44th annual Originals Christmas Craft Sale returns to Ottawa Dec. 6-16 at the EY Centre
For visitors of Signatures Shows’ Originals Christmas Craft Sale, the annual fine art and handcraft showcase in the Nation’s Capital is often regarded as the signal to the start of the holiday shopping season, where visitors return to meet their favourite artists and to carry on a tradition of experiencing the show with loved ones. For its exhibitors, the show represents the culmination of an often-arduous summer of work and preparation, and it is also considered a major accomplishment to take part in — for all intents and purposes, this is the big league for Canadian artisans.
These feelings are perhaps overshadowed by one overarching theme that is omnipresent at all shows: the sense of community among artisans. Terry Craig, a glass-blower and exhibitor at this year’s Originals Christmas Craft Sale, summarizes it rather simply: “It’s a pretty big family.” His wife and business partner, Jenn Wanless-Craig, agrees with his assessment, adding: “It’s the reason we do shows. That community of makers is always there for you, and everyone gets it. That’s our tribe.”
This sense of community is one of the most unique aspects of a show such as the Originals Christmas Craft Sale. Artisans travel from all corners of Canada to participate, towing vehicles and trailers full of their product inventory; they spend long hours setting up and tearing down their booths, even longer hours selling their wares to the visiting public, and repeat the entire process for several consecutive weeks at a time. It’s no wonder artisans quickly form a bond with one another and often label each other as family; they share struggles and triumphs, lend helping hands and listening ears, and are all creative entrepreneurs at their core.
Craig and Wanless-Craig, the husband and wife duo behind Artech Glassblowing Studios of Tory Hill, Ont., are no strangers to the “show circuit,” having participated in more than a dozen shows produced by Signatures Shows over the years. They believe the community feel also extends beyond their fellow artisans. “When you meet customers face-to-face at shows, they get to see what you’re like, talk to you as a person and experience the work that you’re making,” says Wanless-Craig. “It’s nice that they come up to you and talk to you about your work and tell you that they like it.”
This tangible experience is at the essence of every show produced by Signatures Shows and represents a continuation of its founding principles: to help connect Canadian artisans to lovers of handmade around the country. Show-goers not only enjoy being able to see and feel the works on display but also love hearing
the stories behind them to get a true sense of the hard work and passion that goes into an artisan’s lifestyle. “The gratification is when people come by and see your work, and they’re amazed and excited to see what you’ve done and love the stuff that you’ve made,” says Craig. “People aren’t just buying the [product], they’re buying from the person that made it and they’re buying that story, that connection.”
What visitors have also come to expect — and love — at a show such as the Originals Christmas Craft Sale is the paramount quality
on display; exhibitors must undergo a rigorous jurying process, meaning each participating artisan has been chosen based on a number of criteria, most importantly the quality and originality of their work. The large majority of artisans are full-time craftspeople and experts in their respective domains, often coming from post-secondary art and design school backgrounds. Craig and Wanless-Craig are no exceptions — they are both graduates of Sheridan College’s Craft and Design Glass program.
They both believe the
quality of Canadian handmade is invaluable. “If most people were to think of something that they own that’s precious to them, it’s likely something handmade that has a personal story connected to it,” explains Craig. “When you buy handmade, you can always go back to the person that made it if it breaks. You can always pass it down as an heirloom.”
Furthermore, Canadian handmade, to them, comes back to a representation of community, something that’s especially important in their hometown of
less than 3,000 residents. “I think we lose the ability to understand what humans can actually do and what we can make,” adds WanlessCraig. “Trades are passed on. That’s really important — to know your farmer, to know your glass-blower, and know that people are in your area that make things, that grow things, that do things.”
Meet Terry, Jenn, and 200 more top Canadian artists, makers, and designers at the 44th annual Originals Christmas Craft Sale Dec. 6-16 at the EY Centre.
www.originalsshow.ca/ fall
The gratification is when people come by and see your work, and they’re amazed and excited to see what you’ve done and love the stuff that you’ve made – TERRY CRaIG