anada is the second largest country in the world — larger than the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii) by more than 217,000 square miles. Yet it has a population of just over 30 million — 3.8 million fewer people than the state of California. And while the challenges facing Canadian craftspeople are similar to those faced by artists everywhere, those challenges are exacerbated by the physical realities of Canada’s vast geography and diverse population. However, in every province and at the federal level, there is a core of committed individuals working to gain support, recognition and financial viability for Canadian craft artists.

The canadian crafts community

Canada is comprised of 10 provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador) and three territories (Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut). Over 50 percent of Canadians live in four major urban areas: Southern Ontario, Greater Montreal, Lower British Columbia, and the Calgary-Edmonton (Alberta) corridor.

Saskatchewan is known as a center for wood furniture and woodturning. Shown here is work by woodturner Jean-Marie Fogarty. Photo courtesy Saskatchewan Craft Council

Within this framework is a mosaic of cultures, traditions and landscapes. Canada is officially bilingual — English and French — and has large North American Indian and Eskimo populations along with recent immigrants from many cultures. The crafts sector in Canada reflects this diversity, ranging from producers of traditional aboriginal art to makers of cutting-edge contemporary craft.

While each province has an active crafts community, there are broad differences that reflect geography, population and economic climate. However, each province has its own unique strengths. In Newfoundland and Labrador, for example, aboriginal art and textiles are strong, due to the native populations and long history of textile production in the province. In Alberta, clay and glass take center stage, due to the abundance of natural gas (there are about 30 hot glass artists in the Calgary area) and clay deposits, along with a commercial pottery industry that started in the early 1900s. And Saskatchewan is particularly known for excellence in wood furniture and turning.

Exciting exhibition opportunities for craftspeople

Each province has a crafts council that works to support the crafts community and educate the public. In addition to creating opportunities for marketing and exhibiting, these councils offer awards and/or scholarships; have, or are working on, Web sites; and produce magazines and/or newsletters to keep their membership informed.

For each of the councils, providing opportunities for artists to display and sell work is a major goal. Nine of the provincial councils organize more than 100 exhibitions each year. For example, Alberta presents more than 20 each year; Saskatchewan presents eight gallery shows each year and organizes two annual exhibits that tour throughout the province. In 2000, the Ontario Crafts Council produced a major exhibition, “Looking Forward; New Views of the Crafts Object,” which included artists from throughout Canada. The exhibition was held at the National Trade Centre in Toronto in conjunction with the One of a Kind Christmas Show, guaranteeing a huge public audience, and then toured to other locations.

Quebec’s crafts council, Conseil des metiers d’art du Quebec (CMAQ), has an export office that organizes exhibitions outside Quebec each year. One recent effort was Kansas City Meets Quebec, arranged with the Leopold Gallery in Kansas City. This exhibition of work by six contemporary Quebec ceramic artists was held in the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City and coincided with the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference, which annually attracts over 3,500 artists, collectors, gallery owners and art lovers from around the world.

The Prince Edward Island (PEI) Crafts Council sets up product displays in all visitor information centers, the airport, provincial government buildings and golf courses. And six of the provincial councils run successful retail shops. In Alberta, shop sales have increased 45 percent in the last two years; in Manitoba, sales have more than doubled in the past year following relocation of the retail shop. And in Quebec, where provincial support for the crafts is by far the strongest in Canada, the council’s shops report annual sales of roughly $6.5 million.

“SoHo Meets Québec,” Westwood Gallery, September 2001, an exhibition organized by Quebec’s crafts council, Conseil des metiers d’art du Quebec.

About half the provincial councils organize and manage large craft sales. There are also many private promoters who run large craft fairs in the major cities. And there is a profusion of small fairs run by community organizations around holiday time. For example, one cannot make the 30-mile drive from Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore to Halifax in November and December without passing at least a half dozen fire halls or churches displaying a “craft fair” sign. These are all small fairs, run as fund-raisers by various groups, that feature “hobby crafts.” While many of these products are well made, their makers tend to sell them at a price not much higher than the cost of materials. The abundance and price of these crafts makes it difficult to build a public appreciation for the value of fine crafts produced by skilled, professional artists.

In larger cities and areas with greater tourist traffic, craft shops abound. In Quebec, for example, there are about 300 boutiques and private galleries. In PEI, many craftspeople sell from their studios during the peak tourism season. Most provincial councils publish gallery guides. In Nova Scotia, there is also an artist-published guide to studios and a province-wide “studio rally” weekend during which all the studios are open to the public.

At the national level, private promoters offer several large retail craft shows. The One of a Kind Show and Sale Toronto, held in the spring and in late November/early December, is the biggest and best known. In 2001, One of a Kind expanded to include a December show in Chicago. A summer show in Montreal is being added this year. The Toronto Christmas show features about 800 exhibitors and lasts 11 days (“brutal,” in the words of one exhibitor). It pulls in about 150,000 customers. The smaller spring show has about 475 exhibitors with an attendance of around 60,000. To encourage emerging artists, show promoters offer an “open space concept for rising stars,” — freestanding (no booth) space by the square foot. The promoters also offer travel scholarships to artists living outside Ontario.

Signatures Craft Shows is the largest promoter of fine craft shows in Canada, with Signatures Christmas Craft Shows in Ottawa, Winnipeg, London (ON), and Toronto; the Butterdome Craft Show in Edmonton; and the Originals Christmas Craft Sale in Ottawa. In the spring, they produce Toronto Signatures, Originals Spring Craft Sale in Ottawa, and Artisans in the Park in Ottawa in conjunction with the Canadian Tulip Festival.

The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, the largest such event in Canada, is another excellent market for craftspeople. Approximately 100,000 visitors attend the three-day exhibition each July. In addition to the potential for sales, the show offers the opportunity to make connections with art dealers and collectors.

Wholesale opportunities for handmade work

Inside Signatures Craft Shows’ 2001 Toronto Signatures show.

 

None of Canada’s large wholesale craft shows are specifically dedicated to selling handmade work. However, when George Little Management (GLM) took over management of the wholesale Toronto International Gift Show two years ago (from show owners DMG World Media), they contracted with Signatures to produce a “By Hand” segment for the show. The Toronto show, held in January, features about 600 exhibitors and reports an attendance of around 8,000. In 2002, the first year By Hand was produced, there were about 160 crafts exhibitors. GLM also manages wholesale shows in Montreal (2), Edmonton (2), and Vancouver for DMG, but these shows currently have no “handmade” section.

The Canadian Gift & Tableware Association (CGTA) Show, held in January and August in Toronto, is the largest wholesale show in Canada with around 1,000 exhibitors. It pulls in around 27,500 buyers from more than 20 countries. In March, the CGTA announced a new, juried category, Artisan’s Way, for the August show. According to CGTA management, the addition of this category was “in response to buyers’ requests for unique, one-of-a-kind gift products.”

Craftspeople in Atlantic Canada have a wholesale opportunity not available to residents of other areas. The Atlantic Craft Trade Show (ACTS) is a government project co-produced by the four Atlantic provinces — Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Held in Halifax each February, the show pulls in approximately 1,500 buyers from across Canada and the northeastern United States. ACTS has an Incoming Buyers program (ICB), under which interested retail buyers can get travel assistance to attend the show. Show management works closely with Canadian Consulates in the United States to identify qualified and interested buyers for the program. As a result, this year a trade mission of Canadian Consulate representatives from Minneapolis, Chicago, Buffalo and Boston, along with a group of American retailers from those areas, attended the show. The Canadian federal government funded this trade mission under a special International Business Development Agreement that helps businesses find new markets abroad.

ACTS also works closely with the Atlantic Trade Winds Agency in Bedford, Mass. An innovative program funded by the federal government and the four Atlantic Provinces, the Trade Winds Agency provides a permanent wholesale showroom dedicated to Atlantic Canadian artists and manufacturers in Boston. The agency also helps locate sales reps for exporters.

Working together, Cheryl and husband Jean-Marc produce glass that is sophisticated in both colour and design. • Buyers Mkt. of American Craft Cheryl Takacs Handcrafted Glass 2345 Barton Street East Hamilton, Ontario Canada L8E 2W8 phone/fax: (905) 560-4177 Experimetal Jewellery inc. — designs by Anne Sportun in sterling silver, gold and platinum. In business for 15 years. • NY Gift Show #9253 Experimetal Inc. 588 Markham Street Toronto, Ontario Canada M6G 2L8 (416) 538-3313 or (800) 788-1247 fax: (416) 538-2386 The Production which is varied includes one-of-a-kind pieces, corporate gifts and short-runs series pieces. • Buyers Mkt. of American Craft • CGTA Gilles Payette 493 Rang des Dussault Saint-Sébastien, Quebec Canada J0J 2C0 (450) 244-6314 fax: (450) 244-6326 My Jewellery is recognized for its extraordinary interpretation and combination of colours and geometric shapes in 18kt and sterling silver. Janis Kerman Design 40 Aberdeen Avenue Westmount, Quebec Canada H3Y 3A4 (514) 931-3852 fax: (514) 932-6141 e-mail: jkerman@jkermandesign.com www.janiskermandesign.com Kevin Robert Gray. “Witch Ball.” Shining glass strands of color trap negative forces and promote a peaceful home atmosphere. • Buyers Mkt. of American Craft Kevin Robert Gray Box 629 Merrickville, Ontario Canada K0G 1N0 (613) 269-7979 or (866) 655-0655 fax: (613) 269-2020 Golden Apples Collection. Stoneware teapot wheel-thrown and exquisitely carved. Decorated with hi-fired pigments and gold accents. Other items available. Réjane Mercier 4710 St-Ambroisé Suite 252 Montreal, Quebec Canada H4C 2C7 (514) 989-9265 • fax: (514) 343-9173 e-mail: rejane.mercier@sympatico.ca

Recognition and Awards

At the national level, the Canada Council for the Arts is the primary funding agency for all professional, contemporary arts. The Council was created by an Act of Parliament in 1957 “to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts.” The Council has a $50,000 fund specifically slated for projects in fine crafts and $450,000 in grant funding for artists working in fine crafts. Craft artists are also eligible for funding under programs for visual artists, such as project funding for exhibitions, travel grants, etc. For example, sculptor Dawn McNutt of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, was awarded a Canada Council Creation Grant of $34,000 in 1999 that allowed her to travel to Greece to explore stone carving, to Newfoundland to explore bronze casting, and across Nova Scotia to explore natural materials. She has also received several travel grants from the Canada Council, which help defray costs of transporting her work to shows.

The $20,000 Saidye Bronfman Award, provided by the Samuel & Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation and administered by the Canada Council, is given annually based on “the work of an individual who has made a significant contribution to the development of the crafts in Canada.” The foundation also provides funds to the Canadian Museum of Civilization for the purchase of works by each recipient for the museum’s permanent collection.

Crafts artists are also eligible for the Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts. This prestigious award, worth $15,000, is given to six distinguished artists every year. In the three years since it was created, two craft artists have won the award.

The Canada Council has an Art Bank program that purchases works of contemporary Canadian art that are then rented to government or corporate clients. Directors of galleries, art councils, museums, artist-run centers, dealers and curators are invited to recommend works for purchase. In 2002, the purchase budget of $200,000 was used to purchase 80 works, seven of which were fine crafts.

Only a few provinces have art procurement programs. Quebec’s program requires that at least 1 percent of the value of construction or restoration of any government building be set aside to purchase art. The Province of Newfoundland and Labrador allots about $100,000 per year for the purchase of art and fine craft. In other provinces, a few cities have local procurement programs.

There are other organizations throughout the country that focus on crafts. The Canadian Museum of Civilization has an impressive crafts collection. The Canadian Craft & Design Museum in Vancouver, BC, stages six to 12 major exhibitions each year and conducts a number of educational and outreach programs. The Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery in Waterloo, ON, focuses on works in silica media and stages several group and solo exhibitions each year. The Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art offers programs for school groups and clay classes for adults and children. Each of these institutions has a museum shop that sells fine crafts.

Support for crafts varies among provinces

Most crafts councils depend at least in part on their provincial governments for operating funds, but the disparity in funding levels is extreme. Some organizations have 20 or more employees and large budgets, while others get by with volunteer staff and miniscule government contributions. The Quebec council is the most generously funded, while the Ontario Crafts Council receives no government operating funding at all. Historically, conservative governments have been less generous with the arts and, in current economic times, even the more supportive governments are cutting budgets. In the western provinces, government funding usually comes through arts councils. In the Atlantic Provinces, where the economic tie-in of crafts and tourism is recognized, funding is also available through economic development grants.

Some provincial governments also provide direct support to the crafts community. Quebec adopted a crafts training plan in 1984 and funded the creation of a strategic development plan for the crafts sector in 1999. Under their training plan, over 10 schools/workshops offer training in craft techniques, including ceramics, glass, jewelry, textiles and fine woodworking. The province also has apprentice programs and a program of internship training.

The government of Newfoundland and Labrador has five people who work directly to support the craft industry. One of these manages the Craft Industry Development Program, a $500,000 federal/provincial program that provides financial support for craftspeople to do skill development, product development and market development projects. Both production and one-of-a-kind craft artists are eligible. The province also has a crafts marketing program, Crafts of Character, through which they take samples to trade shows, and a Web site for wholesale purchasers (www.craftsofcharacter.com). In February, the government released the 2001 Craft Industry Devel-opment Strategy, which includes an economic impact section as well as a list of recommendations to address identified issues in training, product development, etc.

An active recruitment campaign

A survey commissioned by the PEI Crafts Council in 2000 identified a pressing demand for more craft producers on the Island. Up to 90 percent of PEI craft sales are tourism linked, and there are not enough producers to satisfy the market. Most producers are over age 40, which is due partly to the lack of crafts training on the Island — young people go elsewhere to study and usually don’t return to PEI to establish studios.

To address this problem, the PEI government provides scholarships and interest-free loans to craftspeople, along with funding assistance for marketing, new product development, and training. And in March, the provincial government introduced a Craft Education Bursary Program to provide financial support of up to $10,000 per year to Island students enrolled in a recognized arts/crafts program in Canada. To qualify, students must commit to establishing their craft business in PEI once their training is completed.

Canada’s government recognizes value of crafts

Canada’s federal government recognizes crafts as both an important part of the culture and as a potentially valuable export commodity. And while export outside North America is welcome, it is the United States — with a common border, free trade, and a market of 280 million people — that is the most promising.

The Department of Canadian Heritage, established in 1996, has a mandate that includes “assisting cultural industries, and arts and heritage organizations; and encouraging the creation, production, distribution and consumption, and preservation of cultural and heritage products and services.” In May 2001, that department announced a $500 million investment in the “growth and development of Canadian culture.” This funding included $75 million directed to the Canada Council for the Arts and another $32 million directed to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) to “encourage export of cultural products and services and explore new markets for Canadian artists.”

The federal government supports export-ready companies with consulting, training and funding programs and through a Web site that provides hundreds of market studies on various United States market regions. Business Development Officers in the various Canadian Consulates will work to help export-ready businesses develop American markets. And DFAIT publishes an export newsletter, New Directions, (free to Canadian residents) for the Canadian giftware and craft industries. This newsletter includes market and industry reports, information on export education missions and “giftware rep locator” programs.

DFAIT funds a program, called EXTUS, through which various Canadian Consulates organize educational programs to familiarize potential exporters with American markets. For example, the Canadian Consulate General in Los Angeles sponsored an EXTUS mission to the San Francisco International Gift Fair in February. In addition to seminars on topics ranging from finding a sales agent to packaging, the program included a tour of San Francisco retailers and a visit to the San Francisco International Gift Fair. The cost to participate in an EXTUS program is $100, plus travel. Another program pays expenses for United States buyers to come to Canada and speak about the American market. And DFAIT has also provided funding support for high-end Canadian craft galleries to participate in the SOFA show in Chicago.

Canadian Consulate Generals in various cities also organize “giftware rep locator” programs, which include presentations, tours of local retailers, and the opportunity to match up with local sales representatives, for potential exporters.

Education and Training

While most colleges and universities offer some programming in fine arts, there are few that specialize in craft. The Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, the Craft and Design Program at Sheridan College in Oakville (ON), the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, and the Kootenay School of the Arts (KSA): Centre of Craft and Design in Nelson (BC), are among the better-known. Kootenay’s program includes a strong marketing component. As part of this emphasis, Lou Lynn, instructor of professional practices at the school, has taken her graduate class to the San Francisco International Gift Fair for the last three years. Unfortunately, KSA just had its provincial funding cut out completely and is going through a restructuring phase.

At the Red Deer College (Alberta) “Series” program — Canada’s largest summer school for visual arts — about half the courses are in craft media.

The Harbourfront Centre, on Toronto’s waterfront, is a non-profit cultural organization well known for its Craft Studio. The Craft Studio has an artist-in-residence program that allows the public to see professional craftspeople working in ceramics, glass, metal and textiles.

Tying it together

The formation of the Canadian Crafts Federation (CCF) in 1998 is one of the most promising developments on the Canadian crafts scene. (The CCF’s predecessor organization, the Canadian Crafts Council, was disbanded in 1996 when federal funding ceased.) The CCF, whose members are the 10 provincial crafts councils, serves as an information link between the crafts community and the federal government. The organization currently operates with some funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, contributions from provincial councils, and donated services of provincial council employees.

With funding from DFAIT, the CCF commissioned a “Study of the Crafts Sector in Canada” in 2001. Based on input from the CCF, DFAIT has also commissioned a “U.S. Marketing Guide for Fine Contemporary Craft” study set for completion in 2002.

The CCF launched a Web site (www.canadiancraftsfederation.ca) in March, which provides links to each of the provincial councils and posts reports and current information about the crafts community. The Web site will soon include an “events and grants” database that will allow craftspeople to search from a countrywide list of exhibition and grant opportunities. This is particularly important because getting timely information to artists on funding sources and calls for entry is critical.

Moving forward and exploring new directions

As Canadian craftspeople continue to explore new directions in their work, they also explore new directions in marketing. They are exploring wholesale shows and exporting, and are actively seeking commissions. Many have launched Web sites, and are meeting the challenges of geography, population, and tough economic times head-on. Lynn, who is also a contemporary glass artist and co-author of the upcoming “U.S. Marketing Guide for Fine Contemporary Craft,” observes, “... the main challenges we face are marketing and making a living. Canada’s craft community has a potential that is just 10 percent of the U.S. market; we have no national craft magazines to support our artists; we have few collectors and even fewer philanthropists to support our community. That said, we are a determined group, and, increasingly, Canadians are focusing on accessing the U.S. market for both their production and one-of-a-kind work.”

JUNE 2002: TABLE OF CONTENTS