Craft is often described as an escape from the digital… an analog refuge from the screens and systems that rule our modern lives. At the same time, craft is breaking boundaries, inspiring advancements in tech and meshing with digital practices as it evolves our world. But can’t it be both? Craft sector stakeholders are invited to join us for two days of strategy development and to stay for the full-day public symposium exploring how society at large remains connected to, and inspired by, the realities of craft.

The Canadian Crafts Federation/Fédération canadienne des métiers d’art is pleased to partner with the Saskatchewan Craft Council and the University of Saskatchewan to bring our 14th National Conference, 10 Digit Technology: Understanding Material & Digital Realities, to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. From Wednesday, March 4th to Sunday, March 8th, 2020, this valuable gathering of craft sector leaders from around the country will focus on research, ideas, and brainstorming new approaches to the material and digital realities in craft. Attendees will leave feeling informed with an improved digital understanding, empowered to build their audience by increasing their reach, and inspired to advance maker culture for the urban, rural and online communities of craft. The conference is not about the tools and skills of digital craft creation – it focuses on the digital atmosphere that we all live and work within, and how craft remains an integral part of modern society.

The conference will include a pre-conference hands-on creative day at the multi-faceted Hiebert’s Hotshop and studio facility in Shields, SK, providing the opportunity to create and learn in a multitude of disciplines in a remarkable, must-see space. Two days will be devoted to craft sector stakeholder strategy development for CCF/FCMA members. A full-day public symposium will explore how society at large remains connected to, and inspired by, the realities of craft.

Experience Saskatchewan throughout the conference with cultural tours and events in and around Saskatoon, including University of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Craft Council Gallery, Hiebert’s Hotshop and more! Highlights will include: 

• Kenojuak Ashevak: Life and Legacy at the College Art Gallery at the University of Saskatchewan, the inaugural venue to present the national touring exhibition
• Catherine Blackburn, University of Saskatchewan Artist-in-Residence
• The Flower People, a collection of stories by Regina artist Melanie Monique Rose exhibiting at the Saskatchewan Craft Council Gallery

Want in? Keep an eye on the CCF/FCMA social media and website for updated information and registration in the New Year!