CCI-newsletter-1992-64-No1

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The Crafts Council of Ireland Issue no.l

The Crafts Council of Ireland is the State organisation with the responsibility for crafts. In its efforts to improve standards and the livelihood of craftworkers, the Council has involved itself actively in educational, artistic and cultural fields and in finding a broader range of markets and promoting crafts more widely at home and abroad. The Council initiates .and organises an annual crafts trade fair, workshops and exhibitions, it runs a centre for the business training of young graduates in craft disciplines, publishes this Newsletter and encourages work to develop crafts regionally, through its member guilds and associations. In the furthering of these activities relationships have grown with the Trade Board, FAS, ESF, and of course the Industrial Development Authority. The four main teaching institutions of art and design are now active members and colleagues of the Council. The HQ Gallery was opened in 1988 and is dedicated to showing the best of Irish and International craftwork as part of the Council's education policy. It represents a statement by the Council that from this point forward, promotion of high quality craftsmanship and personal creativity and the search for productive markets must go hand in hand with education.

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hy a Newsletter?

This Newsletter replaces the Craft Review and will be published six times a year. The objective is to aid and stimulate the flow of information amongst craftworkers and between craftworkers and the Crafts Council. It will cover various facets of craft including, workshops, exhibitions, scholarships, European developments in craft, equipment sales and social events. We are taking the opportunity of this first issue to highlight the Council's activities, but in later issues the focus will change as we find out what the readers want. Whether it is a forthcoming event or a comment you would like to voice, please send it in. We would like to thank those who sent information and would like to let you know that you provided the foundation. Those relating to July/August have been held over for the next issue.

IN ew Chief Executive In March the Council bade farewell to Terry Kelly, who had been Chief Executive for five years and who is now pursuing a new career as a craft consultant. Many tributes were paid to her tremendous achievements in building up the Council's status and activities. The new Chief Executive is Christine Ross. She was Executive Director of the Crafts Council of New Zealand from 1980 - 84, and since then has worked in England; firstly with South West Arts as Visual Arts and Crafts Officer and lately in London as a craft and public art consultant.

Christine, who is Irish-born, said: "I am looking forward immensely to working for the Crafts Council of Ireland. The organisation is in excellent shape, with major activities such as 'Showcase Dublin', the gallery the Crescent Workshops and Thomastown courses well established and successful. With this base to work from, I shall be discussing a new programme of activity with the Board and the staff. It is early days yet and future issues of the Newsletter will keep readers informed of new Council policies and projects. Christine is particularly interested in developing the market for commissioned craftwork, both in corporate gift-giving and in public and private sector architecture. (She established the 'Percentage for Art1 programme for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham). Other initial thoughts


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