SKETCHING - designing a capital: crafting a city

The 2008 edition of Designing a Capital: Crafting a City program SKETCHING presented a line-up of events and exhibitions devised by Craft ACT to stimulate unfettered artistic expression and debate.

Aimed at entertaining and informing audiences SKETCHING was set in motion with Shifting Perspectives: Round 2 - a week long exhibition event featuring the works of Craft ACT Members and students from the local education institutions including the Australian National University School of Art and the Canberra Institute of Technology, responding to the concept 'objects of power'. An evolving exhibition where works were added during the exhibit period, Shifting Perspectives Round 2 was the forum for creative political ideas to run free.

Audiences where asked to ponder is Canberra still teetering on the edge of the bland-zone, or will the next generation step up to re-vamp its cultural 'street cred'? To find a resolution on this polemic topic the students of the CGGS1 (Canberra Girls Grammar School) team pitched themselves against the Arts Mafia Team - Deb Clark, Curator of Visual Arts Canberra Museum and Gallery, David Broker, Director of Canberra Contemporary Art Space and Erica Seccombe, national artist. Hosted by Genevieve Jacobs, radio journalist with 666 ABC Canberra, the CGGS1 took the prize by a contentious hair and the night provided much light hearted humour, opinion and good old fashion hot-headed competitiveness.

Focusing on uncovering new design by established and emerging local artists, the SKETCHING program expanded to feature Local Innovations - celebrating the dynamic craft and design scene that shapes this city's culture. The evening featured the launch of lightworks by Craft ACT Accredited Professional Member, Catherine Reid and drawing with light the Canberra Institute of Technology Fashion Department's experimental fashion night, presenting a collaboration between fashion design, photography and sound that celebrates original new ideas.

And topping off the two weeks of jam-packed craft and design exploration was the Craft ACT Bingo Extravaganza. The night was a raucous evening of fast paced calling which kept the sell out crowd on their toes while they contended for the prizes up for grabs, supplied by Members of Craft ACT and generous local organisations.

Images from Shifting Perspectives Round 2

Images from Local Innovations

 

To make these events happen, Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre acknowledges the support of: