OCC Gallery

Parallel Journeys: Two Mentorships

August 2 - September 2, 2012
Opening Reception: August 9, 6 - 9 pm
990 Queen Street West, Toronto

The Ontario Crafts Council is pleased to present Parallel Journeys: Two Mentorships. Curated by Bruce Cochrane and Angelo di Petta, the exhibition showcases ceramic work by twenty mid-career craftspeople that have taken part in a creative mentorship program organized by FUSION: The Ontario Clay and Glass Association.

Bruce Cochrane and Angelo di Petta worked with the following participants to develop their ceramic practices over the course of eight months, as well as coordinate an exhibition of work that shows their discoveries and achievements:

According to the curators, the power of a mentorship program is that it provides a unique opportunity for collaboration, goal achievement, problem solving and personal development. Both Cochrane and di Petta have taken great pleasure in facilitating these two parallel journeys, which have been characterized by the exchange of information and personal insights within each group.

"If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate"
                                                -Thomas Watson Sr., founder of IBM

In terms of the mentorship process itself, participants found it challenging to depart from their familiar studio practice, but risk-taking was essential to discovery and development. The exhibition reveals this process of discovery as some participants have moved from functional to sculptural forms, others have changed the kind of technology they use, and still others have refined and elaborated on pre-existing work.

Not only were these personal explorations demanding, but each participant was also expected to present and explain their prototypes, as well as respond to critiques from their respective groups. The chemistry was such that camaraderie quickly developed, and feedback received from peers was a driving force in the development of new ideas.

We all have a need for insight that is outside of our normal life and educational experience. The mentorship process culminating in Parallel Journeys: Two Mentorships is what laid the ground for these twenty craftspeople to be able to find alternative approaches to their work, and to guide future directions in developing their craft.

Special thanks to Bruce Cochrane and Angelo di Petta for guiding the mentorship groups, and congratulations to all twenty participants for rising to the challenge and exhibiting exciting new work.

For more information please contact Maxine Bell at communications@craft.on.ca, or 416-925-4222 x 224

www.craft.on.ca/Exhibitions/Upcoming_Exhibitions

Top images from left to right: Richard Skrobecki, Cam Fisher, Terry Osborne, Linda Williams, Deb Freeman and Jane Thelwell

OCC Awards & Scholarships Program

Announcing the 2012 Awards & Scholarships Recipients!

The Ontario Crafts Council is pleased to announce the 25 recipients of the 2012 Awards & Scholarships Program:

The Awards & Scholarships is an OCC flagship program that celebrates excellence in making, allows for peer recognition, and provides opportunity for promotion.

Its days of accompanying the Annual General Meeting are gone - instead, the 2012 Award & Scholarships recipients will be honoured with a special event. As such, we are very excited to introduce you to the inaugural Craft Awards Ceremony - a night dedicated to makers and objects, and to celebrating the very best of contemporary craft. As part of the evening we will be announcing the award recipients of the prestigious John Mather Award for Lifetime Achievement, as well as the Volunteer Committee Outstanding Service Award.

To build anticipation and excitement, we will be withholding the announcement of which award each recipient has won until the Ceremony on Thursday, October 4, 2012. We invite you to join us in celebrating the winners, tickets will be available in August.

Awards Ceremony

Thursday, October 4, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Gladstone Hotel Ballroom
1214 Queen Street W, Toronto
Tickets $15, or $10 for Students
Light refreshments will be served with a cash bar
Dress: Business/Formal

Followed by a reception at the OCC Gallery for the Award Winners 2012 exhibition

Thursday, October 4, 9:00 - 11:00 pm
OCC Gallery
990 Queen Street W, Toronto
Free, with light refreshments served

Special thanks to the 2012 Awards & Scholarships jury, Kai Chan, Heidi Earnshaw, Melanie Egan, Karl Schantz, Chiho Tokita, and John Wiggers.

Thanks also to the many donors and supporters that continue to sustain this program, as well as the OCC Volunteer Committee for their long term commitment to creating awards.

For more information please contact Janna Hiemstra at jhiemstra@craft.on.ca or 416-925-4222 x 225.

Images: Chris Charuk, Marina Babic, Mariel Waddell, Aislinn Caron, Janet Macpherson, Annie Tung, Shuyu Lu and Janghoon Moon.

CraftSmarts

Grant Writing Workshop
with the Ontario Arts Council

Date: Monday, September 10, 2012
Location: Metro Hall, room 310 - 55 John Street, Toronto
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 pm
FREE ADMISSION (RSVP required)

Join Lisa Wöhrle, Associate Visual Arts and Crafts Officer at the Ontario Arts Council to learn the ins and outs of writing a great grant. Bring your pressing questions and pick up some great tips. We've scheduled it in early September to give you plenty of time to complete your grants for the Fall OAC Submission deadline on October 15th, 2012.

To RSVP please email Christine Lawrance, Programs Coordinator at clawrance@craft.on.ca, subject line "Grant Writing Workshop".

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