Thursday, June 12, 2008

The Cottars Added to Summerfolk Line-up

The Cottars return to Summerfolk!
Siblings Ciaran and Fiona MacGillivray have travelled the globe as lead singers and instrumentalists with The Cottars. Joined by fiddler Claire Pettit and guitarist Bruce Timmons, a new Cottars unit is back at Summerfolk.
Celtic-infused singing, playing and joyous step-dancing in the spirited musical tradition of Cape Breton.
Adding some East Coast flavour is always a good thing at Summerfolk.
Justin Hines is off to perform at the Olympic Games and Lily Frost is unavailable Summerfolk weekend so I had an opportunity to book The Cottars and I'm thrilled they've accepted.

The Artisan Village at Summerfolk

The Artisan Village at Summerfolk is a vibrant open-air market of fine professional craft work. Festival artisans sell only their own handcrafted products. The selection process for these artisans is based on the quality of their work and a willingness to demonstrate and discuss their craft with festival goers.



This year the Artisan Marketplace will have 45 vendors chosen from nearly 100 applicants. The artistry represented at Summerfolk takes many forms; glasswork, jewellery, textiles, paper, instruments, wood, pottery and metal.

The Artisan Committee of the Georgian Bay Folk Society is responsible for selecting participants and organizing the logistics for the Artisan Village. Over the fall and winter, the committee seeks out potential artists requesting submissions. The application deadline closes off mid-March and process of viewing the artist's work begins. Along with an application form, artists submit photographs of their work for consideration and all the committee members are involved in the decision of who to include.

During the week leading up to the Festival, the artisan booth sites are marked off. Pre-arranged hydro requirements are reviewed and wiring is installed by the hard-working Summerfolk Electrical Crew. On Festival Friday, members of the Artisan Committee assist the artists in setting up their displays. "Some people like a specific spot or they want to be beside somebody else because they're friends and can help each other out during the festival" says committee chair Rob Memery.

Most of the artisans camp behind their booths for the weekend which creates a camaraderie among the vendors. "It becomes a real community" says Rob. "They get to meet other artisans and it's specifically for them. We're keeping it fairly pure here and I think they like that. The festival is special for them".

Of those selected for this year's Festival, Rob was particularly intrigued by the work of a Durham-based artist who fashions exquisite wooden combs, all from salvaged material. The main feature is that they don't generate static electricity but Rob feels people will enjoy them as "unique functional folk art pieces". Other work that caught his eye was the silver & turquoise jewellery by Matt MacMillan of 'Estrela Art & Jewellery' and the photography of John Fearnall.

The Artisan Committee is also responsible for organizing events in the Crafts Demonstration Tent. On Saturday, Summerfolk artisans are invited to submit two of their finest pieces to be included in the Juried Exhibition. Prizes are awarded for 'Best in Show' and 'Best In-Booth Demonstration'. Festival goers cast their votes for the 'People's Choice' award, the artisans themselves vote for one prize and the Exhibition Jury (made up of three professional artists) also makes two 'Honourable Mention' selections.

On Sunday the Crafts Demonstration Tent features; you guessed it, craft demonstrations - always a popular attraction at Summerfolk. Plans for this August are in their preliminary stages but one presenter has been confirmed. That will be a demonstration of wood marquetry techniques by Diane Edwards.

Wood marquetry involves gluing carefully cut pieces of veneer (thin strips of wood) onto a rigid base. Various species of wood gives the craftsperson a diverse palette of colours from which to choose. Diane's work, along with that of many other fine artists, can be viewed at the Owen Sound Artists' Co-op.

A Summerfolk artisan who also works with wood, Larry Cluchey has won a number of Summerfolk Juried Exhibition awards over the last few years. Larry turns and carves uniquely grained local hardwood into everything from functional salad bowls to whimsical vases. "Summerfolk is always a pleasant festival to go to. You can be worked up or a bit frazzled when you arrive but after being there for a couple of hours, you relax and there's a nice laidback feeling... and I see that in everybody who's there too".

Another favourite artisan booth at the Festival is the fanciful magic garden created each year by Jim & Erica MacNamara. The creative MacNamara couple have two gallery spaces in Paisley plus their fair trade coffee shop 'Back Eddy's'.

This will be the 30th year that Vince Bowen has showcased his 'Rockrose Pottery' creations at Summerfolk. Vince makes porcelain dinnerware and other one-of-a-kind pieces. Summerfolk is obviously something he has enjoyed being a part of - "You see all your friends, get entertained and hopefully make a few sales". Vince is an exceptional craftsman with years of experience. His studio is located near Markdale.

So once again this year, you can look forward to seeing the best work of traditional and contemporary makers at Summerfolk's Artisan Village! Information about all the 2008 artisans can be viewed on the Summerfolk website.

Photo - Kristina Chandler-Martina