MARKET of ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS In October, I had the pleasure of attending a craft market at Red Dot Design Museum. After walking in the front door, I knew right away that I wanted to be a part of this exciting event.
The Red Dot Design Museum is housed in a huge red building, on the outskirts of Chinatown. The building is called Red Dot Traffic, and is a grandiose colonial style building which used to be the headquarters of the Singapore Traffic Police. It includes all of the fun places listed in the image above.
Once a month, on a Friday, MAAD takes place at the museum from 5 - midnight. The museum entrance fee is waved and the place is packed (rain or shine)!! There are generally about 70 artists, crafters, and designers represented; with the heaviest focus on designers and crafters. They also feature workshops: a roped-off space where visitors can take part in a craft or art making project. Every nook and cranny has things to look at, participate in, or buy!
This past Friday (at November's MAAD event) my work was featured at the entrance to the main space below. Because everything is made out of concrete in Singapore, it's more challenging to install. And, I'm definitely not able to use my favorite tool: the staple gun.
So after meeting briefly with Elvin Seah, the curator and coordinator for MAAD, we decided that a slideshow representing all of my work would be the best way to welcome the guests.
I created a lively space (sans staple gun) for the slideshow to "play" in . . . A little girl was there with her mother and kept calling it the party corner. Score.
My slideshow featured images of my work (collaborative and solo), as well as my contact information. I had the slides set to 5 seconds, so it was continuously playing. I was apprehensive about displaying my work via powerpoint, but it looked really tight! I was very happy with how everything turned out.
Oh yeah, and also at tonight's event? Threadless co-founder Jake Nickell and several Threadless staffers. Just hanging out at craft shows in Singapore, I guess. Very cool.
At midnight, everyone had to load-out. So, I brought my little bag and filled it up. It's always so sad when everything's taken down at the end . . . Party's over.
But on my way out, I was asked if I ever do workshops; that they would be interested in having me back to feature some of my workshops. Hooray-ripple-splash-happy!!
To another MAAD event on the horizon . . .
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HANDMADE MOVEMENT Fast forward a few months to January and you have the inaugural outdoor craft market--Handmade Movement--being held at Fort Canning.
Inspired by Renegade Craft Fair and sponsored by Noise Singapore, Handmade Movement is Singapore’s first and only large-scale indie craft fair. But it’s more than just a craft fair. It is envisioned to be a platform for local artisans to reach out to the community and encourage appreciation for unique items that are handmade with love and attention. Amidst good music, fabulously colorful decor, and the lush greenery of Fort Canning, artisans display and sell their handmade products and original artwork as well as conduct workshops for both adults and kids.
I have been asked by Aisah and Michelle, the curators and organizers of the event, to make this large space pop with color . . . And, I intend to do just that.
Fort Canning is a large park set in the heart of the civic and cultural district of Singapore. It is the highest elevation in the city, filled with gardens and historical relics. It is a popular place for picnic-ers, badminton games, and music/arts events.
For Handmade Movement, the main tent--housing the selling booths--will be in the center of the green space. A photo booth and the Handmade Movement booth will be in front of the building, on the stairs. And food vendors will be to the right of the walkway pictured above.
I have so many ideas for how to decorate the space that my head is spinning! I will be lining the walkway, draping the railing in the front and stairways of the building, and outfitting all of the smaller buildings and two main gates, see images below. And, Handmade Movement is helping to fund the entire project . . .
I'm super-excited about these little structures!
And this is absolutely beautiful! Pack those entryways with color!! And what a sweet little gazebo. It needs a skirt, I think.
Much of the grounds at Fort Canning are considered sacred because of the graves dispersed throughout the park. Needless to say, I will not be decorating the gravestones; but I will be using the history of the space as a launching off point to help shape the decisions I make in my designs. I really love the image below.
Looking forward to this project! What a way to start 2013!
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