first saturday open studios

April 2024 - Update

  • 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


Opening Reception for “Eri Explorations” - May 2

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!


2024 Books Open for Custom Portraits

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 - April 6

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

 https://www.firstsaturday.ca/next-open-studios


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!

West Of Main Art Walk Open Studio Tour & Sale

“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.”

March 2024 - Update

  • COLLECTIVE CHAOS - MARCH MINI Show at Slice of Life

  • First Saturday - March 2

  • Slice Mini Mart - March 9


COLLECTIVE CHAOS - MARCH MINI Show at Slice of Life

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 - March 2

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

 https://www.firstsaturday.ca/next-open-studios


Slice Mini Mart - March 9

Featuring local vendors. arts, crafts, thrift and PINBALL!!

Pets and family friendly

Entry by donation, pay what you can.

November 2023 - Update

  • Holiday Product Feature

  • Where to buy my art locally: Retail & Other

  • November Markets

  • Studio Hours

  • December Markets


Holiday Product Feature

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!


Where to buy my art locally: Retail & Other


Find me at these local markets or schedule a private studio visit this holiday season by emailing me directly!

November Markets

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

December Markets

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


Please consider shopping local & handmade this holiday season.

See you soon!

March 2023 - Update

  • Solo Show - Womanmade: Crafting Architecture & the Mundane

  • Work in Progress - Proofs of Labour

  • First Saturday, March 4, 12 - 5pm

  • 2023 Pop-ups/Markets

  • Women in Art 2023


Solo Show - Womanmade: Crafting Architecture & the Mundane

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.


Work in Progress - Proofs of Labour

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.


First Saturday @ City Centre Artist Lodge, Feb 4, 12-5pm

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

https://www.firstsaturday.ca/next-open-studios


2023 Pop-ups/Markets

  • 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)


Women in Art 2023

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

February 2023 - Update

  • Solo Show - Womanmade: Crafting Architecture & the Mundane

  • Finished Work - Vancouver Cityscape

  • Work in Progress - Proofs of Labour

  • First Saturday, Feb 4, 12 - 5pm

  • New Work - City Centre Motor Hotel Sign

  • Save the date - Eastside Flea Market, Mar 11 & 12, 11-5pm


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.

Finished Work - Vancouver Cityscape

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! ⁠


Work in Progress - Proofs of Labour

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


First Saturday @ City Centre Artist Lodge, Feb 4, 12-5pm

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

https://www.firstsaturday.ca/next-open-studios


New Work - City Centre Motor Hotel Sign

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


Save the date - Eastside Flea Market, Mar 11 & 12, 11-5pm

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

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!

December 2022 - Update

  • Xmas Art Market @ City Centre Artist Lodge (Dec. 3 + 4)

  • Vancouver Cityscape (Work in Progress)


Xmas Art Market @ City Centre Artist Lodge (Dec. 3 + 4)

❄️ It's a Winter Wonderland in Vancouver! ❄️

What better way to get into the holiday spirit than to check out the Holiday art market my studio this weekend?

🎄 Support local artists & businesses this holiday season and make someone do a happy holiday jig for joy 💃.

😋 Eat some food truck goodies, have a drink & stick around for the live music festival presented by Ice Cream Truck Live⁠ 🎶!

CONNECT X-Mas Market & Music Festival: Love is the Warmest Colour.⁠ ⁠

When: Dec 3 & 4, 11am-7pm⁠

What: This two-day community festival will combine an open studio art sale with live music and food trucks for a unique, immersive, celebration of Vancouver’s creative spirit.⁠

Where: City Centre Artist Lodge (2111 Main street - Main & 6th)⁠

⁠⁠I'm in studio# 211 ⁠
Upstairs under the big #1⁠
Entrance on the Main Street side.⁠

View event info & full list of artists.


Vancouver Cityscape (Work in Progress)

I’ve been busy working on getting this mixed textile project completed by the end of the year. With that said I still have lots to do before I’m done, so I’ll be keeping this blog update short and sweet. Here are some photos of the most recent progress.