WESTERN FRONT – Toque Craft Fair

Description:

Toque Craft Fair is an annual community event and fundraiser hosted by Western Front. It showcases a curated selection of British Columbia-based artists, craftspeople, and designers who make textiles, ceramics, jewellery, stationery, and home and body products. Expanding across both floors and into the downstairs office of Western Front, Toque kicked off with Friday night festivities that included two cash bars with drinks by Main St. Brewing, The Strait & Narrow, and St Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery.

Toque is all about goodwill, community, and fostering sustainability for artists and artist-run culture in Vancouver. The participating artists, craftspeople, and designers generously donated 30% of all sales to support Western Front’s artistic program.

Participating vendors included Ami Like Miami, AxeWood Inc., Blossom Beads, Cracher Dans La Soupe Parfum, Charlene (Chuck) Heilman, Concept Theft, Darling, be, Domestic Intervention Co. by Corrina Hammond Textiles, Draw Me A Lion, Dunbar Pottery, DW Leatherwork, fancypop, FRNGE, Fortiv, Goodbeast, Haley Hunt-Brondwin, Heike Royer Art, Henderson Dry Goods, Hi Julez, Julia Chirka, Kate Metten Studio, Kerria Gray, Knitbone Ceramics, Made By Elliot, MDW Jewelry, Moonseed Herbals, Mona Lisa Ali Ceramics, Moniker Press, NEW LOoK, Paperbacknote, See You Soon Studio, Studio Daisy, Studio Note, tuk + milo, Tony Dubroy, Taylor Moon Ceramics, Valérie d. Walker, WarmAndDrift, Willow Ave, and Woolf Glass.

Presented with the support of A&B Partytime Rentals, Buy-Low Foods, Gulf & Fraser Financial Group, Main Street Brewing Co., Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Area, and St Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery.

Lisa Cinar sits behind a table with a display of her books, prints, and illustrations. A pink illustrated tote bag and a pennant banner made from small drawings are hung on the wall behind her. Lisa holds a green reusable coffee cup and smiles at two customers dressed in beige coats.

Valérie d. Walker holds an indigo-dyed handkerchief and smiles at a baby that is strapped to a woman wearing a white quilted coat. A rack with Valérie’s other indigo garments can be seen in the background. Valérie has short curly hair and wears glasses and a pink quilted best.

Wearing a grey toque and graphic T-shirt, Tony Dubroy leans over his table display of wooden bowls to show two customers a detail in a piece they are holding.

A man wearing a black hoodie sits at a table and points at a graphite drawing of a cat clipped on a pegboard. A woman in a black jacket and a child dressed in an orange shirt with a white number one on the back face him. The table is decorated with wooden boxes holding hand drawn buttons, and a sign that reads: Buttons made by Elliot. Hello, I am nine years old and I love to draw, paint, and make all sorts of art. Magnets and buttons 4 dollars each, 4 for 15 dollars. Art Prints 20 dollars.

Mona Lisa Ali sits at a table with a display of her ceramic cups, bowls, teacups, and plates. She smiles at a customer, whose back is to the camera.

A woman holding a disposable coffee cup smiles and leans toward a vendor seated at their table, which displays a variety of small amber bottles.

Catherine Langevin points at a wicker basket that is part of her table display. She wears her hair in a messy topknot, and is dressed in a long sleeved denim shirt. A smiling customer stands on the opposite side of her table.

Meghan Weeks is seated at a table and smiles while showing a customer a pen. She wears clear framed glasses and a pink top. Various jewellery pieces are displayed on the table in front of her.

A customer wearing over ear headphones, a green baseball cap, a black Arcteryx jacket, and a backpack, smiles at Derrick Wong, who is shown with his back to the camera. They stand on opposite sides of a table with a display of leather goods.

Nellija Zi sits at a table where a variety of hand felted animals and plants are displayed. She smiles towards a customer who holds a plush owl. A felted wreath and wolf head are displayed on the wall behind him.

Captions:

Lisa Cinar at Toque Craft Fair, Dec 1, 2023. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Valérie d. Walker at Toque Craft Fair, Dec 1, 2023. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Tony Dubroy at Toque Craft Fair, Dec 1, 2023. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Made by Elliot at Toque Craft Fair, Dec 1, 2023. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Mona Lisa Ali at Toque Craft Fair, Dec 1, 2023. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Toque Craft Fair in the Grand Luxe Hall, Dec 1, 2023. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Catherine Langevin of Willow Ave. at Toque Craft Fair, Dec 1, 2023. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Meghan Weeks of MDW Jewelry at Toque Craft Fair, Dec 1, 2023. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Derrick Wong of DW Leatherworks at Toque Craft Fair, Dec 1, 2023. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.
Nellija Zi of WarmandDrift at Toque Craft Fair, Dec 1, 2023. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.

Western Front is a non-profit
artist-run centre in Vancouver.

We acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations as traditional owners of the land upon which Western Front stands.