first saturday open studios
Only 1 week left to register for my Fall cross-stitch course! All classes are taught out of my studio at City Centre Artist Lodge, which means classes are 6 students maximum. This way everyone gets plenty of one-on-one time. If you’ve been thinking about it, now is the time to sign up before spaces fill up!
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I’m so excited to be offering a 4 week course this Fall, dedicated to the art and craft of cross-stitch. Lucky for you, you’re getting first access to registration since you’re reading my blog!
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Believe it or not, I took time off in June to decompress and relax! I even spent a long weekend with my best friend in Whistler! We visited the Scandinave spa and spent the rest of our time reading, eating, and walking trails. I didn’t even bring art with me to “casually” work on.
Read More“A Closer Look” - Watch Artist Talk on YouTube
Black to Da Roots/Black Music Month Festival - May 31 - June 2
First Saturday Open Studios - June 1
“Eri Explorations” - Show ends June 16th
Westward Music Festival - June 22-23
Watch on YouTube for an engaging conversation with these talented artists as they share insights into their inspirations, creative processes, take a tour of the exhibition & answer questions from viewers like you live!
Exhibition Dates: May 22 - Jun 30
Kay Meek Arts Centre, 1700 Mathers Ave.
Artists Emily Cowan, Mallory Donen & Joanne Frewer present smaller works that invite viewers to get up close & really explore the themes & techniques of each piece. Exploring a variety of media from painting to embroidery to assemblage, these artists investigate themes of home, women's work, traditional craft & change.
The first music festival of 2024 at City Centre starts this weekend, May 31 - June 2nd!
I’ll be opening my studio for limited hours, that are subject to change.
Please check my Instagram stories/broadcast channel for the most up-to-date hours.
Friday, May 31 - 3:30-6:00pm
Saturday, June 1 - 12-5pm
Sunday, June 2 - TBC
As always, find me in Studio 211, Bay 1 upstairs, at City Centre Artist Lodge (2111 Main St).
For more information on this free event, visit the Facebook Event page.
First Saturday is a public monthly artist-run open-studio event.
Come visit artists where they work at City Centre Artist Lodge.
The following artist studios will be open:
Tracy Anne Northey - Studio # 34
Ilena Lee Cramer - Studio # 109
Elana Sigal - Studio # 110
Lukas Lundberg - Studio # 208
Stephane Savoie - Studio # 123
Mallory Donen - Studio # 211
Devorah Peterson - Studio # 221
Location: 2111 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5T 3C6
Date: June 1, 2024
Time: 12pm-5pm
The group show ”Eri Explorations” is still on view until June 16th, featuring 13 different artists creating an interesting mix of pieces all inspired by the theme of wild “Eri” silk. The exhibit showcases small and large wall hangings, visual art pieces, 3-D work, as well as knitted and woven garments. Come see the diversity that Eri silk has to offer.
Location - Granville Island
The Silk Weaving Studio
1531 Johnston St
Vancouver, BC V6H 3R9
I’ll also be opening my studio during this ticketed music festival at City Centre Artist Lodge!
Please check my Instagram stories/broadcast channel for the most up-to-date hours.
Saturday, June 22 - 1-9pm
Sunday, June 23 - 1-9pm
Studio 211, Bay 1 upstairs, at City Centre Artist Lodge (2111 Main St).
For more information Visit website for festival day/weekend passes/tickets.
Opening Reception for “Eri Explorations” - May 2
First Saturday Open Studios - May 4th
Eastside Flea Market - May 11-12
“A Closer Look” - May 22 - June 30
West of Main Art Walk - May 25-26
Below is a detail from my project “Eri Simulation - Failure to Compute”, which was made specifically for the group show “Eri Explorations”. The show is opening tomorrow night, May 2 (6-8pm), it’ll be your first opportunity to see this piece before I’ll be sharing finished photos!
Date & Time
Thursday, May 2
6-8pm
Location - Granville Island
The Silk Weaving Studio
1531 Johnston St
Vancouver, BC V6H 3R9
The group show ”Eri Explorations” with be on view from May 2 - June 16th and will feature 13 different artists creating an interesting mix of pieces all inspired by the theme of wild “Eri” silk. The exhibit will showcase small and large wall hangings, visual art pieces, 3-D work, as well as knitted and woven garments. Come see the diversity that Eri silk has to offer.
First Saturday is a public monthly artist-run open-studio event.
Come visit artists where they work at City Centre Artist Lodge.
The following artist studios will be open:
Tracy Anne Northey - Studio # 34
Ilena Lee Cramer - Studio # 109
Elana Sigal - Studio # 110
Lukas Lundberg - Studio # 208
Stephane Savoie - Studio # 123
Mallory Donen - Studio # 211
Devorah Peterson - Studio # 221
Location: 2111 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5T 3C6
Date: May 4th, 2024
Time: 12pm-5pm
Find me at Eastside Flea for Mothers’s day weekend, where I’ll be launching the following new products:
1. DIY Glitch X-Stitch Kits.
These kits will include everything you need to make a glitch cross-stitch like the example below!
2. Boho X-Stitch Hangings
Hand-stitched with Eri Silk yarn, small and easy to hang in any space!
3. Glitch X-Stitch Patches
These come with thread, so that you can easily stitch to any item of your choosing!
4. No Smoking Stickers (Green)
This is the third variation of my cross-stitch sticker design of a “no smoking”" symbol.
May 25-26! One weekend only! Catch Vancouver’s longest running art studio tour & sale featuring over 70 participating artists! Visit artists in their studios and at satellite locations across Vancouver’s west side neighbourhoods. Open daily 11-5pm. FREE event / all ages. Both a printed and Google interactive map are available. Download your event map, preview artists and plan your weekend at www.artistsinourmidst.com
What can you expect? From internationally recognized artists to some of the city’s emerging talent, this is a unique opportunity to explore art, engage with artists and learn the stories behind their work. From Point Grey to Main Street, and from Granville Island to 41st Avenue, there's so much to explore!
Opening Reception for “Eri Explorations” - May 2
2024 Books Open for Custom Portraits
First Saturday Open Studios - April 6th
Eastside Flea Spring Market - May 11 & 12
“A Closer Look”, Kay Meek Arts Centre, May 22 - June 30
West of Main Art Walk - May 25-26
Date & Time
Thursday, May 2
Time TBD
Location - Granville Island
The Silk Weaving Studio
1531 Johnston St
Vancouver, BC V6H 3R9
The group show ”Eri Explorations” with be on view from May 2 - June 16th and will feature 14 different artists creating an interesting mix of pieces all inspired by the theme of wild “Eri” silk. The exhibit will showcase small and large wall hangings, visual art pieces, 3-D work, as well as knitted and woven garments. It promises to be an eclectic show to say the least!
Last month I had the pleasure of sending my latest custom pet portrait of a dog (Willow) and cat (Flirt) home to their owner. I would love to make more memories of your loved ones in cross-stitch! Learn more about commissions through the button below if you want to claim a spot (limited availability).
First Saturday is a public monthly artist-run open-studio event.
Come visit artists where they work at City Centre Artist Lodge.
The following artist studios will be open:
Five Cat Collective - Studio # 31
Tracy Anne Northey - Studio # 34
Niki Brown - Studio # 103
Pressure Point - Studio # 108
Ilena Lee Cramer - Studio # 109
Elana Sigal - Studio # 110
Shelley Saltzman - Studio # 130
Lukas Lundberg - Studio # 208
Stephane Savoie - Studio # 123
Mallory Donen - Studio # 211
Denise Coles - Studio # 221
Devorah Peterson - Studio # 221
Zandi Dandizette - Studio # 235
Location: 2111 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5T 3C6
Date: April 6, 2024
Time: 12pm-5pm
Eastside Flea Spring Market - May 11 & 12
I’ll be back at Eastside Flea for my only market (outside of the studio) this Spring, May 11-12th.
There will be plenty of Summer events happening at City Centre Artist Lodge this year (not just mural fest)! This means there will be lots of opportunities to visit my studio (more details to come).
“A Closer Look”, Kay Meek Arts Centre, May 22 - June 30
I’m happy to share that I’ll also be in a trio exhibition in West Vancouver at the Kay Meek Arts Centre. I was selected alongside artist Emily Cowan & Joanne Frewer, as we all create engaging artwork that invites viewers to take a closer look at art - both physically & thematically. Alongside the artists’ strong sense of composition, colour & space, & references to traditional 'women's work', the show will offer visitors a meaningful & enjoyable experience.
The exhibition will run May 22 - June 30 and will include an opening reception, as well as an Artists Talk Livestream on the YouTube, produced by WVCAC (West Vancouver Community Arts Council). This will give artists the opportunity to share insights into their inspirations, process & practice, & take questions from viewers in a live moderated presentation (details TBD).
West of Main Art Walk - May 25-26
Last but not least! I’ll be participating in the West of Main Art Walk presented by Artists in Our Midst, May 25-26, 11am-5pm. There will be at least three other artists (Elana Sigal, Devorah Peterson, Denise Coles) from City Centre Artist Lodge open, as per usual other studios will likely be open throughout the weekend, so be sure to stop by and explore!
“From Point Grey to Main Street and from Granville Island to 41st Avenue in Vancouver - explore and engage with artists in their individual studios over one weekend in spring. Be sure to visit our satellite studios - Kits Neighborhood House, St Philips Church, the City Centre Motel, and St Helens Church where you’ll find multiple artists showing and demonstrating in a group setting.”
COLLECTIVE CHAOS - MARCH MINI Show at Slice of Life
First Saturday - March 2
Slice Mini Mart - March 9
Date & Time
Saturday, March 2
7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. PST
Location
SLICE OF LIFE
1636 Venables Street
Vancouver BC V5L 2H2
COLLECTIVE CHAOS features 20 different artists with a new theme every month!
exhibiting artists who live and work in vancouver, this is a radically inclusive gallery project to support all those who apply to the slice program.
First Saturday is a public monthly artist-run open-studio event.
Come visit artists where they work at City Centre Artist Lodge.
The following artist studios will be open:
Five Cat Collective - Studio # 31
Tracy Anne Northey - Studio # 34
Niki Brown - Studio # 103
Pressure Point - Studio # 108
Ilena Lee Cramer - Studio # 109
Elana Sigal - Studio # 110
Shelley Saltzman - Studio # 130
Lukas Lundberg - Studio # 208
Stephane Savoie - Studio # 123
Mallory Donen - Studio # 211
Denise Coles - Studio # 221
Paulo OConnor - Studio # 225
Devorah Peterson - Studio # 221
Zandi Dandizette - Studio # 235
Location: 2111 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5T 3C6
Date: March 2, 2024
Time: 12pm-5pm
Featuring local vendors. arts, crafts, thrift and PINBALL!!
Pets and family friendly
Entry by donation, pay what you can.
It’s been a busy month getting ready for the peak holiday season of selling at markets! In preparation, I’ve been creating specific holiday products including cross-stitch holiday cards & ornaments, which are perfect for decorating your homes and meaningful gifts for family or friends. See below for a sneak peak!
Throughout November & December, I’ll also being offering gift bags & bundle deals!
Find me at these local markets or schedule a private studio visit this holiday season by emailing me directly!
NOV 4: FIRST SATURDAY OPEN STUDIOS
City Centre Artist Lodge, 2111 Main St, Studio 211, 12-5pm
NOV 5: STA CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR
541 W Keith Rd, North Van
NOV 12: HOLIDAY BAZAAR
1448 West Broadway, 1-7pm
NOV 25-26: PORTOBELLO WEST HOLIDAY MARKET
181 Roundhouse Mews, Yaletown
NOV-DEC STUDIO HOURS:
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4-5pm or by appointment
2111 Main St, Studio 211
DEC 2-3: CITY CENTRE ARTIST LODGE HOLIDAY MARKET
Studio 211 - 2111 Main Street
DEC 7-10: MAKE IT
PNE Forum
Dec 16-17: EASTSIDE FLEA
1101 Union St
I’m excited to be sharing some installation photos of my exhibition Womanmade: Crafting Architecture and the Mundane, in Michigan! This was my first time being completely hands off for the installation process and I’m very happy with how it all came together. The show will be up for another couple weeks before the work returns home at the end of March.
WIP - Proofs of Labour, 2023, embroidery, Aida cloth, 24 inch hoop, 74 hours of stitching
The update on my current work in progress is that I completed all 74 hours of stitching on the 24 inch embroidery hoop and I’ve moved onto the unstitching stage. While I’m unstitching all of these threads, I’m documenting all the labour and logging my hours. Then I will use the jars and labour logs for the installation of the project for a show in Indiana, starting in May. I’ve started to collect my unstitched threads into jars and I’ve been labelling them with the hours spent unstitching.
This coming Saturday, stop by to see my latest cross-stitch project of the City Centre Motor Hotel sign, which is now available as a print & a greeting card. I also have a new selection of buttons I’m excited to share. So if you want to add to your button collection you’ll need to come check them out in person!
First Saturday is a public monthly artist-run open-studio event.
Come visit artists where they work at City Centre Artist Lodge.
The following artist studios will be open:
Maxine Woogman - Studio # 32
Tracy Anne Northey - Studio # 34
Niki Brown - Studio # 103
Elana Sigal - Studio # 110
Shelley Saltzman - Studio # 130
Happy Nomad Candles (Hayley) - Studio # 203
Lukas Lundberg - Studio # 208
Mallory Donen - Studio # 211
Paulo OConnor - Studio # 225
Location: 2111 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5T 3C6
Date: February 4, 2023
Time: 12pm-5pm
Mar 11 + 12 - Eastside Flea Market, 11-5pm, 550 Malkin, Vancouver
April 22-23 - Portobello West Spring Market, 10-5pm, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Yaletown (Vancouver)
June 3 - Dragon Boat BC - VESSI 500 x Got Craft Market, Science World, 1455 Quebec Street
June 17 - VHS Market (Vintage & Handmade Society), TBD, 800 West Georgia, Downtown Vancouver
Aug 3 - 13 - TBD Vancouver Mural Fest, City Centre Artist Lodge, Studio# 211
Nov 25-26 - Portobello West Holiday Market, 10-5pm, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Yaletown (Vancouver)
My project Glitch Streak will be part of the Women in Art 2023 group exhibition at the Kariton Art Gallery, celebrating International Women’s Month March 2023.
Glitch Streak, 2022, embroidery, Aida cloth, 21 x 35.5 inches, 182 hours of labour
Solo Show - Womanmade: Crafting Architecture & the Mundane, February 14 - March 18, 2023, Mount Pleasant, MI
January was a very busy month focused on wrapping up works in progress, framing and shipping artwork across the border to Michigan for my first international solo show!
My exhibition Womanmade: Crafting Architecture and the Mundane, uses feminine craft processes such as cross-stitching and crochet, as well as photography, & digital collage to represent the masculine and manmade. Photographs of architecture and other mundane industrial imagery are translated into handmade representations. The exhibition includes framed cross-stitch works, photographs, digital art prints, and a hanging textile quilt.
Gender bias within fine art diminishes the value of women’s labour. Feminine craft practices such as knitting, crochet, embroidery and other needlework are disregarded for their artistic value. And although I self-identify as a textile or fibre artist, others often label me as a craft artist. It can be difficult to be taken seriously in the field of fine art when there is an association with craft that has a lesser value than other traditionally masculine art mediums, such as painting and sculpture. I challenge expectations of traditional craft by experimenting with new media. I combine cross-stitching, knitting, and digital art/photography to push the boundaries and expectations of craft as a fine art medium.
Vancouver Cityscape, 2023, 35 x 58.5 inches, mixed textiles, yarn, embroidery thread, 315 hours of labour
I’m so happy to share photos of my completed mixed textile project! I started this back in April 2022, but at the time it was a lower priority amongst my many other projects. 315 hours of labour later and it's finally done!
The project was a big learning experience, as I've never made a textile piece combining so many different fibre processes. It's a quilt with appliquéd fabric, crochet, cross-stitch, and free-hand embroidery. This work shipped a couple weeks to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan for my solo exhibition!
For this new conceptual project, I will be logging hours of labour spent cross-stitching white thread on Aida cloth, using a 24-inch embroidery hoop. The threads used in the beginning section are the same threads that were used to cross-stitch handkerchiefs from my 2021 book project, Invisible Labour: Cross-Stitching, Feminism, & the Collective Strength of Women.
After the cross-stitching is completed, I will proceed to unravel all of the stitching and log these hours as well. The threads, labour logs, embroidery hoop and Aida cloth used during the process will all be part of the final presentation.
This process-based project will be a representation of how women often work tirelessly, only to have their labour undervalued. Overall, the exhibition will invite viewers to question the value of women’s labour, productivity, and craft.
The Art of Slowing Down: Women’s Labor & Craft May 4 - June 4, 2023
Artlink Contemporary Gallery Fort Wayne, IN
Proofs of Labour, 2023, embroidery, Aida cloth, 24 inch hoop
This coming Saturday, stop by to see my latest cross-stitch project of the City Centre Motor Hotel sign (see below) and a bunch of old paintings from my archives that my parents recently dropped off at the studio!
First Saturday is a public monthly artist-run open-studio event.
Come visit artists where they work at City Centre Artist Lodge.
The following artist studios will be open:
Maxine Woogman - Studio # 32
Tracy Anne Northey - Studio # 34
Niki Brown - Studio # 103
Ilena Lee Cramer - Studio # 109
Elana Sigal - Studio # 110
Shelley Saltzman - Studio # 130
Happy Nomad Candles (Hayley) - Studio # 203
Lukas Lundberg - Studio # 208
Mallory Donen - Studio # 211
Paulo OConnor - Studio # 225
Location: 2111 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5T 3C6
Date: February 4, 2023
Time: 12pm-5pm
The above photos was taken as inspiration for my latest cross-stitch project of the City Centre Motor Hotel sign. The motel has been temporarily converted into artist studios until the building is demolished by developers. It's been home to my art studio and where I've been spending the majority of my time for the past year. I can't wait to build more memories and projects in this wonderful space and growing artist community!
City Centre Motor Hotel Sign, 2023, 7.5 x 5 inches, embroidery, Aida cloth, 28 hours of labour
Last but not least, the Eastside Flea Spring Market is back every weekend in March and I’ll be a first time vendor on the second weekend! Come see visit my booth on March 11 or 12 between 11-5pm. I’ll be selling prints, stickers, pins, and small cross-stitch works, something for every budget!
The Eastside Flea is a seasonal community event taking place at Eastside Studios, 550 Malkin Ave. Each market hosts over 50 local vendors selling a diverse selection of goods from independently handmade pieces to vintage clothing, collectibles, plants, artisan eats & more!
You’ll also find 2-3 rotating food trucks parked outside, an amazing playlist, lots of seating and yummy beverages to enjoy!.
We hope to see you at the Flea soon!
