Tag / Craft Industries

by brandsa2018

JamFactory a breeding ground for craft industry talents

For the past 45 years, South Australian craft institution JamFactory has built up an extraordinary pool of talent featuring some of the country’s finest artisans.

Set up in 1973 as an initiative of the Dunstan government to connect craft and industry to help grow the state’s economy, the not-for-profit organisation is about more than just showcasing bespoke pieces across glass, ceramics, furniture and metal design.

“Craft in its inherent sense is about respecting skills that have been around for a very long time, some are technology changers,” says JamFactory CEO Brian Parkes.

Ceramic artist and designer Ebony Heidenreich in the ceramics studio. Photo by Andre Castellucci.

“I meet with bureaucrats around the country who would love to replicate something like JamFactory but there isn’t the political wheel or budgetary bravado to produce anything like it, so it’s something that will be for a very long time, a great South Australian unique property.”

“There is nothing else like it in Australia and nothing quite like it in the world.”

JamFactory, located on Morphett Street in Adelaide’s West End and at Seppeltsfield in the Barossa Valley, features purpose-built ceramics, glass, furniture, and metal design studios.

It offers a place for artists and designers to hone their craft and access equipment and gallery space as well as further their skills in business.

A jewellery maker’s workspace. Photo by Andre Castellucci.

JamFactory’s glass studio is the largest open access glass studio in the southern hemisphere and has welcomed a number of elite craftspeople, including two of the country’s most renowned designer-makers, Clare Belfrage and Nick Mount.

JamFactory has enjoyed some “pretty stellar growth” in the last five years, with its turnover increasing and supported by a growing retail income.

The craft and design centre also houses exhibition and retail spaces that showcase not only SA artists, but high-quality contemporary designs from across the country.

“Our retail (income) last year grew 10%. This year after the first quarter it was 32% on the previous year. That’s pretty amazing stuff and that’s the interest in craft,” Brian says.

JamFactory’s Adelaide retail space. Photo by Andre Castellucci.

JamFactory also has an online retail store and between this and the two brick and mortar shops, more than 200 independent artists and designers are represented with total sales coming in at about $1.4 million.

JamFactory takes on a handful of emerging talented designers and makers from across the country who undertake the intensive two-year associate program. Associates take up space in one of the four studios and produce work with the potential of selling it in JamFactory’s stores.

The associate program was a launching success for ceramic artist Stephanie James-Manttan who began her journey with JamFactory in 2007/08.

Stephanie James-Manttan will head up the ceramics studio in early 2019.

Since completing the program she went on to continue her love for the pottery wheel and has since built a solid career in the local ceramics community.

In 2019 she will again take up a spot at JamFactory, taking over from Damon Moon as head of the ceramics studio, mentoring associates, undertaking research and development for commission projects, and ensuring the studio runs safely.

Stephanie’s work has been acquired by the Art Gallery of SA and the Department of Premier and Cabinet, while through her own practice she’s collaborated with clients including Well Made, Beaumont Tiles and the SA Department of Environment and Water, among others.

British actor Dev Patel – who stars in film Hotel Mumbai which was mostly shot in Adelaide – even bought one of Stephanie’s pieces through JamFactory’s shop.

Some of Stephanie’s works.

Stephanie crafts stonewear pieces such as mugs, teapots, travel cups and bowls, as well as bespoke ceramic bowls and vases with woven-like characteristics.

“Porcelain has a really beautiful quality about it, it’s a flesh-like quality, it’s translucent, it’s sexy, it’s sleek and it translates what I do so well,” she says.

“The way I squeeze into the clay, it affects the balance and the lightness of the work, it’s just a beautiful material to work with. It’s very fickle though, it will crack and it makes you stop and slow down.”

Stephanie says many of the skills practiced at JamFactory’s studios should be cherished.

“The things that we make here and the studios we have here … these are trades that are dying, we’re actually conserving the skills and the abilities required to make things out of the materials we work with,” she says.

“In this mass consumed world, people should be buying homemade things. They last longer which means less landfill.”

Stephanie commends SA’s training pathways in the craft sector, including TAFE SA and university courses that offer creative arts courses incorporating ceramic teachings.

Industry in focus: Craft industries

Throughout the months of November and December, the state’s craft industries will be celebrated as part of I Choose SA.

South Australian craftspeople make up some of our most creative thinkers and makers of sustainable and innovative goods. Read more craft stories here.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

New botanic fashion label with eco layers

As models took to the catwalk at Raj House in the city of Adelaide last week, Lauren Crago saw the fruits of her design labour appearing in more ways than one.

Not only was she showing the first ever Solomon Street collection of ethical clothing after a hard year planning and designing – the collection also centred around her own designs featuring bold, fruit-inspired prints.

“At the moment the designs are inspired by fruit and vegetables, there is a real beauty in them,” Lauren says.

“The current prints are focused mainly on apricots and figs, they hold a special place in my heart with family, my mum and grandma, and my love for cooking…. I have great memories of me and my mum picking figs.”

The clothing range is also remarkable on another layer. All the garments were made from carefully selected, sustainable fabrics including recycled fishing nets, and were printed in Australia. The label was greeted with strong support for the launch at the Feast Festival headquarters in Adelaide’s West End.

Among the family, friends and loyal customers were other local makers and those involved with other eco fashion brands including Huntermade and organic sleepwear label Jager.

Solomon Street’s pieces are centred around fruit and vegetable prints and made from sustainable fabrics.

It’s been a whirlwind month for the entrepreneurial 25-year-old as her burgeoning label also opened its first bricks and mortar home in historic Regent Arcade off Rundle Mall with support from Renew Adelaide.

In a world dominated by consumerism, Lauren says it’s been a passionate pursuit. She first started Solomon Street to sell eco-friendly biodegradable textiles and stationery online about a year ago, creating bound books she designed and cut herself along with cards.

The name for the clothing and stationery label came from the street in the Adelaide CBD where Lauren previously worked at Fairweather coffee as a barista.

But she kept her eyes on the end goal; to produce her own eco fashion label. She is now creating bold designs then taking them to a Melbourne manufacturer for the fabric to be printed.

The fabrics range from organic cotton, a linen and cotton blend, and recycled nylon made from fishing nets in Italy, used in her line of swimwear.

Garments including bathers, leisure wear and jumpsuits are then sewn either by Lauren or through another Adelaide business with the final products landing in the store or being sold online.

Lauren Crago recently celebrated the opening of her bricks and mortar fashion store in Regent Arcade, off Rundle Mall.

“My inspiration comes from changing the way businesses behave, we are a very consumerist society, the fashion side of things is a large part of the business,” she says.

“There are so many facets to the designs. I wanted to create clothing that was comfortable to wear but in a flattering silhouette, it’s reminiscent of the ‘70s, A-frame dresses and flared, wide-leg pants. They are vibrant and fun but comfortable and they will last a really long time.”

It’s been a boost for Lauren, moving into the like-minded hub of Regent Arcade.

There’s a vegan juice bar nearby along with Have you met Charlie?, a gift store featuring homewares, jewellery and prints from independent South Australian makers, many with a sustainable bent.

Oh Deer Sugar is nearby with its non-edible bakery making ‘food for the skin’ bath and body products – all handmade in Adelaide using cruelty free, vegan ingredients to replicate desserts.

And there’s the small design studio Leatherworks Adelaide that specialises in quality, handmade leather goods. It’s owned by Lauren’s family friends and she created the store branding.

“I’m really excited to be in Regent Arcade, it’s known as a hub for a lot of young and up and coming designers in Adelaide and being part of that cohort is pretty cool,” she says.

Solomon Street’s line of swimwear is made from recycled nylon from fishing nets in Italy.

Lauren is also working hard to make Solomon Street a zero-waste brand with the current packaging bio-degradable and products which can be recycled or are also biodegradable.

She also says customers buying her clothing can bring them back for alterations – like tightening straps – to ensure they last longer.

There are plans to use some of the sales profits as loans for those experiencing poverty to gain financial support.

“I want to create ethical and sustainable fabric and paper products from beautiful prints that fund life-bettering projects for our local and international community,” Lauren says.

“We believe that humans are innately generous and kind. Our beliefs lie in the idea that even as one person, one team, one community, we can make the world into a better place.”

Industry in focus: Craft industries

Throughout the months of November and December, the state’s craft industries will be celebrated as part of I Choose SA.

South Australian craftspeople make up some of our most creative thinkers and makers of sustainable and innovative goods. Read more craft stories here.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

Robyn Wood crafting bespoke furniture pieces from Adelaide

Despite still being on the road travelling home from three long days at The Big Design Market in Melbourne, furniture maker Robyn Wood is keen to talk about her passion for the South Australian industry.

The talented designer runs her own studio from The Mill creative studios in Adelaide and is firmly behind the state’s craft and making industry growing its presence on the national stage.

“We have such an amazing culture for the arts, the next step is getting people to embrace the designers and makers, the artisans along with that, to somehow connect the dots,” says Robyn, Brand South Australia’s latest I Choose SA ambassador.

“I’m really keen to see the craft and making industry becoming like the food side of things, the wine, food and cheese in SA that is so well known.”

It’s been four years since the aptly named Robyn Wood – she married into the name, “how is that for serendipity?” – set up her own design studio at The Mill in Adelaide’s CBD.

After working as an interior architect for 20 years, her interest in furniture making was particularly stirred during a seven-year stint with joinery firm IJF.

Furniture designer and I Choose SA ambassador Robyn Wood at Neigbour Workshop. Photo by James Knowler/JKTP.

Robyn remembers a moment working with IJF after the Adelaide company won a three-year contract to fit out Federal Government embassies around the world.

“It was in Paris, 1995, 15th arrondissement. I was overseeing moving furniture out of an Embassy apartment complex as part of an interior fit out,” she says. “But this wasn’t just any furniture – it was mid-20th century. Timeless, elegant, iconic, built to last. It was beautiful.”

The experience stirred a growing appreciation for beautiful furniture, and in 2014, Robyn opened her own studio.

She now makes furniture and bespoke objects for architects, galleries and “lovers of good design” throughout Australia, selling at galleries, online, at two markets – The Big Design Market and Bowerbird – and on commission.

Her very first piece made for small production is a favourite, a hand turned timber base Bud Lamp. It drew committed fans among the 70,000 people streaming through The Big Design Market held in the Carlton Royal Exhibition Building last weekend.

“Some of those people at the market saw me there four years ago and they bought my lamp and they came in just to say hello and thanks for the lamp,” Robyn says. “I can still remember their faces from when it was sold, I have some bizarre connection with it.”

There’s also a Reflect desk, vases, candle holders, along with a glass topped coffee table she’s recently finished. Most are made from wood and Robyn has a particular soft spot for sycamore maple and “walnut is lovely to work with too”.

There are other pieces made with glass and steel, with Robyn committed to ensuring each is made from sustainable, renewable materials.

“My design philosophy can be summed up in three words: warmth, simplicity and connection,” she says.

Her plan is to scale back selling smaller pieces with the focus turning to one-off larger designs “to show what I can do” through exhibitions, high-end galleries and stores.

It’s a carefully considered decision in a local industry where artists and designers are working to raise their profile and build stronger business models.

Robyn is a member of craft and design industry group Guildhouse and features on the organisation’s Well Made website, also regularly attending its professional development programs to hone her skills.

She believes there are enormous opportunities to develop a more vibrant local industry.

“I think there’s growing confidence coming through from artist and designers,” Robyn says.

Her career has been marked by the local scene’s strength in collaboration. Robyn regularly works with other makers like Tony Neighbour from Neighbour’s Workshop in Kensington.

“Adelaide is still small scale, its designers and makers are a tight community and I have access to all of that, there’s a lot of old school skills that are still around and I’ve a lot of people mentoring me,” she says.

“The collaboration and skill sets in SA are wonderful, we have so many great makers here.

“Guys like Tony, they don’t get the press and they don’t look for it, but he would be one of the preeminent production makers in SA – if you speak to (acclaimed furniture designer) Khai Liew and others in the know, Tony would be a guy they would all work with.”

Industry in focus: Craft industries

Throughout the months of November and December, the state’s craft industries will be celebrated as part of I Choose SA.

South Australian craftspeople make up some of our most creative thinkers and makers of sustainable and innovative goods. Read more craft stories here.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

MJP Studio a showcase of quality craftsmanship in our city

Crafting timeless pieces that are made to last is at the core of South Australian furniture designer Matt Pearson’s studio in Adelaide’s north eastern suburbs.

The craftsman is behind MJP Studio, maker of handmade and one-off designs that are manufactured from high quality materials with precision and passion.

Matt has an eye for refined style and a drive to make use of SA’s local supplier base wherever he can, and says Adelaide’s strong support networks allow the small but strong craft and furniture industry to flourish.

Matt Pearson in action at the Hendon-based MJP Studio. Photo by Lewis and Wilson Photography.

“The thing about Adelaide is that people support each other, they support good design and culture, they give back, and that instils confidence in me and my business,” he says.

“Supporting local is incredibly important and it’s something I’m doing in my business as well, I use local suppliers as much as I can. If local businesses expect people to buy local then they should be supporting local too.”

Matt strives to craft furniture pieces “to be woven into the fabric of the family home” but also builds custom designs for commercial and retail markets.

The Husk chair features Australian Wool-blend fabric. Photo by Heidi Wolff.

He encourages consumers to see the value of investing in high-quality locally made products and not fall victim to “high turnover consumerism” where furniture is mass manufactured and likely to be thrown away – not repaired – if broken.

He says a market of consumers who choose well made and sustainable bespoke pieces does exist, helping to sustain not only his own business, but the industry as a whole as the effects trickle through.

“With low cost furniture, if it breaks people will just throw it away, whereas if you’ve spent time with a furniture maker along the process you become connected to the maker … good furniture is made so it can be repaired,” Matt says. “A lot of contemporary makers push that and it’s always something MJP Studio has always done.”

His playful yet sophisticated works are made from high quality, locally sourced timbers from Australian and American origin, while leather and Australian wool also works their way into the fabric on some pieces, such as dining chairs and armchairs.

MJP Studio’s coffee table, the ‘Crossover’. Photo by Heidi Wolff.

Matt is originally from Sydney and moved to Tasmania in 2011 to complete a Bachelor of Environmental Design with Honours at the UTAS School of Architecture and Design, majoring in furniture.

He had heard of SA’s renowned craft and design hub JamFactory during his time at university and ended up applying for a coveted associate position within its furniture studio.

Matt was successful in gaining the spot at JamFactory in Adelaide and worked under the guidance of furniture designer Jon Goulder before going on to have his own studio there for one year.

Matt says he made the decision to remain in SA because Adelaide “ticked all the boxes”, with MJP Studio now settled as one of the city’s high end furniture manufacturers.

“Aesthetically, my style is influenced by Scandinavian design and contemporary Australian architecture and I think that comes from my training in Tassie,” he adds.

Industry in focus: Craft industries

Throughout the months of November and December, the state’s craft industries will be celebrated as part of I Choose SA.

South Australian craftspeople make up some of our most creative thinkers and makers of sustainable and innovative goods. Read more craft stories here.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

Agostino & Brown craft timeless pieces for much-loved spaces

From historic Adelaide Hills hotels to trendy metropolitan eateries and regional distilleries, Sam Agostino and Gareth Brown’s timeless furniture pieces can be found in popular places throughout the state.

The furniture and interior designers are behind custom furniture label Agostino & Brown (A+B) and are strong believers in the power of using high quality materials, while employing skilled South Australians to make the goods here in Adelaide.

“Our focus is making furniture in Adelaide where we can supply a national client base,” says Sam Agostino.

“We make everything in South Australia, we also work with other local makers and manufacturers to keep the making business local in SA.”

Aside from Sam and Gareth, A+B employs at its workshop in Wingfield four highly skilled furniture makers who have more than 70 years’ of experience between them in crafting handmade furniture.

The label’s showroom is based in Adelaide’s CBD where Sam and Gareth will meet with clients, usually interior designers after classic yet stylish timber pieces developed in strong consideration of the environment.

A+B’s work can be found in award-winning projects including the redeveloped Crafers Hotel which took out Best Hotel in Australia this year, as well as in the Stretton Centre which won Best Architecture Award in 2016 and at the Stirling Hotel which took the gong for Australia’s Best Restaurant in 2016.

Sam Agostino and Gareth Brown of Agostino & Brown. Photo by Mark Brake.

A+B works are also scattered around bars, restaurants and retail spaces including Twenty Third Street Distillery in Renmark, the Adelaide Central Market, Mitolo Winery, Angove Winery, the Feathers Hotel pavilion, and the Morphett Arms Hotel, among others. Other clients include Bendigo Adelaide Bank, Origin Energy, Westpac, Jones Lang LaSalle, RAA, Beerenberg, Monash University, Hub Australia, Qantas, and the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

“Having our furniture in beautiful public spaces designed by the most amazing interior designers and influential business entrepreneurs is most inspiring for us,” they say.

“We feel proud seeing our products being used by the general public and the great thing about using natural materials in our products is they tend to wear in not out, so they get even better with use. We welcome people looking for these same quality customisable furnishings in their own homes.”

Hub Australia Melbourne by Hassell Studio Adelaide, photo by Rachel Lewis, featuring A+B’s Woodsi table and olive stools.

Sam and Gareth started their working lives on differing career paths, they hadn’t yet met each other when Sam studied interior architecture at the University of South Australia, and Gareth worked as a chef in Adelaide before heading to Europe to broaden his culinary repertoire.

Gareth ran restaurants in the UK and France for many years before deciding it was time for a change, deciding to study traditional handcrafted furniture making in Bristol.

In 2007 he headed home to Adelaide, taking a spot as an associate in renowned craft studio JamFactory, and deciding SA was home once again.

During her studies, Sam had worked with designer and curator Khai Liew at Augusta Antiques, home to extremely rare and old Japanese, Danish, Australian and French pieces restored by hand.

Once she had graduated university, she worked as an interior designer at Adelaide graphic and interior designer company Enoki, and fast realised the difficulty in sourcing locally-made products.

It was while working for Enoki that she met Gareth, and later the two decided they would work well together and that making furniture from Adelaide was a viable venture.

Twig House by interior designer Allison Pye, photo by Lisa Cohen featuring A&B’s Tambootie table in custom colour finish.

Their business was registered in 2010 and soon after they began designing their first product, the Fig stool, a classically shaped solid American oak and Australian pine piece that “set the tone for our style”.

“Our furniture style is simple, functional and practical with a clean aesthetic,” Gareth says.

“It is always custom made with the highest quality of finish and construction and an environmentally conscious design process. We simply solve problems in manufacturing and the availability of good furniture. We respect our craft, value craftsmanship and enjoy the process of making objects that will last a lifetime.”

The main material used for their collections of tables, seating, storage cabinets and shelves, mirrors and lighting is solid hardwood oak sourced from ethically managed and sustainable forests in Australia and America. A+B also uses re-claimed timbers such as Oregon and Messmate, as well as quality leather, marble, stone and steel.

Sam and Gareth say design and manufacturing in Adelaide is of high quality and that the city is home to strong support among businesses.

“We feel part of an exciting, innovative and growing community,” Sam says.

“Adelaide is an amazing place to live and provides endless opportunities to work with prominent clients on superior projects.”

Header image: The Stirling Hotel by proprietor Sarah Matthews, featuring A+B’s olive stools and doughwood table.

Industry in focus: Craft industries

Throughout the months of November and December, the state’s craft industries will be celebrated as part of I Choose SA.

South Australian craftspeople make up some of our most creative thinkers and makers of sustainable and innovative goods. Read more craft stories here.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

Global collectors blown away by SA glass artists

Glass artists from South Australia are gaining increasing global recognition as the state’s unique arts institutions help create opportunities on the world stage.

“When it comes to glass, on an international and national scale SA is renowned,” says Emma Fey from SA’s leading creative organisation Guildhouse.

She cites a group visit this month from Canada’s Corning Museum, revealing that Adelaide was specifically chosen for meetings with key glass practitioners over other cities in Australia.

Emma says that SA has “some really unique specialisations” that are a legacy of its strong teaching institutions created from the 1960s onwards.

She lists the likes of SALA Artist of 2018 Clare Belfrage who “has won a bucket load of prizes” and made several overseas visits representing her work this year among particularly prominent names.

Wakefield Press recently published a monograph Clare Belfrage: Rhythms of necessity exploring the significance of her contribution to contemporary international glass art.

Clare has maintained a distinguished practice for more than 25 years with her highly detailed blown glass making her one of the country’s most renowned designer-makers.

Clare Belfrage’s glass work, ‘A wash in greens’.

Then there’s the “extraordinarily talented” Nick Mount, whose work is represented in major private and public collections including state galleries and the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.

And Tom Moore, well-known for his maximalist style and is one of Australia’s most respected glass artists.

Emma from Guildhouse believes the rich relationships between institutions like Adelaide’s JamFactory “where Clare still blows hot glass in the studio a couple of times a week” build a strong arts community.

“It’s feedback we often get from larger cities, especially on the east coast of Australia,” she says. “In SA we’re small enough that the ecosystem is dynamic and there’s lots of collaboration.”

The former development manager at the Art Gallery of South Australia took over the reins of Guildhouse about 18 months ago.

Established in 1966, Guildhouse was originally known as the Craft Association of South Australia, and is a member-based organisation promoting and supporting the careers of living SA artists, art students, curators, installers and arts workers.

Emma has overseen the peak body reaching record membership numbers, growing 15% to 830 members during her time in the role.

The organisation also moved to the Lion Arts Centre among other contemporary arts institutions in the West End of the city during December last year with support from Arts SA – which also has led to a “huge increase in the number of people popping in”.

Emma says it’s all about “connecting artists with the outside world and letting the magic happen”.

She refers to the organisation’s Well Made website – created to showcase high quality and bespoke creative work in SA and to give buyers looking for unique work the opportunity to connect directly.

Emma Fey from SA’s leading creative organisation Guildhouse says the state’s glass artists are renowned on a global scale.

There’s been a particular focus on strengthening the platform with Guildhouse last year winning a Google Adwords grant worth US$120,000 to spend US$10,000 per month on Google Adwords. The move has doubled Well Made website views, reaching up to 300 visitors a day.

It’s also seen an increase in enquiries resulting in commissions from the likes of Twentieth Century Fox to the City of Charles Sturt and The Gallery restaurant and bar on Waymouth Street in Adelaide. Emma says more than 50 artists now use the curated site.

“There are quite a few commissions coming through the website and we really want to grow that,” she says.

“We have a really diverse sector of artists working across all forms of visual arts practice – from the more traditional to new and experimental art.

“Some of the emerging artists are jaw-droppingly amazing. Likewise, we have an enviable cohort of accomplished mid-career and established artists that have chosen SA as their home and place of business – we are incredibly fortunate.”

Emma believes there’s been a gradual change among artists who look toward creating sustainable businesses, with Guildhouse supporting them through their website, workshops and funding opportunities.

“For a number of artists the language around marketing and understanding what they bring to the market place is something new, but it feels like that is changing,” she says.

“Still, the key thing I would say is that when it comes to succeeding, your work has to be excellent – the important thing is to have great work and from there anything is possible.”

Header image is of glass artist Clare Belfrage. Photo by Grant Hocking.

Industry in focus: Craft industries

Throughout the months of November and December, the state’s craft industries will be celebrated as part of I Choose SA.

South Australian craftspeople make up some of our most creative thinkers and makers of sustainable and innovative goods. Read more craft stories here.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

We love our wine … but what happens to the barrels?

South Australians love their wine, but what happens to the barrels once they’ve reached the end of their useful life?

Barossa Valley craftsman Peter Ruchs has a few imaginative second uses for aged oak wine barrels – fashioning them into lasting homewares pieces such as cheeseboards, platters, and tea light candle holders.

The up-cycling idea was born when Peter, also a winemaker, took home a couple of wine barrels that were destined to be thrown out or used for firewood and decided to make something from them.

His daughter Kristal caught sight of what he was crafting and saw an opportunity to sell the homewares products – each uniquely stained and scarred from years spent ageing wine – at local markets.

Winestains duo Peter Ruchs, front, and daughter Kristal.

The backyard hobby turned into a full-blown business – Winestains – run by the father and daughter duo from their workshop at Williamstown in the Barossa Valley.

“To be able to make something from a product that is no longer useful is really important to us,” says Kristal, who looks after administration and marketing.

“Wine barrels are worth over $1000 and the timber is in the top 10% of the oak, so it’s quality timber.”

The old wine barrels are sourced from local wineries. All parts of the barrel is reused and recycled including the metal hoops which become handles on the cheese boards.

Most of the homewares are sold within Australia, through Winestain’s online shop, on the Shop South Australia marketplace and also through shops, boutiques and galleries across SA, Victoria and NSW.

Winestains’ cheeseboards and platters will make the perfect Christmas gift for foodies or picnickers.

Kristal says their last local market appearance for the year is on November 23-25 at the Bowerbird Design Market.

She says social media has played a big part in lifting the profile of local artisans and craftspeople who might otherwise only create their wares as a sideline job or hobby.

“I am seeing a trend of consumers understanding what is involved in creating something unique, and the importance of local artisans and makers,” Kristal says.

Fellow craftsperson Tali Strauss is also passionate about giving old-wine barrels a second chance at life.

He runs Tubbies Australia, a Barossa Valley cooperage that manufactures quality port and spirit maturation kegs from American oak ex-wine barrels sourced from local wineries.

The kegs are sold to general consumers or fortified winemakers who store fortified wines in them, as the richness and character of the oak adds to the maturation process.

A Tubbies Australia maturation keg in the walnut stain with steel hoops.

Tali entered the craft industry 30 years ago after working in fashion and advertising for many years but in the end longing to “get back to doing something with my hands”.

“I saw an opportunity 30 years ago with wine barrels, I knew the wine industry at the time had trouble disposing of them,” he says.

“So I moved into buying barrels and doing them up in all sorts of ways; as an example we were selling them as half wine barrels to garden centres and hardware stores.”

Then Tali hired a retired experienced cooper to teach him the traditional cooperage methods of crafting oak timbers into kegs.

Tubbies Australia is one of Australia’s few coopers, a proud and traditional trade that dates back thousands of years but is often seen as a bit of a dying art.

“There aren’t many coopers around and it’s a big process to hire someone and for them to learn the trade,” Tali says.

“You can’t learn coopering by going and doing a TAFE course, you can learn machining, but you have to learn coopering on the job and it takes about four years.

“Tubbies cooperage has evolved to become the largest manufacturer of port and spirit kegs in Australia.”

Industry in focus: Craft industries

Throughout the months of November and December, the state’s craft industries will be celebrated as part of I Choose SA.

South Australian craftspeople make up some of our most creative thinkers and makers of sustainable and innovative goods. Read more craft stories here.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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Shop South Australia is home to a unique collection of over 300 South Australian gifts and goods from more than 70 local makers and producers. Choose local and Shop South Australia.

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by brandsa2018

Meet the makers behind SA’s craft industries

In an ever-changing world of emerging technologies and high-tech systems, now is the perfect time to also appreciate South Australia’s skilled artisans and craft industry entrepreneurs.

Our state’s artists and makers – from furniture makers, jewellers, ceramists, glassblowers, leatherworkers, and fashion designers – are creating works that make waves on a global scale.

Many of our craftspeople are professionals who dedicate their creative careers to showcasing beauty and aesthetics with respect to sustainability and the environment.

Throughout November and December, Brand SA News will take you inside craft industries as part of Brand South Australia’s successful I Choose SA campaign.

Not only will the success stories of traditional craftspeople be told, but so too will the tales of our craft brewers, distillers, winemakers and food producers – those making niché products using high-quality ingredients and processes.

Each of the highlighted craftspeople will have sustainability initiatives in place, whether it be a trendy craft brewery using a sustainable water supply, a craftsman giving a second life to aged wine barrels or a furniture maker creating pieces from recycled timber.

The JamFactory at Seppeltsfield in the Barossa Valley provides a space for craft and design.

Across the eight weeks of craft industries coverage, we’ll bring you these exact stories and many more, including a yarn on Kangaroo Island Wool and its tight-knit group of wool growers, organic and biodynamic winemakers, and botanical skincare labels.

We’ll take you on a tour of Adelaide CBD creative hub The Mill, home to a collection of established and emerging designers. We’ll also go inside Kangaroo Island’s honey industry to explore the sweet stuff made from the island’s Ligurian bees, believed to be the last remaining pure stock of the species in the world.

Two craftspeople will be appointed as Brand South Australia’s newest I Choose SA ambassadors, sharing their personal stories, achievements, challenges and thoughts on the industry.

So, step inside the world of paint, fabric, metal, glass, wood, fabrics, recycled materials, leather, botanicals and natural products to uncover something special.

Want to learn more? For a complete run down of the state’s craft industries, head along to Brand South Australia’s Industry Briefing at Plant 4 Bowden on November 19.

Guests will hear from Business SA chair Nikki Govan, JamFactory CEO Brian Parkes and gin producer Brendan Carter of Applewood Distillery in the Adelaide Hills.

What: Brand South Australia I Choose SA for Craft Industries Industry Briefing
When: November 19, 4.30–6.30pm.
Where: Plant 4 Bowden
Tickets: Click here to purchase.

 

Industry in focus: craft industries

Throughout November and December, the state’s craft industries will be celebrated as part of I Choose SA.

South Australian craftspeople make up some of our most creative thinkers and makers of sustainable and innovative goods. Read more craft stories here.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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Shop South Australia is home to a unique collection of over 300 South Australian gifts and goods from more than 70 local makers and producers. Choose local and Shop South Australia.

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by brandsa2018

Brick+Mortar: lifting Adelaide’s art and design scene

By Melissa Keogh

Art and politics are rarely two sectors that go hand in hand, but creative entrepreneur Elizabeth Donaldson has thrived in both.

The former diplomat is the founder of South Australia’s first creative multifunctional venue, Brick+Mortar Creative, which in its two years has provided a launch pad for many of the state’s most promising artists.

Despite having a 10-year background working with Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra and Japan, and then as a diplomat with Cabinet Office in Adelaide, Elizabeth has always had a creative itch.

“I had always wanted to do something entrepreneurial but it took me a while to find the right project,” she says.

“In the end, I chose to focus on elements that I had consistently been drawn to outside my work life (design, art and interesting spaces) but had never felt qualified to be involved with in a professional sense.”

Brick+Mortar director Elizabeth Donaldson created the multifaceted space to allow creatives to thrive in their industry.

Brick+Mortar director Elizabeth Donaldson created the multifaceted space to allow creatives to thrive in their industry. PHOTO: Sam Dickinson.

Elizabeth launched Brick+Mortar in 2015, a multifaceted space in Norwood that provides a retail space for artists including painters, ceramicists, jewellery makers and sewers.

The space also comprises a café, a ‘meet the maker’ space for creatives to interact with clients and private co-working studios for graphic designers, architects and photographers.

Currently Brick+Mortar represents 60 artists (55 of them South Australian).

To date it has hosted 161 workshops involving 68 artists and attracting 3000 participants.

Elizabeth says she was inspired to establish a practice that “improved the odds” for artists and designers by taking care of the common obstacles met when launching a small start-up or retail space.

“I felt many start-up problems could be addressed through a multifunctional space that provided an umbrella of marketing and business support, and managed the risk and overheads of a retail venue,” she says.

“Including a café, co-working space and workshops would draw a customer base and co-locating artists would build a foundation community quickly.”

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Brick+Mortar comprises meeting and workshops rooms and co-working spaces for emerging or established local artists. PHOTO: Sarah & Laura Design.

Elizabeth says Adelaide’s strong creative scene, festival offerings and its small, connected population made it the perfect place to launch the hybrid space.

“Set up costs are lower compared to larger cities,” she says.

“Rent, transport, rates, publicity and parking are all generally lower for locations with equivalent traffic and exposure.”

A number of success stories have been born from Brick+Mortar, including local milliner SyIvy Earl who went on to feature in Vogue Australia and some of the country’s top stores.

Elizabeth is also proud of her ‘developed from scratch’ approach to the self-sustainable and commercially viable creative hub, which receives no government funding.

What is creativity on an empty stomach! Brick+Mortar is also home to a café, using local produce and locally roasted coffee. PHOTO: Sarah & Laura Design.

What is creativity on an empty stomach! Brick+Mortar is also home to a café, using local produce and locally roasted coffee. PHOTO: Sarah & Laura Design.

In her opinion, South Australia’s craft industry is growing in its impact on the economy and its influence on people’s buying habits.

“People are more and more willing to directly support their local economy by buying local,” she says.

“They are increasingly interested in the sustainability aspect of consumption, preferring to buy quality goods that are expertly built to last.”

Despite being surrounded by creative juices everyday, Elizabeth confesses she’s “not remotely talented in actually creating any kind of art”.

However, she hopes it might one day “rub off on me through osmosis!”

by brandsa2018

Adelaide DJ bringing old school back

By Melissa Keogh

South Australian DJ and electronics technician Medhi El-Aquil’s old school-inspired DJ mixers are in high demand from sound appreciators worldwide.

From his workshop in Blackwood, the English-born craftsman manufactures analogue rotary mixers bought by DJs and nightlife venue owners in Paris, New York and London.

His company Condesa Electronics is well-known by disc jockeys, but also those who want to simply reconnect with the high quality sound only a handcrafted mixer can bring.

Rotary mixers – popular in the days of vinyl records – have analogue volume unit (VU) meters, circular controls and are minimal in their design.

Medhi with his rotary mixers which are in hot demand by DJs and sound appreciators across the world.

Medhi with his rotary mixers which are in hot demand by DJs and sound appreciators around the world.

Medhi says rotary mixers – which are used to transition from one song to another and to control sound output – offer more character and soul than mass-marketed, digital equipment.

“I think there’s a problem in the industry in that most people think that what is new and digital is better sounding, but that’s a misconception,” he says.

“Digital mixers can be more flexible and do more than the rotary mixer, but the quality is not as good.

“So there’s a trade-off … a rotary mixer isn’t as perfect and clinical as a digital mixer, but it’s got more character and there’s something special about it.”

Raised in the UK in the 1970s and ‘80s, Medhi was always tinkering with audio and recording equipment.

He left school at the age of 16 to undertake an electronics apprenticeship that mainly focused on security systems.

“There was a little bit of an audio component in it and I was always interested in that side of things,” he says.

Medhi has also DJ’ed at nightclubs on the Spanish party island of Ibiza.

Fourteen years ago he relocated from London to Adelaide with wife Kerrie, whose parents are Australian.

Medhi says the pair was drawn to Adelaide to be closer to family, as well as the lower cost of living and laid back lifestyle.

“The cost of living here is cheaper, so there’s not as much pressure to be working longer hours and I’m never stuck in traffic,” he says.

“All of these reasons are why I’m here.”

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Condesa Electronics mixers take 12-16 weeks to construct.

Six years ago Medhi completed the construction of his first rotary mixer, taking him one-and-a-half years.

It went to a Melbourne buyer before a second order came in, followed by a third and before long Condesa Electronics was born.

Medhi’s mixers are bought by clubs and sound studios in Scotland, the UK, America, Japan, Korea and Mexico, as well as popular musicians such as electronic duo Disclosure.

“They seem to be much more of a personal thing sold to people who appreciate them,” he says.

“We put hours and hours into making them. They are built to last decades.”

Condesa Electronics has a team of four staff who help construct the equipment, made from steel and sustainably-sourced wood – either Tasmanian oak or Australian blackwood.

Medhi can also be found filling eardrums with beats at popular Adelaide CBD nightspots Udaberri and Bank Street Social.

He hopes appreciation of classic, old school music gear will live forever.

“When we started making the mixers, they weren’t really a trend, but it’s actually grown in popularity,” he says.

“I intend to keep making them as long as there’s demand and I hope there will be.”