Box Social at the Uppercase Gallery Project Room

Box Social emerges from its virtual gallery and online store presence to give you a face-to-face experience this upcoming First Thursday (July 2) in Uppercase Gallery's Project Room. Come meet owners and upstarts Catherine Hein and Mariko Paterson in person and let them walk you through the website. Also, we will have a few select works by Box Social Artist's on display so that you may experience first-hand some of the great work being made in Western Canada today.

Located in Art Central's Artist Loop of studios located on the lower level, Box Social will also be available for your questions and queries in regards to the Calgary Artist's Market that they will be bringing back this September.

Artists featured in the Box Social/Uppercase Project Room

Tekoa Predika - Woodwork

Martin Tagseth - Ceramics

Scribble Product Design -

Accessories Extraordinaire

Kalika Bowlby - Ceramics

Elise Mullen- Painting

Reagan Cole McLean - Printmaking

Colleen Rauscher - Textiles/ Collage

Mariko Paterson - Ceramics

Of course you can find a few more artists who were just a little busy too exhibit this time 'round on our website...boxsocial.ca

Gillian Hillerud... Welcome Aboard!!

Gillian Hillerud is a jeweller practicing in the fine city of Calgary, Alberta whose work can be now be found on Box Social!

While many of her most graceful and delicate pieces start with the notion of line, space and balance, she then incorporates the important concepts of historical precedence, body adornment and personal story telling into each and every piece. Subtle are the messages, images, and feelings conveyed by her wide variety of works. All seem to touch a tangibly, intangible, but all at once "universal" sense of emotion we as humans share. Of her process and work Gillian comments, "Fabricating this work is about creativity through a sculptural object that acquires intimacy through its scale and relationship to the body."

Many pieces utilize the timeless material of sterling silver and then push its properties to their physical limits. Others are much more mixed media oriented and indeed scupltural in feeling as materials such as 14K gold, pearls, mylar, thread and even paper are worked into their amazingly dense beings.

Simply beautiful to look and at behold as objects unto themselves, the final test in any craft based art is to try it on for size. The ability to adorn, bring attention to and complement the most delicate of our body parts has been achieved most successfully by Gillian's works...well done and welcome to Box Social where such fantastic efforts deserve to be featured!

Please do follow the link to Gillian's work on our site: boxsocial.ca
More of her work can be also be founf through her own site: www.gihi.ca

Pushing Buttons

Hmmm, I have never been one for intricate or complicated technological advances, but there is something about the pull-n-press simplicity and presto success-o involved in using a button making machine.

Not a small ticket item as far as purchasing $$$$ goes, but hey, I am pretty sure this Wisconsin made beauty will last a lifetime and a half. Heavy and metallic with a giant red lever handle and brushed metal parts...it is virtually an art piece in itself. In fact, we have the perfect Herman Miller cabinet to place it on when not in use.

Oh yes, in addition to the multitude of miniature art pieces I'd like to press out, we are using it to make some buttons for our Box Social artists.

You may certainly hound the artists like Lisa Brawn and Martin Tagseth for an autographed one out of their coveted promotional stash or they will be available at upcoming Box Social Events, yes Events, for a more than miniature price.

Art Markets may come and go, but there are some that are sorely missed...

Box Social would like to revive the most successful
Made in Canada- Artist's Market. Once organized by Kari Woo, we are assuming her duties so that Calgary's local art scene may continue to thrive.


For more details about the art market we ask that you check back at this Blog OR the Made In Canada Blog.

Whether you would like to participate as an artist or continue your support as a consumer we would also like you to share your thoughts! We have put together a little survey that we'd love for you to take the time to fill out our over your next coffee date with your computer...

Of course you may direct your questions and comments to mariko or catherine.

Thank you so much and we look forward to hearing back from you!

Chris Pancoe & James Culleton exhibition in Winnipeg!!

Fleet Galleries in glorious Winnipeg, Manitoba is proud to present Box Social artist Chris Pancoe's ceramic works in conjunction with paintings and drawings by James Culleton.

A reception will be held in conjunction with the exhibition on June 4th at 7pm!

What the heck is a box social anyway?

Now, you may wonder where we got this name from and what it means...

Since we are focusing on Western Canadian artists, we were looking for something that evoked that feeling. One of us here at Box Social is from Winnipeg, where a social is a weekly event. Socials are fundraisers for weddings, sports groups, charities, you name it. You basically buy a ticket, spend several hours in a community hall listening to a bad dj while drinking low-end booze, all to support your friends, co-workers, second-cousins twice-removed, in the hope that they will reciprocate when it is your turn to host. The best part (in my opinion) of the social was the rye bread, kielbasa, and cheese that came out at midnight. Socials are something that seems to be uniquely Manitoban, even though I have heard that in Saskatchewan (can anyone confirm?), similar events are called cabarets.

Social was one of those words that came up when we thought of Western Canada.

Box socials apparently originated in the 1920's. They were also fundraisers held in community halls, but fine young ladies would put together a lunch box which the men would bid on to raise their funds and if they were lucky they may also get a date out of the deal. A much nicer thought than the smell of stale beer and fold-up wooden tables. Simple and quirky, much like us.

Nuts,

Pine Cones,

Art,

Books,

and the occasional groceries I suppose...

...are just some of the items you might like to stuff in these great tote bags we just got in. They are 100% cotton, really roomy and of course you will be doing your part to save a tree or spare a plastic bag by purchasing one and packing your precious cargo in it.

Also, you will be helping us to spread the Box Social word by sporting one around town. Be it in on the coast or abroad on your next fabulous trip, let everyone know that there are great things going on in Western Canadian Art!

Drop us a line and we will be happy to send one your way for $15.