October, 2007 - Glebe Report

ART Glebe Report October 12, 2007 25
260 Fingers returns!
260 fingers
For the third year, Scotton Hall at the Glebe Community Centre will be
filled with the ceramic art of our area’s finest potters and clay sculptors on
Remembrance Day weekend. The name of the exhibition refers to the 26
artists who have been invited to participate. This invitational show is different
from other craft shows in that every artist has been selected by virtue of their
reputation of excellence in the field of ceramic art. The exhibition is also
unique in that each of the artists – all excellent designers and technicians – has
created a wonderfully distinctive body of work.
The response to the last two shows has been overwhelming. The look of
delight on people’s faces as they reach the top of the stairs and see what awaits
them in the hall is worth it all for the artists who are on hand to talk to the visitors.
If you have never had the opportunity to see clay work of this calibre you
are in for a treat.
An added feature this year is a panel discussion on Saturday evening in partnership
with the Ontario Crafts Council right after the show closes for the
evening.
Collecting contemporary Canadian ceramics
Sat., Nov. 10, 5:30-7 p.m.
Moderator: Emma Quin, General Manager, Ontario Crafts Council
Panel: Susan Jefferies, Curator, Modern & Contemporary Ceramics,
Curator-in-Charge of the Ancient Collections, Gardiner
Museum of Ceramic Art, Toronto
Lisa Pai and Megan Lafrenière, Lafrenière & Pai Gallery
Paula Murray, RCA, ceramic artist
The organizers of 260 Fingers have added this educational component after
the great response to the mini-tours of the show last year where the artists
talked to groups of visitors about the process and inspiration for their work.
Great pottery and clay sculpture require a huge amount of technical expertise
and years of focused attention to the myriad of skills needed to make such
superior work. From the basic understanding of how mud becomes ceramic in
a kiln and the infinite ways clay can be treated to make the finest translucent
porcelain cup or a raw, rugged wood-fired jar is a long, hard journey. Many
great ceramic artists move their work into the field of sculpture.
We are lucky in this show to be able to include several of the most highly
regarded ceramic sculptors in Canada. 260 Fingers is proud to show the work
of brilliant emerging artists as well as those who are icons within this timehonoured
craft. 260 Fingers is a testament to our luck in the Ottawa area to
have this wealth of talent in ceramic art.
The show opens Fri., Nov. 9, 6-9 p.m. and continues Sat., Nov. 10 and Sun.,
Nov. 11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. There is no admission fee.
Have your say!
New art for Bank Street in the Glebe
You are invited to meet the artists who are competing for a public art commission
as part of the Bank Street Rehabilitation project in the Glebe. Six
artists or artist teams have been short-listed to create detailed designs of their
creative concepts for the Glebe’s main street.
The best public art creates a unique sense of place, a destination, focal
points for activity, or meeting places. They can be a landmark or a surprising
lyrical discovery. Public art is found all around the city in municipal buildings,
open spaces, pedestrian corridors, roadways and transit ways.
The City of Ottawa commissions local artists’ works for display in public
spaces. A percentage of funds for municipal development projects is set aside
for public art in order to beautify the space and make art accessible to everyone.
The city’s Public Art program initiated a competition for a site-specific
work of art that will be integrated into the soon to be rehabilitated Bank Street
in the Glebe, from Central Park to Lansdowne Park. Twenty-six local artists
responded enthusiastically to this opportunity with their submissions for the
September deadline. They were asked to submit their ideas for works of art to
be incorporated along Bank Street. The project’s selection criteria include
such things as artistic excellence, experience, reflection of the community, and
character of the site durability.
Six finalists were chosen to develop scale models or maquettes, preliminary
sketches of the proposed artwork, and detailed work plans including budgets.
The finalist artists are:
• Stephen Brathwaite
• Elaine DeCoursey, Don McVeigh and Cairn Cunnane
• Tim desClouds
• Maskull Lasserre
• Jennifer Macklem and Kip Jones
• Chandler Swain and Carolynne Pynn-Trudeau
The public is invited to meet the artists, view the proposals and record their
comments. The Art Selection committee will take the public’s comments into
consideration when they meet again to jury the artworks and choose the winning
design.
The maquettes and sketches will be on display for public viewing on Mon.,
Nov. 12 from 6-8 p.m. at the Glebe Community Centre at 175 Third Avenue,
Ottawa.
Plate by Carolynne Pynn-Trudeau
236-0765
5 th Ave. Court
2 nd Floor
Free Parking
France, Tasha, Mila, & Sarah
experienced stylists with the latest techniques
from Montreal’s top academy.