A $46,000 funding cut threatens the programs, artists, and creative opportunities that have defined Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design for over 50 years – help us close the gap by joining the 460 Club.
Click here to donate!
Your membership not only keeps you informed about what is happening in the field of craft and design in Cape Breton, but it also provides you with preferential rates for classes and workshops as well as advanced registration. Go
What better way to learn about Cape Breton than through the lives and work of its artisans. Our Artisan Trail Map will set you on a trail of discovery and beauty with good measures of culture, history, adventure and charm. Go
This suite of online courses assists Makers in the development of their craft businesses. These courses are all self-paced, meaning you can learn on your own schedule!
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What’s the true cost of a handknit sweater? 🧶
Knitting was considered highly skilled work until the industrial revolution, when machines took over the textile industry and textiles could be mass produced cheaply. In the 19th century, knitting became associated with women’s work in the home. Like other forms of feminized labour, knitwear became undervalued – and the knitter, underpaid.
A hand-knit sweater may take between 20-100 hours of work; if the knitter were fairly compensated according to today’s labour standards, they could make over $300 (to $1,650!) for the creation of one sweater. However, knitting usually takes place within informal or gift economies. When a handknit sweater has a price tag, it rarely reflects the true cost of the labour involved in its creation.
While knitting is still undervalued and often recreational, it has become an act of resistance to fast fashion, overconsumption, gender stereotypes and binaries. Knitwear is the epitome of slow fashion; garments to be cared for, mended, and passed down.
In our Cape Breton Wool Sweater Project, we value the labour of knitters by providing fair compensation and credit for their skilled work. You’ll find the details of each sweater’s production in the tag of each sweater. ❤️
Happy Easter weekend to all our friends near and far! 🐰🐣💖
The Centre`s hours are the following:
▫️Friday, April 3 – closed
▫️Saturday, April 4 – 10AM-4PM
▫️Sunday, April 5 – closed
▫️Monday, April 6 – closed
Wishing everyone a joyful long weekend – we look forward to seeing you soon. 💛
Join us for a meet and greet with artist in residence, Lisa Meecham (@woolly_good_hooking) on Wednesday, April 8th 🧶🧵💖
The Downeast Rug Hookers are hosting a meet and greet at the Centre to welcome Lisa Meecham. We`re inviting all local rug hookers and enthusiasts to come and meet her and then spend the day hooking with us. Lisa will take us on a tour of her space and show her work. Folks are invited to drop in anytime after 10:30 a.m. on April 8th.
Lisa is an award-winning traditional rug hooker and eighth-generation African Nova Scotian descendant. Her practice uses wool and natural fibres to process and share hard stories, including generational trauma, pride, and the complexities of Black Canadian history. As she describes, "With every loop, there is a thought, an emotion, a memory, and hopefully a reconciliation of sorts."
She is currently creating work for "Descendant," a 2027 exhibition at the Rug Hooking Museum of North America, including a hooked interpretation of Richard Rudnicki`s painting "Freedom Halifax 1814," which depicts the arrival of Black Chesapeake refugees in Nova Scotia.
Billy & Mary make pottery! And let’s just say… things got a little unhinged (in the best way possible) 😂
When life throws funding cuts our way, we throw it right back – with clay, comedy, and a camera.
Huge thanks to the iconic @billy_maclellan and Mary Morrison (Bette MacDonald) for the laughs and a peek inside the magic that happens at the Centre every day 💛
Watch it, share it, and maybe even join the 460 Club 👀
Donate today using the link in our bio 🔗
UPDATE: we’re staying shut for the day!
We wish this was an April Fools` joke! ❄🌨❄ Due to the inclement weather, the Centre and Gallery Shop will be closed this morning and we`ll reassess at 11AM for the afternoon, Wednesday, April 1st.
Stay safe out there, friends 🩵
▫️`Along the Cross-Country Ski Trail` original acrylic by Celeste Friesen
Messy hands, big imaginations, and SO much creativity 🎨✨
Our March Break campers got their hands dirty (the fun kind!) learning hand-built pottery with instructor Glynis Thomas. Here they are proudly showcasing their latest creations, just look at those masterpieces! 🤩🧑🎨
At the Centre, we’re all about sparking creativity and building skills through hands-on experiences like this. Programs like our kids camps are where confidence grows, friendships form, and creativity takes off 💥
Want to help keep the magic going? Join the 460 Club today ❤️ Donate using the link in our bio!
Spring has sprung 🌸☀️ Bring on the brighter days with these intricate applique coasters, lovingly stitched by Shari MacLeod. We’re here in the Gallery Shop from 10AM-4PM
We`re loving all the cute Easter vibes in the Gallery Shop 🐣💐
From soft spring colours to handmade treasures that are egg-stra special, like these eggs by Betty Paruch, it’s the perfect time to treat yourself or someone you love 🐰
Hop in and take a look, these goodies won’t last long 💛
