SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM 

REGISTER HERE

SEE DAILY RATES AND PACKAGES BELOW

Thursday, September 7, 2023, Pre-Symposium (Optional) 

6:00pm – 7:00pm

Museum of Vancouver (MOV) Tour - Dressed for History: Why Costume Collections Matter (Women's Fashion 1750 - 2000) with Curator Yvan Sayers

The Museum of Vancouver is committed to deepening a collective understanding of the city through common stories, objects and experiences.

Clothing is the most personal of artefacts. It reveals so much about who we are, what we do and what we value. Clothing conveys information about occupation, social and economic status, gender and cultural identity and political and religious affiliation. 

Photo credit: Rebecca Blissett

https://www.roeddehouse.org/Friday, September 8, 2023

9:30am (meet at The Sylvia Hotel for a walk to the Roedde House Museum) 

10:00am - 11:00am

Roedde House Museum Guided Tour 

Gustav and Matilda Roedde settled in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1888. German-born Gustav was Vancouver’s first bookbinder. He opened his own bookbinding business, G.A. Roedde Bookbinders where he specialized in the craft of marbling paper. The family moved into their newly-built house in the West End neighbourhood in 1893. The house was designed by famed architect Francis Rattenbury.

Photo Credit: Roedde House Museum

11:00am - 12:30pm - Lunch Optional on your own 

https://sylviahotel.com/12:45pm (Bus pick-up) - Meet at The Sylvia Hotel for Bus to take to Emily Carr University of Art & Design 

The Sylvia Hotel is a historic Vancouver landmark. Located at 1154 Gilford Street on English Bay near Stanley Park. Constructed in 1912, the Sylvia was designed as an apartment building by Mr. W.P. White, a Seatle architect. It was built by Booker, Campbell and Whipple Construction Company for a Mr. Goldstein, who had a daughter named Sylvia.

Photo Credit: The Sylvia Hotel 

1:00pm - 1:45pm CSDA/CCAD Annual General Meeting  (at the Emily Carr University of Art & Design)

1:45pm - 2:45pm

Guided Tour of Emily Carr University of Art + Design

Founded in 1925, Emily Carr University is a world leader in art, media and design. Merging studio practice, research and critical theory in an interdisciplinary and collaborative environment, ECU encourages experimentation at the intersections of art, design, media and technology. They are ranked as the top university in Canada for art and design, and 24th in the world.  They have more than 1,800 students enrolled in graduate and undergraduate programs, with thousands more taking workshops, certificate programs and individual courses.

Photo Credit: Emily Carr University of Art + Design

2:45pm - 3:45pm

Marian Bradshaw Lecture - Douglas Coupland - Accidental Career: Public Art

Artist, Author, Innovator Douglas Coupland gives us some insights into his experience with public art. Public art is a specific art genre with its own professional and critical discourse and is visually and physically accessible to the public.  

“Public art is like the nonfiction version of art. Instead of working in a private personal universe, public art is tethered to the real world in some way. Public art is also an amazing way to learn about new ways of making objects, as well as meeting new people along the way. My goal has always been to make life feel like art school, and public art has been an enormous part of this drive.”

For those not registered for the Symposium who would like to attend the Lecture in person or online please register HERE (this talk will not be recorded). 

Photo Credit: Douglas Coupland's Sunset Beach Love Letter, which covers the entire Muro building Reliance Properties Ltd. 

The lecture is supported in part by:

https://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/4:00pm - 5:00pm

Curator's Tour - Fashion Fictions at the Vancouver Art Gallery with Curator Stephanie Rebick

Stephanie Rebick, curator, will provide a tour of Fashion Fictions which surveys experimental design practices that exist at the intersection of fashion and other modes of cultural production. International in scope, the exhibition explores the increasing influence of research-based, materially driven practices on the global fashion scene, while acknowledging the proliferation of creative practices that challenge the aesthetic, material and technological conventions of fashion.

The exhibition is comprised of three thematic sections: Material Futures, which includes work that features technological and scientific innovations in materials research; Aesthetic Prophesies, which highlights designers’ fusion of cultural traditions with speculative creations; and Responsible Visions, which investigates how designers are incorporating adaptive reuse and upcycling into their explorations

Photo: Credit: Courtesy of the Vancouver Art Gallery

5:20pm - 6:00pm - Reception at Inform Interiors (Gastown District)

Inform Interiors

Established in Vancouver in 1963 and considered one of the top 5 design stores in the world, Inform Interiors is not only a go-to place for the best in contemporary home furnishings but is also a cultural hub for all things related to design and architecture. One of the owners Niels Bendtsen is a highly regarded furniture designer producing contemporary furniture through his company Bensen. 

Photo Credit: Inform Interiors 

6:00pm - 7:00pm

Collector’s Perspective: John David Lawrence in conversation with Daina Augaitis at Inform Interiors

Join Chief Curator Emerita at the Vancouver Art Gallery, Daina Augaitis and John David Lawrence owner of Do Da Antiques as they discuss the collector's psychology and the love of BC ceramics. 

Photo Credit:  Julie Riches 

The reception and conversation is supported in part by: 

Saturday, September 9, 2023

8:30am - 9:30am Breakfast - Continental (at The Sylvia Hotel) 

9:45am - 10:45am

Museum of Vancouver (MOV) Tour Exhibition - Reclaim + Repair: The Mahagony Project with Toby Barratt

Reclaim + Repair: The Mahogany Project, curated by Propellor Studio, in collaboration with the Museum of Vancouver, will celebrate the creativity and craft of Vancouver’s design community, while engaging with questions central to the role of design in advancing sustainability as well as social and environmental justice.

A diverse group of both emerging and seasoned local designers and makers have been selected to create objects made from vintage mahogany provided by MOV. The exhibition will feature a wide array of design objects from furniture, lighting and household objects, to jewelry, and so much more.

Photo Credit: Museum of Vancouver 

11:00am - 12:00pm at Waddington's Vancouver (Railtown District)

Lecture - Ron Thom and the Art of Architecture with Adele Weder  

Ron Thom (1923-1986) ranks among the most important Canadian architects of the 20th century. He trained at the Vancouver School of Art and approached his work with the eye of an artist and the hand of a craftsman, right down to the furniture. Disdaining the austere postwar International Style, he created structures and spaces that exude warmth, intimacy, artistry and hand-crafted beauty. In a time when many feel alienated from the glass-and-steel monotony of our built landscape, his major projects, including the B.C. Electric Building, Massey College, Trent University, Shaw Festival Theatre and much else—have enduring appeal.  

Photo Credit: Copp House wooden side table credit is Josh Nychuk

12:00pm - 1:00pm Box lunch in the Roedde Museum House Gardens 

http://www.morganasoyuf.com/1:20pm - 2:20pm

Brix Studio - Heritage Building (Gastown District)

Brix Studio is located in the historical two-storey brick-and-stone commercial building built in two phases in 1893 and 1905-1908.
Named the ‘Commercial Block’, it was initially divided into three sections, each of which featured an electric elevator, the first elevators to be installed in the city.

Artist Perspective - Morgan Asoyuf, multidisciplinary Ts'msyen Artist 

Morgan Asoyuf will be presenting on her past and present practice using both photos and physical works, as well as speaking on upcoming projects. As her work is based in multiple disciplines such as Jewelry, Wood Carving, Engraving, Gem setting and painting we will explore the varied processes that go into classical and experimental techniques of the artist. We will also speak about how her work supporting indigenous culture and activism have directed the work.

Photo Credit: Wolf Frontlet, Amahalaaydm Laxgyibuu, 2019. Morgan Asoyuf

2:20pm - 2:40pm - Break (coffee & tea) 

http://conniewatts.com/Connie_Watts/Main.html2:40pm - 3:40pm 

Brix Studio - Heritage Building (Gastown District)

Indigenous Approaches to Creative Practices with Connie Watts 

Connie Watts will start the presentation with highlights of her Art and Design practice. Her work is often rooted in forms and knowledge drawn from First Nations cultures, while her sculptural objects incorporate modern fabrication and design techniques. She will then give an overview of the Indigenous material practice programming at Emily Carr University of Art + Design’s Aboriginal Gathering Place. She will wrap up with a highlight of some of the Indigenous Student’s artwork through the latest exhibition, Sacred Fires 2023. She expressed that there is a great diversity of Indigenous approaches to the creative practices.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Connie Watts, Photo by: Paige Friesen and Krista McAllister.

4:00pm - 6:00pm

Walking Tour - West End with Civic Historian, John Atkin 

The West End is a study of contrasts. Georgian revival walk ups from the early 1900s sit next to crisp 1960s concrete modernism along with wood frame Dingbats, surrounded by tall apartment towers. On this walking tour we’ll look at how the West End developed and some of the innovative zoning tweaks shaping the area today.

Photo Credit: StanleyPark Van.com 

6:00pm - 7:00pm - Free time

7:00pm - 9pm

Dinner - Craft Beer Market in the English Bay Neighbourhood

Join decorative arts community members and delegates for a private dinner at the Craft Beer Market on English Bay. 

"We are a premium casual restaurant and bar with a passion for fresh local food and great craft beer. Launched in Calgary in 2011, the CRAFT movement has been spreading across Canada ever since.

We strive to provide positive contributions to our communities through our charitable initiatives, sustainable practices and overall community involvement. We understand that we are fortunate to have the ability to make these contributions."

Photo Credit: Craft Beer Market English Bay, Exterior signage on Beach Avenue. Credit: Supplied

Sunday, September 10, 2023

9:00am - 10:00am Breakfast - Continental (at The Sylvia Hotel) 

10:00am - 10:20am 

Walk along seawall to the Aquatic Centre and Granville Island Ferry

Experience the False Creek Ferry to Granville Island for the day. Note: if you want to travel to Granville island earlier, on your own, ferry service begins at 7am.  Return tickets for the ferry will be provided in the delegates package.

Photo Credit: Granville Island 

10:20am - 11:30am 

Craft Council of British Columbia on Granville Island with Raine McKay 

Meet at the Craft Council of British Columbia (CCBC) offices for an introduction to the Council and the community of studios on the island.

The CCBC is a charitable arts service organization which supports all stages of artistic practice in the craft sector; creates opportunities for artists to exhibit, sell and produce art; provides a voice for artists and craft organizations and aids in the development of active communities around craft. Now in its 50^th year, the CCBC is the only craft sector arts service organization in BC that fulfils an educational and public mandate along with regional and national objectives in developing opportunities for craft artists, the art form and the craft sector as a whole.

Along with the introduction to the BC craft sector, CCBC will host an interactive artist talk by Kasia Lindfors whose exhibition “How to feel full: ceramic vases and cages” will be in the CCBC Gallery.

Photo Credit: Craft Council of BC 

11:30am - 1:30pm

Studio Tours

Join us for a guided tour of craft studios and meet artists at work in their surroundings. 

- Vancouver Studio Glass

- Granville Island Broom Co. 

- S&R Apron Co.

- New Leaf Editions 

- BC Blacksmith 

- Propellor Studio 

Please see the studio profiles HERE. 

Photo Credit: Photo by Julie K.

1:30pm to 2:30pm 

Lunch at Granville Island Market (on your own) 

2:30pm to 3:30pm 

Uno Langmann Fine Art and Antiques Gallery  

Join us for a tour and talk of the Uno Langmann's Gallery with Jeanette Langmann

Uno Langmann Limited is a second-generation family business founded in 1977 by Uno Langmann. They are now Canada's foremost specialist in the finest quality European and North American paintings from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. The elegant, neoclassical surroundings of the gallery also showcase a careful selection of antique furniture, silver and objects of decorative arts.

Photo: Courtesy of Uno Langmann Fine Art & Antiques Gallery

REGISTER HERE 

Preferred Early-bird rates end August 4th. 

Speaker Biographies 

Event Brochure (PDF)

Order Form Download (PDF)

DAILY RATES AND PACKAGES:

Daily Rate - Friday, Sep 8th – $175.00

Does not include breakfast, lunch or transportation (tour bus).

Daily Rate - Saturday, Sep 9th – $175.00 

Does not include breakfast, lunch or transportation (tour bus).

Daily Rate - Sunday, Sep 10th – $100.00 

Does not include breakfast, lunch or transportation (pre-arranged water taxies).

DINNER ONLY (optional) – $130.00

Dinner package comes with 1 complimentary drink (Beer or Wine).

Please note, our host hotel is the historic waterfront The Sylvia Hotel located in the heart of Vancouver’s Westend. Please call 604-681-9321 or 877-681-9321 to book your room and reference the Promo Code: Canadian Society of Decorative Arts. Room rates for one queen bedrooms are $269.10 (plus taxes) as room availability lasts for our block of rooms. Queen rooms may not be available, and you will be required to take the larger accommodation but will be offered the 10% discounted BC rate.  Room cancellation policy will be provided by the hotel. 

If the Sylvia Hotel sells out, we have a block of room at the Best Western Sands Plus (1755 Davies Street). Book your room online HERE or call reservations at (800) 661-7887. Rates are $289 (plus taxes) for Queen or Queen/Queen plus tax or a King Premium with Balcony at $309 (plus taxes). If you are calling in your reservation please indicate the group name "CSDA". These rates apply until August 7th. 

Symposium Cancellation Policy: Prior to August 18, 2023, CSDA will refund registrations minus $75 administration fee for full registrations. After August 18 no refunds will be processed for registration or dinner. No refunds will be given for no-shows. Substitutes are welcomed.

Please contact Gilles Latour if you would like to receive a Sponsor Partner Kit at gilleslatour@csda-ccad.org or call 416-910-7849.

We would like to thank our generous Supporters and Sponsors. 

Partner Museums & Venues: Roedde House Museum, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Vancouver Art Gallery, Inform Interiors, Museum of Vancouver, Waddington's, Craft Council of British Columbia, Uno Langman Fine Art and Antiques Gallery and the many artist Studios on Granville Island. 

Patron Sponsor Partner

Media Partner: 

We would also like to thank the following institutions for their help and in-kind support:

Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Museum of Vancouver, Roedde House Museum, Vancouver Art Gallery, Inform Interiors, Waddington's - Vancouver, Brix Studio, Craft Council of British Columbia, Uno Langmann Fine Art and Antiques Gallery. 

Members of the 2023 Symposium Committee

        Gilles Latour, Co-Chair                       Sarah Macaulay

        Julie Riches, Co-Chair                         Mary Macaulay

        Stephanie Rebick                                Cailin Broere

        Raine McKay                                        Jacqui Dixon