Public Energy presents The 2013 Wearable Art Show

Enjoy a glimpse at last year's production!

Date: February 9, 2013 

Venue: Market Hall140 Charlotte St. PeterboroughTickets: $20 each, $15 student/senior/under-wagedOn line: www.markethall.org phone: 705-749-1146


Public Energy presents The 2013 Wearable Art Show
Public Energy’s Annual Fundraiser Fashion Show featuring The Runway Challenge. Join our 3rd annual fashion show fundraiser featuring the talents of Peterborough’s visual arts community as they create the most ingenious wearable art you’ll ever see strutting down a catwalk. For the Runway Challenge we are once again pairing up artists with local businesses and challenging them to create original fashions using nothing but products from that business.


This year's Runway Challengers and their Business partners are:
Janet Howse +  Millwork,  Judith Mason & Cath Adele + East City Flowers,  Kirsten Smith + Peterborough Green-Up, Shannon Taylor + Custom Copy, Vicky Paradisis + Lakefield Pantry,  WendyTrusler + Pammett's Flowers

As well as the Runway Challenge, several local artists (including me!) have been asked to come up with an outfit so I will be at the show with Grace, my model and Cayla, my AC. All I'm saying is that my outfit is entitled "Momento Mori" and I'm very excited to create something for this great cause! Thanks to Laurel Paluck for inviting me to participate!


Cabaret-style table seating: $30 per person  Get the best view, up close to the runway, with a table seat. Table seats are available for any number - come on your own or put a group together. Not available on-line, please call the Public Energy office at 705-745-1788

The Market Report, 2

We've been experimenting with Sundays at the Flea Market and have not had much luck making our table "rent". Last Saturday was good however, so there ya go! I think that we will stick with Satudays and use Sunday to enjoy the weather, canoe, and road trip a bit with Mom. Sounds good, yeah?

The Peterborough Fairy Door Project

Jefferson Market Fairy Door Interior
Originally uploaded by anikarenina

I am coordinating The Peterborough Fairy Door Project!

If you are an artist and you want to make one or if you have a venue that you would like a fairy door for, please contact me!

I think that this will bring the city and the artists a lot of wonderful publicity. We can do the Fairy Doors of Peterborough poster, a map of the Fairy Door locations, t-shirts and so much more!

Great tourist attraction! What do you think? Neat, eh?!

The Ann Arbor Fairy Doors.

The Market Report

Peterborough Farmers Market
Originally uploaded by Computer Science Geek

Well, what fun our first time at the market turned out to be!

Set up Friday Night and then returned home to fine tune necklaces and photo cards. Then, up and at 'em first thing Saturday morning! The coffee at the Market is bliss! I think that its called Kyoto Coffee, but I will make sure for next week. DEEEElicious and perfect that early! Vendors get a discount! woohoo!

Arrived to find Debbie already there with a beautiful table display. (I am not allowed to photograph inside the Morrow Building for reasons that are too unbelievable to mention. But I MUST take photos, as you know. I MUST!!!) Presented Deb with a felt Bee to act as her booth mascot and a bag of several small wooden bees to scatter around her gorgeous chain maille. Deborah means 'bee' and she is always busy as one! I think she made about 7 bracelets while she sat at her table! Mad skills!

We were right up front this week, but will be in another spot next Saturday. That's fine, as long as Deb and I are neighbours. I think that it makes all the difference to have a pal alongside. Otherwise, how would I get a chance to zip around like Sonic the Hedgehog, looking inside and out, at all the displays!?

Mom came down at around 10:00 and joined the chorus of 'ohs' and 'ahs' whenever anyone tried on something from my table. Even though I was happy just to be there and soak it all in, I was thrilled to make quite a few sales and even a profit for the day! So I know I am on the right track! I don't expect to do this well every Saturday but I can see how I could! My funky Bali Jewellery is rather irresistable!

I learned from my customers that they like sets....necklace, earrings and bracelets, unless they are teens and then matchy matchy isn't catchy! Most of what was purchased was a gift for someone else. A lady from Germany bought a butterfly necklace to match a beaded ring she bought for her daughter at home! (Note to self, get beaded rings!) Another lady bought her daughter the pretty pink mother of pearl necklace of her choice. A few smart shoppers bought gifts for themselves! One husband and one boyfriend bought mother of pearl shell earrings for their loves and another person bought one of the stunning Bali vintage glass necklaces and a shell bracelet, then ordered a matching set of blue mother of pearl necklace, earrings and bracelet for her son's girlfriend's grad gift!! I will definitely have that ready for her next Saturday!

Next week, I will set my table up completely Friday night, so that Saturday at 7:00. I can go and introduce myself to other vendors and maybe pass some flyers around in the outside part of the Market. I heard somewhere that people don't always venture into the Morrow Building when they come down for their fresh veg, so I will have to do something about that. : D Silly people!

Do you visit the farmers market in your town? What do you usually buy there?

Call for arts and crafters!

Join the Focus Fair in celebrating this bright new season by showcasing your latest handmade creations. We are a growing, sub-culture marketplace based in downtown Peterborough. The Focus Fair collective is committed to promoting and supporting handmade arts and crafts. By creating a forum for local artists and crafters to connect with the larger community we are providing a chance for locals to buy handmade goods. Our craft collective has been organizing shows in various locations throughout Peterborough for almost 3 years, and has a regular following in the community.Just in time for Mothers Day, this years spring show will take place at The Spill, 414 George St. N. on Saturday, May 9th running from 11am to 6pm. Vendors are expected to commit to the entire 7 hours on the day of the show, regardless of sales or personal issues. Please understand that this ensures a quality and professional atmosphere for the event.The vendors fee for the event is $20 (no splitting of fees between multiple vendors) and must be paid once you are notified of your acceptance into the show.Focus Fair is a juried show. All applications will be reviewed by our craft collective to ensure a good variety and consistent quality of items in the show. Only products handmade by the artist will be considered for inclusion.To apply please send an email to focusfair@gmail.com by or before Monday, April 20th. In the email please include a detailed description of what you intend to sell. If you have any other special requirements for your display include these in your application as well. Please attach a minimum of 4 clear photos of your work or a link to a website where your work can be viewed. You will be notified of the status of your application no later than Friday, April 24th. If you are accepted your payment must be received by Saturday, May 2nd in order to guarantee your spot.

Happy Crafting! For more information please email focusfair@gmail.com

Local Talent - Lisa LeBlanc

I met Lisa at the Peterborough School of Art at Sandy MacFarlane's Metal Jewellery class. Yes, she really does look like beautiful Drew Barrymore! And she's talented! A double whammy! I am very impressed by her industry! She has a website, a blog and an Etsy shop, chock full of her sparkly creations and cool accessories! Her website is here!

Lisa was recently featured in an Etsy Treasury! "The Treasury is a member-curated gallery of short-lived lists of 12 hand-picked items each (plus four alternates). It functions as a high-demand (and pretty!) promotional tool that many devoted Etsians fight to get. Members can feature their favorite items, items selected on a theme, or just however they like." Lisa's sterling silver arrow earrings were showcased as part of the This Way and That theme! You can also get a further glimpse into the life of this artist here. Exciting!

Local Talent-Deborah Sikora

As we all know, Peterborough, despite Bancroft's lame claim, is the most creative spot in Canada, rife with talent. And since I know alot of the talent, Ithought that I would showcase them here, for the benefit of you, faithful reader.

My first choice is, of course, the fabulously multi-talented Deborah Sikora. Debbie and I took Metal Jewellery Making at the Peterborough School of Art, but met years ago when I managed Blue Sky Bead and she taught there.

Debbie is a member of The Bead Hive, a group of ladies who...bead, dude. She is also currently selling her work at Mandie and Co., an awesome artists' co-op on Water Street at Hunter.

Unlike me, Debbie has the patience of Job and so excels at the most beautifully detailed chain maille. Quite gorgeous! Go see some and then buy it! K? She makes all sorts of jewellery but her creative talents go far beyond 'just beads'!

Visit Debbie every Wednesday at Mandie and Co. and visit her at the Ptbo Gem and Mineral Show at the end of February, at the Evinrude Centre.