- 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.
It makes me wonder what I’ll be able to say after my first year.
2015 is a big year for us. We’ll celebrate our 40th 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.