The Atlantic Canadian provinces are a hub for resilient and creative people. The beautiful and powerful indigenous history combined with immigrant traditions has transformed the cultural landscape of the region. Here & Now, draws attention to the uniqueness of the ecosystem and the sustainable practices of the artists of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
This inaugural exhibition, by Craft Alliance Atlantic, presents a myriad of styles and techniques from well established, award winning and emerging craft artists from Canada’s Atlantic Region Provinces. Contemporary Craft is an empowering tool to facilitate critical dialogue, not only for artists but for the public; expressing and communicating not only ideas but also emotions, craft objects appeal to and connect with the human senses. The artists in Here & Now have deep knowledge of their mediums, understanding of their environment and utmost respect of each other’s culture; they believe that knowledge sharing opportunities and different approaches to their practice can assist in the development of future generations; they are educators and mentors in the essence of the word. The impact promoted by their practice, awards and labour led them to share this exhibition space with their pupils and their influence is a notable diversification of the Contemporary Canadian Craft scene. This diverse selection of contemporary works from the Atlantic Canada Region came together as a harmonious selection from the cultures and peoples of the rugged Atlantic landscape who need beauty surrounding them. These works live in a space in between where the respect for the artist behind them, their cultural background and place are revered and respected; works that are neither innovative nor functional or beautiful, but are all at the same time.
In bringing together materials, traditions and communities, the works presented in this exhibition express a contemporary approach to secular techniques and ask the viewers to reconnect to previously existing relationships with nature, community, and our intrinsic belonging in it. They present the artist’s meaningful kinship with the space they inhabit, their culture and practice. They honour the people that came before them, their desire to express and embody their experiences and relationship with the materials of the land.
Craft intersects with all cultural domains and creates social identities and relationships. Crafting the future is revising our roles in the world, respectfully promoting reconciliation, acceptance and through understanding in a knowledge sharing scale with the aim to encourage a space that is softer, cathartic, and compassionate. In Here & Now, the artists selected have pushed past the nostalgia of pre-existing objects, developed new visions, worked through the small details of their pieces and bodies of work, embracing methods of rethinking craft to make room for an expanded understanding of material and creative practices while remaining true to themselves and their cultural heritage.
The art of craft is timeless, as is its meaning. The connections that are made through the touching of materials by the hand of the maker, to their final destination, will ensure that the history and story of our culture will continue to live.
– Bruno Vinhas, Curator
