Sunday, 31 May 2015

Remembering Last March

... because it feels like March!

Ann Gagné, one of our WMSC members, has written a lovely blog post on the Journal of Victorian Culture blog, reviewing our Morris birthday talk and celebration... check it out here!

Staying Dry

Well, it's a droopy Sunday in Toronto. It's May 31st and the weather has dipped below 10 degrees Celsius and it's raining, so we had to postpone our guided walk of St. James Cemetary. Boo! Not to worry, because we're going to find an alternative date.

In the meantime, the website has been updated with events to take us into the fall. Check our Future Events tab (under our masthead) to see what we're getting up to: a talk on Morris and radicalism, a book discussion and picnic inspired by News From Nowhere, and our AGM coupled with a look at a year in Morris's life: 1876.

We hope you'll join us and that, in the meantime, things warm up and you have a splendid start to your summer!

Left: Hanlan's Point, the location of our picnic in August, when things will have hopefully warmed up in Toronto!

Saturday, 2 May 2015

Craft Ontario / Craft in Ontario Event

A small but wonderful group of WMSC members gathered at University College for a lecture on the evening of Thursday, April 30.

Janna Hiemstra, of Craft Ontario, and Leopold Kowolski, editor of Studio, the Craft Ontario magazine (and WMSC board member) gave a wonderful background to the evolution of craft in Canada and, specifically, the history of Craft Ontario, formerly the Ontario Crafts Council.

A couple of fun facts: The Women's Art Association of Canada (WAAC, and the roots of Craft Ontario) was founded in 1896, the year of Morris's death.


And the first Toronto shop of the Canadian Handicrafts Guild (founded in 1905) was located where the Craft Ontario shop is now, 84 years later!

Below, from the excellent slide show, William Morris as cover boy on early newsletter of the Ontario Crafts Council (later renamed Craft Ontario).



There was much to learn and discuss and a large part of the audience afterwards spent a couple of hours enjoying good beer, cider and conversation at Prenup Pub on College Street. (We'll be visiting there again, I'm sure!)

Six Short Films About Nova Scotia Craftspeople

An series of short films, focussing on six of Nova Scotia's finest craftspeople, are to be made viewable online, the first one having been released last week.

Ben Proudfoot has directed the shorts, titled Life's Work: Six Conversations with Makers. Here is the trailer containing clips from all six films.



Last week, Stone, focussing on stone carver Heather Lawson was released and widely enjoyed and acclaimed.



Watch each week as the five remaining films will be released on Vimeo: Turns, featuring Steven Kennard will be released on May 5, followed by Mother Earth (May 19), Fibre & Wood (June 2), Lady Bug (June 16), and Rust (June 30).

Life’s Work is a collaboration between Craft Alliance Atlantic Association and the Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council.  Funding for the project was provided by ACOA Nova Scotia and Film and Creative Industries Nova Scotia.

Bravo to all!