Introducing Ceramics Kiln Firing Services at Akin St Clair!

Are you a ceramics enthusiast looking for reliable kiln firing services in Toronto? Look no further! Akin St Clair (1747 St Clair Ave W) is excited to announce the launch of ceramics kiln firing services for glass and ceramic artists.

This privately run kiln, operated by skilled technician and long-time Akin Member Liliana, is now available to fire your creative pieces. The kiln is available to fire work for non-Akin members however, there may be longer wait times as Akin Members are prioritized.

The kiln is privately owned and operated by the kiln technician. Akin does not guarantee kiln firing availability, timing, or pricing. Kiln firing services are not included as a part of Akin Membership fees.

KILN SPECIFICATIONS AND PRICING: 

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Paragon Kiln: 16.90 inches (43cm) wide x 11 inches (28cm) high. 

*Available for glass works, bisque fire & glaze (only low fire clay) 

Shelf dimensions: 15 1/2 inch (39.5cm)  

Kiln available to have 1-3 shelfs depends of the pieces dimensions.

Prices:

• 1/2 shelf :  $12 + tax

• One Shelf:  $22 + tax

• Full Kiln:  $40 + tax

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Cone Art Kiln:  23.5 inches (59.69cm) wide x 22.45 inches (57cm) high. 

*Available for glass works, bisque fire & glaze (high & low fire clay) 

Shelf dimensions: 21 3/4 inch (53.34cm)  

Kiln available to have 1-5 shelfs depends of the pieces dimensions.

Prices: 

• 1/2 shelf: $14 + tax

• One Shelf: $28 + tax

• Half Kiln: $ 53 + tax

• Full Kiln: $105 + tax

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For more detailed information visit: www.akincollective.com/ceramics.

To ask questions or schedule a firing please send an email to Liliana, the kiln technician at liliputmorritos@hotmail.com and you can follow her @Ceramic.Glass.Kilns. It may be helpful to take a pictures of the pieces you want fired and send via email.

To learn more about Liliana, read our blog! https://www.akincollective.com/blog/2023/akin-member-highlight-liliana-botero-rey.

To become an Akin Member at Akin St Clair, email us at info@akincollective.com or check our what's available at www.akincollective.com/currently-available 

We look forward to seeing your creations! 

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Akin St Clair, 1747 St Clair Ave W

 

Kiln Operator at Akin Davisville: Call for Expressions of Interest - Deadline March 1st

Akin Davisville, 224 Merton Street, is looking for a kiln owner who is interested in an Akin Studio Membership starting in February or March 1st 2024 and would like to operate their kiln from the studio. If you have a kiln and would like to operate your own kiln firing business out of an Akin studio, read on to learn more about this opportunity. We have approval for one kiln to be installed in the building so this is a limited opportunity. 

What does running a kiln out of an Akin Studio look like? 

Kiln owners and operators run their own firing business out of an Akin studio. Akin does not take a cut of any profits earned from firings. It is up to the kiln operator to determine how often they will fire for themselves and others, what they will charge as a fee, and how they will communicate with clients and organize their firing schedule. We have members doing this at Akin Dupont and Akin St Clair currently. Akin can support your business by promoting it on our website like this: www.akincollective.com/ceramics  

Kiln owners will rent the space from Akin to be used as a kiln room. At Akin Davisville, we’ve reserved a suitable room to dedicate to kiln use. Additional space in the building could be rented as well if you needed more space for working, shelving or other storage.  

The kiln operator will also be responsible for signing Akin’s Kiln Contract for Kiln Owners and Operators at Akin Studios prior to joining. This contract can be found here and should be reviewed prior to filling out the submission form. 

What will it cost me to install a kiln at Akin Davisville? 

The kiln operator will rent the studio we’ve designated as the kiln room. The kiln room we’ve chosen is 55 square feet, and the price is $310/month which includes HST, insurance, wifi, 24/7 access, access to communal workspace, kitchen and bathrooms. There will be an additional monthly fee for hydro usage, based on the frequency and duration of kiln firings and the electricity consumption of the kiln. You will also be responsible for all of the expenses related to installing the kiln including electrical work and ventilation.

You must supply all of your own equipment, including the kiln, shelving and anything else that is needed (eg materials and supplies).

The kiln must be installed by a certified electrician to ensure the safety of all studio members. The kiln must be put on its own breaker.

What do the facilities look like? 

Image Above: The designated kiln room at Akin Davisville

The designated kiln room is a 55 square foot (about 7.5’ x 7.5’) private room with a door that closes, tile floors, and a window leading to outdoors. This room was built with an air vent, as we suspect it served the former tenants as a laundry room.

What control will Akin have over my firing business? 

Aside from selecting a suitable kiln owner who is knowledgeable and experienced in operating a kiln, Akin will not assume any control over your firing business. The kiln owner is expected to set their own rates, have their own insurance, organize their own schedule, and assume responsibility for all aspects of their own business. We aim to find a kiln owner who is willing to fire for people within the studio or the larger Akin community if you wish to, and not just for themselves. 

The kiln owner will also need to abide by Akin policies including our Code of Conduct, Health and Safety Policy and Guest Policy. 

How long will I be able to keep my kiln at Akin Davisville? 

As long as you’re a member who pays their monthly fee on time, follows our Code of Conduct and Health and Safety policy, you will be allowed to run your kiln firing business out of Akin Davisville for as long as Akin is leasing the building. Please note that our studio lease end date is November 30th, 2026, however, the landlords may ask us to leave earlier if their site development plans change and we would receive four month’s notice of this. We expect to be staying in the studio at least until the end of 2024. Although we often operate on short term leases we have found that in most cases we are able to extend our stay in these buildings due to the typically slow pace of property development in Toronto. There are however other instances in which property owners make use of the demolition termination clause that often exists in ours and many commercial leases, which means that we have to move out before the end of the lease. 

As a team we feel it is important for us to be open and transparent with you as current and prospective studio members so that you have the necessary information in order to make the decisions that are best for you and for your career. 

How do I apply?

If you’re interested in becoming a kiln operator at Akin Davisville, please fill out this form. Akin staff will review the form submissions and connect with respondents directly. The deadline to fill out the form to express interest in this opportunity is March 1st, 2024  Filling out the form does not guarantee Akin Davisville membership. Priority will be given to folks who are already on an Akin Waiting List, and folks who self-identify as belonging to our priority equity-deserving groups (Persons of Colour, Deaf Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Persons Living with Mental Illness, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQ+)

We look forward to hearing from you! Please email info@akincollective.com with any questions you may have. 

FORM LINK: https://forms.gle/Jt1DCML3QvKEFdjf6

Deadline March 1, 2024

The Sin Fronteras Monarch Butterfly Project – A Flight Path Without Borders

Every summer and winter, monarch butterflies migrate across the North American continent. Coinciding with the arrival of monarch butterflies in Canada and their departure to Mexico, the Davenport Perth Community Ministry, alongside Canada Nos Une Multicultural Organization, held a series workshops and events within the Davenport Perth community. These workshops led to the creation of a multitude of ceramic butterflies that highlight Turtle Island’s connection with ancient Indigenous cultures and the monarch.

When: Thu Aug 22 to Sep 04, 2019

Where: Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen’s Park, Toronto

Part of the Community Arts Space: What we long for
Artists-In-Residence
Co-presented with Akin and Canada Nos Une Multicultural Organization

Facilitated by Monterrey, Mexico-born artist Lourdes (Lumy) Fuentes and Community Minister and artist Tina Conlon during their residency at Akin St Clair, these art-making activities explore the challeng­es faced by migrants in the context of the monarch but­terfly’s risk of extinction. These ceramic butterflies, installed in the Gardiner’s Exhibition Hall and Ancient Americas Gallery, are intended to mobilize conversation and action surrounding the both decline of the monarch and the migrant crisis.

Image source: Gardiner Museum

Programming

July 17, 6 – 9 pm
Clay & Conversation
Make ceramic butterflies that will be part of The Sin Fronteras Monarch Butterfly Project.

July 24, 6 – 9 pm
Clay & Conversation
Make ceramic butterflies that will be part of The Sin Fronteras Monarch Butterfly Project.

August 22, 6 – 8 pm
Exhibition Launch
All are welcome to attend the public opening of The Sin Fronteras Monarch Butterfly Project, featuring a butterfly dance performed by seniors of the Davenport-Perth Community, music, refreshments, and more.

August 25, 11 am – 3 pm
Family Sunday: Spread Your Wings
Just before the monarch butterflies begin their annual migration to Mexico, join us for a special ceramic butterfly-making workshop in English and Spanish.

About Community Arts Space: What we long for

Grounded in the ability of clay to transform, Community Arts Space is a platform for experimentation and socially-engaged art. Established in 2016, the project connects artists, makers, organizers, and residents through the creation of public projects that inspire social action. This year, the Gardiner is showcasing four public projects inspired by the theme “What we long for.”

Akin Artists Included in blog TO's list of Up and Coming Artists

This past weekend blogTO released their list of 10 up and coming Toronto artists and many are current Akin members. The list includes Kendra Yee of Akin Ossington, Joshua Advincula, Chason Yeboah, Liang Wang of Akin MOCA, Jill Smith of Akin Dupont, Amika Cooper, Charlotte Penabel, Raquel Da Silva of Akin MOCA, Alexander Robinson, and Allana Cooper. BlogTO compiled the list of up and coming artists based on suggestions from local arts institutions and organizations. The individuals who made it onto the list are all visual creatives who have emerged on the scene in the last couple of years with some exciting work. Some of them already have a few solo exhibits under their belt, while others' CVs consist solely of group exhibits. Regardless of how many past shows these artists have done, the future looks promising (blogTO, 2019).

Continue reading to learn more about the Akin artists who made it onto the list.

Diverting Cracks Found in the Cement, 2017 by Kendra Yee

Kendra Yee

Kendra Yee is a Toronto-based artist, designer, and curator. Her work consists of mixed-media paintings, ceramic sculptures, and panel-based illustrations. Yee pulls tales from her personal history, lived experiences and collective memory to form speculative worlds where fluid characters come to life through the conversations of interactive bodies.  

Yee is currently developing a program with Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Center that centers around alternative education. In fall 2018, selected women participants aged 13-19 in the west end area of Toronto will join together to create an independent comics anthology surrounding topics on personal identity.

Liang Wang beside his painting The Colour of the Wheat, 2017, Oil on panel, 18” x 24”

Liang Wang

Liang Wang is a Toronto-based painter raised in various parts of Taiwan, China, Australia and Canada. He has exhibited work in numerous groups shows at locations including Northern Contemporary Gallery (Toronto); Federation Gallery, Turnbull Gallery (Vancouver); and Rutherford Galleria (Edmonton). His work is in private collections in Canada and New Zealand. One day I saw the sunset forty-four times is his first solo show. Wang currently teaches painting at the McCanny Secondary School.

Us by Jill Smith, performed at Forest City Gallery, 2018, part of in attendance

Jill Smith

Jill Smith is an interdisciplinary artist based in Toronto, Ontario (1995). Her most recent work explores everyday absurdity, as well as the connective possibilities of materiality. By re-contextualizing familiar motifs with organic, bodily forms, her work calls into question how one both exists and performs as a social body. While Smith’s work stimulates the imagination through whimsical and nonsensical colour and form, it is the relatable, yet ambiguous materiality that offers a platform to question the familiar, and escape to the alien and the uncanny.

Detail view of work by Raquel Da Silva

Raquel Da Silva

Finishing up her degree in Painting and Furniture Design at OCAD, Da Silva's super clean and colourful acrylic paintings have caught the attention from the likes of Nike (she designed a shoe for them in August). Plus her furniture is rad too (blogTO, 2019).

Akin Vitrine Gallery + Rebecca Jane Houston

We are excited to feature new work by returning artist and Akin Dupont member, Rebecca Jane Houston. Rebecca’s piece, “Perfect Circle” will be on exhibit in our Vitrine galleries located at 1485 Dupont and 1747 St. Clair Avenue West over the next two months.

Can I draw circles through past and current work? If I line it all up, an accumulation of stuff made over 5 years, is there a thread to draw them together? When I was in my MFA, I spent a lot of time trying to make perfect spheres on the wood lathe. It was a meditative process and more than that it was a claiming of space as a woman in a wood shop through my presence; by taking up space and time at the tools, and doing it in a feminist way that valued process over “expertise”, open experimentation over “mastery”. Of course I only see this in retrospect. In the vitrine you can see the collection of wood spheres made on the lathe in various stages of completion. In 2017, while working on a project making 100 slip cast bowls, something I hadn’t done before, I kept the trimmings by hanging them all over my studio where they dried and many crumbled. The ones left, that survived all the moving and firing and handling, are hanging here in the vitrine as well. Another set of circles, all warped and drooping. Each like a line drawing, but in three dimensions. I was partly successful in making these bowls, it was also somewhat disastrous. Finally, the two ceramic sculptures were made with casts of spheres in clay. This was just another experiment. They were to represent a bubbling up of feeling. I don’t know if it really happened but again I learned something and moved on to the next thing. I have gathered these three collections of circles together to see if there is a meaning that brings me back in circular ways through similar considerations. Or perhaps it’s just a random collection of things. 

Perfect Circle
ceramics, wood, nails
2018
dimensions available

To contact the artist:
Instagram: @rebeccajanehouston
#Akinvitrine

Akin Collective + Akin Projects are excited to present our 2018 programming in two Vitrine Galleries located at Akin Dupont and Akin St. Clair. These miniature galleries feature the diverse talent of our members with travelling installations rotating each month. Each artist will be featured for the first month at Dupont and second month at St. Clair. For more information about our artists and our programming, join us on Instagram @akinvitrine.

‘Perfect Circles’ will be on view for the month of November in our Dupont Akin Vitrine Gallery, located in the Clock Factory Building at 1485 Dupont Street (entrance on Campbell Avenue). Find Akin Studio 215 on the second floor and follow the sign into the hallway around the corner. The building is open from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.

The exhibition will then travel to the Akin St. Clair Vitrine Gallery and be on view for the month of December at 1747 St. Clair Avenue West. Gallery is street level and can be viewed at any time.

Botanical Drift by Cynthia O'Brien →

“I believe when working with clay that there is a conversation between myself and the material that has lead to a lasting relationship.”

— Cynthia O'Brien

Close up of Cynthia O’Brien’s 2008 installation at the Ottawa City Hall Gallery. This installation explored the identification and acceptance of our fleeting existence. Learn more here.

Botanical Drift is an accumulated knowledge of what Cynthia O’Brien has experienced, all the plants within their natural environments either in Australia, Quebec or in her own backyard. The real plants were sketched in clay, perfected and then pushed further, to create her own real but not real plants, greatly influenced by the working of her own hands.

O’Brien sees these plants as a “moment in time” that is fully understood. Each plant perfectly clear in its purpose in nature and in the narration of a persons mind. A moment latter, everything changes, the sun moves behind a cloud or a persons awareness wonders. These plants are her way of looking at time, life and love.

Botanical Drift

Location: ARTiculations, 2928 Dundas Street, West, Toronto.

Date: September 18th - October 28th 2018

Reception: September 20th 2018, 7-9PM

O’Brien’s studies include a BFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, plus a year at the University of Colorado, USA. She lives and works in Ottawa and is an active member of the arts community through the Blink Collective, 260 Fingers, teaching in local community centres and at The Perley and Rideau Veteran’s Health Centre. O’Brien is recognized by her peers through the Explore and Create Program Grant (Canada Council for the Arts), Helen Copeland Memorial Award (Craft Ontario), Creation Grants (City of Ottawa) and a Mid-Career Artist Award (Ottawa Arts Council). She has participated in numerous artist residencies including Medalta, Alberta; Vallauris, France; TANKS Arts Centre, Australia; Watershed, USA; Ayatana Artists’ Research Program; CPAWS-OV Dumoine River Art Camp, Quebec and 2018 MASS MoCA. O’Brien’s work is in the collection of the Taipei County Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taiwan, the Canada Council Art Bank and the City of Ottawa.

Congratulations Hinkleville Handmade of Akin Dufferin for this excellent feature in Globe Style Advisor magazine!

Jordan MacLachlan's Teracotta Opera / Radiance in Uncontrollable Worlds

Check out this stunning still motion film by Jordan MacLachlan of Akin Dupont.

Jordan MacLachlan's ceramic works are brought to life through film to present a raw emotional narrative of temptation, love and pain through the perspective of spirit animals.

These works and the video are part of the Art Gallery of Burlington's permanent collection of Canadian ceramics.