CRAFTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND... Thomas Prior House, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 Telephone 01 680764
PROFESSIONALS In a recent comment in the Newsletter of the Crafts Council of Australia Resources Centre the question of what is a professional craftsman is posed and likewise that of when does a hobbyist become a professional, or at what percentage of ones income from crafts does one become a professional craftworker. The answer is not suggested as being in money terms at all but in the approach, the attitude to craftsmanship, and an interesting phrase is used — that of 'keeping faith', which is interpreted as good craftsmanship, meticulous standards, delivering goods of quality, on time — a professional approach in fact, not only in terms of the capability of producing, of knowledge of materials, of originality of design, but also in being business like about it. The "division" which is sometimes created in discussion and which might be construed as an attempt to relegate
Crafts Council Medal for Musical Instrument Maker The Crafts Council of Ireland silver medal for work of outstanding merit at the RDS National Crafts Competition was won by William D. Patterson of Cuskinny, Cobh. Willism Patterson, an American, has been conducting classes in musical instrument making at the Regional Technical College in Cork for the past year and the treble viol which won the medal is an example of his own expertise in this field. The Crafts Council of Ireland has been closely involved in the encouragement of the formation of a Guild of Musical Instrument Makers which is now a reality.
the part timers to a lower place in the heirarchy than the craftworkers earning all their living from their work, is not always valid. The exclusion is not created other than by the craftworkers themselves, for if their approach is sloppy, their ideas not original, lacking innovation or taken from the how to do it books, and their craftsmanship less than meticulous, then they cannot expect recognition. Crafts Council is an organisation com prising many organisations which in turn are made up of craftworkers of varying degrees of skill. The Council is not an exclusive club for a certain type of professional in the wide sense of the term, but is there to be of assistance to all craftworkers who have, or have the will to attain, the professional attitudes, whether they be a rushworker earning what used to be termed pin money, or a recognised master craftsman.
Minister Opens Meeting of Mayo Craftworkers Mr Denis Gallagher, TD, Minister for the Gaeltacht, opened a meeting of Mayo craftworkers on 15 July at which a proposal to set up a working committee leading to the formation of a Mayo Craftworkers' Association was adopted. The Minister described the proposal as a praiseworthy objective and said that "as Minister for the Gaeltacht — where handcrafts have always been practisedand as a native and Deputy of this country, I particularly welcome what you now propose to do".
Centuries of Wool-Ireland Bank of Ireland Exhibition Centre, Baggot Street, Dublin 2 Exhibition Centre hours, opening 4 pm, 16 September until 1 pm 8 October. 10-5 Monday/Friday and 10—1 Saturdays. The exhibition, which is being mounted with the cooperation of the National Museum of Ireland is a broad look at Irish woollen textiles from the earliest evidence of a textile impression on pottery dated to about 1500 BC through various periods, illustrated by artifacts and photographs to the late 19th century and the present day. The exhibition is not attempting to show the artistically outstanding, but neverthe less will have items, especially contem porary items, of a high degree of crafts manship and design, and while certain textile examples will of necessity be machine woven, the majority will be hand crafted and all produced in Ireland. The catalogue will contain detailed references to all items and photographs. Of the body of material on display, much of it will be new to the viewing public.
Irish Weaver in THREAD 1977 Muriel Beckett, a member of the Irish Guild of Weavers, Spinners, and Dyers, had two of her weaving pieces accepted for Thread 1977 organised by the English Guilds in London in June.