Articles - 30 November 2007
At years end
December always sneaks up. Why is it that the end of the year seems a frantic rush to complete all items on the ever growing list? In fact, the list has no end, and continues well beyond the end of the month and cruises speedily into the next year. I say this as I watch my dog sunning herself on the back deck, enjoying the heat that comes with December and the onset of summer. A reminder that end of year is also a time to rest and reflect on the amazing year that we have seen at Craft Australia.
2007 highlights
Craft Australia has been involved in some fantastic programs in 2007 that have pushed the boundaries of contemporary craft and celebrated the achievements of this practice.
ReSkin Wearable Lab
The year began with the ReSkin Wearable Lab and WearNow Symposium which were a partnership project between ANAT and Craft Australia. A number of articles and conference papers have been published on the Craft Australia website which gives a full overview of this exciting program.
Craft Australia Research Centre
reSkinning the Body
Living Treasures: Masters of Australian Craft
The Living Treasures: Masters of Australian Craft series, an initiative of Object: Australian Centre for Craft and Design in partnership with Craft Australia and supported by the network of Australian Craft and Design Centers, (ACDC) has continued to grow. Launched in November 2005, each year, through the combination of a national touring exhibition and a major monograph publication, the series celebrates the achievements of Australia's most iconic and influential crafts practitioners.
Craft Australia has recently launched Living Treasures Online. The site gives a complete overview of the program and highlights the Living Treasures and the Masters of Australian Craft 2005 to 2010.
Smart Works: design and the hand made
Smart Works: design and the hand made was a major international exhibition and symposium curated by Grace Cochrane and presented by the Powerhouse Museum. It explored the effects of shifts in the west away from large manufacturing industries and towards 'creative industries', high-cost commodities and tourist economies.
Craft Australia presented the paper Craft·design and the creative industries: An Australian perspective, reflecting the position of the Australian creative industries.
716 craft·design
Throughout the year 716 craft·design highlighted many of the sector's successes with special focus issues on Australian Indigenous craft and design; the vital contribution the commercial gallery and retail sector make to the cultural industry; and programs such as Crafting Canberra, Creative Capital and Inside SAM's Place.
If you have missed out on reading these articles visit our 716 Archive.
Craft Australia Slide Collection
Craft Australia has received a 2007 Community Heritage Grant of $10,000 from the National Library of Australia to assist with the digitisation of the Craft Australia Slide Collection.
The Craft Australia Slide Collection comprises over 17,000 images of artists' work from the 1970s onwards. This grant will allow Craft Australia to commence the digitisation of a selection of this slide material in accordance with the recommendations of the Significance Assessment undertaken this year with previous funding from the National Library of Australia. It is Craft Australia's longer-term aim to digitise the bulk of the Slide Collection and to make this digitised material accessible online for the use of collectors, scholars and curators.
Politics
Politically the year has seen the Australian Labor Party elected to office in November after 11 years as Opposition. Peter Garrett is the Minister for Environment Heritage, Water and the Arts and Kim Carr is the Minister for Innovation Science and Training. Craft Australia will continue to lobby government on behalf of the sector and we look forward to what these new developments bring in 2008.
View the new structure and responsibilities of each of the Departments.
Commonwealth of Australia Administration Arrangements Orders 
Looking to the future
In this issue of 716 we have highlighted some of the programs that will kick off the year in January. Specifically the Ausglass conference in Canberra and the JMGA conference in Adelaide, both happening around the Australia Day long weekend. The programs for both these events are well worth attending with a range of exhibitions and associated programs for the general public to attend.
In Canberra watch out for the Stephen Procter retrospective at the Canberra Museum and Gallery, (CMAG). This will be an exceptional opportunity to see a rare reflection of Stephen's practice that includes the drawings that were integral to his glass works. Also in Canberra, and developed specifically for the Ausglass conference is the General Assembly - Open House 08 exhibition by Blanche Tilden and Phoebe Porter. As an audience member you get to make your piece of jewelry with the artist, selecting from an assembly line of shapes designed specifically to reflect Canberra and the conference.
Similarly, Inside Out, the Jeweler's and Metalsmith's conference in Adelaide, has a plethora of workshops, exhibitions and events for the interested to enjoy the diversity and innovation of this practice in Australia.
On the horizon for 2009 is the conference Selling Yarns: Innovation for Sustainability. It will be held in March 2009 at the National Museum of Australia. This second Selling Yarns conference builds on the success of the conference held in Darwin in 2006. More details about this conference and call for papers will be published through the Craft Australia website in 2008. A series of papers for the Darwin 2006 conference have been published on the Craft Australia Research Centre.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of Craft Australia I thank you for your support throughout the year and wish you an enjoyable and safe festive season.
Catrina Vignando
General Manager, Craft Australia
December 2007
