On Saturday March 10th, a crowd of over 200 descended upon OCAD University in Toronto to attend “Craft and the New Economy”, a symposium organized by the Ontario Crafts Council.
The event featured lectures and moderated discussion with 15 guest speakers of varying backgrounds. Craftspeople, self-taught makers, designers, bloggers, educators, architects and consultants from across Canada and the United States brought their perspectives together into a cohesive series of talks which felt more like fluid conversations than straightforward lectures.
A new member of the OCAD faculty, Marie O’Mahony, started the day with a keynote focused on her textiles experience in Australia and Europe. Her posing of the question “Can Craft rescue the consumer from mass-production?” was a great lead-in to the rest of the day, particularly through the first panel, which focused on Sustainable Business Practice and Commercial Contexts.
Speakers in this session used their personal experience and research to discuss regional differences in the purpose and perspectives on Craft, promoted the idea of Craft as an artistic product, and encouraged collaboration in design, production and development. Kriston Gene was particularly provocative, expressing his thoughts on the “absurdity” of attempting to change minds about value, preferring to spend energy on branding, promotion and design. Even he admitted that his partner at Tsunami Glass (Eva Milinkovic) may not agree, but his perspectives were certainly food for thought.
The second panel, on DIY and Craftivism, arguably stole the show with solid laughs drawn from an honest take on society’s understanding of and appreciation for Craft. (Check out the hilarious NFL commercial from Garth Johnson’s talk.) Sandra Alfoldy’s playful comparisons of modern day DIY artists and recognized historic artists thoughtfully exemplified the similarities of Craft for female makers over the ages.
While touches of humour continued throughout the day, the final panel brought the discussion back to technical matters through the final theme: Engaging with Technology and Design. An excitement for the exploration of modern possibilities for Craft makers through new technologies was balanced by a welcome insistence that new options are simply new (albeit complex) tools – and that the maker’s hand is still relevant, if not necessary.
Discussions between each panel highlighted unique perspectives and harsh realities, including the difficulty of making a living as an independent maker and the misguided impression sometimes held by members of the Craft community: that the market will buy work simply because it is handmade, without taking into consideration what the market wants.
These discussions fueled debate that continued after the lectures, with many attendees migrating to OCAD University’s Great Hall for a post-symposium reception. Here, students, teachers and professionals of all walks gathered and exchanged thoughts and reactions.
The impressions left on the audience from this event will undoubtedly impact their future work, shaping thoughts on modes of production, sale, promotion, purpose, and the reality that the new Craft economy is an interconnected artistic ecology.
For more information see the OCC’s original event website.
Recordings of the talks will be available soon.