Exhibitions

Place in Perspective

Hélène Blanchet, Kristi Farrier & Alison Dean Cowitz

September 1 - October 16, 2021

Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design is pleased to introduce Place in Perspective, a textile exhibition by Hélène Blanchet, Kristi Farrier and Alison Dean Cowitz. The opening reception will take place on Wednesday, September 1, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. in the Centre’s Loft.

Place in Perspective will be displayed in the Centre’s Loft until October 16, 2021.

WARNING! Not Safe for Human Consumption

Aleena Derohanian

July 19th - August 20th, 2021

WARNING! Not Safe for Human Consumption: A solo exhibition by Aleena Derohanian is the culminating exhibition of a nine-month-long jewellery residency hosted by the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design.

Aleena Derohanian’s work focuses on the concept of containment, using the forms of various vessels and boxes as a foundation of creation. With the intention of subverting the role of functionality, Derohanian’s art objects exist in a liminal space suspended between the functional and the inoperable.

This collection was made by drawing upon a wide range of material knowledge and skills, namely metalsmithing, mold making, and slush casting. Together, they merge cohesively into the intricate, multi-media pieces in this show.

Warning! Not Safe for Human Consumption will be on display at the Centre’s Loft from July 19 – August 20, 2021.

C o m m o t i o n : A contemporary textile art show by the SAQA Atlantic Canada Region

Hélène Blanchet, Kristi Farrier, Regina Marzlin, Julea Boswell, Nina Scott-Stoddart, Kathy Tidswell, Linda Mackie Finley, Susan Lapham, Fiona Oxford, Darcy Lynn Hunter, Cathy Drummond, Susan Lilley, Alison Dean Cowitz, Anne Morrell-Robinson, Holly McLean, Lee McLean

June 8th - July 3rd, 2021

Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc. (SAQA) is a worldwide non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the art quilt: “a creative visual work that is layered and stitched or that references this form of stitched layered structure.”  The goal of establishing a place for art quilts in the world of contemporary art is pursued by mounting exhibitions, publishing books, and maintaining a wide-ranging online presence.  

This regional SAQA exhibition is produced by the SAQA Atlantic Canada chapter. The organizers are Hélène Blanchet and Regina Marzlin. The show consists of 27 textile art pieces made by 16 artists.  

The “Commotion” exhibition invites viewers to enjoy a diversity of pieces with an interesting and unusual use of fabric in the broadest sense. The contemporary textile art pieces interpret the theme “Commotion” in a wide range of styles and techniques; from abstract to pictorial, from monochromatic to colorful. The masterful use of luscious texture, sophisticated colour, and clever manipulation through fabric surface design are just a few of the defining elements of a fascinating medium that is increasingly popular and becoming more and more accepted by the general art world. 

The show was juried by Lee Cripps, the current curator and artistic director of the Craig Gallery in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, and a professional artist whose medium is paint. Lee holds an MFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.  

Lee commented about her jurying decisions: “I tried to create diversity in colour, skill and artistic expression in relation to theme. What a tough choice!! There were such great submissions. […] I did enjoy the pieces that I felt expressed a great sense of energy and which evoked a strong emotional response”. 

Exhibition concept: 

“In these turbulent times, many of us are reeling from the commotion that surrounds us – be it political, environmental, or personal. The artist might evoke a riot of colour, textures, or forms. Commotion can be noise, mayhem, and upheaval, but it can also be children’s vitality that brings joy, the hurly-burly of a busy city street, or even the clamor of a symphony getting ready to play. 

What does the idea of “Commotion” mean to you? Is it loud and overwhelming? Pandemonium or turmoil? Or exciting, lively, and full of unexpected delights? Show us how you react to the idea of commotion.” 

 The show will travel until June 2023, with the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design, 322 Charlotte St, Sydney, Nova Scotia as the premiere venue.

Ground Rules: The Before and After

MARLA BENTON, LETITIA FRASER, ABIGAIL HANN, REBECCA HANNON, WES JOHNSTON, LAURA KENNEY, JEIGHK KOYOTE, TONI LOSEY, FRANKIE MACAULAY, MEGHAN MACDONALD, ALICE MACLEAN, JULIANA SCHERZER, ALISON UHMA, KATE WARD

March 1 - April 24, 2021

Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design, in collaboration with Parks Canada, is pleased to announce the opening of Ground Rules: The Before and After, an exciting collaborative exhibition based on an experiential learning residency program in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

The four-day residency program took place in spring 2019, in the spectacular Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Fourteen Nova Scotia artists with diverse backgrounds explored new ideas inspired by the natural landscapes of the Highlands, while interacting with scientists, park interpreters and creative leaders.

The Ground Rules residency provided participating artists with the opportunity to explore new ideas and ways of working in their medium, connect to their individual heritage and discover how scientific processes shape the natural world.