Bid on your favourite Converse Blank Canvas Project shoes!

The Converse Blank Canvas Project auction is now well and truly up and running. If you'd like to get your hands on an amazing customisation by the likes of Charles Robb, Judy Watson, or Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan, go to www.32auctions.com/BlankCanvas to bid now! Here are just a handful of the fabulous shoes available:

Charles Robb

Alexander Lotersztain

Alfredo and Isabel with Miguel Aquilizan

Dai Li

Rob Corless

Sebastian Di Mauro

Simone Eisler

All photographs by Andrea Higgins for artisan.

Exhibition opening: Reboot: Function, Fashion and the Sneaker & The Converse Blank Canvas Project

On Thursday June 21, we held an opening night for our new exhibitions, Reboot: Function, Fashion and the Sneaker and The Converse Blank Canvas Project. The night was a roaring success and one of the biggest nights we have held this year. Many thanks to everybody involved!

The twenty pairs of Converse Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers that were customised by leading artists and designers for The Converse Blank Canvas Project are now for sale by online auction. Visit the auction site and create an account to place a bid on your favourite pair! All proceeds will go to the Cathy Freeman Foundation, which supports indigenous education.

Also launching on the night were gorgeous works by retail feature designers Christina Waterson and Gregory Bonasera, the lovely new storefront design by QUT students as part of the ongoing Window Project, and Sue-Ching Lascelles' Racquet/Racket in the Ivory Street window.

The current displays will be in place until 16 August, so make sure you drop in for a look! 

All photographs taken by Andrea Higgins for artisan. More social photographs can be found here on our Facebook page.

Courtney Pedersen, Betsy Robb, Atticus Robb, Charles Robb

Opening speaker Chris Hartley, Queensland Bulls cricket player and sneaker enthusiast.

Ellie Williams, Jarrad Thessman, Jacqueline Sale

artisan CEO Liana Heath opening the exhibition.

Maddie Taylor, Miguel Aquilizan

Romy Willing, Milly Meehan, Leon Fitzpatrick, Simon Lawry

 

Stuart Cochrane, Dave Thome

Teresa Gomez, Liam Tagell, Atlas Harwood, Gail Sorronda

The Converse Blank Canvas Project

Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars creatively customised by Australian artists and designers. Photographs by Andrea Higgins for artisan.

The Converse Blank Canvas Project is a part of our upcoming exhibition Reboot: Function, Fashion and the Sneaker, and involves classic Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars customised by some of Australia's leading artists and designers.

The Project will launch this Thursday 21 June at 6pm along with Reboot, and the shoes will be sold by auction during the exhibition period. Stay tuned for more auction details!

We've been blown away by the creativity and innovation of the artists and designers involved. Above is a sneak peek of a handful of the shoes that will be on display. Amazing, right?

Artists/designers involved in the Converse Blank Canvas Project are:

• Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan
• Jason Bird
• Dean Brough
• Rob Corless
• Sebastian Di Mauro
• Christian Duell
• Simone Eisler
• Paul Fairweather
• Rafael Gomez
• Dai Li
• Alexander Lotersztain
• Charles Robb
• Rebecca Ross
• Wade Schaare
• David Shaw
• Gail Sorronda
• Simone Tops
• Sam Tupou
• Judy Watson
• Benjamin Werner

 See you at the exhibition!

Reboot: Function, Fashion and the Sneaker

Our upcoming exhibition, Reboot: Function, Fashion and the Sneaker, is currently being installed in the gallery. Join our Facebook event here.

Design, fashion and popular culture merge in this striking sports shoe design exhibition, curated by artisan. Olympic performance shoes rub heels with collaborations between iconic brands, artists and designers including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Yohji Yamamoto, Keith Haring, Mihara Yasuhiro, Undefeated and Alexander McQueen.

This exhibition also incorporates the Converse Blank Canvas Project: a collection of classic Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers creatively customised by leading Australian artists and designers. The customised shoes are to be sold by auction during the exhibition period.

To set the scene, the walls of the artisan gallery are currently being graffitied by artists from Jugglers Art Space and are looking quite spectacular! 

The exhibition will be opened by Chris Hartley (of the Queensland Bulls) at 6pm on Thursday the  21st of June. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to info@artisan.org.au or call us on (07) 3215 0800.

Thomas Mann masterclass: artist talks

On Saturday 16 June, Fio will host an evening of talks by Brisbane-based contemporary jewellers as a part of the Thomas Mann masterclass.

Barbara Heath, Madeleine Brown, and Eleisha Nylund will each speak about their practice, inspirations, and experiences in the jewellery industry.

More information about the night is available here. Wine and nibblies will be provided and attendees are asked to bring a $10 donation, which will go to the guest speakers.

As places are limited, those planning to attend should RSVP to Fio's Matt Dwyer at matt@fio-contemporary.com.

Things we love: Craft Aotearoa

Craft Aotearoa is a blog dedicated to increasing the New Zealand community's exposure and access to craft exhibitions, events, and training.  It is a fantastic initiative, so support them if you can.

We especially love this post about the meaning of the word 'craft'.

What does craft mean to you?

Social pictures: Bambi Frame Screen series launch

All photographs taken by Andrea Higgins for artisan. See the full album on our Facebook page.

Christi Nicolaides + Liz Golding + Mary Dickinson

Angela & Oliver Layton + Jacqueline Armitstead +Richard Nolan-Neylan + Andrew & Felicity Gutteridge

'Bambi' cocktails by Laruche

Shahmen Suku + Russell Storer

Bambi Bond

Felicity Gutteridge + Marie-Louise Theile + Shay O'Hara-Smith

Graham Bell + Aaron Alcorn

Liana Heath + Fukutoshi Ueno + David Shaw

Designed by Fukutoshi Ueno and "Dressed" by Easton Pearson

              

Last Thursday night we had an exclusive launch in our gallery of the Bambi Frame. Born from a recent collaboration between designer Fukutoshi Ueno and fashion designers, Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson (Easton Pearson) the Bambi Frame Screen series fuses beauty with function and playfulness with sophistication. At the launch, guests nibbled on delicous food and sipped on delightful drinks from Laruche. Thanks to the Pigeon Papparazzi from The Good Guide who came along to record the wonderful event. Come and check out the Bambi frame for yourself. They will be on display in our retail store until the 16th of June 2012.                                                                                            
               .

Photos taken by Dennis Vogelsang at The Good Guide             

Save The Integrated Design Commission

It was announced on May 30, 2012 that South Australia's Integrated Design Commission will be axed in the upcoming SA State Budget.

The Integrated Design Commission is founded on the belief that decisions we make at the design stage, and in planning, impact on the opportunity for development to contribute positively. Expertise from all these phases should be allowed to inform the other. New construction practice can drive new design technologies. Design tools like visualization and simulation allow more effective, participatory planning. And engaging communities through design always leads to better outcomes. The IDC see design as a process of enquiry, planning as a process of defining, and development as a means of delivery.

If you would like to show your support for the IDC you can sign their petition that they are taking to Premier Weatherill. To sign the petition head to http://www.communityrun.org/petitions/save-the-idc?time=1338436056

To find out more about the IDC go to http://www.integrateddesign.sa.gov.au/who-we-are/about-us/

The countdown is on...

We have a feeling that if you've ever loved a pair of sneakers, you're going to love our upcoming exhibition. Watch this space for more details in the next few days.

Reboot is on its way!

Adidas and Jeremy Scott - 'Panda Bear'

 

Artisan is 'best of the web'!

We are feeling quite chuffed to have been featured on Pocketchange's 'best of the web' feature. Click the button below to see us in all our glory.

PocketChange Lifestyle Blog

Pocketchange is a great blog to visit for shopping/lifestyle advice, and also has a very handy tips page.

Thank you to all our visitors for your continued support!

Animals & Birds Exhibition

Damian Gibson & Clare Treston's work will be featured in up-coming Animals & Birds exhibition. 

 

Exhibition Opening:
6pm Saturday 2nd June 2012.

Exhibition Runs:
From 29 May – 23 June 2012.

At: Robyn Bauer Gallery, 54 Latrobe Tce, Paddington, Brisbane.