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Fact Sheet |
CBC ARTSPOTS and a new CBC Television documentary celebrate fine craft in Canada
Halifax, Nova Scotia, October 3, 2002 - The CBC is pleased to celebrate the announcement of the 2002 recipient of the Saidye Bronfman Award for Excellence in Craft, textile artist Kai Chan, by beginning to air more than forty (40) new 30-second ARTSPOTS. These ARTSPOTS feature the most recent work of the twenty-six (26) Award recipients, on television and on cbc.ca/artspots. A significant number of these new ARTSPOTS will be premiered this fall on Opening Night, CBC Television's critically-acclaimed showcase for the arts, which airs on the main CBC network on Thursday nights.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) also announced today that it has just completed a one-hour documentary on contemporary Canadian craft to be broadcast later this year. The program is a fascinating look at some of Canada's top craft artists from across the country.
Produced with the participation of the Canadian Museum of Civilization (CMC), and The Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation (SSBFF), the program celebrates the exceptional work of Canadian fine craft artists. This working relationship is also responsible for enhancing the production of a variety of television and new media broadcast initiatives under the banner of CBC ARTSPOTS.
The one-hour documentary is hosted by CBC Newsworld's award-winning host of The Passionate Eye, and Rough Cuts, Michaelle Jean. Ms. Jean introduces the richly textured and inspiring world of contemporary Canadian craft, its artists, their work and their perspectives on fine craft's role in everyday life. The warmth of Ms. Jean's narrative provides a superb counterpoint to the spoken and textual historical, economic and cultural contexts about the status of craft in Canada.
One remarkable part of that context is recognizing the sizeable collection of contemporary craft work by living Canadian artists at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the largest collection in Canada.
Artists featured in the program include master bookbinders Louise Genest and Michael Wilcox, glass artists Daniel Crichton and Lutz Haufschild, textile artists Dorothy Caldwell and Micheline Beauchemin, furniture designers Michael Fortune and Peter Fleming, and ceramic artists Robin Hopper and Steven Heinemann. Using the voices of the artists, and the images of their extraordinary work, the documentary looks at some of the language, and the issues and concerns, of one of Canada's most vital cultural communities.
The program highlights the accomplishments of Canadian contemporary craft artists, in particular, the recipients of The Saidye Bronfman Award for Excellence in the Crafts, which is considered one of Canada's most prestigious visual arts prizes.
Working with The Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and The Canada Council for the Arts allows CBC Television to provide a variety of national and international broadcast platforms to promote and reflect Canadian culture and identity. Canadian craft artists are recognized throughout the world for their exceptional talent and leadership in their respective fields. CBC is proud to bring their lives and their work into the homes of Canadians and audiences around the globe.
For further information please contact:
Mary Elizabeth Luka
Executive Producer, CBC ARTSPOTS
mary_elizabeth_luka@cbc.ca
cbc.ca/artspots
902-420-4774
Peer Assessment Committee Statement
Saidye Bronfman Award Recipients 1977-2002 | Saidye Bronfman Award
Kai Chan - Statement | Kai Chan - Profile | Communiqué
