Innovate Symposium 2.0

Innovate Symposium 2.0 is a two-day experience with like-minded people to explore the big questions around community engagement.

It goes on a journey to explore how we engage and work with communities in creating social change. The unconventional nature of the event allows participants to facilitate, encourage and inspire better practice through community engagement, creativity and sustainability.

Expect: reflection groups, open space technology, practice sessions, social change case experience, and sustainable and creative workshops.

Innovate Symposium 2.0 is an unconference; it will take place on 4 + 5 October 2012 at the Griffith University Eco Centre.

Check out the program for a breakdown of the activities on each day and presenter profiles.

To find out more and register, visit the Volunteering Qld website.

Lord Mayor's Writer in Residence: Ebony Bizys

This Friday night, the Lord Mayor’s Writers in Residence program will host Ebony Bizys, the artist, designer and blogger behind the Hello Sandwich phenomenon.

The Tokyo-based artist, designer, blogger, author and former VOGUE Living graphic designer will talk about her career in craft and design.

For 11 years, Australian-born Bizys worked for VOGUE magazines. Her work in Japan has included book art direction, fashion website design and collaboration with famous Japanese brand mt masking tape. Bizys currently blogs for VOGUE Japan, hosts craft workshops and has just released her first Hello Sandwich Craft Book. She records her daily life in Japan on her hit blog Hello Sandwich.

In Ebony’s own words…"I love Japan, bento boxes, pantone 107.3 and metallic hologram foil, polka dots and plaid, Holbein gouache and fluoro pencils and I have a huge crush on Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugito. I would like to share with you some of the things that inspire me.…"

This is a unique opportunity for Brisbane's crafters to meet Ebony and take a look at her new book.

When: Friday 31 August 6-7.30pm
Where: Brisbane Square Library
How much: Free*

*Bookings essential

Long Play and Fathers Day



Long Play in yesterday's Courier Mail article.

 
Long Play is open!
Long Play: The Glory Days of the 12" Album Cover opened last Thursday night and a jovial crowd gathered to help us celebrate. Now that the champagne bottles are all empty, Long Play is open for viewing by everybody until 13 October and is also part of the unofficial program for the 2012 BIGSOUND music conference.

Gifts for Dad
Have you forgotton that this Sunday is Fathers Day? One of the special features of this exhibition is that almost all of the records on display can be purchased. We even have a record player set up in the gallery so you can try before you buy! If your Dad is a music or design geek, this just could be the perfect Fathers Day gift for him. Drop by the gallery to peruse the exhibition and claim your piece of vinyl.

If a record isn't enough for your music loving Dad, we still have copies of Tony Mott's photobook Rock'n'Roll Is The New Trainspotting, documenting his last 30 years of work and including photographs of Queen, Michael Jackson, Powderfinger, and Elton John.

In our retail store we are also currently stocking cufflinks, wallets, and the 'bio bin' by Alison Schutt and bureau^proberts, which could be the perfect sustainable addition to Dad's office!

New exhibition - Long Play: The Glory Days of the 12" Album Cover

We've been busy little bees in the gallery this week removing the Reboot displays and installing Long Play: The Glory Days of the 12" Album Cover.

The new exhibition is coming together beautifully and everything is looking fantastic for opening night tomorrow from 6pm.

Long Play is a graphic design exhibition focusing on album cover design from circa 1950 to the late 1980s. Over 150 records will be on display and most of them will also be for sale so get in quick to nab your favourite!

The exhibition includes covers by famous artists, interactive covers, and controversial covers, including the banned original 'butcher's shop' cover for the Beatles Yesterday and Today.

Along with Long Play, tomorrow night will also see the launch of Sherrie Knipe's Waterlogged in Gallery Two, new Window Projects by QUT design students, the Ivory Street installation by Shin Koyama, new product Bio Bin by Alison Schutt (Haasch) and bureau^proberts, and retail feature designer Joost Bakker's 'By Joost' homewares range.

Career development for artists

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Artists looking to develop their careers have an upcoming opportunity to gain some fresh insight and learn a few new business skills.

Flying Arts Alliance, the state’s champion for the development of professional visual arts practice, is offering two professional development opportunities to assist artists to develop a sustainable practice.

An interactive forum on the topic of “How to Set up and Run an Artist Run Initiative” will feature speakers and case studies from three of Brisbane’s top ARIs including Addition Gallery, Inhouse ARI, The Wandering Room.

The forum will take place on Thursday 23 August 2012 at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, from 1 pm – 4 pm with a cost of $15 for members and $20.

A professional development workshop on “How to Plan and Facilitate an Arts Workshop” will provide skills and insight for artists wishing to pass on skills or augment their income by planning and running an arts workshop.

The workshop will take place on Sunday 16 September 2012 at Art Shed Brisbane in West End for a full day from 10am to 4pm with a cost of $45 for members and $55 for non members. 

For more information or to register for either of these events go to the Flying Arts website at www.flyingarts.org.au and follow the prompts for “PD4Artists Brisbane Series” or call Carli on (07) 3216 1322.

Exclusive Studio Tours: Meet the Makers

We are excited to announce the upcoming artisan Meet the Makers tours. Meet the Makers is comprised of two exclusive half-day guided tours of Queensland's leading creative craft practitioners and design studios.

 

The 9:00am-12:30pm morning tour, focusing on collectives of 'hives' of craft practitioners, will visit ceramic artists Dr Virginia Jones and Trevor Netting; jewellery designers at The Contemporary Artisans Collective; and fashion design workshop The Stitchery Collective.

In the afternoon from 1:00pm-4:30pm, design studios will take the spotlight, with visits to Street and Garden Furniture Co.; lighting design studio Gale and Vallance; and Holloway Eyewear.

Date: Saturday 25th August 2012

Location: artisan, 381 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley

(The tours will begin and end at artisan's Fortitude Valley design store)

 
Tickets: $48 per person per tour (includes transportation & a glass of champagne).

To book your tickets, email info@artisan.org.au, call (07) 3215 0800, or book online at http://www.artisan.org.au/shop/.

For more information on the designers, visit our website.

Reboot: Olympic Fever

The Olympic Games have people in Australia and all over the world glued to their computers, television sets, and radios.

If you've contracted Olympic fever, a visit to Reboot: Function, Fashion and the Sneaker will be well worth your while...

Olympic Technology

 

Olympic footwear is the ultimate in state of the art performance. These shoes are designed
by specialist teams with expertise not only in industrial or product design, but mechanical
engineering, physiology, bio–mechanical and sports engineering and sports medicine.
The shoes are developed and tested in top secret high–tech biomechanics laboratories,
many of which are dedicated to producing the perfect running shoe.

Are you an Olympics devotee? Reboot is showcasing some of the most cutting edge sports technology from the Olympic Games in Sydney, Athens, Beijing, and London, including running spikes, boxing shoes, and sailing shoes. Features in the show are replicas of Usain Bolt's gold medal-winning sprinting shoes.

The Birth of Modern Sport

The infamous feud between German brothers Adolf (Adi) and Rudolf Dassler, known as the 'Sneaker Wars', resulted in the formation of shoe giants PUMA and Adidas. It also changed the face of sport forever, turning it from an amateur past-time into a multi-million dollar industry.

Adi and Rudolf formed shoe company Gebruder Dassler in 1924. The company quickly grew in profile and sprinter Jesse Owens was wearing Gebruder Dassler spikes during his four gold medal wins at the 1936 Olympics.

During WWII, underlying friction between the brothers exploded and the two became sworn enemies, with Adi starting Adidas and Rudolf starting PUMA. The family feud divided the brothers' home town of Herzogenaurach and soon each company had its own soccer team, and employees drank in different pubs and sent their children to different schools.

The Sneaker Wars were continued into the next generation by the brothers' sons, Horst and Armin Dassler. After the first major battleground, the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, each subsequent Olympics saw the brand battle intensify.

While other brands such as Onitsuka Tiger, Mizuno, Converse, Reebok, and Nike have since joined the battle, it was the fierce competition between adidas and PUMA that catapulted sport (and the humble athletic shoe) into the institution it is today.

You can read all the juicy details of the Dassler Sneaker Wars at the Reboot exhibition, as well as see the evolution that the humble sneakers has undergone over the years. 

Reboot: Function, Fashion and the Sneaker

Reboot will finish wrap up on 16 August, which only gives you a few more days to take a look. Whether your cup of tea is the Olympic element, fashion collaborations, or the Converse Blank Canvas Project, make sure you put it in your diary. See you soon!

Studio Space Available

Tonic, an architecture and design studio are looking to rent out their downstairs studio space located at 7 Prospect St, Fortitude Valley.

Tenancy 1 = $15000 + GST per year (all bills included)
Tenancy 2 = $25000 + GST per year (all bills included)
Both Tenancies = $40000 + GST per year (all bills included)

Included in this is the use of the kitchen, fridge, dishwasher, showers, male and female toilets, your own entrance (downstairs) and potential for one parking space.

For more information please contact Kimberley Alford at Tonic on 07 3852 5100.

 

Beginner classes in jewellery making

Whether you're an aspiring jewellery designer or you just want to learn a few tricks of the trade, Fio's Introductory Jewellery Making course will have something for you.

Diamond ring by Katina Trout, 2012 Fio student. Photograph by Matt Dwyer.

Fio jewellery designer Matt Dwyer has designed this hands-on eight week course to give absolute beginners a solid grounding in silversmithing and design, and the knowledge and skills to continue jewellery making at home.

Two Introductory Jewellery Making courses will be commencing on 13 and 14 August, with places filling fast. The first four weeks will focus on the basic skills, which will then be put to use in the design and development of an individual piece of jewellery over the second half of the course.

If you are interested in joining a course, read more on the Fio website, or contact Matt Dwyer at matt@fio-contemporary.com for full details.

Now in store: By Joost

“I want to bring our food back to the beginning. The pot acts as reminder that this food has been harvested, planted and grown” – Joost Bakker

Our retail store has recently received a delivery of home wares from By Joost. 

By Joost is the brainchild of Rustenburg born, Melbourne based, Joost Bakker. Joost’s passion for sustainability and design inspired his latest collection of pottery home wares, which includes cups, plates, and bowls. 

Each bespoke piece is handmade and unique, and is made from raw, natural elements found in Australian soils. The materials naturally weather and age, and can be eventually returned to the earth without contributing to landfill. 

Joost’s design career began on his family’s flower farm when he started creating café floral arrangements. Incorporating objects found on the farm, Joost developed a unique aesthetic that was soon highly sought after within the Melbourne hospitality scene. Since then, his career in design has advanced quickly.

Minimising the ecological impact of humans has long been a mission of Joost’s. His Greenhouse project, which has seen temporary and permanent sustainable restaurants set up around Australia, is perhaps his most well known venture to date.

GREENHOUSE BY JOOST from The Design Files on Vimeo.
Joost Bakker's Greenhouse, courtesy of thedesignfiles.net.

Sustainable and beautiful? We like very much! You can purchase By Joost home wares from our Fortitude Valley design store, or our online store. Visit Joost's website here.