About Ideas+Objects 21
Welcome to the Online Exhibition, Ideas+Objects 21. This site celebrates the work of the 2021 and 2020 Graduating Classes of the Honours Bachelor of Craft and Design program at Sheridan College. Works featured represent the capstone projects of students focused in one of five areas of studio specialization: Ceramics, Furniture, Glass, Industrial Design, and Textiles.
The graduates of 2021 and 2020 are two very special groups of makers. They have worked through unanticipated challenges, amidst high levels of stress and uncertainty, all while carrying a demanding course load and remaining focused on doing their best work.
The graduating students of the Craft and Design program inspire me everyday with their intelligence, their humour, their enthusiasm, and their creative spirit. They have dedicated themselves to the difficult task of designing and making beautiful and useful things; of helping to build a material world that is more nourishing and sustaining, more generous to the senses, and more worthy of celebration. I am in awe of their commitment to pursuing meaningful work that enriches the lives of all of us.
I invite you to take time with this exhibition and explore all the bounty that these graduates have shared with us here. Enjoy the beautiful images, consider the thoughtful statements and process documents, and engage with some of the fresh ideas on display. And then I encourage you to reach out to a maker or designer who particularly catches your eye (their contact information is listed on their page) Ask them a question; find out where they sell their work; follow them on social media. Consider ways to support emerging makers and designers and join in the joyful labour of nurturing a vital craft and design community!
The fallout from the pandemic impacted the graduating classes of the last two years in very different ways yet they share the fate of being the only two classes in the history of our program that were unable to mount an in-gallery Graduate Exhibition to celebrate their exceptional achievements. But what Ideas+Objects lacks in physical presence and intimacy it hopes to make up for in longevity! This will remain an active website dedicated to honouring each new year of graduates of Craft and Design, while maintaining an archive of the achievements of past years.
This website came together through the initial concept and organizing leadership of faculty member Kate Jackson and was thoughtfully crafted by web-designer (and former faculty member and Craft and Design alum) Sally McCubbin. Many thanks to both of them for their good work.
And a final thank you and warm congratulations to all of these wonderful graduates!
Gord Thompson,
Coordinator, Honours Bachelor of Craft and Design