Craft Victoria in the Saturday Age!

In case you missed your Saturday Age which was peppered with Craft Victoria mentions, here are the scans of an article on upcoming exhibition The Weeping Dress by Martha MacDonald and a mention of Odd One Out's fantastic fake food made from felt which will be at the next Craft Hatch market on Sat 12 March!

Our phone has been ringing off the hook over the past few days, so just to let you know that Martha's performance on Monday is fully booked with a rather formidable waiting list.

If you'd still like to try your luck, call us on 9650 7775 to be put on the waiting list. If not, don't worry as a video recording of the performance will be up on our website shortly after (along with some images too). The dress from the performance is also part of Martha's exhibition and will be on display in Gallery 2 from 10 March to 21 April.

And of course don't forget to come along to the opening on Thursday 10 March from 6-8pm!

Click here to read the article.

Click here to read the article.

Introducing... Craft Victoria to Japanese tourists!

Some of our long term readers may remember Sandy Bennett, one of our lovely shopgirls from a while back. While she is no longer at Craft Vic (but still relatively close by at Mattt's shop and studio!), Sandy recently got in touch with us to let us know that she had written a sweet review on Craft Vic for a Japanese website:

Hi. I’m Sandy and I will try to be a bit of a gallery guide for you as you search out interesting art in Melbourne. I enjoy making things (mostly out of textiles) and I am addicted to travel because I think travel, like art gives me a new perspective on the world I live in. I love living and working in Melbourne because there are so many wonderfully crafty, creative people everywhere you look and l enjoy seeing what other people are making, drawing, sculpting and designing because I love seeing the world through other people’s eyes.

こんにちは、サンディーです。皆さんがメルボルンで面白いアートを発見できるよう、ちょっとしたギャラリーガイドをしていきたいと思います。私は物を作る事が大好きです（主に織物から）。あとは旅行に夢中。旅行ってアートと同じで、新しい世界観を発見させてくれるでしょ。メルボルンにはクリエイティブな人達がたくさんいるので、私はここでの生活、仕事を本当にエンジョイしています。他の人達が何を造っているのか、描いているのか、彫っているのか、デザインしているのか、見るのが私は大好き。他の人の目を通して世界を見る事ができるから。

While a lot of Melbourne’s galleries are still busy painting the walls and getting themselves ready for the first exhibitions of the year, up the top of Flinders Lane Craft Victoria is already off to a running start. Make sure you go in with some time to spare because there is plenty to keep you downstairs for more than a little while.

If you can tear yourself away from COUNTER – which is the shop to go to for anything from quirky locally made toys to glassware and jewellery you will find yourself waylaid by three artists who will introduce you to new ways of looking at the world around you.

メルボルン中のギャラリーが今年最初のエキシビジョンの準備のため、未だ店内の壁をペイントするのに忙しくしているにも関わらず、Flinders Lane Craft Victoriaはとっくに準備万端。あなたを店内に引き留めるたくさんの作品が階下でお待ちかねだ。是非時間の余裕のある時に訪れて欲しい。カウンターには昨日までの世界観をそっくり塗り変えてしまうような3人のアーティストの作品が並ぶ。きっとそこから離れがたくなってしまう事だろう。

Thanks Sandy! For more, click here to read the full article.


Images: Sandy Bennett

Bridget Bodenham in the Saturday Age!

In our Saturday paper last week was a fantastic half-page article on ceramicist and COUNTER stockist Bridget Bodenham. Why it was so fantastic we almost choked on our organic fruit sourdough toast!

We were first introduced to Bridget's fine work in 2006 when she was selected to be part of our annual FRESH! graduate survey show and since then she's gone on to such great heights!

We currently have a wide range of Bridget's work in-store including the mentioned 'My Chickadee' collection of plates, bowls and vessels. Prices range from $25 for the brooches to $200 for her signature nutcracker and bowl set. You can also purchase the nutcracker on its own on our online shop for $85!

Click here to read the article which was scanned at high resolution by the lovely folk at Pieces of Eight (another of Bridget's stockists)

Sound Playground + SUPER MARKET double whammy!

Talk about two birds with one stone! A big thank you to Penny Modra for the lovely words.

A reminder that the Sound Playground opens tomorrow evening at fortyfivedownstairs from 5pm till 7pm... we can't wait for it and hope you are too!

COUNTER feature!

COUNTER was reviewed in The Age's M Magazine pullout on Sunday - and what a glowing review it was! We especially like the part about the 'sweet, craft-loving staff' and of course, the nice shout out to CLOG. Hooray!!

At the moment, you'll find Aly Peel and Body Parts occupying enCOUNTER (but only until this Saturday before it all comes down!). Make your way downstairs and you'll find the usual suspects, including a select range of cute handmade Tasmanian oak knitting needles topped with colourful spotty round tops by Art Viva. It's one of our latest additions to the shop and is our small foray into the realm of craft supplies.

Thank you to Jayne for visiting us and we hope you'll visit us soon too!

PS. Click the image to enlarge

Anita Cummins in Inside Out magazine!

The latest edition of Inside Out (with a glorious cover by UK paper-based artist Rob Ryan) features some delightful pom poms by one very lovely Anita Cummins! Anita is assistant retail manager here at CVHQ, and her work is stocked right here at COUNTER.

If you'd like to get your paws on you can get order in one (or two, or five) of her pom pom necklaces. Just make sure you give us a call first! We also hear that Anita's autumn-perfect machine-knitted scarves will be reappearing at COUNTER very soon, so make sure you keep an eye out.

Craft Hatch: this Saturday 10 April!

We trust everyone had a lovely and restful Easter long weekend, and we hope that the much-needed quiet time gave you the opportunity to look through Saturday's M Magazine pullout from The Age? If so, you might've spotted a mini write-up on Craft Hatch featuring Little Harvest's wheat bag - spread over 2 pages of course!

We'll be updating CLOG very soon with a sneak peek as to what to expect at the market this Saturday. Stay tuned!


PS, the market is on this Saturday 10 April

Craft Hatch's Mae Finlayson in Epicure!

Check out this lovely writeup on Mae Finlayson in a recent issue of The Age's Tuesday pullout Epicure. Mae will be at this Saturday's Craft Hatch market, so be sure to pop by between 11am and 4pm at the City Library gallery, 253 Flinders Lane!

Part of the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Cultural Program, this month's Craft Hatch is a special fashion edition and is one you definitely shouldn't miss.

More info will be up on the blog soon! But in the meantime, click here to see a full list of stallholders.

Adam in A2

A couple of Saturdays ago there was a great article in the A2 section of The Age covering Adam Cruickshank's upcoming exhibition Reverse Cargo. To read the article, click the image to enlarge.

Excitingly enough, Reverse Cargo is finally opening this Thursday at 6pm! This should make all those visitors traipsing in the past week who have been after 'the IKEA exhibition' very happy indeed.

As usual artist talks commence at 5.30pm. Also opening on the night is Chris Headley and Darren McGinn's exhibition Divertissement. Please join us in welcoming in the first exhibitions for 2010!

Thanks Michi!

Gracia and Louise painted the bird picture above my desk. Not only is it beautiful, it's also sentimental - it was the first piece of art I bought for my office. Nothing distracts the eye from a cheap Ikea table than a beautiful piece of art, especially one from these talented girls. Their show is opening tomorrow night at Craft Victoria. See you there. I'll be the one with big blue Ikea bag.

Gracia Haby and Louise Jennison's exhibition in Gallery 2 entitled A Key to Help Make Your Own World Visible opens tomorrow at 6pm, with artist talks commencing at 5.30pm

A week of Nathan Gray

Image from UHH.com Photography by Suleyman Karaaslan

In celebration of the final week of Nathan's exhibition Attack Decay Sustain Release, we've decided to devote this week's worth of posts to covering his most excellent show.

To kick things off, check out this awesome interview that our pal Dan Rule recently conducted with Nathan that was published on Sydney website UHH. There are also some great photos on it, including a stunning Portrait of Nathan Gray (haha! couldn't resist!)

Nathan's show ends this Saturday 17 October. If you haven't already, click here to download the ADSReader, a collection of six essays authored by James Deutsher, Francis Plagne, Jared Davis, Helen Johnson and Simon Taylor. You can also pick up hard copies of the catalogue from Craft Victoria - lovingly assembled by Nathan himself. That's dedication for you...

"Hey Mum, we're in the paper!"

Check out this lovely article today's Age on Craft Hatch @ MWF stallholders Nicholas Jones, Samantha Parsons of Studio Sam and Brydie Dyson (as well as American artist Brian Dettmer) written by Ray Edgar. Thanks Ray! This one's definitely going on the fridge!

Click the article to enlarge it for easy reading. Isn't technology great?

See you at the market on Sunday! (10-4pm, Federation Square Atrium) Nick and Sam will be there, and Brydie will be at the market next week on Sunday 30 August.

CV on the radio...

This evening, Gallery 3 exhibitor Alana Clifton-Cunningham will be conducting an interview with 3CR Radio at 5.10pm today. Their frequency is 885AM, and you can also listen in by visiting their website and streaming it through your computer. Ahh the number of options technology provides us with these days...

With that in mind, you have no excuse to miss this so be sure to tune in tonight!

Craft Hatch in the news

We've been getting so much attention from numerous magazines, journals, blogs and even the ABC for our current Chicks on Speed exhibition Viva La Craft, but nothing warms the cockles of our heart like seeing our special project Craft Hatch have its fair share of attention.

The Craft Hatch market is a capsule market designed to showcase the work of the best and brightest emerging designers in Melbourne (and sometimes Tasmania!). With up to twelve stallholders participating every month, each market is a lovingly curated event that features a mix of fresh talent and old favourites from previous Craft Hatch markets.

The market has been steadily gaining momentum since its inception in November 2008. The next market, our sixth, will be on Saturday 9 May. Keep reading CLOG for more information on the fabulous participants!

In the previous April market, we were so proud to be featured in The Age's Domain section (which is published every Saturday). Myf Kemp's adorable bear and lion blankies (softies made from recycled blankets) were featured in the snippet - hooray for Myf!


In the same week, Elena Lo's superb dino necklace was the focus image for The Leader's fresh section. Hooray again!


And just when we thought it couldn't get any better, May's Craft Hatch was plugged in The Age's Epicure pullout last week. The very talented Ms. Jules Musgrove's crocheted banana necklace was featured, so do drop by the market in May to say hi. PS, a little bird told us to expect more cute goodies from Jules like whale softies and more crocheted cuteness!

Also featured in the same page is a beautiful vase by COUNTER stockist Wendy Jagger, whom CLOG interviewed in an edition of Introducing... sometime last year.

The next Craft Hatch market will be on Saturday 9 May, write it in your diary!

PS. Don't squint, click the images to enlarge them for easier reading.

CV on TV!

Last Sunday, Craft Victoria was part of a special feature on ABC's Sunday Arts program. It was a great little segment that showed footage of the Chicks giving a quick exhibition tour, rocking out in their super suits and 'big mad hat' (pictured above), and footage from their performance with Dylan Martorell.

Not quite sure what we're talking about? You can view the program by clicking here. Unfortunately for all our international readers/fans, the video is not available for viewing. But we are working on it and we'll definitely keep you posted should this change!

But for now, we'll leave you with some closeup shots of some of the palette bag and mad hats.

By the way, we mentioned how we were playing the game of 'spot the accessory' during Nella's interview. Unfortunately, her pink bauble was cut off from the screen. What an a-pom-ination! In case you haven't guessed, Nella was proudly wearing a Melinda Young crafted pink pom pom necklace.

Turn your TV on today!

Turn your TV on today to catch exclusive footage of Alex and Melissa of Chicks on Speed doing what they do best in Craft Victoria's gallery space. Whoa now!

The Chicks will be on ABC's Sunday Arts program this evening at 5pm on ABC1 and 7.30pm on ABC2.

Tune in to catch Fenella Kernebone interview Alex and Melissa, as well as our very own curator Nella (who is wearing a rather fetching accessory... let us know if you spot what it is!)

For more information, here is the link to the program writeup on the Sunday Arts website.

And for the love of craft, don't forget!!

Chicks on Speed for ABC's Sunday Arts

Last week the team from ABC's Sunday Arts program dropped by CVHQ to interview the Chicks. Very exciting indeed! It's definitely something to look forward to: Alex demonstrates that she does know how to play (shoe) guitars, Melissa puts on her voice-altering helmet and does an impromptu spoken word session and the Chicks take us on a tour through the exhibition.

The Chicks on Speed special will be aired on Sunday 12 April at 7.30pm. Also look out for an interview with Nella, CVHQ's curator, and exclusive footage of the Chicks on Speed/Dylan Martorell performance from last week!

In the meantime, here are some images from the filming.

Don't forget! Sunday 12 April at 7.30pm

Making news

Yours truly was recently part of a cover story on craft practices in weekly publications City and the Emerald Hill Weekly (issues #31, 7 August and Week 31 Volume 4, 6-12 August respectively). On both covers are toys by Susan deGennaro's label 2lb elephant - all of which are made from recycled oat bags! Super crafty indeed. And environmentally conscious! Two things that we love here at CVHQ.

Here is an image of Curator Nella Themelios overlooking COUNTER (which looks absolutely fantastic doesn't it!)

Also featured in the cover story is Julie Monro-Allison, who just completed her residency in Gallery 3 last week. Here are a couple of snippets from the interview with Julie.

The article was published in last week's issue of City and Emerald Hill Weekly, but if you'd like to have a further read we have quite a few copies right here at CVHQ!