Thursday, November 09, 2006

Squaring off at the TMC

On your set, get ready, the scramble is on…

With pen in hand it is time to get down to the TMC to do some Christmas shopping or art collecting, or putting your money where your mouth is. It is the eleventh annual “Shadow Box” fund raising event at the Textile Museum of Canada, Last night (November 8) in a hot, crowded, slightly out of focus room the imaginative work of over a150 artist went on silent auction which will last until Thursday November 23.




On your set, get ready, the scramble is on…

Each year a call goes out and artist from across the country and perhaps around the world (Emiko Nakano from Japan has been a regular contributor – I met her this past summer in the Jacquard Workshop at the MCCT in Montreal) are given a 10” by 10” wood frame in which to mount and or create a piece of work uniquely for this event. David Kaye owner of Gallery K and textile connoisseur, coordinated this event along with the assistance of Jenn Shousterman (TMC membership and events coordinator) and was able to get the majority of work in on time, photographed and on-line in plenty of time to allow you, whether you planned to attend the opening preview or live in a different part of the country, the leisure of getting your game plan together.

The art of the silent auction is a basic yet highly developed skill: the starting price for each piece is $150.00, what is your approach? If you get in early with a five dollar bid on something you really want you could cause a feeding frenzy and have the price rise out of your price range quickly, if you hold back until the evening of the 23rd at 7:25 pm hoping to get what you have fallen in love with and have gone into the museum daily to view (hope you bought a membership) you might and I say that sadly, you might get it or some one might jump in at 7:28 and up the aunty. It is a gamble with all the endorphins their accompanying rushes of adrenalin. If you’re weak of heart maybe this silent action is not for you.

The money raised by this event is used to increase the educational programming and services provided through and at the museum, which just this year has started and intensive outreach program with local grade schools. Do yourself a favour and start your art collection now, you might not get the Dorothy Caldwell or Eva Ennist you want but you may discover the up and coming artist and get in on the ground floor of collecting the new generation of unabashed textile and fibre artist coming along. (or as David Kaye referred to them with the title of his most recent showing as having “…a tendency towards textile elements and practice”)

Links in this post

Textile Museum of Canada http://www.textilemuseum.ca/shadowbox2006

Montreal Centre for Contemporary Textiles http://www.textiles-mtl.com/English/e_Main.html

gallery K http://www.davidkayegallery.com/

The out standing FASHION statement of the evening was a beaded military created and worn by visual artist Richard Preston http://www.prestvilleartsite.com/


- see squared

Textile Museum of Canada

55 Centre Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 2H5
t. (416) 599-5321

Witty. Provocative. Mesmerizing. And that’s just the artwork. The Shadow Box Event is back for its 11th year. Enjoy an ambiance that is as sophisticated as it is lively. Indulge in a host of gastronomical treats. Imbibe fine wines and cocktails. And then best of all: the opportunity to own original Shadow Box artworks from over 150 artists at surprisingly sensible prices. This fall - see squared.

Thursday November 23, 2006
6:30 pm onwards
First bidding closes at 7:30 pm

To reserve tickets at $125 each, call 416-599-5321 x2230. All ticket holders receive $25 off the purchase of a Shadow Box. Preview the artwork at the Museum between November 8-23.

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