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The Craft Association of British Columbia and Vancouver Museum invite you to experience contemporary craft featured in one of the largest fine craft exhibitions in the province, Contemporary Craft in BC: Excellence within Diversity, presented at the Museum from February 7 to April 6. Celebrate the diversity of ninety-one BC artists using mediums of fibre, glass, wood, metal, ceramic and mixed media to create vibrant pieces with West Coast flair.

"This is the largest fine craft exhibition in British Columbia that features a broad range of mediums and artists," said Yvonne Chui, CABC Executive Director. "Excellence within Diversity celebrates the technical skill and creative excellence required by the craft makers to create pieces that are a combination of function and aesthetics. Some of our artists are people who have had previous careers as doctors, nurses, teachers and engineers or recent graduates of art and design colleges and have been drawn to become craft artists to express and comment on identity, place and social issues. Craft is all around us and has been produced for centuries. The exhibit celebrates how ordinary objects made by hand can be extraordinary."

Brigitte Rice and Kathryn O'Regan, Co-Chairs of the Craft Year Organizing Committee further state that "In this era of instant communication, which allows images to be broadcast globally, much may be lost in transmission. In photographs the three dimensional and tactile qualities of creative works are virtually impossible to convey. Hence the significance of this exhibition... Throughout time it has been the artists' task to transcribe political, social, moral and intellectual issues into an artistic vocabulary. In the case of craft it is a unique cultural activity, one that contains art, science, and technology. This alchemy is ultimately translated into unique works fulfilling more than a utilitarian purpose."

Artists featured in the exhibit are inspired by the natural environment, cultures around the world, current events, science, history and architecture. This exhibit consists of unique, high calibre one-of-a-kind pieces created by makers who have reached the peak of their creative skills. Photographs are available of the exhibit pieces and an e-catalogue will be available after February 7 at www.cabc.net

The exhibit is open during regular Vancouver Museum hours: TUESDAY through SUNDAY, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, THURSDAYS 10:00 am - 9:00 pm, Closed MONDAYS. Tickets are available at the Vancouver Museum, 1100 Chestnut Street in Vanier Park. General admission is $11, students and seniors $9, youth $7, and children's admission is Free. For more information visit www.vanmuseum.bc.ca or www.cabc.net.

Upcoming events at the Vancouver Museum for Excellence within Diversity are:

• Green is the New Black Wearable Art Fashion Show, presented by the Vancouver Guild of Fibre Arts, Sunday, March 30th at 2:30pm. For tickets contact the fibreEssence Gallery at www.fibreessence.ca or 604-738-1282, or the Vancouver Guild of Fibre Arts at www.vgfa.org.
• Meet craft artists and watch some demonstrations in various mediums at the Museum on February 9, 22 and 23, March 8, March 21, 22, 23 at 12:20 - 2:30pm and 2:30 - 4:30pm. See www.vanmuseum.bc.ca or www.cabc.net for details.