Cork Craft Month designed to get you buying

FOR the inevitable rainy days that speckle our otherwise sunny summer, Cork Craft Month kicks off on Tuesday next and runs through to September 5 at venues throughout the city and county.

Run by Cork Craft and Design, a collective of around 100 makers who live and work in Cork, the month-long programme of events is a mix of opportunities to look, touch or buy anything from furniture and ceramics to textiles and jewellery.

Kicking off the month is the flagship exhibition MOTIVE which takes place in the James O’Neill Building (formerly The Old Mill), Kinsale, from August 14 -15.. A variety of craft will be on show focusing on makers’ inspiration..

Later this month the same venue will host a craft pop-up shop selling furniture, textiles, ceramics, wood-turned pieces and framed works. Anyone enjoying a little traipse around Cork City, who would like to rest their eyes on something other than a computer screen during their lunch break, could pop along to Craft in the Atrium at Cork City Civic Offices on Anglesea Street between August 9 and September 5. And for something unexpected, the craft of book-binding is on show at the studio of Barbara Hubert on Tobin Street.

Suburbanites who frequent Douglas Village Shopping Centre can meet and talk to some of the makers whose work is shown and sold at Cork Craft and Design’s space located there throughout the year.

As you start to run out of ideas to keep the kiddies entertained during the holidays, Shanagarry Design Centre —host to the studios of some of Cork Craft & Design’s members — has a programme of weekend ceramic-making and painting classes with music and face painting thrown in and a hand massage for the exhausted mammy using locally-made skincare products.

On the journey there or back, Midleton’s Courtyard hosts Crafty Hands which runs pottery workshops for children and adults and an opportunity to have a little family fun. But should the adults decide to do a runner, there’s an excellent cup of coffee and something nice in The Green Room next door while your children become encrusted in clay.

If you’re travelling west for sailing, camping or caravanning, there are events to lure the wallet out of your pocket on the way, or you can just browse if you prefer.

For anyone who would like to spend some time immersing themselves in a craft, a wood carving workshop spread over three days (August 29-31) is offered by Ben Russell’s Studio in Bantry ( www.benrussell.info ).

For something more refined, it’s heartening to see crafts that were once on the verge of dying out now being at the centre of the month. Patchwork making by quilter Mary Palmer takes place on August 13 at Castletownbere Library and is geared towards young people.

But if making a lavender cushion with buttons doesn’t quite appeal, maybe the skills can be applied to patching up those favourite jeans and stitching on a few Girl Guide badges.

Later in the month at the same venue, lace maker Fiona Harrington will demonstrate how to do Kenmare needlepoint and Carrickmacross Lace with audience participation encouraged (August 22, 11am-1pm).

For more information and full list of events: [e-mail]  or www.corkcraftanddesign.com

* Next week we catch up with furniture designer Joseph Walsh.