Columbia Basin residents are invited to participate in the Columbia Basin Craft Symposium to be held October 25 to 27 in Nelson. This event will focus on the professional development of contemporary craft artists with a variety of workshops, discussions and presentations by some of the most influential artists in the field of Craft today.
This weekend-long symposium will touch upon many aspects that contemporary craft faces today: creativity, sustainability, globalization, technology, and business issues such as marketing, pricing and social media. The symposium is an opportunity for Columbia Basin residents who are in a creative field to learn, share and get feedback from artists across the country who are visionaries in their respective fields. There is also an opportunity to sign up for individual portfolio reviews and to have your work photographed by a professional photographer.
The keynote speaker will be Greg Payce: artist, potter, and winner of the 2013 Saidye Bronfman Award (Canada’s foremost distinction for excellence in the fine crafts). Greg has been making ceramics for over 35 years. He has exhibited and given numerous lectures, workshops, and presentations on his practice, both in Canada and internationally.
Registration for this event will open in early October and space is limited. Travel subsidies will be available for the weekend event of October 25-27 for residents of the Columbia Basin who live further away from Nelson.
The West Kootenay Regional Arts Council is also partnering with the Kootenay Gallery, Castlegar Arts Council, and the Kootenay Lake Arts and Heritage Council to offer a series of community events and workshops.
The Kootenay Gallery will kick off the celebration with their exhibition Invested: 10,000 Hours – an exhibition of contemporary craft. On display will be various craft media by Columbia Basin artists. At the Langham Gallery in Kaslo, local artist Geraldine Rinkel will be offering a two day workshop: Draped Clay – create and explore on October 5 and 19. Olivia Mansveld will take you through her process of turning recycled frames, materials, and objects into an “objet d’art” using collage, stitching, and assemblage in her workshop Framing with Fabric, Oct. 19 at the Kootenay Gallery in Castlegar. Workshop registration is now open.
