It’s been just over a month – it feels like six – in a good way

Submitted by: Carmen Milenkovic, SCC Executive Director

 Carmen Milenkovic, Executive Director, Saskatchewan Craft Council; 

Photo by Ljubisa Spasic

There’s a certain irony regarding my joining the Saskatchewan Craft Council as the Executive Director. I used to be part of the adjudication process, back in the days of PCOs and SaskCulture. I, along with other colleagues, would diligently read the contents of the 4” binder outlining the programs and hopes and dreams for the organization. And now, here I am, in the Executive Director chair, trying to figure it all out.

Daniel J Kirk works on She Dreams of Color at EMMA International Collaboration 2014 

(Collaborators on the piece: Daniel J Kirk, Asherah Cinnamon, Katie Green)

Photo by Ian Preston

I must say that when I agreed to a July 2^nd start date I thought that meant I would have the summer to immerse myself – at a somewhat leisurely pace – in the nuts and bolts of the organization. I have been immersed, but forget the leisurely pace. In six short weeks, I’ve:

• Wandered among the booths at Waterfront;
• Visited the exhibit, Art of the Book, numerous times;
• Observed an exhibition change over;
• Witnessed the erection of A Show About Nothing (and continue to visit it daily);
• Attended a very busy and fun opening reception where I met EMMA artists, members and even some friends that I hadn't seen for a long time;
• Had over twenty meetings with stakeholders and supporters;
• Was apprised of the process of the Saskatchewan Handcraft Festival and the Toronto Gift Show;
• Met with the SCC Board of Directors;
• Wandered through the Boutique on numerous occasions;
• Attended the auction on the final day of the WoodTurners Symposium;
• Submitted a grant application (on my first day if you can imagine - got the results - it was successful!);
• Started to learn a new accounting program and get a handle on the financials;
• Became updated on the direction and strategic initiatives of the Canadian Craft Federation;
• Had numerous conversations with members and supporters of the SCC; and
• Tried my hand at blogging.

The highlight to date was my deep water dive into the EMMA International Collaboration 2014. I visited for a couple of days – wandered around the site at Ness Creek, watched the pieces take shape, listened to the interaction between artists; I took advantage of their generosity to answer my questions and give me insight into their process and what EMMA meant to them. I come from the film world, which is always collaborative, and wandering around EMMA reminded me of that spirit, that industriousness and the need to troubleshoot and come up with new ideas when the planned ones don't work and you're going to camera in five. I loved that rush, and that building of community, which in real time can be short, but in "feelings" time is forever.

    June Jacobs works on Buoh Doctor at EMMA International Collaboration 2014 

(Collaborators on the piece: Te Rangitu Netana, Nadine Jaggi, Michel Boutin, June Jacobs, John Wirth, Katie Green, Cassie Rosteski & Kjelti Anderson); Photo by Ian Preston

The experience was capped by the EMMA Auction. On a hot sultry night in August - probably our hottest day of the summer - we witnessed the transformation from work site to gallery exhibit. It was glorious. Thanks to all who attended and loved the excitement of the purchase. The heat and tight fit couldn't supplant our euphoria.

   Control Flabula in Wood by Tod Emel at EMMA International Collaboration 2014

Photo by Ian Preston

It makes me wonder what I’ll be able to say after my first year.

The Saskatchewan Craft Council is a treasure, worth savouring, protecting and enriching. 
2015 is a big year for us. We’ll celebrate our 40^th Anniversary and are part of a national celebration, Craft Year 2015. At the heart of it all is the impulse that drives the creation of art. It’s beating loudly at the Saskatchewan Craft Council.

Thanks for welcoming me into the thicket. I’m looking forward to finding my way.

The History of the Emma International Collaboration

Submitted by: Sydney Luther, Communications Assistant

The Emma 2014 International Collaboration took place this past week, and it seems very timely to find out just how it came to be. With a decades-long history, Emma is now hosted biannually at the Ness Creek Festival Site.

Michal Hosaluk

Jamie Russell

Don Kondra

A trio of Saskatchewan woodworkers - Michael Hosaluk, Jamie Russell and Don Kondra - began organizing woodturning symposiums and workshops in Saskatoon in the early 1980s at the Kelsey Campus. They began the symposiums because there was a lack of formal craft education in Saskatchewan, beyond the weaving and pottery offered at the University of Saskatchewan.  Their woodturning conference was staggered biannually with a furniture conference in the same venue and eventually these two events were merged in 1985 and became a biannual event together.

Collaboration at a past Emma. 

In 1996, the first Emma Lake Wood Conference was organized and was held at the Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus, after the Kelsey Campus cabinetry program closed in 1994. The event was “agenda free and hands-on,” which is a mantra continued to be upheld by Emma Collaborations today.

The attendees were invited to the collaboration and these included longtime woodturners, as well as newer, less experienced artists. Although it began as a woodturning conference, many new mediums were added, including glass etching, metal casting and fabrications, beadwork and Japanese lacquer. Each year, new mediums are introduced and focused on. Now, Emma involves almost every craft medium one can imagine!

A past Emma Auction.

The main hope of the event is that all attendees will act as both teachers and students. Participants are urged to try new things and experiment with other artists. The seclusion of the event means that artists can completely immerse themselves in the art they create during the collaboration. A public auction is held at the end of the week-long conference, the proceeds of which are used to fund future Emma Collaborations.

Today, over 100 artists are invited from all over the world to attend. The event was moved to Ness Creek in 2006, although it kept the Emma name. The event continues to uphold the original intent, which was to hone a creative environment without a set agenda, at which artists can learn and grow. The Saskatchewan Craft Council has been involved since 1982, working as the administrative support to the creative event.

The Emma 2014 International Collaboration Auction is taking place this Thursday, August 7, 2014 at PAVED Arts and AKA Gallery in Saskatoon. You can view the event poster here. Attend for your chance to view and purchase the beautiful collaborative artwork created at the conference!

Social Media 101: Part 1 - Facebook

Submitted by: Sydney Luther, Communications Assistant

Social media may seem like a fad or something only teenagers are interested in, but these websites have become an important and useful tool for any non-profit organization or business person. Social media are defined as any media that exist on the internet "that allow for the creation and exchange of user-generated content. Furthermore, social media depend on mobile and web-based technologies to create highly interactive platforms through which individuals and communities share, co-create, discuss, and modify user-generated content." Social media are used to relay information between individual people, organizations, and businesses. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Vine, Pinterest, and Google+ are all examples of social media. 

At the Saskatchewan Craft Council, we utilize three of these social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Currently, we share almost all posts between these three websites, but there is a move towards creating different types of posts for each of these individual sites, as it creates a reason for someone to follow all three accounts. However, it is up to you how you would like to best utilize social media. 

Facebook is useful for a business or non-profit in that almost everyone is on it. This is no longer just a young person’s tool. My 92-year-old grandma uses Facebook! Facebook can be used to post photos, status updates, videos, events, and links to other websites. You can also share your Tweets and Instagram photos with your Facebook account. 

An Instagram photo shared to a Facebook page

As an individual business person, if you are hoping to use social media to raise awareness about your art, you should create a page for Facebook, and not an individual personal account. This means people can like your page instead of friending you individually, and they will still see your updates in their news feed. 

It's difficult, but important, to find a balance with how much you post on Facebook. Too much, and you run the risk of being annoying. Too little, and people may not know or care that your page exists. A business’ Facebook page is about sharing a product, sharing where to get said product, and sharing how the product is made. Feel free to share personal photos of you in the studio, but avoid those photos of you and your friends at the bar or of your grandchildren at the lake. Save such posts for your personal Facebook. Although social media feels casual, you should still conduct yourself in a business-like manner. 

There are many lists of tips on how to conduct oneself on Facebook. Most say you should be yourself, but also be professional. Post things that you would be interested in as a reader. Stay positive about everything you post. Promote yourself confidently and respond to people's questions and comments quickly and succinctly. Use proper grammar and punctuation and don't try too hard to be "cool" or "trendy." Facebook is definitely something used by people of all ages, so don't fall into the trap of attempting to speak or write like a teenager. Social media is all about sharing information and creating an online community.

For more tips about using Facebook, check out these webpages: 

How To Market Yourself on Social Media

How To Create an Artist's Facebook Page

Facebook Tips for Artists