Kingston Arts Council 'Year In Review' Party!!!!

Saturday night. December 1st, is going to be a great night to head down to the Kingston Yacht Club for the 'Year In Review' bash.

The even starts at 7pm, it's at 1 Maitland Street and contacts are  613-546-2787 or programs@artskingston.ca

Tickets are $10

The 2012 Year In Review will include the announcement of the recipient of the Nan Yeomans Grant for Artistic Development, which aims to help promising young artists and/or artisans in furthering their education and professional artistic growth.

This Year's Programming includes: Performing Artists: PS I Love You, The Sleuth Bears, Sadiqua de Meijer, and Cantabile Choir Video Installations by Kurtis Chen, Mathieu Rioux, The Artists of Kingston Project; Speakers: Matt Rogalsky and Christine Dewancker Exhibits by artists Mike Bayne and Maggie Sutherland The event will be an excellent opportunity to network with other artists and arts organizations, while sharing stories from the past year in the Kingston arts community. Hope to see you there!

     

Once again....

• Date: December 01, 2012
• Time: 7:00PM
• Location: Kingston Yacht Club
• Address: 1 Maitland Street
• Contact: 613 546 2787  programs@artskingston.ca

See you there!

October ART - Farewell Denise...

Denise, Cathie, Tina, Nicole, Joanne, Anne, Carolyn.

At our October 9th Artists Round Table (bumped because I was still on the Trans Canada Highway on Oct 2nd) we bid farewell to Denise Love of www.lovetheworldphotography.com as she packs up and leaves Kingston for London Ontario. We will miss her, I don't think she missed an ART meeting, and so will Modern Fuel Gallery where she worked for the past year.

As you can see from the photo of my dining room there was much in the way of munchies and we just talked about Denise's move, work, galleries and what we were doing this Fall and Christmas season.

There is no art fair at the fort this holiday season as, sadly, Lindsey Fair has moved on to greater things and the Fort got onto the bandwagon and the stretch over three weekends kinda wrecked the one weekend blast we had previously enjoyed.

I personally am trying to make the move from shows to shops with my felted work though they still want my knits...which look awful on a hanger for longer than one day whereas the felted can hang forever and not lose their shape!

There is a small show and sale this weekend at the Frontenac Arch Biosphere at 19 Reynolds Rd at the 1000 Islands Parkway. I will be there with a group of other artists:

Blaise DeLong, Margot Miller, Carolyn Barnett, Ron Tidrow, Jane Thellwel, 

Diana Earle, John le Blancq,  Arlene Massey & Otis Tamasauskas.

October 27 & 28th 2012

10am - 4pm

Our next ART is, again at my house, November 6th 10:30am

Photographing Your Work....

......workshop!

Photographing my buttons.

 The next meeting is an exciting one: 

From the 

Modern Fuel Gallery

Denise Love has been able to get the New Media Workspace coordinator, Matt Kyba, to present on our workshop morning 11am Aug 7th at the Modern Fuel Gallery. 

A $5 donation per person for his time is recommended. 

He will also advertise it as a workshop to encourage new folks to come 

and 

maybe join artist roundtable so it could be reciprocal. 

See you there....I know I could use some tips!

Art Supply Sale!

This sounds like a great idea and I'm going to comb my studio for stuff I'll never use!.......

As artists we've all done it..bought supplies with an art project in mind and never completed it or in some cases never started it!  

Why let them pile up in your workspace?  

Support Modern Fuel by donating them to the Unfinished Art Sale!  

Bring them anytime Tues-Sat 12-5pm until June 30th.  

Then be sure to attend the sale Saturday July 14 to pick up new items to start another project!  

We are also accepting any unread books, unwatched DVD's that you've never gotten around too as well!

NOTE...

Also for the August Roundtable workshop, August 7th, 11am, Modern Fuel Gallery, they can bring pieces of their art they'd like to learn to photograph.

Denise Love

A.R.T June Announcements

At yesterday’s gathering of the Artists Round Table, (6 in attendance around my dining room table) we talked about projects for the coming meetings. We can meet at my place as it was successful last Summer and may make one of our homes/studios our meeting places in future, taking turns as anyone who wants to host offers. 

We discussed submitting images for shows/grant/award applications and how they are being done more and more online (Zapplication in the US was the first I used years ago). It was thought a workshop on the process might bring some of us out of the dark ages and update us on the right way to photograph our work for such submissions and for our own web use and archives.

From the Modern Fuel Gallery:

Denise has been able to get the New Media Workspace coordinator, Matt Kyba, to present on our workshop morning 11am Aug 7th at the Modern Fuels Gallery.

A $5 donation per person for his time is recommended.

He will also advertise it as a workshop to encourage new folks to come and maybe join artist roundtable so it could be reciprocal. 

From Cathie Hamilton:

Encaustic Workshop Saturday June 16, 11am-4pm, $70.00

Studio 1 at NGB, 12 Cataraqui St. Kingston, K7K 1Z7

Come on in and explore, share ideas and have some fun.

Materials supplied. 

Please contact cathie@kingston.net to confirm.

Art Show in Amherstview

ART SHOW & SALE AT 

We are excited to announce that we are now featuring a display of art in the gallery room beside the main café.  Artists will be displaying their work on a rotational basis. Until June 30, Nicole Couture-Lord, photographer and Barbara Simard, Fabric Artist, will be our guest artists.  Barbara enjoys creating fabric art scenes of natural settings and floral scenes.  Nicole is a photographer who specializes in photographing natural scenes and flowers, amongst other subjects.

During the month of July, Brian Little, photographer and Jeff Gill, Fabric Artist will be displaying their art.  Brian is a photo artist living on Amherst Island who enjoys a variety of photographic settings including landscapes, fine art and wild life.  Jeff likes being with nature and creates fabric art scenes from photos he has taken of nature and wildlife.

While visiting the gallery, you can also enjoy your favorite coffee, tea and espresso drinks. The café offers comfortable seating, complimentary daily newspapers and free internet access.  

The Café/Gallery is open from 7 am to 7 pm on weekdays and from 8 am to 7 pm on weekends.

Town Coffee Plus Inc. Loyalist Plaza, Amherstview 

(adjacent to the Beer Sore) 

(613) 389-5668   info@towncoffeeplus.com

Tomorrow!

Artists Round Table

June 5th 2012 10:30am

Carolyn's place 

Theme: Show and Tell......bring some of your work.

Maker Shake at OCC

I don't know how many of you are members of the Ontario Crafts Council but they recently had their annual Maker Shaker event! What a party!!!

Bernadette Prat with my friend Sonja Fijn

I drove down earlier in the day as I had errands to run and a grandson to visit. Then I met up with the others at the club at 5 Brock Street. Jane Thelwell drove down some others....Joan Heaton (president of the Kingston Artis Council) and Alexi and Marielle from Kingston Glass Studio.

Jane and Joan shmooze!

Here Jane and Joan chat with friends. If the photos seem strange colours it's because of the huge light in the main room that kept changing colours!

Marielle & Alexi

Her are Marielle and Alexi in front of the room in which the auction items were displayed. Donations came from artist but also supporters. One was a night in Montreal, my friend Karen Franzen bid and won that. Jane always bids on and goes home with more art too.

Jane & Ber

Brenda, ex of Kingston Arts & Letters Club, showed up and Jane and she spent time catching up.

Hand made 'shaker' glasses.

If you paid $30 you got to keep your glass and have a great martini in it. Otherwise the food and drink flowed, great martinis (named after craft techniques like Batik Blue) all included in your price of admission ($25 for OCC Members), important to starving artists

Carolyn & Karen Franzen

Here I am with my Facebook friend Karen Franzen. We met years ago when I founded the Beach Studio Tour in Toronto. It's so great to stay connected with social media.

Remember - next Artists Round Table: 

June 5th 10:30am

Carolyn's home:

carolyn@barnett-knits.com

613-545-5986

Creativity - John Cleese

I had to share this with you, I can't remember who posted it on my Facebook page but I love it....I have loved John Cleese over the years in his many incarnations. He had a PBS (?) program on the face with Elizabeth Hurley that I loved, a few years ago. Here he is again with his humour, simplicity and brilliance.

Business and the Law - a Saga

This is not a fun topic but I thought I'd run this by the artists on this list and try to get some feedback. I did a Spring show a few weeks ago and was able to discuss this with some colleagues there.

No one can be in business 30 years and not have some upset clients and I am now dealing with an old customer who is not happy with her bespoke purchase from me. We have been back and forth via email as she wanted a full refund, then half refund and I am not prepared to give her anything.

Her point: the garment doesn't hang  right on her...after wearing for a while it shifts.

My Point: The garment fits beautifully and I have still taken it apart and made alterations.

I called the Entrepreneurship centre when I first was told I would be taken to small claims court and had a good chat someone there well versed in business.

While gathering all references to this issue I found an email from this client confirming receipt of the item and also it's perfect fit!

Then I had a chat with a lawyer who immediately told me he could not help as he is a Ontario Small Claims Court Judge and it would be a conflict....but he did chat with me and tell me how the procedure would go and to get legal aid in the town involved (not Kingston). He also told me to 'frame' the positive confirming email!

When my client (a nice older lady who has two more of my sweaters) came by my booth I had to say I would not discuss this in my show booth!!!! She asked when/where I had to quickly say via email/phone/court, as I had other visitors to attend to.

When I informed her we had her confirming email I added that it completed my contractual obligation to her but that I had gone above and beyond in altering (at great time and expense to me) the garment.

I have been doing custom work for thirty years and always ask my clients for feedback: did the parcel arrive, does the garment fit, do I need to make any adjustments and also if it doesn't fit I will remake it at my own expense. I have done this about three or four times. I also always stand behind my work in that I will always replace my handmade buttons and also offer to mend, even wash and press!

I always tell my visitors to my booth if I think a garment doesn't look right, as my name is on it and I only want happy buyers who look great in my work (don't we all). I have turned people away from my booth if I think they are not sure, when they return to make the purchase then I know they are 100% sure.

Andrea Graham

This particular custom item I have seen on this lady and, frankly I love it on her! She is still talking about small claims court and when I mentioned that I was told we would go to a Settlement Court first she said something to the effect of she didn't the other few times she's gone to small claims court........

I'd love to hear of others of you with your 'trials'. It was good to hear from my wonderful colleagues and friends at the last show, the sharing made me feel better and not alone. 

Call me, email me privately or I will post your story (no names, of course) here. I'd love to do that as it will help others.

Art Card Exchange

I thought I'd upload a few pics of the art cards I collected at two Art Card events I have been to. We all have business cards and brochures we hand out for promoting our businesses and art but these ones are too delicate but they're fun!

Here are the front and backs of some I have in my binder. Some were just a lot of fun on the front with information written in marker on the back. Mine (the mauve felt with a button and yellow wool) had the info ironed on with transfer that I printed from the computer. There is one that is machine embroidered. 

The top left has a hole in it where dangles a glass bead, the one with the stars is of polymer clay (hey that gives me an idea for mine!)

The card in the upper left is one I did for an Art Card exchange in Ottawa organized by the Ontario Arts Council a few years ago. It was fun and I got to meet artists from the Ottawa area.

This one is made of wood by Spinning Madly! but 

One artisan brought her son who had hand drawn some cards himself. 

Creativity and just plain fun!

Shoot for May and I'll see you at the Entrepreneurship Centre.

I Am Water

You may have read about this in the EMC or other local pulications this week or read Sue's page in Kingston Life.

I'm looking forward to taking in this exhibition and to going to the opening so I can learn more

See you at the...

Window Art Gallery

Group Post Just for Fun!

Rather a damp but happy group of my Felting Workshop.

As we sit at the March ART we are reviewing the email and contact list of the Artists Round Table as Barb says she is not getting the emails and posts.

I am wrestling with Google Groups, and we all know that Google has made a bunch of changes, to find out just how it works.

Cathie Hamilton is listed on the email list when I do a search but does not appear on the list pairs of eyes on it!!!! (Barb's, Nicole's and mine).

If anyone has any insight or finds they also are not receiving the emails (hmmm you won't get this will you?!) let me know as I don't want anyone to miss anything.

Also, I will post anything that you send me as to workshops, events, gallery openings and such, so do send them to me at   carolyn@barnett-knits.com.

Kingston City Hall by Nicole Couture-Lord

Barb has been working on art exhibitions at the Wolf Island Baker/Cafe at 311 Queen St in Kingston. Currently Nicole Couture-Lord is on show there until March 15th.

Starting March 15th will be Jeff Gill at the Bakery for six weeks....

Check it out and have a snack.

Building Arts Communities in Kingston...TONIGHT!

Read the Kingston Whig Standard article on Arts in the community and what Simon Brault has to say and will be saying tonight at the Grand Theatre.



Kingston Arts Council Presents: Building Arts Communities in Kingston [Teaser] from josh lyon on Vimeo.

Tomorrow:
The Kingston Arts Council wants to hear from you! We will be hosting a public forum, 1pm on Thursday February 16th at The Renaissance Event Venue (285 Queen St.), to follow-up the Feb 15th inspiring presentations and video documentary. This will be an opportunity for you to share ideas and form new partnerships through moderated discussions on many of the topics covered at the Building Arts Communities In Kingston seminar.

Kingston Arts Council Presents: Building Arts Communities in Kingston [Teaser 2] from josh lyon on Vimeo.

February ART Fun!

Good morning all, I found this on my Facebook Page this morning and thought I'd pass it on. I'm game for the Club on Wednesday night if anyone else wants to go down and make up a team for the Trivia....email me if you're interested.

carolyn@barnett-knits.com

This screen shot is on the Entrepreneurship Centre web site under Programs and Events.

For any of you who are on Facebook, this is from the Facebook Page for the Entrepreneurship Centre....

Reminder:  Artists Round Table  

at 

KEDKO Tomorrow 11am. 

 Topics: 

Reg suggested we really make an effort to come up with ideas for our meetings

Making changes in your artistic career, I'm doing this and would really like to hear from other artists and artisans who have done this.

The new 'Fanfayr'.

Cheers, Carolyn

A.R.T - A New Year

Denise & Tina in Tina's sunny studio.

Well, our group was reeeeally small January 3rd when we met at  Tina Roeder's beautiful home by the  Kingston Yacht ClubI had planned to talk more about the A - Z Business Tips from the December Crafts Report magazine but as it was only Tina, Denise Love and me, Carolyn, we sort of had a 'women's' coffee morning but 'studio' geared. We talked about working and not working, finding work and fitting our passions for our work into our busy lives as our families grow and change. How to keep on working under dire conditions (as I endeavoured in 2010 when my Mum was sick and passed away). We all of us at this sort of age, go through these life passages and if we don't work in an office or some second job with some sick or compassionate leave we will not see a pay cheque.....how to cope? We also chatted about changing horses in mid stream...changing mediums, learning new skills and that sort of thing, that keeps us excited about our craft and art so we can carry on inspired, refreshed. Appropriate for a New Year! 

Here is a shot of Tina's work corner in her studio. Being a fibre artisan with a studio full of wool, knitting machines, sewing machines, books and all manner of other stuff collected over the past three decades her tiny space blew me away! But that's jewellery making for you.

Opposite view, with a showcase.

Tina's work bench.

I guess we use whatever tools we need...whatever they were originally intended for!!!!

Sometimes it's just good to sit in a bright room with colleagues and learn that we have all been in places where we were either swept along by life and struggled to keep our wits about us and our heads above water. We come away realizing that perhaps our lot wasn't quite as bad as we thought or that if it was/is there are our artisan colleagues and friends who understand and may offer a word of advice from their own experience.

I just got back from a wonderful weekend of workshops in Syracuse and though the border gives me the willies I spent the time with some amazingly super people, helping them become creative and bringing out their inner child!

 Happy New Year!