JERPOINT GLASS FEATURED IN LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2012 VIDEO

A Place To Gather is a 5 minute film about Irish craft created by emerging Dublin based film producers Jamie & Keith, which was launched during London Design Festival 2012. A Place to Gather is about an approach and craft’s relationship to a wider culture. It is about a maker, a practical person in an often bewildering world. It is about a person; rooted and aware, drenched in the weather and materials of the land, part of a community, local and global, hedgerows and cables, influenced from inside and out, time’s power being respected and the materials’ better nature drawn forth. It is about a holistic way of thinking, an approach that creates objects of use - be that practical, emotional or intellectual. Objects that hold the tactility of their construction and through their use add value.

The video features Horizon Furniture, Studio Donegal, Basketbarn, Jerpoint Glass and Derek Wilson Ceramics.

W: http://www.aplacetogather.ie/

CRAFT WRITERS’ MEETING

The next meeting of the Craft Writers Group will take place on 5th November, 7pm - 9pm at the Design Tower, Pearse Street. We are hoping to have a guest speaker (to be announced).

Readings; the two pieces we are reading for this month are both by Bruce Metcalfe and available on his website. Please print them out and bring them with you for discussion:

http://www.brucemetcalf.com/pages/essays/diy_websites_energy.html
and
http://www.brucemetcalf.com/pages/essays/craft_education.html

Writing: Please bring an extract of your work in progress (up to 500 words) for discussion and feedback. Alternatively, you can write a piece of a similar length about a craft object that you really dislike. It might help if you brought a picture...
NB: you are most welcome even if you haven't done the homework!

E: eleanorflegg@gmail.com

SCULPTURE IN CONTEXT, NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS
Sculpture In Context 2012 is a mixed media sculpture exhibition which includes glasswork by makers Sinéad Brennan, Emma Bourke, Julie-Ann Foley, Jesse Gunther, William Harvey, Nicky Hooper, Eva Kelly, Cynthia Moran Killeavy, Fiona Murphy, Lucinda Robertson, Killian Schurmann and Aoife Soden. Sculpture in Context will be showing at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin until 19th October 2012.

E: info@sculptureincontext.com
W: www.sculptureincontext.com

JERWOOD MAKERS CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Jerwood Makers Open is designed to commission and showcase new work by emerging artists working in the applied arts. Emerging applied artists working across craft disciplines are invited to apply for Jerwood Makers Open 2013. The deadline for applications is 5pm on the 12th of November 2012.

Five commissions of £7,500 will be awarded to artists to create new work, which will then be exhibited as part of the Jerwood Visual Arts programme at Jerwood Space, London 10 July - 25 August 2013. Artists will be chosen by an independent selection panel and must be UK resident and within 10 years of graduating or setting up their practice.

W: http://jerwoodvisualarts.org/3088/Artist-Opportunities

W: http://craftni.org/opportunities/jerwood-makers-open-2013-call-for-entries/

CCOI MALTHOUSE DESIGN CHALLENGE – OPEN CALL

The Crafts Council of Ireland in association with The Malthouse Design Centre are seeking applications from multi-disciplinary teams of craftspeople, product designers, industrial designers and graphic designers to participate in a two day Design Challenge workshop led by John Jenkins, Design Manager at Heals, UK. Teams must consist of a minimum of two people and must include one craftsperson. Teams must download and complete an application form that responds to the design brief as outlined.
The workshop will take place on October 11th and 12th 2012 at The Malthouse Design Centre, Dublin.

W: http://www.futuremakers.ie/2012/09/03/ccoi-malthouse-design-challenge-open-call/

GLASS CLASSES AT LEITRIM SCULPTURE CENTRE

Glassblowing for Beginners Workshop

Dates:  Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th September 2012/Monday 17th & Tuesday 18th September 2012
Trainers: Louise Rice & Graham Reid
Course Fees: €240 (two days) – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Maximum Participants:   4 (no experience required)
In this two-day workshop you will explore the extraordinary medium of hot glass. You will learn how to gather glass out of the furnace, to control and shape the hot glass, to blow a bubble and make a simple vessel. Working in two small teams, the emphasis of this course is hands-on experience, with demos and support from an experienced glassblower.

Louise Rice is based at the Sculpture Centre in Manorhamilton and studied glass at Edinburgh College of Art and the Rietveld Acadamie in Amsterdam. Rice has work in the Ulster Museum and in the National Glass Museum, Netherlands. Graham Reid received a Bachelors degree in Sculptural Glass from Massachusetts College of Art. He built Knockbeg Studios where he taught glassblowing, and now works as a sculptor in glass, wood and metal from his studio in Sligo.

Sand Casting with Hot Glass Workshop

Date: Friday 21st September 
Trainer: Keith Seybert
Course Fees: €140 (one day) – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Maximum Participants: 6 (no experience required)

This course will introduce you to the potential of molten glass as a creative material through the process of hot casting into sand moulds. You will have the opportunity to ladle glass straight from the furnace and pour into prepared open-faced sand moulds made with found and sculpted objects. This is the most direct method to create your own solid sculptural forms in glass. No previous glass working experience is required and all materials will be provided. Feel free to bring in your own objects to press in the sand. Appropriate footwear is a must; leather boots are preferred, leather shoes are acceptable, no open-toed shoes or sandals!
 
Hot Glass-casting into Zircar Moulds Workshop

Dates: Monday 24th - Wednesday 26th September 2012
Trainer: Keith Seybert
Course Fees: €395 (three days) – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Maximum Participants: 6 (no experience required)

This three-day course will introduce you to the potential of Zicar. This 'space-age' mould material exhibits excellent surface reproduction with an optical finish. Molten glass can be poured directly into light-weight porous moulds with no need for gating or venting. You will have the opportunity to ladle glass straight from the furnace and pour into preheated sculptural moulds. This is the most cutting edge mould method for hot-casting your own solid sculptural forms in glass. No previous glass working experience is required and Zircar will be provided.

Participants must bring in wax objects to use in the moulding process. Appropriate footwear is a must; leather boots are preferred, leather shoes are acceptable, no open-toed shoes or sandals!

Keith Alan Seybert received MA qulifications in Sculpture, and Glass and Ceramics from Washington University, St. Louis in 1987 and 1995. He has led numerous workshops in a variety of glass and sculpture techniques in the US, Europe and beyond. From 1999 to 2001 he was a Senior Researcher at the Royal College of Art, London, where he headed an in-depth examination of investment type refractory moulds for casting glass and bronze; a topic he has lectured on at many international venues including 2002 and 2009 at the annual Glass Art Society conference. He currently lives in Ireland and works from his studio in Blarney, Co. Cork.

B&B rates start from €20/ night.

E: info@leitrimsculpturecentre.ie
W: www.leitrimsculpturecentre.ie
T: 071 985 5098

UTENSIL; CURRENT APPROACHES TO TABLEWARE, KILKENNY

Utensil; Current approaches to tableware is an exhibition of European applied artists and product designers who present alternative approaches to tableware. The exhibition will feature innovative tableware and accessories with quirky aesthetics, challenging our expectations of domestic products and fusing utility with art for the table. Utensil is presented as part of Kilkenny Arts Festival at the National Craft Gallery and is curated by Angela O'Kelly.

The exhibitors include: Sharon Blakey & Ismini Samanidou | Stuart Cairns | Chien-Wei Chang  | David Clarke | Maike Dahl | Designgoat | Kirsty Eaglesfield  |TheGreenEyl | Simone Ten Hompel  | John Lambe | Nel Linssen| Anders Ljungberg | Geoffrey Mann | Grant McCaig | Hugo Meert| Wiebke Meurer | Cathy Miles | Enya Moore | Jennifer Slattery | Kaori Tatebayashi | Brian Keaney/Tonfisk Design | Debbie Wijskamp | Annabet Wyndham

The exhibition runs until 29th October 2012. On Thursday 30th August an informal exhibition talk will be held at the gallery.

W: http://www.nationalcraftgallery.ie/exhibitions/utensil

HAND MADE CONTEMPORARY CRAFT EXHIBITION, LIMAVADY

Hand Made is a stunning exhibition featuring the work of five high profile contemporary makers: Alison Lowry, Rachel Dickson, Andrea Hayes, Firebox Ceramics, and Welig Crafts. As part of August Craft Month, this exhibition takes place at the Keady Gallery, Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre, Limavady from the 3rd of August until the 1st of September 2012.

The craftwork exhibited spans glassware, ceramics, textiles, paper sculpture, wood sculpture and more. The curator of the exhibition Desima Connolly (Arts & Cultural Services Officer) states, “The quality of the work you will see speaks volumes about the healthy status of contemporary craft in Northern Ireland. It is important that the artistic excellence and professional dedication of our resident artists is nurtured, showcased and celebrated. I am delighted to have curated this exhibition and further enhance our ongoing support of these five talented makers. This is a wonderful opportunity for craftspeople in the North West to engage with quality production and for anyone to enjoy the absolutely stunning works selected.”

W: http://craftni.org/events/hand-made-at-roe-valley-arts-cultural-centre/
T: 028 7776 0650
E: information@rvacc.co.uk

WORK IN PROGRESS EXHIBITION EXTENDED, NI

The headline exhibition of August Craft Month, Work In Progress showcases applied arts by the six participants on CraftNI's Making IT scheme. The exhibitors are Katie Brown (screen printed textiles), Eamonn Higgins (sculpture), Diane Lyness (silversmith), Alison Lowry (fused glass), Catherine Keenan (blown glass), and Michelle Stephens (weave).

In keeping with the August Craft Month theme, this exhibition aims to offer insight into the individual maker's motivations, processes and methodology. The exhibition includes finished objects, works in progress, sketch books and drawings which give a unique snapshot into the process of making. A video, produced by Adam Frew, has been commissioned to reveal to viewers the person behind the object and the physical nature of fabrication.

The exhibition continues at CraftNI Gallery, Belfast (opposite the Merchant) until the new date of 24th September 2012.

W: http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article.aspx?art_id=5126
W: www.alisonlowry.co.uk
W: www.catherinekeenanglass.com

INGORGENTA CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS

The Crafts Council of Ireland (CCoI) will be supporting a group of leading Irish jewellers to exhibit at Inhorgenta 22nd – 25th February 2013. Interested Irish based designer/ makers are invited to apply to participate in this initiative. The closing date is Friday 7th Sept 2012.

As one of the premier European trade fairs for fine and designer jewellery, this Munich based trade fair attracts over 32,000 buyers from 79 countries – from gallery owners to mainstream jewellery shops. The main markets serviced are Germany, Northern Europe and UK. A number of leading Irish buyers also attend. This opportunity is open to all CCoI registered makers who are targeting the export market – either retail or gallery – who have a proven track record and who reach the required level of quality.  An independent assessment panel will select the five makers based on applications and submissions of work. All work must be Imagined Designed and Made in Ireland. CCoI reserves the right to audit the authenticity of the work.

W: http://www.inhorgenta.com/en/portal/cn/exhibitor_service
W: http://www.futuremakers.ie/2012/08/14/inhorgenta-2013-call-out/
W: www.ccoi.ie
E: nicola@ccoi.ie
T: 056 7796153

DUBLIN CRAFT WRITERS GROUP

The next meeting of the Dublin Craft Writers Group is on Monday 30th July from 7-9pm in the Design Tower on Pearse Street. Please feel welcome to come (even if this is the only one that you can make all year). People are very welcome on an occasional and one-off basis as well as the regular gang.

Reading: We will look at the ways that one writer is written about and for this session will focus on Scottish potter Jennifer Lee, mainly because she has several essays accessible on her website http://www.jenniferlee.co.uk/essays/index.html. Choose two of these, print out, and bring it to the group. Interesting to see if we all choose the same ones... The selection is part of the reading process!

Writing: Looking at book reviews this month - so please bring a 300 word piece on a craft-related book that you feel strongly about (positive or negative). Alternatively, bring a piece of writing that you are already working on if you want feedback. Short extracts (300-500 words) are ideal.

E: eleanorflegg@gmail.com

CONTINUING EDUCATION IN ART AND DESIGN 2012 SUMMER COURSES SCHEDULES ANNOUNCED, NATIONAL COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN

The National College of Art and Design provides an extensive range of part-time courses including non-credit and award bearing courses offering progression. Short(3 and 5 day) summer courses being offered for 2012 include:  Painting Practice, Drawing / Painting / Looking, Colour Theory Workshop, Drawing and Research in Notebooks, Introduction to Watercolour, Etching and Dry Point Technique, Photography, Printed Textiles, Artist Books, Jewellery and Stone Setting, Jewellery Casting and Ceramics. This year we are also offering several Masterclasses including Kiln Formed Glass with Karl Harron and Letterpress Printing with Mary Plunkett.

For further information and a complete listing please visit the CEAD link on NCAD's website www.ncad.ie where you can download a brochure and application form.

Dates: 25^th June – 20^th July 2012

Contact: Seliena Coyle

E: cead@ncad.ie 

T: 01 636 4214

RDS NATIONAL CRAFTS COMPETITION AND STUDENT AWARDS

The RDS National Crafts Competition and Student Art Awards are delighted to announce their Call for Entries. With a combined prize-fund in excess of €44,000 these are opportunities not to be missed. The deadline for the RDS National Crafts Competition is 8th May 2012 at 5pm. It is open to all designers and makers based in Ireland or Irish designers abroad. You will find more information on the website together with the online application form at www.rds.ie/crafts.

For registered students of art colleges across all- Ireland, the deadline for the RDS Student Art Awards is 15th June at 5pm. The Awards offer a prize-fund of €16,100 and entries can range from anything in drawing and printmaking to sculpture and new media. For more information visit www.rds.ie/studentart.

T: +353 1 2407297
W: www.rds.ie/arts
Facebook: RDSDublin
Twitter: TheRDS
Blog: http://www.rds.ie/blogs

FUTURE MAKERS AWARD 2012

All students undertaking a fulltime craft course or apprenticeship and anyone who graduated from a full time course in craft or established a craft enterprise in the past 5 years is eligible to apply for the 2012 Future Makers Awards. It’s a fantastic opportunity to have you and your work profiled as well as the potential to win many of the awards and supports.

The deadline for applications is Tuesday 27th March 2012.

E: futuremakers@ccoi.ie
W: www.futuremakers.ie

CONTINUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND 2012

The Crafts Council of Ireland (CCoI) Fund for Continued Professional Development is an important opportunity for established Craft Enterprises.
This fund covers attendance at workshops, training courses, master classes, conferences, and research missions to research events and trade fairs. Networks and groups can also apply to bring expertise to Ireland to deliver a master class or in turn a group application can be made to attend a master class outside of Ireland.

The deadline for 2012 applications is Tuesday 27th March 2012.

For further information on the Continuing Professional Development Fund 2012 contact:
Mary Whelan, Client Liaison Officer
T: 056 7796131
E: maryw@ccoi.ie
W: www.ccoi.ie/content/view/300/226/

TALLINN 6TH APPLIED ART TRIENNIAL 2012

The theme for the 2012 Tallinn Applied Art Triennial is 'The Art of Collecting'.The Triennial welcomes entries that in any form deal with themes related to collecting and collections. The exhibition is o pen for individual creators as well as artists' groups from all disciplines of the applied arts. Apart from traditional object types such as vessels, utensils, sculptures, tapestries, clothes and pieces of jewellery or furniture, the triennial also welcomes works in other genres.

The triennial is international with no geographical restrictions. It is open to both professionals and university students. The artist must hold the copyright to his or her own work, and the work may not have been created under an academic supervisor.

The exhibition will take place from 23.11.2012 through 3.02.2013 at the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, Tallinn, Estonia.

Works for the exhibition will be selected by an international jury leaded by the curator of the exhibition. The selection will be chosen anonymously and will be based on submitted digital image material received by March 5th, 2012.

W: www.trtr.ee

AUGUST CRAFT MONTH 2012 – MADE IN NORTHERN IRELAND

August Craft Month promotes contemporary craft and the material arts in Northern Ireland and from around the UK and Ireland. In 2012, as well as promoting exhibitions, workshops, talks / seminars, galleries, shops and craftspeople as we do every year, our particular focus will be on makers living and working in Northern Ireland – their work, their inspiration, their stories, their craft.

Craft NI will promote its online Craft Map which it hopes to develop further in advance of August. Craft Map NI currently lists details of craft studios, galleries and venues which craft audiences and the general public can visit across NI. Makers can add their details - or update existing details - now. See full details at Join Craft NI's Craft Map. The deadline for receiving applications to be listed on the Craft Map is 12pm, 2nd March 2012.

W: http://craftni.org/augustcraftmonth/

STICKY FINGERS ARTS SEEKING CRAFT ARTISTS FOR CHILDREN’S PUBLIC ART PROJECTS

In association with Newry and Mourne District Council, Sticky Fingers Early Years Arts is looking for four artists of differing disciplines to collaborate with primary school children on an integrated public art scheme for Hill Street, Newry. Each artist will deliver a series of workshops in Newry to work with local children on creating a permanent art installation in one of four sites along Hill Street. In keeping with Sticky Fingers' programme ethos, the workshops will be child-centered, with the themes of the final work arising from the children's imagination. Each art installation will be finished to a high quality and should combine the children's work with that of the artist. It is envisaged that the workshop time spent with the children will be used as a research period for each artist to create their element of the final work, both elements working in tandem with one another.

Applicants will need to be available during February, March and April 2012, have proven experience in producing mid to large-scale public art projects and have an interest in working creatively and collaboratively with young children. The deadline for all applications is 10am January 16th 2012. Late submissions will not be considered.

E: elaine@stickyfingersarts.co.uk
W: http://www.stickyfingersarts.co.uk
T: +44 (0)28 3025 7885

CRAFTSMANSHIP AWARD AT SHOWCASE 2012

Now in its fifth year, the highly acclaimed Craftsmanship Award at Showcase is an excellent opportunity to exhibit your high levels of craftsmanship.

The application must be completed and submitted by 5pm Wednesday 18th January 2012.

E: amanda@ccoi.ie
W: http://showcaseireland.com/awardsprogramme/

IRISH CRAFT PORTFOLIO 2012

The Crafts Council of Ireland is changing the Irish Craft Portfolio programme from a 1-year to a 2-year cycle. This is being done to align better with makers' needs following a review of the programme including feedback from makers and to create more efficiency in CCoI's market development activities.

The new book, Irish Craft Portfolio will be now published in Autumn 2012. The next book will be published in Autumn 2014. Irish Craft Portfolio was established in 2005 by the Crafts Council of Ireland to promote the work of individuals showing excellence in craftsmanship at an international level. It has been used as a resource for Irish and International curators in accessing the work of Irish makers for exhibition. It is increasingly used by private and state collectors to guide their collecting of contemporary Irish craft.

Makers who did not already apply in September 2011 for the new programme can do so now. Closing date for new applications is Wednesday 18th January 2012 by 5pm.

E: ciara@ccoi.ie
W: http://www.ccoi.ie/irishcraftportfolio/
T: 056 779 6137