2024 Highlights

ANNUAL WELCOME BACK BBQ

STUDIO FUNDRAISING

All studios participated in studio sales this year raising money to support visiting artists, field trips and student awards.

Professor Emeritus Bruce Cochrane at Mug and Bowl Event

EXHIBITIONS

Craft and Design students in all years displayed their work in a series of exhibitions in the Trafalgar gallery.

Craft & Design’s Best Work of Fall Term in the Trafalgar Gallery

STUDIO VISITS TO SUSAN COLLETTE AND JULIE MOON

4th year Ceramics students were generously hosted by Artists Susan Collette and Julie moon. The trip also included a visit to Craft Studios at Harbourfront Centre.

BLOWN AWAY

On March 8, Season 4 of Blown Away was launched on Netflix. As in previous 3 seasons, all assistants were Sheridan Graduates and the consultant for the show was Koen Vanderstukken.

The set of Blown Away

Jess Allen and glassblower Lindsay Adelman

Inspired by the success of Blown Away, CTV’s ‘The Social’ visited the glass studio to follow correspondent Jess Allen as she learned the art of glassblowing.

A Buzzfeed Canada reporter also visited the the studio to give glassblowing a try.

INTERIOR DESIGN SHOW (IDS 2024) 

This past January, third-year student, Nicole Werker, and fourth-year student, Alison Postma showed work at Toronto’s Interior Design Show as part of the show’s ‘Prototype’ exhibition alongside recent alumni (Furniture 2023), Joel Galenkamp.

Nicole Werker’s Barrel Bolt Cabinet, and Alison Postma’s Kissing Chair on display at Toronto’s IDS

VISITING ARTIST DEMONSTRATION

The Ceramics studio welcomed a series of high calibre visiting artists from Canada and the US.

Andrea and John Gill, Alfred, NY

Andrew Kellner, Hamilton, ON

Lindsay Montgomery, Toronto, ON

Steve Heinemann, Cookstown, ON

TRIP TO THE CORNING MUSEUM

In February, we went with students from several studios on a 3-day trip to Corning, NY to visit the museum, library, etc. Through a new partnership with the Corning Museum in Corning, four Sheridan glass students will do their co-op placement in the museum studio over the summer.

Corning Museum Glass Studio

Faculty and students also visited Rochester Institute of Technology to observe 3D printing with hot glass.

TRIP TO NCECA CONFERENCE IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

Several members of the graduating class received travel bursaries from the student awards office to attend the NCECA conference in Richmond, VA. Two of these students were juried into the National Juried Student Exhibition at NCECA this year. Undergraduate and Graduate Students from ceramics programs all across Canada, the US ,and Mexico apply for this every year. Nilou Ghaemi was awarded second place undergraduate ceramics.

Nilou Ghaemi (kneeling, right) with other award recipients at the National Juried Student Exhibition at NCECA

Sheridan students visiting the National Juried Student Exhibition at NCECA, in from of the work of Sheridan student Marina Van Raay.

SPRING EASTER EGG HUNT

Ceramics Technologist Duncan Aird was the driving force behind the revival of this old Craft and Design tradition.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROJECTS:

Thunder Bay Public Library Indigenous Knowledge Centre 

Alison Postma and Nora Langill (L to R) speak at the unveiling of the newly renovated and furnished Thunder Bay Public Library’s Waverley Branch Indigenous Knowledge Centre (Photo credit: Ian Kaufman, TBnewswatch)

In June of 2023, Furniture students Alison Postma and Nora Langill travelled back to Thunder Bay with faculty to wrap up last year’s community engagement project. Furniture that students co-designed with Indigenous community and fabricated in Sheridan’s Furniture Studio during the Winter 2023 term was installed at the library’s Waverley Branch Indigenous Knowledge Centre. The visit ended with an unveiling of the work and a press conference where Alison and Nora shared their perspective of this valuable experience alongside Indigenous participants. The project was featured in an episode of Up North with Jonathan Pinto on CBC Radio.

Community Food Centres Canada (CFCC) 

Third-year student Bailey Rockell working with community members during the co-design session for CFCC project

For 14 years now, the Furniture Studio has run a community-engagement project. This year’s project saw third-year Furniture students partner with community members who experience food insecurity. Together they co-designed furniture for Community Food Centres Canada’s new national headquarters in Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood. Among the furniture fabricated for this new space are lounge seating, 13 dining tables, and learning towers for young children to work at a kitchen counter height. 

Studio Faculty, Connie Chisholm continues to be the linchpin to the success of these projects, acting as a liaison between the college and various organizations through her social enterprise, Codesign.

Third-year students, Lindsey Ainsworth, Alex Cassels, and Zander Chiasson (L to R) working with community members during the co-design session for CFCC project 

Third-year students, Emma Melton, Nicole Werker, and David Laurin (L to R) thickness sanding dining tabletops for CFCC project 

Third-year students, Erin Bukowski and Bailey Rockell (L to R) assembling lounge seat frames for CFCC project

FESTOOL CANADA DONATION 

The Furniture Studio has partnered with Festool Canada, manufacturers of high-end power tools and woodworking equipment. This partnership includes a generous $50,000 donation of Festool equipment to the studio over the next five years.

Summer work study students, David Laurin, Kayla Della-Nebbia, and Erin Bukowski (L to R) unpack the first shipment of new equipment donated by Festool Canada with the help of beloved pooch, Andy in the (foreground)

STUDIO GRAD SHOWS IN TORONTO

Ceramics, Furniture and Textiles each mounted independent exhibitions of graduate work in a variety of Toronto venues.

Method Matter Moment on display at the Gardiner Museum

Furniture Grad  Show: Eight Quarter, May 10th  at Top Top - 165 Geary St. Unit 4, Toronto

GRADUATE EXHIBITION

In addition to a series of exhibitions of student work over the course of the year in the Trafalgar Gallery, The Graduate Exhibition Ideas and Objects 24 ran for from April 27th – May 3rd in the Trafalgar Gallery and Annie Smith Building Hallway.

TULIP CEREMONY

Family and Friends gathered for Tulip Ceremony in celebration of the 2024 Graduating Class of the Craft and Design program.

Dean Mark Jones welcomes family and Friends to the 2024 Tulip Ceremony
Photo credit: Owen Colbourne

Graduate Mya Fiddler was one of five students selected by their classmates to speak on behalf of the graduates.
Photo credit: Owen Colbourne

The graduating class in Textiles
Photo credit: Owen Colbourne