Matthew Briscoe: Transformation at Pan Gallery, 6-22 Dec

Coming up at Pan Gallery is Matthew Briscoe's solo exhibition Transformation. Matthew was the 2009 Fresh! Ceramic Art Award winner as judged by Northcote Pottery Supplies (of which Pan Gallery is part of), and Transformation is the result of this prize!

In 2009 Matthew completed the Diploma of Ceramics at the University of Ballarat TAFE and was selected to participate in Fresh!, our annual exhibition of graduate work (by the way this year's Fresh! opens on Fri 3 Dec!).

Continuing his studies in 2010, undertaking a Degree in Visual Arts at the University of Ballarat, Matthew has continued to develop his previously exhibited Deconstructed Bowl series.

Transformation presents the progression of this body of work, utilizing the object to explore values in light and shade. The pieces have been made by deconstructing wheel thrown bowls and reforming the pieces to create new shapes. The works go through a transformation and by low firing the stoneware clay the sheen of the slip is maintained, highlighting the play of light on the surface of the reconstructed object.

Matthew with his work at Fresh! last year. Photograph by Jake Walker

Transformation opens this Saturday 4 December from 2-4pm at Pan Gallery, 142-144 Weston Street. The exhibition runs till 22 December and opening hours are Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-4pm.

Check out Pan Gallery for more information!

Craft Hatch presents Dawn Tan at MARKit >>Sun 28 Nov

Chocolate Cream Pie and Spaghetti Vongole

Craft Hatch is super-proud to be presenting one of our dearest 'Hatchlings' Dawn Tan at MARKit this Sunday. Dawn has done Craft Hatch a few times now and at each market she's presented completely new work as well as updated previous products, making her one of the most industrious artists we've ever known!

It's seriously inspiring to see what Dawn has to offer each time, and we're glad to have provided a welcoming avenue for emerging artists like Dawn to take a risk/leap of faith and introduce their hard work to the world!

Banana Cream Tart

As you can imagine it brings us such great pleasure to be representing Dawn at MARKit this Sunday. This is part of a special collaboration between Craft Hatch and the kind folk at MARKit (thank you Simon and Leanne!) who have very generously donated a space to a promising Craft Hatchling. You'll remember that Craft Hatch presented Odds & Ends at the launch of MARKit way back in July, and since then Andrea and Renee have taken their label to much greater heights having recently participated at the recent and very awesome Finders Keepers market in Melbourne. It's no small feat considering just a few months ago they were starting out at Craft Hatch with big smiles and a tub full of knitted cacti and other assorted goodies!

Some of Dawn's earlier work

But anyway! At MARKit this Sunday we're excited to see what Dawn will be bringing. We imagine it will be a mix of old favourites as well as some of her newer work including 2011 calendars and her brand new tea towels with her illustrated recipes printed on it. The perfect festive gift we say!

Sydney zine, illustrated by Dawn!

You'd think Dawn has her hands full by now, but this talented lady also recently just completed a Fine Arts degree (Painting) at the Victorian College of the Arts. Her grad show work consisted of a series of soft sculptures depicting popular food items like Pascall's Marshmallows and Ritz crackers. Cute!!

Congratulations also to Dawn for taking home not only a $1,000 prize from the National Gallery of Victoria, but also winning a solo exhibition at Carbon Black gallery in Prahran next year! Yay Dawn!!

Dawn with her work

If you want to see Dawn's graduate work, make sure you check it out at VCA. Otherwise, Dawn will be at MARKit this Sunday from 10am to 5pm at the Atrium in Federation Square.

MARKit have also got a $500 hamper up for grabs which consists of work contributed by each MARKit participants, so visit their website for your chance to win!


All images courtesy of Dawn Tan

Reminder: Craft Hatch x Bikefest market is on this Sun 28 Nov!

Hello there good folk, just a reminder that the super awesome Craft Hatch x Bikefest market is on THIS SUNDAY (!!!) from 11am-4pm at 1000 Pound Bend, 361 Lt Lonsdale Street.

We've gathered together 14 of the best of the best, putting together a collection of bicycle-related wondrousness for you to peruse and purchase. Whether you're after a bespoke leather belt to suit every utilitarian need, a nifty reflector made from recycled signs, or even some 'flair' (to help bring your count up to 37 perhaps?)

In addition to the market, which will be happening upstairs, there's also the stupendously titled Bikefest Black Market. Bring your second hand cycling goods and be prepared to barter, trade or cough up cold hard cash. To quote Bikefest, "It's like a swap meet, but black market sounds so much more exciting."

It sure does. See you on Sunday!

COOKBOOK north/south launch >> this Mon 29 Nov

COOKBOOK north/south is a not-for-profit publication, letterpress printed by hand, with a limited edition of 500. Craft Victoria is proud to be hosting the launch of this fabulous labour of love (which is socially conscious too!)

Here's a bit about the project:

COOKBOOK north/south features an inquisitive exploration of ten of Melbourne’s suburbs via recipes, original artwork and short stories. Facilitated by the designers at Wolfgang, Shlomo & Max, this collaborative project is a platform for Melbourne’s chefs, artists and writers to personally and creatively interpret their city.

COOKBOOK north/south’s eclectic array of contributors give life to this humble publication. Contributors were asked to find inspiration in their suburb and creatively interpret their surroundings. Whether internationally renowned or local gems, chefs were chosen via suburb research, word of mouth and SecondBite recommendations.

Each of COOKBOOK north/south’s ten suburb-inspired chapters feature a lino-cut artwork, short story and three recipes. A unique collection of letterpress forms, typography and colour create the visual identity for each suburb chapter. An unbound publication, COOKBOOK north/south comprises of hand printed individual cards, first offset and then letterpress printed at the Melbourne Museum of Printing.


Join us this Monday 29 November at Craft Victoria between 6-8pm for the publication launch where you can purchase the book for $100 (cash please!). All profits will go towards Secondbite.

Images courtesy of Wolfgang, Shlomo & Max, quite possibly the best name for a collective ever.

Last days of our current round of exhibitions

It's the last week of our current round of exhibitions, in other words your last chance to see Bridie Lunney & Meredith Turnbull's Scale Practice, Timothy McLeod's Stories Through the Barrows and Alex Selenitsch's Out of the Box - 94 Variations.

Work by Bridie Lunney. Scale Practice installation detail
Photography by Richard Brockett

These exhibitions will finish this Saturday 27 November. Hurry hurry!

David Neale makes ring; reminds everyone how awesome he is

Melbourne is home to many jewellers including one of our favourites, David Neale. We're avid readers of his blog The Golden Smith and we recently saw this post 'Proven Goodness' which is incredible!

In it David shows how he transforms a simple ingot of gold (with a not-so-simple provenance) into something truly amazing.

Anyhow you must read it. Here's the link again!

Image from David Neale

Wordsmith: the craft of writing >> this Monday!

How does one forge words in the smithy of one's soul?

How do you fan the flames of inspiration with the bellows of vocabulary?


Umm... so we may not be the best writers out there, but this Monday evening you can learn from the real deal at Wordsmith: the craft of writing! Presenters for this event are Nella Themelios (Craft Vic's coordinating curator), Alice Blackwood (DQ Magazine editor) and Meredith Turnbull (artist curator, writer and current exhibitor at Craft Vic).

In this talk you'll learn how to improve you writing skills across a variety of mediums, get tips on how to compose a compelling exhibition proposal and artist statement, produce an effective media release and to top it all off, develop an engaging catalogue essay.

Here are the details!

Date: Monday 22 November, 6-7.30pm
Venue: Craft Victoria, 31 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Cost: $20 / $10 Craft Victoria Members
Bookings: click here to make an online booking


Image credit: and O designs, Ampersand Porcelain Brooch
Image courtesy of the artist

November Craft Hatch wrap up

It may have a pretty dreary day last Saturday, but the atmosphere at Craft Hatch was bustling! Thanks to all who came, you certainly made everyone's day.

As you may all know, the November market also marked our second year of running this event. It's been such a pleasure so far, so here's to many more years of supporting emerging talent!

If you'd like to be a part of this in 2011, applications are currently being accepted. For more information please visit the Craft Hatch website for registration details and the online application form.

In 2011 we'll be introducing a few changes to the format of Craft Hatch as we continue to build and grow this opportunity into one that provides continuous support as opposed to a one-off event. If you are successful in your application, here's what lies ahead:

1. A select range of information from the Craft Victoria Business Portal usually only available to Professional Members including: business and financial advice, case studies, suppliers links and marketing and media recommendations and product development advice.
   
   
2. The chance to be selected to have your work profiled and sold through COUNTER’s online shop.
   
   
3. The opportunity for a one on one professional development consultation with Craft Victoria’s Retail Manager, Business or Sector Development Manager, usually only available to Professional Members.

Anyhow! It's all very excited and we hope that you'll keep Craft Hatch in your calendar next year. In the meantime, here are some images from the November market which took place at the City Library on Sat 13 Nov. As always, more images can be viewed here.

Envy Emporium



Laser-cut accessories with a handmade flourish by So Little Time - these guys will be at the Bikefest market on Sunday 28 Nov so make sure you check them out!



Bernadette Wood - the ceramic bowl above features a recipe!



Fragile Concepts



m2matiz (psst, a little bird told us that if you peek through the Herald Sun's HOME pull out next Sat 27 Nov, you might see a familiar face/work!)



Jubly Umph



Pretty Parcel



Antonia Glavic



L-R: COTOPAXI, truth.be.told




Milk and Cookies



Kester Black



Saturday Lollipop

The next market will be happening on Sun 28 Nov - there's the Bikefest market at 1000 Pound Bend and Dawn Tan at MARKit, and our last market for 2010 will be back at the City Library on Sat 11 Dec. It's all happening!!


Photography: Kim Brockett

Craft Victoria x Michaela Bruton x Ingrid Tufts coffee cup collaboration

2010 has been a year of collaborations for us - there was the commemorative 40th anniversary tote bag featuring a design by Adam Cruickshank & Dell Stewart, the Cumulus Inc. x Ingrid Tufts coffee cup (currently sold out, but get in line by placing yourself on the waiting list at Cumulus!) and of course, the numerous projects overseen by our New Craft initiative.

In light of all of these wonderful partnerships, we're proud to present our latest collaboration: a coffee cup made by Ingrid Tufts and illustrated by Fresh! 2009 winner Michaela Bruton.

It comes in a limited edition of 100 and the first 20 are now available in-store and online. Priced at $30, each cup will fit a standard cup lid perfectly and is yet another classy option for your takeway coffee!

There are also two types of glazes available at the moment: editions 1-10 are white on the inside (not a creamy yellow as pictured in the online shop) while editions 11-20 are a vibrant orangey red.

I'll take two please!

Photography: Kim Brockett

Things to pick up at Craft Victoria

We've got quite a few fantastic (and free) things for you to pick up here at Craft Vic... let's hear it for free stuff! Yay!

First up is the Bikefest 2010 program which is chock-full of programs, talks, events and markets (including the special Craft Hatch x Bikefest market happening on Sun 28 Nov!). Bikefest is led by Craft Vic's Marketing Coordinator Pip Carroll and her team of merry men & women and the festival runs from Wed 24 - Sun 28 November... That's next week!

Next we have a few copies left of Sydney-based publication 'Das Superpaper' (issue 15) which focuses on the emerging and contemporary art world. These always get snapped up in a jiffy so make sure you move quickly!

And finally we also have the latest issue of un magazine which among other excellent articles, features a review of SUPER MARKET by Pip Wallis (check it out on page 78).

You may remember SUPER MARKET as an event curated by our own Kim Brockett. Unfortunately this acknowledgement was left out in the article, so here we are letting you know who's done what!

Photography: Kim Brockett

Bus @ Blindside: Play with your Food

Craft Vic curator Nella Themelios sure is a busy lady and when she's not looking after our exhibition program - we don't know how she does it! Actually it might have something to do with the number of coffees consumed daily.

But anyhow, while some of us watch Gossip Girl in our spare time, Nella keeps busy with a multitude of independent projects. As the current Chair of the BUS Projects (a.ka. Bus Driver, haha!) Nella and artist/curator Drew Pettifer have put together Play with your Food, an exhibition and one-off dinner as part of a BUS Projects and BLINDSIDE collaboration.

Play with your Food explores contemporary spatial practices in relation to the current pop cultural interest in culinary artistry. Participating artists Matthew Benjamin, Drew Pettifer, Hannah Raisin, SIBLING and Marcin Wojcik have each devised a course of a menu that will form the basis of an exhibtion at BLINDSIDE and a one-off dinner, of which the latter is scheduled to take place next Tuesday evening at the Auction Rooms in North Melbourne!

(We're particularly excited about the dinner... mmm.. food..)

Realising the artists' contributions will be Sarah Trotter, food stylist and co-founder of the most awesome food blog Trotski & Ash.

Here are the details:

Cost: $60 per person (incl. dinner and wine)
Venue: Auction Rooms, 103-107 Errol Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
Date and time: Tuesday 23 November at 7.30pm

To book a spot for yourself (and maybe a date?) click here.


An exhibition showing a video of the dinner and additional works from each of the artists will open at BLINDSIDE on Thursday 25 November from 6-8pm.

Image courtesy of BUS Projects

COUNTER Christmas catalogue!

This Christmas we're doing things slightly differently - instead of our usual colour-themed Christmas, we've created four unique pages that reflect the palettes from our past Coloured Christmas events - Yellow, Blue, Green and Red. Each page was expertly styled by Anita Cummins our Assistant Retail Manager (previously a stylist and former guinea pig breeder) and photographed by Richard Brockett. Great job guys!

Each page features a fabulous selection of work available for sale both online and in-store. Simply hover over each shot for product details including maker's name and price. One more click takes you straight to the product page in the online shop – easy peasy.

You can also choose to have your item gift wrapped (which includes a hand written gift tag written by the CV staff member with the best penmanship) absolutely FREE! There is even an option to personalise your message, and you can't ask for a sweeter deal than that.

And great news! Craft Victoria will be introducing extended trading hours on Thursday and Friday evenings until 6pm, starting Friday December 3. This gives you an extra hour after work to come and see the amazing array of products by our 250+ suppliers in-store.

To be directed to each of the coloured pages, click the links below.

Red

Blue

Green

Yellow

Happy 2nd birthday Craft Hatch!

This November our market turns two - but not the 'terrible twos' kind though, more like the 'two good to be true' sort!

It's happening this Saturday at the City Library on Flinders Lane from 11am-4pm. Swing by to see the following artists:

Antonia Glavic



Bernadette Wood



Fragile Concepts



COTOPAXI



Envy Emporium



Jubly Umph



Kester Black


m2matiz



Pretty Parcel



Saturday Lollipop



So Little Time



Tali Gal-on

truth.be.told

Craft Hatch market
Saturday 11am-4pm
City Library Gallery, Lv1 253 Flinders Lane

See you there!!


PS. we have a couple of other Craft Hatch events planned for the rest of the month, more on that soon!