Fredericton was buzzing with creativity over the weekend as Craft NB hosted its annual From Human Hands arts and crafts festival at Officer’s Square.
Craft NB project manager Ross Kinney said there were approximately 30 local businesses taking part, with vendors from across the city, province and Atlantic Canada selling their handmade goods.
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He said that along with it being a vendor retail show, it’s also a great culture and community event.
“We have crafts here for kids, places for people to get in and get their hands dirty on a pottery wheel or to try out a craft of their own. We have entertainment, so really it’s a community event but it’s supporting the local businesses and encouraging craft in the province,” Kinney said.
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He said the event has been going on in Officer’s Square for three to four years but said festivals like this in the Fredericton area date back to the 1970s and 1980s.
Kinney said there are a lot of buyers who come through the event who talk about a similar event that used to take place in Mactaquac. He said this is a continuation of that event.
“I think people in one sense just need to know what’s here and what people are making,” Kinney said.
“I mean there’s the amazing talent that’s here in New Brunswick and in Atlantic Canada and throughout the country of people really dedicating themselves to a life of fine craft.”
According to Kinney the events like this are a great way for New Brunswickers to support local craftspeople outside of the exhibition and gallery side of things.
“When you come to an event like this again you’re supporting 30-35 local businesses that these are their livelihood in a lot of ways,” Kinney said.
He said foot traffic was “steady” throughout the weekend and said the organization was happy with the turnout especially with major sporting events going on in the city.
“The weather has held up well and we are more than pleased with that. It’s been sunny and we’ve had some cloud yesterday but no rain so that’s always a bonus.”
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Kinney said Craft NB works pretty closely with the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design and said a lot of their members graduated from the college, work at the college, or teach there. He said they’re always happy to include them in the festival.
New Brunswick College of Craft and Design Marketing and Recruitment co-ordinator Trudy Gallagher could often be found at the college’s interactive booth that featured a pottery wheel for people to try, along with a bracelet felting station. The booth also gave attendees of all ages the chance to speak with students and staff about the kind of careers available in the industry.
“There are so many times that people come to us and say, ‘I wanted to do something in culture and was not encouraged as a child so I ended up as a book keeper, I have always wanted to try this kind of thing,’ so we’re here to provide a direct hands-on interaction with them,”Gallagher said. “Not everybody is cut out to be a doctor, a dentist, a lawyer, to be traditional careers that you think of like that and it’s all about the quality of life.”
She said not everyone wants to “be a millionaire” and said it’s a great industry for people who want to work with their hands, want to feel involved and want to be able to have a lifestyle filled with arts and culture while making a comfortable living.
Gallagher said the interactive booth is just one of many ways the college is showcasing the industry. She said enrollment at the college is at a record high heading into the fall, with the first year program expanded and wait listed.
“The college in general is doing really really well,” Gallagher said.
She credits increased marketing efforts such as high school visits and demonstrations to show students what a career in the industry could look like and said they also try to reach as many young children as possible to inspire them to get creative and one day have a career in the arts.
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