Sustainability for woodwork and furniture: adjusting and growing

February’s newsletter looks at timber usage for furniture and object design. The articles and interviews cover issues such as adjusting to changes in market demand and growing local markets, core skills in woodwork, benefits from mentoring programs in transforming the creative process as well as key issues for sustainable timber usage.

February issue of ca enews
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Jeff Mincham: Ceramics

Jeff Mincham: Ceramics is a national touring exhibition presented as part of the Living Treasures: Masters of Australian Craft series. This program is an initiative of Object: Australian Centre for Craft and Design, and is promoted by Craft Australia. Mincham preferring clay as his medium, explores and develops his techniques and processes for his arts practice, using natural elements to inspire and inform his work.

The exhibition is showing at the following venues.

Tamworth Regional Art Gallery

5 February - 19 March 2011

Dubbo Regional Gallery

Mid April - Mid July 2011

Living Treasures: Masters of Australian Craft

Tamworth Regional Art Gallery 

Dubbo Regional Gallery 
Flickr images

Image top: Jeff Mincham 

Image middle: Jeff Mincham, ceramics 

Image bottom: Jeff Mincham, ceramics

Liz Williamson: Textiles

Liz Williamson: Textiles is a national touring exhibition presented as part of the Living Treasures: Masters of Australian Craft series. This program is an initiative of Object: Australian Centre for Craft and Design, and is promoted by Craft Australia.  Williamson's fine handwoven textiles display her characteristic interest in the construction of cloth, with a unique surface appearance created through the interlacing of threads of different fibre content.

The exhibition is showing at the following venue.

Sturt Gallery

20 March - 1 May 2011

Living Treasures: Masters of Australian Craft

Sturt Gallery

Flickr Images
Wrapped: Liz Williamson's practice

Image top: Liz Williamson 

Image Bottom: Liaz Williamson, Loop series 

Robert Baines: Metal

Robert Baines: Metal is a national touring exhibition presented as part of the Living Treasures: Masters of Australian Craft series. This program is an initiative of Object: Australian Centre for Craft and Design, and is promoted by Craft Australia. Baines is one of Australia's most influential and prominent jewellers and displays extraordinary artistic range and exceptional craft skills in this new body of work. 

The exhibition is showing at the following venues.

Bathurst Regional Art Gallery 

28 January - 13 March 2011

Geelong Regional Art Gallery 
16 April - 26 June 2011

 Robert Baines: Living Treasure Master of Australian Craft

 Bathusrt Regional Art gallery 
Geelong Regional Art gallery 

Object Gallery 
Flickr Images 

Image top  

Robert Baines 

Image bottom 
Robert Baines, Redder than Green, Neckpiece 2009 Silver, powdercoat, paint, electroplate Silver, powdercoat, paint, electroplate 69H x 105W x 4260D

right way: the future of Indigenous craft and design

 Craft Australia has created this hub for Indigenous craft and design across the country.

Using right way is easy. Start by posting a reply to a forum or blog post, or upload photos, by following the prompts.

You can start your own group, blog or album where you can talk about your particular work or project.

Introduce yourself to other right way members!

Once you have joined up just edit your profile, add a photo (save one on your computer 250x300dpi) and tell us about you or your organisation.

right way ning 

Image Pandanas weaving workshop at Selling Yarns Conference 2006  Photograpger Fiona Hooton

Call for Papers

Relational Craft and Design - Issue #4 Current Call for papers

Relational Craft and Design

craft +design enquiry is currently calling for papers that relate to the theme of 'relational craft and design'.

Despite the vigorous debate surrounding the disciplinary parameters and practice roles for craft and design in recent years, their relationship is characterised by wildly divergent interpretations. 'Craft' has become a significant and weighty word again at a time when the meaning of 'design' is shifting both within and outside the visual arts. Today we note everything from drug design to policy design, where 'design' indicates a higher level of consideration, conceptual and strategic thinking. Within this context, contemporary craft might appear as specific and cultural, while design's seeming ubiquity carries certain risks.

Call for papers information 

Catrina Vignando opens the National Contemporary Jewellery Award

Images provided by Sturt Gallery

The National Contemporary Jewellery Award 2010 exhibition features work by 33 contemporary Australian jewellery designers.  The Award is sponsored by Griffith City Council, Charles Sturt University and Metalab and has been held biennially at Griffith Regional Art Gallery since 1988.

The exhibition brings together contemporary applied arts, visual arts and design practice into one innovative exhibition. 

Sturt is a very appropriate venue for such an exhibition given Sturt’s role in nurturing and supporting the work of many of Australia’s best known jewellery and metalwork artists.

Craft Australia
Sturt Gallery 
Metalab 
Griffith Regional Art Gallery 

CA enews

ca enews is emailed to subscribers every month. It presents information and news relating to the contemporary craft and design sector from a national perspective. Distribution within the sector is encouraged and new readers can subscribe at no charge. Condensed versions of each issue are also available in the Newsroom.

Current issue of ca enews focuses on contemporary studio glass

Subscribe free 

  

Image: Christine Cathie O-Void Red 2010 Cast and cold worked glass

Craft Australia's Top Ten Library Articles

 About the Craft Australia library

The Craft Australia Library was established in the 1970s as an educational resource to support and facilitate growth in the Australian craft and design sector. Along with a library of books, magazines and catalogues a slide collection documenting the work of contemporary Australian craft and design artists was established. This unique, specialist research Library is located in Canberra and remains accessible to the public. Craft Australia Library

 

The ten most visited pages in the Craft Australia Library over the last 30 days.

• Julie Blyfield: Contemporary jewellery and objects   
• Overview: 35 years of Australian studio glass   
• Textiles Material Revolution   
• The chameleon of glass - fragility, strength and sustainability   
• Queensland - a place for public art - art+place   
• The great work of china   
• New Things: Koskela lights made in Elcho Island  
• Examining the connections between architecture and jewellery   
• Exploration of an abandoned glass factory   
• Notes for a history of public art …   

  







Image L to R Koskela lights, Danie Mellor, Evelyn Dunston and Richard Whiteley

Design Files interviews Australian contemporary Jeweller : Julie Blyfield

Adelaide-based Julie Blyfield is one of Australia’s most respected and celebrated jewellers, with a career spanning over twenty years – after originally training as a secondary school art teacher!   Julie’s work is highly collectible these days, and is held in many of the most prestigious museums in the world, including  The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and the National Gallery of Australia Canberra, and the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. Design Files

  

Image: Works in progress on Julie’s workbench

Full interview can be viewed on Design Files
Review: Julie Blyfield Contemporary Jewellery and Objects

artisan - idea:skill:product: TOP DESIGN - Jamie Durie's new design reality show...

artisan - idea:skill:product: TOP DESIGN - Jamie Durie's new design reality show...: "Calling all designers, artists, creatives and decorators ! A casting producer for Granada Media in Sydney has contacted artisan to assi..."

About Craft Australia

 

 

 

 

Craft Australia is the nation's peak advocacy organisation for Australian contemporary craft and design. We actively promote and provide access to Australian contemporary practice through advocacy, communication and research. 

All our details are on our website www.craftaustralia.org.au

Craft Australia platforms the outstanding achievements of Australian contemporary craft and design practice including the influence of new technologies, hybrid artworks and links with industry as a growth area for Australian craft and design.

Some of the programs we are working on include:

• The provision of a free, monthly, online publication ca enews that showcases the national sector

• The promotion of nationally celebrated artists through the Living Treasures program

• Publishing scholarly research through our peer reviewed online journal craft + design enquiry

• The gathering of national data on issues that affect the sector through the online forums conducted biennially.

Craft Australia is a registered charity and has approved deductible gift recipient status from the Commonwealth Government and attracts philanthropic support.