It’s More Than Just Brushes, Paints and Pencils

By Jen Smerdon

Published March 2001

Picture a place where members of the community can come together — a place filled with creativity, spirit and sharing

The Arts &Crafts Space: Creating a producerist alternative

The power of the dollar too fre­quently controls the direction of our society and can be an obstacle for the creation of arts and crafts. Restraints, such as the time involved, the space needed and the materials required, of­ten put creative undertakings on hold. It is often the case that creative indi­viduals are unwilling and/or unable to expose their works simply because they may not be considered commercially viable.

The Arts & Crafts Space will not only provide the opportunity for indi­viduals to make money from the work that they do but will also strengthen the community by its presence. The space on the second floor of 43 Queen plans to offer an effective alternative to the challenges that members of the community may face, by offering a space where individuals can come to­gether without feeling pressure to cre­ate masterpieces. We hope to provide an atmosphere wherein people are free to pursue their own ideas, and encour­age the use of recyclable, reusable and environmentally conscious materials.

Building Relationships: Changing the roles in an Arts & Crafts Setting

It is often an unfortunate reality that people feel the need to work in solitude in order to “make art”. This Arts & Crafts Space will lend itself to those members in the community who wish to come together. It is not in­tended to be small individual studio spaces or large group projects, but a happy medium. By interacting with others in this community arts setting, people will have the opportunity to share and learn as they create. The hope is that people will enter not as professional artists or teachers but as individuals with skilled hands, who can both learn and share their knowl­edge and experiences.

When I picture this Arts & Crafts Space it is filled with beauty, and joy derived from creating in good spirits with other members of the commu­nity who share the same passion and desire. The purpose is not only to learn skills, but also to strengthen the crea­tive base for the community as a whole.