Celebrate our Past, Exploring our Future

‘Growing ‘takes its lead from the very first exhibition we held in 2003, called ‘What is Craft?’ Ten years on, we’ve invited leading figures in the sphere of contemporary craft and design, artists, curators, writers and influencers, to nominate work by emerging and established artists who will be the innovators of the future.

Over thirty artists have been proposed by our nominators to create an exhibition
demonstrating a wide range of craft media and forms: textiles, ceramics, glass, jewellery, basketry, furniture and millinery.

The 10th anniversary of The National Centre for Craft & Design (formerly The Hub) comes at an exciting time for contemporary craft. Technical and conceptual innovations have taken craft forward in exciting and unexpected ways, whilst the economic downturn has led to a re-evaluation of traditional techniques and re-use of materials. This exhibition will provoke new ideas and stimulate new ways of thinking about craft as a whole.

Our own NCCD nomination is Paulo Goldstein, a Project Space artist at Collect 2013, the Crafts Council’s prestigious craft fair. We are commissioning Paulo to create new work as part of his ‘Repair is Beautiful’ collection.

Our second commission will be a mini -residency throughout the opening weekend of the exhibition by performance craft artist Alec Stevens, who will be making new work in response to visitor input.

Crafts Council Director Rosy Greenlees nominated basketry artist Stella Harding for her innovative use of material and techniques and ambitious approach to scale and Sarah Warsop, “for her movement inspired jewellery which draws directly on her experience as a dancer and choreographer”.

Journalist and former director of the Design Museum Alice Rawsthorn proposed Dutch based Italian designers Formafantasma, whose work comments on nostalgia and tradition. Japanese-born Hitomi Hosono impressed Bonnie Kemske, Editor of Ceramic Review, who nominated her exquisitely delicate and detailed porcelain sculptures adorned with intricate patterns influenced by traditional British ceramic techniques.

A body of ceramic work will also be on show by Joseph Hartley, New Designers
2013 ‘Designer of the Year’ whose work impressed no less than five of our nominators. There will be textiles by Mister Finch and Mai Tabakian, the latter selected by artist Gabriel Dawe. We are also showing glass from Samantha Donaldson (nominated by our sister organisation Design Factory), jewellery by Lisa Juen and furniture from designer  Sebastian Cox.

Complementing the exhibition will be an online gallery of all nominated artists’ work expanding on the physical show. This online gallery will offer an opportunity for comment and debate on the subject of the future of craft and design as well as an opportunity to view the exhibited artworks from afar.

In her essay for ‘What is Craft?’, Louise Taylor (then director of the Crafts Council) said: “Craft retains its traditional core but many innovators are challenging boundaries and using the language of ‘craftsmanship’ in new ways”. These words still pertain today, especially the extraordinary 3D printed work created by Michael Eden, nominated by leading ceramics specialist Adrian Sassoon, whose work uses new technologies to explore and alter traditional and iconic English designs.

The artworks displayed in ‘Growing’ are destined to become the icons of the future.

View the original article here

The National Centre for Craft & Design is 10 and Growing

The National Centre for Craft & Design is 10 years old – what an amazing decade it’s been! We’ve attracted 758,645 visitors, presented 160 world-class exhibitions, launched 8 touring exhibitions reaching audiences of more than 117,000 across 30 venues, and welcomed over 19,000 people to our learning programmes.  

We’d like to thank all our visitors and supporters – and encourage new ones – by inviting everyone to join us for a birthday celebration.  We’re holding a free afternoon of fun and creativity for all ages at our iconic building on Navigation Wharf, Sleaford, and we’ll also be unveiling our latest exhibition, ‘Growing: Celebrating our Past, Exploring our Future’.

Activities will take place inside and outside.  There will be live music, dancing, ‘Make & Take’ workshops, demonstrations, craft drop-in sessions for all ages, yarn-bombing, badge-making, storytelling, ice cream, delicious food to enjoy in our riverside café, beautiful objects to buy in our fantastic shop, and three more exhibitions to see, plus ‘Growing’. Booking is not required as activities are on a first come basis

For our exhibition ‘Growing’, we invited some of the UK’s leading figures in the sphere of contemporary craft and design – artists, curators, writers and influencers – to nominate work by emerging and established artists who they believe will be the innovators of the future. Over 30 artists have been proposed by our nominators to create an exhibition demonstrating a wide range of craft media and forms: textiles, ceramics, glass, jewellery, basketry, furniture and millinery. There will be an online gallery to complement the physical exhibition, showing work by all the nominated artists.            

ENDS -  Editor’s notes below
EDITOR’S NOTES

The National Centre for Craft and Design sits at the heart of the market town of Sleaford, Lincolnshire in the riverside setting of Navigation Wharf. It is a unique and ambitious gallery that exhibits the most innovative, challenging and accomplished artists practicing within the craft and design arena today. The centre has four exhibition spaces including the largest gallery space in England dedicated to craft and design, a roof top gallery and a vibrant window space.

Our public programme is built around the themes of each exhibition and offers a lively and stimulating series of learning and participatory events including talks, workshops, conferences, clubs, groups, activities, lectures, seminars, screenings, short courses, and demonstration days. Our shop provides a visually stunning and inspirational area for demonstrating and promoting creative talent and our licensed café is a popular destination for local families and business people seeking a creative respite, or just a cup of coffee!

Open from 10am to 5pm every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
For up to date details and listings about The National Centre for Craft & Design, please visit www.nationalcraftanddesign.org.uk or call 01529 308710.

Follow us on Twitter @NationalCraft             Find us on Facebook: NationalCraftandDesign

10th Birthday celebration workshops on 20 July include:
•   Anna Collette Hunt offers a glimpse into her world of ceramic bugs  
•   Jeweller Aimee Betts demonstrates cording, braiding, knotting and linking techniques to create rope-work jewellery
•   Helen Snell demonstrates paper sculpture techniques. Visitors can create a paper boat sculpture inspired by her ‘Flotilla’ artwork in the gallery.
•   Textile artist Naseem Darbey offers a chance to explore her techniques.

‘Growing: Celebrating our Past, Exploring our Future’ runs from 20 July to 29 September.  It takes its lead from the very first exhibition held at The National Centre for Craft & Design, in 2003 called ‘What is Craft?, an exhibition of some of Britain’s most celebrated and best recognised makers. The 10th anniversary of The NCCD comes at an exciting time for contemporary craft. Technical and conceptual innovations have taken craft forward in exciting and unexpected ways, whilst the economic downturn has led to a re-evaluation of traditional techniques and re-use of materials. This exhibition will provoke new ideas and stimulate new ways of thinking about craft as a whole. The artworks displayed in ‘Growing’ are destined to become the icons of the future

Our own NCCD nomination is Paulo Goldstein, a Project Space artist at Collect 2013, the Crafts Council’s prestigious craft fair. We are commissioning Paulo to create new work as part of his ‘Repair is Beautiful’ collection. Our second commission will be a mini -residency throughout the opening weekend of the exhibition by performance craft artist Alec Stevens, who will be making new work in response to visitor input.

Crafts Council Director Rosy Greenlees nominated basketry artist Stella Harding for her innovative use of material and techniques and ambitious approach to scale and Sarah Warsop, “for her movement inspired jewellery which draws directly on her experience as a dancer and choreographer”. Journalist and former director of the Design Museum Alice Rawsthorn proposed Dutch based Italian designers Formafantasma, whose work comments on nostalgia and tradition. Japanese-born Hitomi Hosono, winner of the prestigious Perrier-Jouët Arts Salon Prize 2013, impressed Bonnie Kemske, Editor of Ceramic Review, who nominated her exquisitely delicate and detailed porcelain sculptures adorned with intricate patterns influenced by traditional British ceramic techniques.

A body of ceramic work will also be on show by Joseph Hartley, New Designers 2013 ‘Designer of the Year’ whose work impressed no less than five of our nominators. There will be textiles by Mister Finch and Mai Tabakian, the latter selected by artist Gabriel Dawe. We are also showing glass from Samantha Donaldson (nominated by our sister organisation Design Factory), jewellery by Lisa Juen and furniture from designer  Sebastian Cox.

Complementing the exhibition will be an online gallery of all nominated artists’ work expanding on the physical show. This online gallery will offer an opportunity for comment and debate on the subject of the future of craft and design as well as an opportunity to view the exhibited artworks from afar.

In her essay for ‘What is Craft?’, Louise Taylor (then director of the Crafts Council) said: “Craft retains its traditional core but many innovators are challenging boundaries and using the language of ‘craftsmanship’ in new ways”. These words still pertain today, especially the extraordinary 3D printed work created by Michael Eden, nominated by leading ceramics specialist Adrian Sassoon, whose work uses new technologies to explore and alter traditional and iconic English designs.

View the original article here

Penchant for antique furniture - Sourcing, a growing trend

There is nothing more satisfying to walk in a room of your House, lovingly and carefully furnished with an array of antiques, each with its ' own character and individuality. It takes your breath and fills you with joy, no matter how many times you lay eyes on them. But where does that they all come from? So far, individuals spent hours, even years, hunting high and low for the finish of their houses with antiques of their choice. In the troubled world today, people find that they have less time to do so. There was a boom in requesting a specialist source, but without the expensive furniture price a buyer ordered.

Castle rustic custom purchasing of furniture old and vintage and suppliers, have found that the requirements of the customers are changing. "We are find that our customers find what they want on our Web site and then say "Please find me one like that!, rather than buy everything what we have" stock."co-founder, Gail Marsh, reports. The propensity is leaning to appoint someone to the source of the furniture people don't have the time to buy themselves. It seems that those who seek this unique piece of furniture are finding what they want from the internet and then ask for it to be located by a specialist, as at Castle rustic on the same shoe as budget before. But how does it work?

"We have no markets or ask a deduction of any kind. Our customers Tell us what kind of furniture they are looking for and their budget. As We are out and about all the time in the hunt for that elusive song furniture for our Web site, we offer a service of duty no that, if we fall on what we think they may be looking for, that we send them images for them to make their choice, or we take the risk and buy it. We do not guarantee to find, however! On the rare occasion, something we
Search is not suitable for their purpose, we list on our Web site in our stock. We would never buy anything unless we loved and it suited our range of furniture. ' Adds Gail.

As more and more customers are asking for this hard-to-find-gem-of-a-piece, Castle Rustic may change their policy! For now, these small businesses
as Castle rustic, have personal loan and the zeal to keep scouring campaigns to find the antique lovers dream their furniture. Castle rustic brings you antique regardless of local products, individual and parts vintage furniture and home decor, accessories or the French origin and style and English and European origin. This eclectic mix focuses on a handful of deliciously diverse furniture which resulted in styles for all tastes. With echoes of Provençal, rustic, Régence,. Countries, Mas and castles, each item brings its ' own charm and story to tell. We also offer a sourcing service.

View the original article here