The future is bright

A handpicked selection of the most exciting early career artists and designers working in furniture, ceramics, glass, jewellery, textiles and more will launch the 2020 Craft ACT artistic program in February 2020.
As the global appetite to support the local and the handmade only grows, two exhibitions - Distorted Trajectories and Emerging Contemporaries - show the future is bright for contemporary craft and design in the Canberra region and beyond.


Two early career contemporary glass artists, Madeline Prowd and Marcel Hoogstad Hay explore the combinations of pattern and form through the medium of blown glass in their exhibition Distorted Trajectories. Responding to the concept of distortion in various forms – space, time, light and pattern - this exhibition unifies works from the artists’ individual practices by their shared focus on traditional Italian techniques. Both graduates of the ANU School of Art, Prowd and Hoogstad Hay have gone on to complete the two-year Associate Training Program at the acclaimed JamFactory, Adelaide.


Emerging Contemporaries is a highlight of Craft ACT’s annual exhibition program, showcasing the work of outstanding graduates and emerging craft practitioners selected from the ACT and surrounding region. This is the coveted Craft ACT National Award Exhibition for early career artists, playing a pivotal role in supporting and transitioning artists into professional practice and placing Australian artists in view of the national cultural collecting institutions, business and industry, and audiences. Craft ACT is always looking for new talent to nurture and to add to our growing community.


‘The future is bright for contemporary craft and design, in Canberra and beyond. Craft ACT is honoured to present these two exhibitions featuring impressive and high-quality work from emerging and early career artists across all the craft mediums. For nearly 50 years, Craft ACT has interacted with the art, craft and design communities to support artists at every stage of their careers. Craft is dynamic, enduring, entrepreneurial and respectful of tradition, uniting time-honoured techniques with contemporary interpretations built for the future,’ said Rachael Coghlan, CEO + Artistic Director of Craft ACT.


‘These early career makers, selected from the best in Canberra and beyond, spark new conversations and generate inspiring ideas which will launch our 2020 artistic program. I am impressed with the quality of both the technical and conceptual approaches. For Marcel and Madeline, their technical proficiency gained from years of study showcases the sheer beauty of the medium of glass. Emerging Contemporaries participants were selected by some of the most highly regarded and valued local institutions including ANU School of Art + Design, University of Canberra, Sturt School for Wood, Canberra Institute of Technology and Canberra Potters Society. I thank these respected institutions for nurturing the next generations of craftspeople and designers,” said Dr Coghlan.


Emerging Contemporaries also features works from the Honouring Cultures Indigenous Jewellery Project, established by Craft ACT’s esteemed Accredited Professional Member (APM), Jennifer Kemarre Martiniello (Kemarre Arts) and tutored by Wayne Simon at the ANU School of Art and Design Gold and Silversmithing Workshop.


Everyone is welcome to join us for the opening event of these beautiful exhibitions: 6pm, Thursday 6 February, Craft ACT Gallery, Level 1, North Building, 180 London Cct Canberra City.

EXHIBITIONS: 

Dates: 6 February - 21 March 2020


Distorted Trajectories


•Marcel Hoogstad Hay is an Australian emerging artist and designer working primarily with blownglass. He received his Bachelor of Visual Arts in 2012 from the Glass Workshop at the ANU Schoolof Art in Canberra and in 2014 completed the two-year Associate Training Program at Jam FactoryContemporary Craft and Design in Adelaide.


•Madeline Prowd is an early career glass artist, currently working out of Adelaide, Australia.Studying under Richard Whiteley, Nadege Desgenetez and Brian Corr, she received a Bachelor ofVisual Arts from the Australian National University in 2009. Madeline then relocated to Adelaideto undertake the two-year Associate Training Program in the Glass Studio at JamFactory.


Emerging Contemporaries


• Rosie Armstrong is a graduate of the ANU School of Art + Design Textiles workshop.

• Oliver Chiswell is a graduate of the University of Canberra Industrial Design workshop.

• Angela Coleman is a graduate of the ANU School of Art + Design Textiles workshop.

• Henrietta Farrelly-Barnett is a graduate of the ANU School of Art + Design Ceramics workshop.

• Krystal Hurst participated in the Honouring Cultures Indigenous Jewellery Project workshop. graduate of the ANU School of Art + Design Design program.

• Abbey Jamieson is a graduate of the ANU School of Art + Design Ceramics workshop and was the recipient of the EASS Potters Society Award.

• Jenni Kemarre Martiniello is a graduate of the ANU School of Art + Design Glass workshop and participating in the Honouring Cultures Indigenous Jewellery Project workshop.

• Georgia Larsen is a graduate of the ANU School of Art + Design.

• Daniel Leone is a graduate of the Sturt School for Wood 1-year program and was the recipient of the EASS Potters Society Award.

• Bethany Lick is a graduate of the ANU School of Art + Design Glass workshop.

• Katie McAuliffe is a graduate of the University of Canberra Industrial Design workshop.

• Cam Michael is a graduate of the Canberra Institute of Technology with a Diploma in Visual Art.

• Kristina Neumann is a graduate of the ANU School of Art + Design Jewellery and Object workshop.

• Annie Parnell is a graduate of the ANU School of Art + Design Ceramics workshop.

• Samuel Radoll participated in the Honouring Cultures Indigenous Jewellery Project workshop.

• George Shvili is a graduate of the University of Canberra Industrial Design workshop.

• Beverly Smith participated in the Honouring Cultures Indigenous Jewellery Project workshop.

• Lynette Talbot participated in the Honouring Cultures Indigenous Jewellery Project.

• Kazu Quill is a graduate of the Sturt School for Wood 1-year program.

• Megan Wilkinson is a graduate of the ANU School of Art + Design Glass workshop.

• Chi Yusuf is a graduate of the Sturt School for Wood 1-year program.


PUBLIC PROGRAMS: 


LAUNCH EVENT: Thursday 6 February, 6.00pm with opening remarks by Gordon Bull (Visiting Fellow, Centre for Art History and Art Theory at ANU, School of Art) and Deborah Clark (Art Historian and independent curator, writer and editor) at 6.30pm. All welcome.


FLOOR TALKS: Saturday 8 February, 12.30pm with Distorted Trajectories artists, Marcel Hoogstad Hay and Madeline Prowd.

 

Cover image: Madeline Prowd, Intersect (detail), blown glass, cane. Photo: Pippy Mount.
Above image: Henrietta Farrelly-Barnett, ceramic works. Photo: John Daly.