directors and find out how you can make a difference and shape the future of our organization. Sincerely, Vesna and Andrea
circle craft newsletter
from the shop Hello Artists! For those who we haven’t had the chance to introduce ourselves to yet, we’re David, Ann, & Emily—the current managerial team at the store on Granville Island. It’s been a busy few months since we took over the store operations in October and we thought we’d take this opportunity to give you a quick run-down of what’s been happening. As usual, the Christmas/Holiday season was a hectic, but fun, time to be in the store! We want to thank you all for bringing us lots of work and keeping us well stocked through the holiday rush. We utilized our gallery space, decorating with birch trees and lights, to create a Christmas atmosphere to show-
case all of those items made specifically for the holidays. Sales were just slightly lower than those of December 2015… so bring on 2017! The New Year is off to a good start and as things have slowed down, we’re taking that opportunity to focus on things we could not get to during our busy season. Under the direction of the board, we’re working on some improvements to the display units in the store and are finalizing those details in the next few weeks – stay tuned! We’re excited to have established a regular posting schedule on our social media sites and are featuring your work on Instagram, Facebook, etc. on a daily basis. PLEASE, if you have your own business accounts on
in memoriam “It is time to pay tribute to all the people…many still active members, whose determination turned the vision of a craft co-operative into a solid reality.” -Thelma Ruck Keene, Tribute to a Vision - The Story of Circle Craft: The Most Successful and Enduring Craft Co-operative in Canada
Thelma Ruck Keene was an integral part of Circle Craft for many years – she contributed much as a board member, acting as the cocurator of shows and programming at the Circle Craft Gallery, and wrote wonderful reviews of Gallery shows for the newsletters. Thelma passed away this past winter shortly before her 101st birthday. Longtime Circle Craft member James Bavis passed away in early February. James joined Circle Craft in 1987 and was an active member for 30 years. Vancouver glass artist Malcolm Macfadyen presented an interactive hot Glass Show called "Totally Amazing Glass!!" at the Circle Craft Market for 13 years.
Thank you for your many years of service to Circle Craft and the arts community. You will all be dearly missed.
these sites, get them to Andrea so we can tag and promote you when we share your work. We’ve had a number of Artists reach out to us in the last few months to inquire if we’d be interested in Artist Demos in the store—YES! If this is something you’d like to do, please reach out to us and we’ll setup a time that works for you. The few that have been done have been very popular with our customers and often help increase sales. As always, we’re happy to hear from any of you, should you ever need anything or have any questions, we’re only a phone call or email away. Cheers, David, Ann, & Emily
Credit— Robert Held
announcements
To ensure that you receive all information being communicated to members, please keep us up to date on address or e-mail changes!
Tell us what you want to know about, or tell us your news that you would like to share!
Jan MacLeod has volunteered to take on the role of Board liaison to the Store. She will be involved in helping with improving the display space for your great work!
We are stepping up our Instagram game! If you have Instagram, let us know your handle and we will put you on a list of artists to feature!
All information can be sent to andrea@circlecraft.net.
market This year’s Christmas Market will take place Wednesday to Sunday, November 8—12, 2017. Applications are open on the Circle Craft website! Location: New Vancouver Convention Centre West, Hall C 1055 Canada Place Vancouver, BC V6C 0C3 Hours: Wednesday—Friday 10am—9pm Saturday 10am—7pm Sunday 10am—5pm
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Our AGM will be held on APRIL 26, 2017 in the Net Loft on Granville Island. Information packs will be sent out to all members toward the end of March.
Please consider joining our board of directors! If you are interested in joining or know someone who would be a good fit, please email andrea@circlecraft.net
web We have been working hard to update our website! If you haven't done so already, please take some time to review your member profile page—if you would like to update your information and portfolio photos, contact andrea@circlecraft.net for information on how to submit!
shop For information about your stock in the store contact David at david@circlecraft.net.
For information about membership with Circle Craft and its benefits, visit circlecraft.net/membership
You can also contact Andrea for information on the “Members Only” feature of the website, where you can find copies of these newsletters, meeting minutes, member mail-outs, correspondence, and other member-related documents.
The next deadline for Selections applications is February 28, 2018.
Credit—
Credit— Kelly Backs & Harvey Sexsmith
Credit—Lincoln Heller
announcements
support your cooperative! AN OPEN CALL TO THE CIRCLE CRAFT MEMBERSHIP
In the forty-five years since we first banded together at Open Spaces in Victoria we have successfully marketed our members’ creations through a series of stores, exhibitions, and craft fairs. We have established scholarships for members to enhance their skills. We contribute four thousand dollars annually to students in post-secondary institutions expressing an interest in becoming producing craftspeople themselves, and we have showcased excellence in crafts from across the country annually. Here we are in 2017, with considerable assets: we have cash in the bank, a talented membership, a highly competent and dedicated staff, and a great location. These are the strengths of our cooperative. All of this was made possible by the work of members who have volunteered their time in the service of preservation of crafts and development of craftspeople in British Columbia while helping members to secure a sustainable income. I hope our energy isn’t flagging. Despite repeated requests over the past few years, we have been unable to field enough candidates to even fill vacancies on the Board of Directors, let alone hold an actual election. It’s time to step up folks. Renew the energy of our organization. The values of our cooperative and the work that it does are tremendously worthwhile. Please consider serving on the Board of Directors or a committee! -Paul Yard
celebrating
45 years of Circle Craft
what We are planning celebratory exhibition in the Circle Craft Shop & Gallery this summer, which will showcase our members and their fantastic work. The show will highlight Circle Craft history by decade, and provide visitors with insight into our fabulous organization and the craftspeople who have built it into what it is today. We are asking that members submit star examples of their best work they would like to feature in this exhibition. For deadlines and how to take part, keep reading!
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when The show will take place at our Granville Island shop from July 6 to September 3, 2017.
how
Deadlines:
All information can be sent to Andrea Sanders by e-mail at andrea@circlecraft.net or faxed to the office at 604-801-5221.
If you’d like to participate and haven’t already done so, please e-mail a confirmation by APRIL 25th, 2017
For information about your inventory, contact David at david@circlecraft.net.
To assist in creating a gallery layout and with publicity, please have a description or photo of the piece(s) you are submitting, as well as any updated bios/artist statements to Andrea by MAY 25th, 2017 Make sure you drop your work off to the Granville Island store and complete an inventory list by JUNE 25th, 2017
We look forward to seeing all of your great work! Please don’t hesitate to contact Andrea with any questions or concerns along the way!
announcements
Credit—Laura van der Linde
Credit—Jessica Mok
Credit—Elnaz Zomorodian
keep up with circle craft stay in touch with us online:
FACEBOOK: @circlecraft
scholarship winners In 2016, Circle Craft gave out it’s annual scholarships to graduating students from four BC Arts institutions. This years’ winners were: Jessica Mok: Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Ceramics Elnaz Zomorodian: Vancouver Community College, Jewellery Darwin Greyeyes: Selkirk College, Metal Maria Diaz: Selkirk College, Textiles Each year, our scholarship winners are given the opportunity to show their work in the Circle Craft Gallery. This February, two of our 2016 recipients, Jessica Mok and Elnaz Zomorodian, put on a fabulous show.
TWITTER: @circlecraft
INSTAGRAM: @circlecraft
jessica mok Chinese-Canadian artist Jessica Mok predominantly handbuilds clay sculptures, but also slip-casts forms and throws functional vessels on the potter’s wheel. Receiving her Diploma of Fine Arts from Langara College, she continued her education at Emily Carr University of Art and Design for a Visual Arts Major and Art and Text Minor. Mok graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2016 and was the recipient of the Circle Craft Graduation Award for Ceramics. Mok continues to work in Vancouver, refining her craftsmanship while exploring the dichotomy between art and craft.
BLOG: blog.circlecraft.net
elnaz zomorodian
www.circlecraft.net
Elnaz is originally from Iran where she completed her bachelor degree in Biology there and then became interested in photography and painting. After she moved to Canada she wanted to pursue her dream and become a jewelry designer, then she applied for a course in jewelry art and design. Along her first year of school she also became interested in Gemology and she took the accelerated program in this field, and she could pass her FCGmA exam with distinguished result. In year 2016 Elnaz has completed her second year successfully, and she received Circle Craft scholarship award for her overall work.
in the gallery
circle craft newsletter
gallery program FEBRUARY 2-26: Student Scholarship Award Show Jessica Mok & Elnaz Zomorodian MARCH 2—APRIL 30: “Last Cone Standing” Shadbolt Centre Ceramics Team Curated by Fredi Rahn MAY 4—JUNE 4: “Of Land and Sea” Curated by Kaija Rautianen JUNE 8—JULY 2: Laura Murdoch JULY 6—SEPTEMBER 3: Circle Craft 45th Anniversary Show SEPTEMBER 7—OCTOBER 1: Miran Elbakyan OCTOBER 5—30: 2017 Christmas Market Preview
Artists interested in having a show in the gallery, please submit your proposal online at: http://circlecraft.net/ apply-for-a-show
Credit Top to Bottom: Laura Murdoch, Miran Elbakyan, Fredi Rahn
Apply Now for the 2017 Circle Craft Christmas Market!
Applications for this years’ show are up now visit our website at www.circlecraft.net to apply!
For more information, e-mail us at market@circlecraft.net