The art and design scene in Brisbane is thriving, vibrant and diverse, and a cherished element of our community. Enabling our Brisbanite and Australian creatives to spread their wings has the potential to enrich us all, as the people at artisan have always known.
Founded in 1970, artisan is proudly referred to as ‘the Queensland home of craft and design’ by its members. A beautiful modern space at 45 Kings Street, in Bowen Hills, artisan supports and promotes craft and design practices through a year-round calendar of exhibitions, event and workshops, as well as its on-site store.
This not-for-profit organisation aims to share, celebrate and offer advocacy for local and nationwide creatives, whatever their practice; whatever their medium. Their focus is on community collaboration, heavily involving the audience in the work of the makers through their many workshops and their hands-on approach to art, exhibition curation and celebration.
artisan is operated by a team whose members are themselves makers and creators. They have a first-hand understanding of the struggles facing budding artists and the challenges of making your way in the art world. This enables them to offer targeted support to their many protegees, bringing out the best in them.
One of the avenues through which artisan supports Australian makers is via their stunning on-site store. Home to the handmade and unique creations of over 100 Australian artists, this beautifully designed and curated space is more gallery than store, with jewellery, ceramics, glass, fabric, weaving and ornaments available to be perused and purchased.
This is the perfect place to buy one-off, handcrafted and thoughtful gifts for friends and family, or yourself and your home. The items here are all lovingly made with either traditional artisanal skills or contemporary design and manufacture practices, but most often a delightful combination of both. What’s more, purchases made at the artisan store truly make a difference to a maker’s experience.
The friendly staff at the store are intimately acquainted with each of the items on display, including their makers and their stories. Ask them about pieces you are interested in to gain insightful glimpses into the creative processes behind them, helping you to choose personal and pertinent gifts that will be cherished for years to come.
artisan also supports and celebrates its members through its full-on calendar of exhibitions and events, housed in the on-site gallery or workshop space. If you’re keen to get involved with your local creative community and support artists nationwide, why not head on down to check out some upcoming events?
Exhibitions
AGENCY BY DESIGN: Expressive Design for Disability
Main Gallery
11 May – 13 July
This exhibition explores the full breadth of designing for disability, with a focus on individual expressive and physical needs, which cannot be met with a one-size-fits-all attitude. The exhibition includes jewellery, apparel, ocular prosthetics, furniture and technology.
HELEN WYATT: I WALK THE LINE
Small Object Space
11 May – 13 July
Helen Wyatt’s wearable jewellery designs are centred around a visualisation of edges, borders and fences as transitional sites between nature and culture.
MAKE IT: TOOLS, TECHNIQUE & TIME
Main Gallery
20 July – 14 September
Man’s intimate relationship with tools and creating is investigated in this exploration of the thousands of years of evolution behind each new item in our toolbox.
Workshops
The workshop calendar at artisan is so exciting and diverse; I don’t even know where to begin. The workshops are quite regular and frequent but tend to sell out quickly, so make sure you get in there early if you see something you’re interested in!
BRASS & TIMBER BANGLE with Kirralee & Co
When: Saturday 29 June 2019
Time: 1:00pm
Play around with a variety of workshop tools, including a mandrel for bending brass, a vice, Dremel and a drill press, as well as materials such as steel wool and epoxy glue, as Kirralee Robinson walks you through the creation of your very own brass and timber bangle.
BOOK SMITHING with Sam Parsons
When: Saturday 13 July 2019
Time: 10:30am
Repurpose illustrations from old books using simple stitching methods to embellish, personalise and add texture. Create artwork to frame, take home or offer as a gift.
SCIENTIFIC GLASS TALK & DEMO with Jarred Wright
Date: Saturday 20 July
Time: 11:00am
Learn about the dying art of scientific glass blowing, and watch one of the last few practitioners in action!
CREATIVE GLASSWARE SANDBLASTING with Jo Bone & Aaron Micallef
When: Saturday 27 July
Time: 10:30am
Work with these two established artists to master the processes of stencilling, masking and sandblasting, creating your own personalised matching glassware to take home.
LEATHER SANDAL MAKING with The Shoe Camaraderie
When: Saturday 7 September
Time: 9:30am – 5:30pm
Spend the day creating your very own leather sandals from scratch while enjoying tea and coffee in the morning and cheese and wine in the afternoon.
For more information go to https://artisan.org.au