CCI-newsletter-1983-37-January-February

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1983

Urns

Crafts Council of Ireland Thomas Prior House Merrion Road Dublin 4

Telephone 680764 / 603070

IR£ 2 Million Target Fulfilled at Trade Fair In his speech opening the Seventh National Crafts Trade Fair on 17th January, Mr. Eddie Collins TD, Minister for State at the Department of Industry and Energy hoped that the growth of sales of previous trade fairs would continue and a figure of £2 million might be achieved this year. In the final analysis the Minister's hopes were fulfilled as the provisional total of direct orders taken at the fair were £2.1 m. This represents a 25% increase on 1982 which is quite significant in the light of the general world trade recession and the depressed state of the economy here. Export orders were up by almost 50% to achieve a total of just over £950,000, subject to confirmation with C.T.T.'s figures from the buyers. The buoyancy came from the export sales as the home market sales at a little over £1 million were only marginally up.

Both hand knits and all other textiles sales were up some 25/30% on the previous year.

A total of 225 exhibitors were showing in 205 stands, the biggest number yet accommodated at the venue where an upstairs annexe had to be utilised. Some 900 buyers registered, not only from the home market but from USA, Japan, Canada, UK and some European countries.

Crafts Council Awards to Craftsmen Michael and Johanna Roche of Kiltrea Bridge Pottery, won the Crafts Council of Ireland award for the best stand showing hard goods at the 7th National Crafts Trade Fair and weaver Muriel Beckett, won the award for soft goods.

The jury comprising Miss Blanaid Reddin

of Bord Failte and a previous chairman of the Council, Mr. John Jenkins of Kilkenny Design Workshops and a Management Committee member of the Council and a Management Committee member of the Council and Mr. Bill Murphy of the Society of Designers in Ireland had as their brief not only the product, and stand design, but the graphics, promotional material and overall presentation in the context of a trade fair.

l-r Mr. Padraig White, Managing Director, IDA: The Minister of State, Mr. Eddie Collins; Frank Sutton, Executive Officer and Professor Justin Keating, Chairman, of the Crafts Council.

Charles Zanoni showing examples of his new product range of copper wire trees at the National Crafts Trade Fair.

Both winners were first time exhibitors at the Trade Fair and will have the choice of a free stand in the 1984 event.

European Crafts Conference 1983 Details of the World Crafts Council European Conference to be held in Ireland in September 1983 have now been finalised and the programme and application forms will be shortly on their way.

This is a European conference, not an Irish one, though Ireland is the host and organising country. For this reason, the main weight of allocation of places at the conference and at the various workshops which will form the core of the project will be given to European professional craftsmen. While Ireland is one of some 20 plus European countries with craft related organisations, it will, however, have more likely a participation weighting of 25% rather than 5%.

The workshops in the various disciplines will be led by many major names in the professional craft world — glass blowers Bert Van Loo from Holland and Anders Wingard from Sweden; potters Jean Biagini (France), Hugo Rabaey, Belgium; Marianne Straub and Mary Restieaux, June Tiley, Gwenfred Shries all textiles; Ann*Marie Shillito and lb Anderssen jewellery and silversmithing; Marc Goldring in leather and Verena Sieber Fuchs, a contemporary lace craftsmen is some of the line up of talent.

While the workshops will be fairly intensive and little public exposure is likely, the organisers at local level will be making sure that the evenings of the week long events will be so planned as to ensure that contact is made between the visiting craftsmen and those Irish craftsmen not attending the Conference.

Slide shows, exhibitions, and various other activities will all be part of the programme which aims at a very high standard of professional craftsmenship.

In 1970 the World Crafts Council General Assembly was held in Dublin and remained Dublin based — this time the activities will be more widely spread: textiles in Galway, Ciare, Cork and Dublin; glass in Dublin and Kilkenny; jewejlery, silver and gold smithing in Cashel, Kilkenny, Dublin and Wicklow; leather in Kilkenny; lace and basketry in An Grianan.

New Year Vestments Mass for the first Sunday in Advent in Kilworth Parish church was celebrated by Cannon Condon in a new set of vestments designed and made to commission by Mel Bradley and Deirdre Campion of the Kilworth Craft Workshops.

A beautifully balanced PX motif screen printed on to the fabric was most effective against the varying colours of the vestments for the different occasions — red on white, gold on green and so on.

Cannon Condon was evidently delighted, by the way in which he drew the congregation's attention to the fact that his New Year vestments were made in the village.

"Creative Hands" in Bratislava The Czechoslovak Committee of the World Crafts Council has announced a forthcoming exhibition of Folk Art and Art and Crafts production to be held in Bratislava in May June 1983.

The exhibition has been organised with the cooperation of the various relative organisations in Czechoslovakia and is designed to acquaint the professional craftsman and public alike of the present state of art, craft and folk art in the Republic.

The exhibition will consist of selected items both in the field of original production for human environment, both in terms of interior decoration and free space, and the conservation of cultural and artistic monuments.

The attention of visitors to the exhibition will be drawn to the dialogue between creative hands, invention, feeling and experience on one hand and original and authentic materials on the other. The organisers feel that there is a growing urgency in the problem of meeting the demands of people for objects possessing personal characteristics and on a human scale of values in the face of meeting a social demand instead through a wide range of products made from large scale industrial production which, though efficient, fails to satisfy more demanding individuals.

The rich traditions of the Slovak and Czech people will, it is hoped, show proper perspectives in development in stonecutting, glass, ceramics, book binding, smithcraft, willow, leather and other crafts.

N Ireland Guild of Designer Craftsmen This newly formed Guild held their first exhibition at the Local Enterprises Development Unit Business centre in Belfast in December.

Exhibitors, many of whom are familiar names at the Crafts Councils Trade Fair and Kilkenny Design Workshops exhibitions, included ceramacists Anne McNulty, David Maybin, Tom Agnew, John and Linda Murphy, Peter Meanley, Rory Shearer, Sean McCluskey and Judith Lockhart; Jewellers Mary Doran Bill and Christina Steenson, Geraldine Anderson, Gillian Gee and Helen Hill.

Cecelia Stephens and Karen Hay-Edie showed wall hangings and rugs, and Fionntan Gogarty's familiar batiks, Anne Smith's patchwork, Harry Savages' glass and enamels by Deirdre McCrory completed the successful show.

With that company the new guild has a strong nucleus of good professionals and augers well for the future of crafts in the area which has been traditionally strong, but went into a decline in the early '70's.

Craft Training Leaflet Kilkenny Design Workshops publishes a leaflet entitled "Careers as designers and craftsmen". The leaflet describes the work of designers and craftsmen, their employment prospects and the alternative methods of becoming trained. Part of the leaflet lists craftsmen who run short-term courses. Not only does this information inform young people but it also advertises the services of the craftsmen concerned to a wide audience. For example, the leaflet is received by all second level schools and is mailed to members of the Institute of Careers Guidance Counsellors.

Craftsmen wishing to be included in this leaflet should send details to Gerald Tyler, Kilkenny Design Workshops, Kilkenny, giving details of the course(s) offered.

Scarce Timber Birr Castle Estates, Birr, Co. Offaly, through Mr. David Wilson, the Manager, has advised the Crafts Council of Ireland that the Estate has available for sale on an ongoing basis a variety of scarce timbers including Cherry, Boxwood and Yew as well as Oak, Ash and Larch.

Mr. Wilson may be contacted by telephone at Birr 56 or at Birr Castle Estates.

1982 Review Official Opening of Ballydehob Workshop Professor Justin Keating,.officially opened Jim O'Donnell's workshop in Ballydehob on 17th July. He was introduced by the Dublin artist Gerald Davis.

Speaking to the large gathering present, Professor Keating said that the environment in which the workshop was situated was significant in terms of the way people ought to live. The rush to live in cities, to buy things made in thousands in preference to the handmade was obscene. Things should be of the place and bear the print of the personality of those workers who had chosen to live in such an environment. Quoting Schumacher, the writer of "Small is Beautiful", Professor Keating said of the Jim O'Donnell workshop that all those listening to him were in the presence of "economics as if people mattered".

The distinction between art objects standing to be looked at and craft things which are to be used is, Professor Keating felt, beginning to break down. "What is here about us fits the scale — our own scale, part of an understandable environment." He continued-. "In Ireland we use words as a therapy to avoid facing reality; we use words magically to make unpleasant facts go away. This workshop, on the other hand, is an example of what people can make up their minds to do.

The whole style of the development is done with care and a care for the place and the materials."

Mr. Hugh Coveney, Lord Mayor of Cork (right) who presented the £500 Crafts Council of Ireland Award to winner Marie Foley (Centre). Mrs. Alison Erridge, Vice Chairman of the Crafts Council is on the left.

Crafts Council Prize A purchase prize of I R£500 to be known as the "Crafts Council of Ireland Award" was awarded to the best Irish potter under 30 years of age exhibiting at the International Competition Exhibition which was part of the International Ceramics Symposium and Exhibition which took place in Cork from September 24th to October 4th. The award was won by Marie Foley a graduate of the Crawford Municipal Art School in Cork.

On 24th September the Lord Mayor of Cork opened the first ever International Symposium & Exhibition of Ceramic Art to be held in this country. The event took place on the premises of Cork Art Pottery in Carrigaline, Co. Cork.

Professor Justin Keating drew attention to the fact that the raw material used by Jim O'Donnell is Irish timber. Though the use of local materials saves imports, it is not the only good reason for praising its use; the easiest course might have been to buy imported timber. In the trees, the soil, the climate, there was, he suggested, nothing to prevent the use of local timber, but it needed someone like Jim O'Donnell to take the trouble to set it right. The wood in the O'Donnell furniture he saw as impeccable because it was done correctly-the result was a joy to see Irishness and quality co-existing.

The brainchild of the Society of Cork Potters, this major event comprised a tenday symposium for 150 potters and a major ceramics exhibition which was on display until October 30th. Skilled craft potters from all over Ireland assembled in Carrigaline where they were joined by many others from over 20 different countries.

In workshops like Jim O'Donnells there were things which in a design sense were ageless and right. "Maybe now at last", Professor Keating concluded, "we are beginning to have the wit to buy Irish things which have those qualities."

The main exhibition was a competitive one and many major artists submitted their works. The overall first prize of I R£1,500 was won by an Irish girl who lives and works in London, Terry O'Farrell, who won this award for a

piece of sculpture. Another Irish entry,

by Pat Connor of Schull, won the second prize of I R£1,000 which was sponsored by the E.S.B. Running concurrently with the main exhibition was another comprising three chosen pieces by each of the potters participating in the symposium. Also on view were those pieces created during the symposium itself so that the public had an opportunity of seeing work in progress, as it were.

The Crafts Council of Ireland Award has not yet been given the status of a "perpetual" award. This aspect will be reviewed in the light of the potential development of the exhibition and its contribution to improving the overall standard of ceramic craftsmanship in Ireland, particularly among the potters under 30 years of age.

The total prize money attached to the Exhibition was I R£5,000, sponsored by Carrigaline Art Pottery, Crafts Council of Ireland, E.S.B., Calor Kosangas, Bord Gas Eireann and others.

The Symposium was essentially a ten day workshop covering production, Raku, Low Salt Firing, Decoration, Sculpture, Handbuilding, Mouldmaking and Architectural Ceramics. Workshop leaders hail from 8 countries including Ireland.

Kilworth Craft Workshops/EEC

I DA Exhibition of Musical Instruments

North Dublin Craft workers Association

Kilworth Crafts Workshops were visited during the summer by Mr. John Catling, the Principal Administrative Officer of the Regional and Development Social Fund of the E.E.C.; with him came Mr. Michael Lynch of Muintir na Tire and Mr. Sean Hegarty, the National Secretary of Muintir na Tire. Mr. Hegarty is a member of the Kilworth Community Council and was mainly responsible for getting the craft workshops established in Kilworth.

This exhibition, held in the National Concert Hall, Dublin, on 13th September 1982, was an interesting revelation of the skills in the craft of musical instrument making and restoration which are very much alive and well in Ireland today.

The Chairman, Professor Justin Keating opened an exhibition of the work of the North Dublin Craftworkers Association at Dame Street on 23rd June, 1982.

Mr. Catling was on a tour of the Republic of Ireland to investigate community activities and cooperatives in the country.

Although Mr. Catling's reason for visiting Kilworth Craft Workshops was to discuss the local community's involvement in setting up the project, he quickly became very interested in the actual format of the workshops and the aims of the Crafts Council of Ireland in starting such a venture. Within the limited time available the Kilworth Project was discussed at length and with enthusiasm.

Prizes for Irish Potters It is reassuring to note that at the International Ceramics Exhibition in Cork in the Autumn of 1982, of the nine prizes offered amounting to £6,000, five of them were won by Irish potters.

Thirteen craftsmen exhibited their work which varied in type from tin whistles to pipe organs (though, naturally, only photographic examples of the latter could be exhibited).

Musical instrument making is a rather unique type of hand craft in that the 'product' is so specialised. In his opening speech, Mr. Padraig White, Managing Director of the IDA pointed out that the quality of a musical instrument is given regular and very exacting tests and if it fails to live up to these both the instrument and its maker will very soon find themselves out of work.

Conversation with musical instrument makers make it clear that they are in a special category when it comes to selling their crafts. Craft shops are hardly appropriate, neither are trade fairs, though the musical instrument maker's tendency to while away the time by playing their exhibits would enliven any trade fair. Most of their sales, therefore, are direct to the user on a commissioned basis and their publicity is by word of mouth; hence the reason why the IDA Exhibition in the National Concert Hall was such an interesting innovation. With most of the invited guests being musicians, there was a useful shop window for Irish musical instrument makers through which their customers could see, in one place and at one time, the best of Irish made musical instruments.

The International jury awarded the overall first prize of £1,500 to Terry O'Farrell, Dun Laoghaire Art School trained, presently living in London. The second prize of £1,000 sponsored by the ESB was awarded to Pat Connor of Schull. The non functional/ decoration ceramic award of £500 and the Crafts Council award for the best Irish potter under 30 also worth £500 were both won by Marie Foley of the Crawford Municipal school of Art in Cork. Terry O'Farrell also won the sculpture award of £500 presented by The 29th Exhibition of the Irish Society Bayer Ireland Ltd. for Design and Craftwork was opened by Mr. Desmond Downes at the Bank of Other prizewinners were Walter Keeler of Ireland Exhibition Hall in Dublin on 24th UK, third overall, and studio production, August. The 97 exhibits ranged over Jewellery, Silverwork, Enamelling both prizes of £500 each and presented

by Bord Gas Eireann and Calor Kosangas; Ceramics, Weaving, Embroidery, Graphics, Leatherwork, Fabric-printing, Sabine Nadler of Switzerland (surface etc. The exhibition is open to decoration - £500 sponsored by CMS colours of England); Alexa Vincze also of professionals, amateurs and students. The Switzerland for glaze (£500 presented by Society is always commendably conscious of its responsibility to students.

Sneyd oxides of England).

Irish Society for Design and Craftwork Exhibition

He spoke of his work to set on record his belief in the central importance of crafts to the life of the country. "In our history" he said, "We have had much trauma and as a result we have over compensated for the loss with talk and with music. We need to add to these making". He pointed out that we live in a world which is becoming bigger and more ruthless and that people are becoming alienated. "We need an identity. Perhaps the cure for alienation is the mark of the craftsmen's touch in what he makes".

The exhibition featured the work of craftsmen, all members of the Association.

Muriel Gahan Scholarship At the Press Reception and Prizegiving Ceremony which was held prior to the Royal Dublin Society's Crafts Exhibition in August, Mr. James Meenan, President of the Society, announced that from 1983 onwards the £500 award in the Royal Dublin Society Crafts Competition would be increased to £1,000 and in future would be known as the "Muriel Gahan Scholarship of Development Grant". It was hoped that through this award Dr. Gahan's name would be perpetually linked with the R.D.S. Crafts Competition and Exhibition which she had helped to establish and develop to its present high standard.

Irish Potter in Faenza Joanna O'Kane from Co. Donegal was the only Irish ceramic artist to have work exhibited in the 40th International Exhibition of Artist Ceramics at Faenza, in Italy.

Thirty four other countries are represented by the work of 281 exhibitors. The exhibition runs until 10th October.

Weaving Exhibition Opening the exhibition of tapestries by Clonakilty based international crafts woman Mie Preckler at the Triskel Arts Centre, Cork on 21st September, Frank Sutton, Executive Officer of the Crafts Council of Ireland, praised not only the artist but the medium itself.

The tapestry, he felt, was still much regarded in this country as something belonging to a museum, a church or some other public place whereas, he suggested, it equally well belonged to the home. "A man's castle may not be his home anymore, and the walls are neither cold stone nor da mpnor needing warm covering as in older days, but the tapestry can and should have its place as a thing of beauty and of lasting qualities as much as a picture."

"As in all artistic work", Mr. Sutton pointed out, "it will never be as cheap to buy tapestries again — as an artist's reputation grows so does the value of her work and we in Ireland should value what Mie Preckler is doing as do the collectors in other countries who buy her work.

Recent years have seen a huge rise in the number of pictures being bought, and the appreciation of art in general. 1983 is in EEC terms designated as the Year of the Crafts. Ireland will be host to the European Conference. It would be a shame if our visitors found us wanting in appreciation of craftwork in general and tapestry in particular."

Exhibition of Jewellery at KDW Rose Marie McGonagle, one of the 1981 participants in the Kilworth Craft workshops took part in a pre-Christmas exhibition of jewellery from eight workshops which was featured at Kilkenny Design Workshops in Nassau Street, Dublin 2.

The exhibition which got good reviews from the press showed in addition to work by Rose Marie McGonagle, work by Rudolf Heltzel, Inga Reed, Lully Kanner, Alex Placzek, Linda Uhlemann, Joe and Anne Kane and from KDW's own studio.

Robert McDonald, Jacques Quisquator (husband of the artist) and Frank Sutton, Crafts Council, discussing one of Mie Preckler's tapestries at the Triskel Arts Centre.

Gold Medal for Mary Landy

Crafts Council/IWS Symposium

Mary Landy from Carlow won the California Gold Medal for work of outstanding merit in the 1982 Royal Dublin Society Crafts Competition. Her entry, a superbly designed and executed bag in rush also won first prize in the Rod, Rush and Straw-work Section of the Competition. Mrs. Landy has been a constant prizewinner of this Section in previous Royal Dublin Society Competition.

On the 25th August the Crafts Council of Ireland in cooperation with the International Wool Secretariat organised an interesting half day Symposium for craftworkers and small craft industries using woo! as the basic raw material.

Crafts Council Medal

Approximately 20 people, mainly weavers and knitters attended.

The Symposium, which it is hoped will be the first in a regular series, was concerned specifically with providing an overview of apparel trends in terms of colour, construction, design and other relevant details for the season of Spring 1983; trends for the Autumn of 1983 were also considered.

Kilkenny Silversmith, Jim Kelly, won the Crafts Council of Ireland silver medal for work of outstanding merit at the 1982 RDS Craft Competition. The entry was a glass and silver bon bon jar, the glass element having been handblown by the Jerpoint Glass Maker, Keith Leadbetter, and the silver mounting and three different lids being the work of Mr. Kelly.

The Crafts Council of Ireland believes that such a symposium provides a valuable and practical service and welcomes the help and expertise recefved from the International Wool Secretariat.

Jim Kelly works in the silver workshop of Kilkenny Design Workshops and in addition to the silver medal won also first prize in the gold and silver section of the competition. He has been a previous winner in the RDS Crafts Competition.

Craftworkers and small industries utilising wool who would be interested in attending such a symposium in the future should advise the Crafts Council offices and they will be furnished with details of the next symposium.

Irish Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers The Irish Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers has had a very active year. It's membership has now reached 130, with enquiries coming in all the time.

The main event of the year was the most successful first exhibition held in the Bank of Ireland Exhibition Hall in September. Running for two weeks, it attracted a record attendance.

Courses in weaving, spinning, dyeing and basketry have been organised during the year and are always fully booked. Regular monthly meetings have been well attended and have included films, talks and discussions.

In 1983 the main event will be the exhibition in September, again in the Bank of Ireland Exhibition Hall. It is timed to coincide with the European Crafts Conference to be held in Dublin at that time.

Craftsman in Wood Mallinsons, the hardwood specialists, who supply hardwoods to the building and furniture industries has a policy of fostering and encouraging good workmanship in timber.

They regularly commission craftsmen to produce special work for presentation to a selected number of customers and friends.

For 1982 the craftsman, selected in December, was Stephen McAuliffe, a native of Cork and a member of Cork Craftsmans Guild. For 45 years he has specialised in the restoration, repair and reproduction of antique furniture, working during that time in UK and USA as well as Ireland. He remains one of the few craftsmen in wood still making the 'Cork 11 Bar Chair' of mid 18th century origination. He works mainly in hardwoods using power tools to the minimum.

The piece chosen is a cigar box with the crests of the four provinces mounted on each side.

Roy Russell Workshop

Ragharmonia

In May, Roy Russell, the man who put together the Russell Dye System, came to Dublin along with his partner Wilma to give a dye workshop for the members of the Irish Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. Noirin Pye and her brother Lochlinn Kennedy kindly let us use their premises, the Weavers Shed, in Kilmainham for the occasion.

Gordon Douglas of 10 Glenageary Hill, Dun Laoghaire, who featured in the very successful RTE film 'Ragharmonia' would like to hear from parties/authorities interested in running workshops for children in the field of making and playing their own musical instruments.

Gordon is presently part time music teacher at St. Killians Deutscheshule.

Sixteen members took part; Each participant did three different dye lots.

We pooled our recipes and results so that each person took home yard in 48 different colours with recipes for each.

Many readers will have seen the film, shown on RTE 1 on 20th October last and will have been fascinated by the 'do it yourself orchestra and with the kits designed to enable children to make their own musical instruments. A limited number of kits and instruments are available for workshops. Gordon Douglas's telephone number is 01-801297 and he is as he said "available at most times except when in the middle of one of his Ragharmonious ceations".

The Russell Dye System consists of a pack containing a bottle each of Red, Blue, Black and Yellow dyes with a separate measuring syringe for each. A bottle of levelling agent and a bottle of wetting agent is also included. Six plastic cups are supplied for mixing colours, glass rods for stirring and an instruction book with sample colours.

The idea is that weavers and embroiders who wish to make a wide range of colours can do so with minimum of expense and equipment. In addition to the kit all that's needed is the yarn and a saucepan.

The workshop ran very smoothly. Sixteen pots and camping stoves were used, with Roy Russell and Wilma always on hand in any difficulty.

The day was rounded off by Lochlinn Kennedy taking us on a guided tour of the old mill and we could see for ourselves the various processes involved.

Report by ANN O'KELLY Weavers, Spinners & Dyers.

Guild of

Extension to An Grianan During September, the former, An Taoiseach, Mr. Charles J. Haughey, officially opened the new extension to An Grianan, the residential Adult Education College of the Irish Country足 women's Association. The additional accommodation, comprising twenty-nine single bedrooms, four classrooms, and a kitchen/dining room complex, was financed by the Kellogg Foundation, who had already donated the existing building to the ICA in 1954.

Since its foundation, An Grianan, (The Sunny Place), has helped through its numerous courses to foster and develop many of the crafts in Ireland including basketry, crochet, Carrickmacross and Limerick lace, embroidery, jewellery, macrame rushwork, pottery weaving and woodcarving. Details of all courses in its current programme are available f r o m : The Director, An Grianan, Termonfeckin, Co. Louth. Telephone: (041) 22119.

Quotes

"(the) tendancy to think about the market in either/or terms seems partly to come from a traditional reading of the Handmade, the box is in selected Brazilian history of craftsmanship in the last 150 mahogany and is constructed by neatly cut years. According to this reading the 'bare face' tongue tenon, glued and cramped. process of industrialisation involved a The lid is inlaid in African boxwood to sudden shift from workshop to give the panel effect. The crests are good factory . . . " examples of marquetry in white sycamore Crafts in the Market Place, and sapele mahogany veneers.

Frayling and Snowdon, CRAFTS Aug. '82.

"While the traditions exist you can respond to or react against them; when they don't it is very hard to find your way, and to decide which are the values that are important."

Herbert Spencer Royal College of Art.

Art, Craft and Design Fair Workshops/Shops to Let This second fair organised by Siobhan Cuffe and her team was opened on December 7th by Professor Justin Keating, Chairman of the Crafts Council.

The aim of the fair is to give artists, craftsmen and designers a chance to show and sell their work directly to the public in a pre-Christmas atmosphere.

This fair showed that the lessons learnt in the inaugural one last year were taken to heart and the whole organisation was much more sure and the layout and setting more cohesive.

While there was a tendency among craftsmen to sell their ordinary series production directly to the public rather than concentrating more on the one off, for which it would seem that a direct to the public fair was more suited, the crafts on exhibit were of a high standard and well presented. Many of the craftsmen are regulars at the National Crafts Trade Fair.

It remains to be seen whether such an outing at a peak selling time, offering the same merchandise directly to the public as is in the hands of their retailers will have a dampening effect on the level of retail purchase at the Trade Fair.

It would be encouraging to see craftsmen regarding the two events as relating to different markets and therefore reserving different products for different levels of buyer, and of course a different price structure. This would be the case in relation to direct mail selling. Why not in relation to direct selling to the public.

Craftsmen included among the artists and designers were jewellery silversmiths Jane Murtagh, Mary Grey and Linda Uhlemann; batik artist Matt O'Connell; weavers Helena Ruuth, Jacqueline Corbiere, Gilly Carey and Frances Crowe; Cerama, Pam Rea, Maria Hannon, Joe and Anne Kane and Vicki Olverson, all ceramacists; leather worker Jacqui Foley; Ruth McDonnell, patchwork; glass blower Pascal Fitzpatrick and felt craftswoman Katie O'Dea.

Craft Auction A craft auction in October in aid of the Helping Hand charity organised by Fr. Brian D'Arcy, Bryan Kelly and the girls in the Sunday World, raised £3,000. The various items for auction were put up by the craftsmen in the Crafts Gallery and the Craftsmans Guild in the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre.

Mrs. Madalene Jay of Mount Usher, Ashford, in Co. Wicklow, advises the Newsletter that there are five shop (or workshop) units available at Ashford on the main Dublin/Wicklow road at the Mount Usher Gardens public entrance.

Each unit has its own entrance and lighting. One unit is approximately 270 sq. ft. and has a car park entrance, the other four are 600 sq. ft. and are entered from the Gardens. The rent would be £35 per week.

Mount Usher Gardens are open from March 17th - October 1st every day from 10.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Sunday 2 p.m. 6 p.m.) and in that period some 20,000 people visit the gardens.

Any craftsman interested in renting these units for the coming season should contact Mrs. Madelene Jay at Mount Usher, Ashford, Co. Wicklow. Ph: (0404) 4205 or 4138.

Parcel Post Service to the USA What is SAL? The Surface Air Lifted Parcel Post service is an accelerated surface parcel post service which lies between air mail and the ordinary surface parcel post. SAL parcels are conveyed by rail and road from the office of posting to Shannon Airport and onward to New York by air.

Distribution and delivery within the United States is carried out by the United States Postal Service on their standard domestic parcel service.

Who may use SAL? Any exporter who can offer a minimum of 100 Kilograms per posting may use the service, providing such postings are made regularly.

Weight and Size The maximum dimensions are: Length 1.05 metres; length and girth combined 2 metres. The minimum dimensions are the same as for letters.

The maximum weight is 10 kilogrammes.

General Information The usual regulations governing the Foreign Parcel post service must be complied with. Detailed information regarding such regulations may be obtained in the Post Office Guide Volume I I , which is available at Post Offices. Special attention is drawn to the packing and make-up of parcels, export and exchange controls, articles liable to customs duty, method of address,

Hands Craft shop in Dun Laoghaire have a small workshop/gallery area to let above their shop in Dun Laoghaire. This is a very central location with an opportunity to retail as well as work if the goods are suitable. There is no running water so the area would not be suitable for some crafts, Applicants should have a high standard of workmanship and design and will be vetted by "Hands".

Please reply to: "HANDS" 25 Upper Georges Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.

For Sale Jewellers scratcn brush unit for sale. £100 ono. Please reply to Linda Uhlemann, 42 Cabinteely Avenue, Dublin 18.

prohibited articles and articles, and transmission of which is subject to restrictions.

A completed adhesive typed customs declaration form must be affixed to each parcel by the sender.

Parcels may be insured.

Postage rate for SAL First Kilogramme each additional 500 grammes or part t h e r e o f . . . .

£3.50 £0.70

There is an additional charge for insurance.

Delivery Time 15-18 days. Approximately half the time taken to effect delivery of ordinary surface parcels.

Enquiries Additional information and/or applications to avail of the SAL Parcel Post service should be addressed to: The Secretary, Department of Posts and Telegraphs, Postal Planning and Development Branch, G.P.O., Dublin 1.

Telephone (01) 748888 extension 8396 or to your local Head Postmaster.

Dear Editor-From Craftsville It occurred to us — emptying the wastepaper basket into the incinerator, the in tray into the wastepaper basket and the incoming post into the in tray — that there has to be a more direct route for handling the paper work that arrive here daily. We wondered if, through your columns, we could discover other techniques for coping with the problem.

The 50% of our workforce at present productive has just switched off the 33 1/3% of our grant aided machinery to say that all is not lost, the flow of letters concerning theses and projects on craft enterprises has just ceased. Was it something we did? Or did one of your readers blow up the Department of Education?

We bave created the following ground rules: —

There must be a fund of experience not only concerning paperwork, but also phone calls, and workshop visitors which could be tapped and shared through your columns. We hesitate to add recouping of grant aid to this list because: — a) there is no solution, b) the size of the newsletter is insufficient to cope with the correspondence. c) anyone having these problems hasn't the price of a stamp, d) a merciful amnesia overtakes sufferers afterwards.

Throw away everything beginning "Gentlemen" if you are female and "friends" if you don't know the writer.

Throw away everything offering to sell you something which is not a basic requirement of the workshop.

At most supply a price list "as requested" to all marketing offices, importers/ exporters of Irish goods, shops opening within 6 weeks of date of letter, ladies who might be starting interior design services. Don't send photographs.

Harden your heart to little old ladies here and there who want you to repair something left to them by a greataunt.

Burn immediately notification of courses charging large sums for lunch, coffee and documentation on cash flow, stock control, employment relations etc. These problems are increased by your absence from the workshop and the drain on your cash reserves. Grant aid on such courses should be recoverable on the same credit terms which you give your customers otherwise it is useless.

Make a strict quota of how many sponsorships, lectures etc. you are prepared to undertake each year. In the event of too many requests and acknowledgement of receipt and statement that the quota for the year is already taken up is all that is required (the fundamental rule is to make a 'nil returns' whenever possible).

Throw away all questionnaires more than 5 pages long. Shorter questionnaires that actually threathen penalties for nonreturn should be attacked. Try "what do you mean by emoluments?" or "I have ringed categories 5 & 6 in the hope that this means 50/50." Where the questionnaire is completely irrelevant we have tried abuse. This is temporarily satisfying but administratively dangerous.

We would like to hear of ways to wreck computers and are at present investigating the use of a broken pocket calculator that can only compute to the nearest million.

At this point we discover that — two

years later — we still don't have the price of that stamp!

Yours sincerely, WALKING WASTEPAPERBASKET

Mary Jackson showing one of her husband Michael's pots at the National Crafts Trade Fair.

Minister's HopesforCrafts Council Resources "Crafts Council should have resources to ensure continuing growth of the industry" says Minister.

The Minister of State at the Department of Industry and Energy, Mr. Eddie Collins TD, at the official opening of the Seventh National Crafts Trade Fair said, "this fair is a vital part of the effort to increase awareness of the Irish craft industry. It seems that the customer profile has been slowly changing. It is no longer focused so specifically on the tourist market and is becoming more and more oriented to the broad Irish market, and to the commercial export trade.

Consequently the Irish craftworker is relying more on ordinary commercial sales of his product on the home and export market. There is then a great need for a co-ordinated and positive programme to raise public consciousness of the industry.

The Crafts Council will be host to the World Crafts Council European Crafts Conference in September this year.

Over 200 professional craft workers are expected to attend the experimental workshops in various disciplines which will take place around the country. These workshops will be led by major figures in the European crafts scene. There will be opportunity for fruitful meetings with our own craftsmen on many occasions during the ten days of this event.

I am keenly aware of the contribution which the Craft industry can make to our efforts to provide good quality, satisfying and stable employment as well as marketable products of good design for home and home consumption. I am anxious that the Crafts Council of Ireland should have the resources to ensure the continuing growth of the industry. With this in mind, it is my intention to meet the Council's Management Committee in the near future to discuss the development of the craft industry.

The Fair consists of 225 exhibitors in 205 stands. In the region of 1,000 buyers from department stores, interior decorators, architects, amongst others, have been invited. The Council, in cooperation with Coras Trachtala have again succeeded in bringing in overseas buyers from the US, Canada, the UK, and a number of other European countries.

Orders at the 1982 Fair showed a significant increase over 1981 and amounted to £1.6 million, of which over £600,000 were for export. I hope that this growth will continue and that a figure of £2 million will be achieved

over the next few days.

Ireland now has a thriving craft sector, embracing crafts such as hand pottery, rural crafts, gold and silver work, jewellery and musical instruments. A total of 2,500 people are now employed full-time in Irish craft production which is worth in the region of £20 million per year.

Along with the Crafts Council's promotion of crafts the IDA and Shannon Free Airport Development Company have placed a special emphasis on the development of this sector.

In 1981 the IDA grant-aided 82 craft projects towards which £750,000 was pledged in grants on expected investment of £1.5 million. The 1982 results are expected to show that a similar level of activity took piace last year.

I am pleased also to see that the Kilworth

Mr. Eddie Collins, TD, Minister of State, Department of Industry and Energy opening the Seventh National Crafts Trade Fair and Professor Justin Keating, Chairman, Crafts Council.

Craft Training Workshop have a stand.

Taking part in this Fair will be an invaluable experience for the 8 participants of the Workshops. We now have craft centres at Marlay Park and Powerscourt Townhouse in Dublin, at Strokestown, Co, Roscommon and at Roundstone, Co. Galway and at Ballycaseymore, ,Co. Clare which between them provide over 30 units for craft production.

Further centres are also being developed at Pearse Street in Dublin, in Donegal town and at the Shandon Butter Exchanqe in Cork.''

Kiltrea Bridge Pottery wins I DA Trophy The IDA Perpetual Trophy for the best product at the National Crafts Trade Fair was won by Kiltrea Bridge Pottery, their second prize of the week, and generally regarded as being very well deserved. The award which was announced at the end of the three day fair will be presented at a ceremony at the IDA offices at a later date.

The Minister of State, Mr. Eddie Co/tins talking with the Michael Roche of Kiltrea Bridge Pottery, winner of both Crafts Council and IDA awards at the National Crafts Trade Fair. On the right Mr. Frank Sutton, Executive Officer of the Crafts Council.

Design in Scandinavia A seminar on Arts and Crafts and Industrial Design.

The Danish Architect-Designer Mr. John Vedal-Rieper will be leading a travelling seminar through Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, August 16-27, 1983, arranged by Det danske Selskab (the Danish Institute) in cooperation with the National Design Societies. Through lectures and discussions the seminar will give participants insight into the new ideas and initiatives in Scandinavian Design. Visits to workshops, exhibitions, showrooms, museums and factories will cover the various fields of handicraft, applied art and industrial design. Meetings with Scandinavian craftsmen and designers will offer the opportunity for surveying and comparative study of applied art and industrial design in the Scandinavian countries.

Language of the seminar is English, and it is open to professionals, graduates and advanced students engaged in the field.

Euro-Conference '83 National Co-ordinator Miss Marion McGowan of the IDA has been nominated as National Coordinator for the World Crafts Council European Conference taking place in September 1983.

Miss McGowan's services will be given to the Crafts Council of Ireland by the IDA for a ten month period and she will work in close liaison with the Council, but will continue to be based at the IDA offices in Lr. Mount Street in Dublin where extensive back up facilities in terms of word processing, print room, press and information staff will be available as will the availability of certain IDA regional office services during the Conference period.

This cooperation from IDA underlines the importance that is being placed on the European Conference and the degree of creative activity and technical expertise which will centre around the conference and which will be of value to craftsmen.

Newsletter Subscriptions

For the last two years the subscription has been IRE2.00. The increasing costs of printing, typesetting, photography, postage, etc., make it necessary for us to increase the subscription.

From now on the annual pre paid charge for the Newsletter will be IRE6.00.

Bi-Monthly From now on the Newsletter will be produced again on a regular bi-monthly basis. Contributions in the form of articles, letters, photographs (black and white) and comments will be welcome at any time, particularly news of forthcoming events though such notice must arrive at the Council's office not later than two months before the event to ensure that the information is circulated in time.

Attendance at the 1982 seminar included interior designers, craftsmen, academics and architects.

Advertising Rates

Cost of the seminar: Danish kroner 6,500 — including accommodation, breakfast and one meal a day, and travel in Scandinavia by coach, ship and train.

Detailed programme is obtainable from: Det danske Selskab (The Danish Institute) Kultorvet 2, DK-1175 Copenhagen K, Denmark.

The following rates for advertisements will apply: IR£10.00 per column inch (I R£15.00 with logo).

Small ads will be charged at the rate of 8p per word.