The Crafts Council of IrelandIssue no.4

Food for ThoughtThe "Food for Thought-Thought for Food" exhibition, opened by Myrtle Allen in Lucy Erridge's Galleryon the 20th of October, featured some familiar names like Michael Jackson and Keith Leadbetter, but inkeeping with gallery policy, predominantly showed pieces by many lesser known potters and glassmakersat work in Ireland. The invitation of Myrtle Allen to open the show was an inspired choice. Herintroduction demonstrated that her creativity as a cook was complemented by her understanding that theselection of ware to display her food was as critical as her choice of ingredients. Splendid food needs to bepresented in splendid wood, pottery or glass to create a visual as well as a gastronomic feast. A beautifulbowl full of potatoes cooked to perfection is part of that feast, while potatoes served on an everyday plateis merely part of somebody's dinner - no matter how welcome!

She drew attention to some exhibits in order to

demonstrate how she might use them herself at a dinner

party. A warming wine punch in a lidded jar of Micheen

Bradley's, decorated with modelled vine leaves and

grapes, with a rich, lustrous purple earthenware glaze; a

stunning mass of petit fours on one of Salah Kawala's

large, elegant and graphically decorated glass dishes.

Lucy Erridge's gallery was full to capacity and the crowd

showed by the many purchases they made, that they had

taken Myrtle Allen's advice to heart. Mary O'Gorman's

recent range of tulip decorated majolica plates and bowls

jw^^^Wv

were an instant and rapid selling success, as was a range

of stoneware produced by trainees at the Pottery Skills

Course in Thomastown.

This exhibition is one of a continuing series of thematic

shows that have ranged in subject from textile miniatures

to emerging talent. One of the chief difficulties the

Erridges (Alison Erridge and her daughters Lucy and

Susan) have in organising and mounting such shows is

finding new names and work to introduce to the group of

collectors and buyers they have established in the area.

The Lucy Erridge Fashion Gallery, in Bird Hill Co.

Tipperary, is well placed just a few miles outside

Limerick on the Dublin Road. Potential exhibitors are

invited to send C.V.'s and photographs or slides of work

to the gallery, in order to assist the future development of

the exhibition programme.

r* abrex from a KnitwearPerspective

E

Deirdre McCaul is currently attending the Business and

Design Skills Course in Kilkenny. She was also one of a

group of students who completed their Degree studies in

Britain this year who were selected by the organisers of

Fabrex, the annual textiles fair held in the Olympia,

Kensington, London.

Fabrex is divided into four sections: Fashion Trend,

Dupont, Eurofashion and British Textile Design. Dupont

is a group of established knitters such as Richard Roberts,

Stretchmore, N & J Textiles, Arrow Textiles, Heathcoat

and Elastic Knitting etc. Eurofashion contains a group of

eight internationally respected designers, and British

Textile Design, a section of professional designers and

college graduates displaying the trends to come.

All knitwear at the fair was produced by machine rather

than by hand, ranging from domestics to dubieds and the

industrial Shima Seiki. The overall knitting techniques on

display were extremely varied with both felted and light

weight fabrics featuring strongly while garment shapes

were generally unstructured. Both natural and synthetic

yarns were popular, occasionally combining to create

warm light weight fabrics. The wraps which Deirdre

displayed were produced on the Passap E6000, displaying

colour combinations and simple geometric patterns as the

most important elements.

furopean spinningworkshop in Antwerp

About thirty spinners from eight countries attended a

workshop and public demonstration held in the Town

Hall of Borghhont, Antwerp on Saturday and Sunday

12th and 13th September, which attracted hundreds of

visitors. Mary Shiels and Sophie Twigg represented

Ireland and found interesting contrasts between Irish and

Continental techniques. Most of the wheels were very

tiny compared to the Donegal ones they demonstrated.

They were quite surprised to learn that most of the

European countries have even less variety of fleece than

in Ireland and there was very little naturally coloured

sheep such as greys, blacks and browns. Indeed, Sophie

Twigg had quite a job convincing one group of spectators

that there were such things as black sheep! In general

handspinning seems to have survived in Europe, as a

family pastime, better than in Ireland.

Nicola Murray, Knitwear designer and manufacturer

has opened her new studio recently at Landsend, Castle

Blunden, Co. Kilkenny which she is sharing with

the jewellery designer, Brigitte Turba,

assagentage ruinniu na mBad

Alongside the Cologne Furniture Fair,which is held in

January each year, is Passagentage - a promotion by a

consortium of avant garde art galleries and interior design

shops in the central city of innovative and challenging

new design. As part of the German Marketing Initiative,

the Crafts Council and Craftworks are participating.

Passagentage is recognised as the major international

opportunity to see new and leading work in the field of

furniture design and products for interiors. Previous

exhibitors have included Philippe Starck and Memphis.

In January 1993 we will be showing the work of ten

furniture makers, most of it specially designed for

Passagentage, plus a range of textiles, lighting, and other

work for interiors, by makers from both the North and

South of Ireland. The initiative is co-ordinated by Anya

von Gosseln; directed by the Crafts Council and

Craftworks; and funded by the International Fund for

Ireland, A.B.T. and LEDU.

Master Nore cot maker Michael Brien with his completed

boat, seen in the making in the last issue of the Newsletter.

Cruinniu na mBdd an exhibition of Traditional Irish Boats

continues at the Crafts Council Gallery until November 21

alendar of Events

Jewellery Exhibition

Crafts Council Gallery September, 1993.

At the invitation of the Jewellery and Metalworkers Guild the

Crafts Council has agreed to develop and manage an exhibition

project to support the development of contemporary design in

wearable jewellery with "an emphasis on precious metals and

gems tones ". Full details of the exhibition project and entry

forms will be circulated to jewellers in the coming month.

European Contemporary Craft Fair - Amsterdam

11th-16th May 1993

This retail fair is a collaboration between Dutch Form

(the craft organisation in the Netherlands), and the U.K. Crafts

Council and is modelled on the well known Chelsea Crafts Fair.

There are 250 stands for exhibitors from all over Europe,

with an international jury as selectors.

Closing date for slide submission is 30th November 1992

Entry details from:

The British Crafts Council

44a Pentonville Road,

London Nl 9BY

United. Kingdom.

Tel. 0044 71 278 7700

Fax. 0044 71 837 6891

Fiber Arts International Seminar on Textile Arts

7th -15th August, 1993 at Landcommanderij

Alden Biesen, Kasteelstraat 6, B-3740 Bilzen

For further information contact:- Aiden Biesen

C/oMr. Ludo Thijs, Kasteelstraat 6, B-3740 Bilzen

(Belgium)

Tel.. 32 89413914

Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers

Summer School 1993 to be held at Norwich City College,

Ipswich Road, Norwich NR2 211.

(Sunday 25th July-1st August, 1993)

Fees • Residential Guild Member £250 (deposit £50)

Non-residential Guild Member £275 (deposit £50)

Application accepted from the 1st January, 1993. Forms

available from Paula Wassenaar, Summer School, Convener, 100

The Street, Old Costessey, Norwich, NR8 5DF, England.

Exhibitions/Trade Fairs

British Craft Trade Fair 9th -1 lth May, 1993

Harrogate Exhibition Centre, North Yorkshire, U.K.

For further information contact:

Tricia Springate or Jill Lightfoot, Blenheim, Blenheim House,

650. Chiswick, High Road, London W4 5BG.

Jill Lightfoot Tel. 0200-442088 Fax. 0200-442449

Tricia Springate Tel. 081-7422828 Fax. 081-7425605

Craft Fair 23rd - 26th November 1992

Irish Heritage Centre, Manchester.

For further information contact:

John Cassin, Kilteel Copper Craft Tel. 043-26108

Christmas Craft Shows

Tower Pearse Street - Christmas Fair,

Sunday 29th November

at RDS Main Hall Annexe, in aid of Cystic Fibrosis

Research Trust.

For further information contact:

AnneStrahan Tel. 01-2822425

Crafts Council Gallery Christmas Show

30th November-24th December.

Open until 8pm on Thursdays in December,

on Sundays from 12-6pm and Christmas week until 8pm

Work to be submitted by Monday 23rd November.

Mansion House, Dawson Street, Dublin. 6th-13th December

Open to the PublicSaturday and Sunday 11.00 a.m. - 7.00 p.m.Monday to Friday 11.00 a.m. - 9.00p.m.Adult £2 Family £5

City Hall, Cork. 18th, 19th, 20th December

Open to the Public

Friday 11.00 a.m. - 9.00 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday 11.00 a.m. - 7.00 p.m.

For further information contact:

Pat O 'Sullivan Tel. 01-2859294

Christmas Craft Fair to be held at the Eyre Square

Shopping Centre, Galway.7th - 24th December.

Open to the public. No admission charge.

Monday to Saturday 9.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m.

Sunday 2.00p.m. -6.00p.m.

For further information contact:

Ms. Martina Goggin Tel. 091-83255.

Craftworks Shop and Gallery, 17, Linenhall Street,

Belfast. 080 232 236334

From 5th November

Craftworks Christmas Show, over 100 craftspeople

taking part.

Monday - Saturday 10.00 a.m. - 5.00p.m.

Thursday 'til 9.00 p.m. (late every night from 21st Dec. onwards)

Tower Design Craft Centre

12th to 22nd December inclusive

IDA Enterprise Centre

Pearse Street

For further information contact:

Roisin O'Shea Tel. 01-775655

Kamouflage Lives!

The Jewellers and Metalworkers Guild in conjunction with Vivien

Walsh and Browne's Gallery, Dawson Street, are running an

exhibition of contemporary jewellery from November 27th to

December 24th.

Biennale for Textile Art

Flexible Bayreuth 1993

The first Biennale for textiles is planned for 1993 in Bayreuth, the

centre of traditional textile industries. Artists from all European

countries are eligible to apply which is done from submitted

slides and photos of two works. The closing date for receipt of

completed forms is 10 January 1993. Application forms and

details are available fromOrganisationsburo

FLEXIBLE, Wahnfriedstr, 1, D-85580 Bayreuth, Germany.

For Sale

10 cubic foot Gas Kiln. Digital pyrometer, thermocouple and

some kiln furniture included. Kiln bought two years ago from

David Ball, Cork. In excellent condition.fi,500 o.n.o.

For further information contact: Clare Daly, Abbey Crafts',

Abbey Street, Kilkenny.

Tel. 056-64032

40 " domestic Hattersley loom in excellent condition and motorised.

For further information contact: D. Coffer, Grange Con,

Co. Wicklow. Tel. 045-53145

All information is published in good faith but without research, so please check carefully before committing yourself to work or financial outlayPlease forward all further information to Emer Ferran

The copy date for the next issue is 11 December and the print date is 17 December 1992

rafts Council Staff

DublinChristine RossSean O'FarrellClare Brennan

Margaret Jones

Chief ExecutiveCraft Development Officer

Administrative AssistantAdministrative Officer

Gallery Administrator Margaret McAnallenExhibitions Assistant Greg McAteer

Gallery Assistants Deirdre BarrySiobhan Me Donald

The Crescent WorkshopTraining and Education Officer Leslie Reed

Supervisor/Information Officer Emer FerranAdministrative Assistant Nuala McGrath

Thomastown Pottery Skills CourseTrainer Gus Mabelson

1 he ManagementCommittee 1992

Chair Dr. John McGuireVice Chair Ms. Mel Bradley

Mr. Michael Feeney*Ms. Suzanne May

Mr. Michael McCrory**Mr. Rudolf Heltzel

Dr. David Shaw-Smith*Ms. Breda Haugh

Ms. Angela ForteMs. Eveline Greif

Mr. Brendan FloodMs. Hilary Pratt

Ms. Maureen Cairnduff*Ms. Kaethe Burt-O'Dea

•elected 1992 AGM

** re-elected 1992 AGM

The Crafts Council of Ireland

Designed in the Crescent Workshopby Mai re ad BrennanTypography by Laura Walsh

KilkennyThe Crescent Workshop

Castle YardKilkenny

Tel 056 61804 or 62734Fax 056 63754

DublinPowerscourt Townhouse CentreSouth William Street,Dublin 2

Tel 01 679 7383 or 679 7368Fax 01 679 9197