The Cheongju International Craft Biennale (CICB) began in 1999 and has grown steadily over the last 10 years to become the largest multi-disciplinary fine craft Biennale in the world. The 2009 CICB, its 6th biennale, will feature international exhibitions, special events, academic discussions and significant high-profile awards. In 2007 the biennale was attended by over half a million visitors worldwide, and a wealth of craft makers from over forty countries were showcased in the month long event. With a focus on high-quality functional and sculptural craft, the Biennale attracts attention from collectors, curators, academics, craftspeople and, of course, the public.

The Canadian Crafts Federation/Fédération canadienne des métiers d’art is proud to announce that Canada has been named the official guest country of the 2009 Cheongju International Craft Biennale South Korea.

The CICB has invited Canada as its 2009 guest country, which means that the work of Canadian craftspeople will take centre stage in the Guest Pavillion with a national exhibtion including over 200 works. Entitled Unity & Diversity, and curated by Dr. Sandra Alfoldy, editor of Neo Craft, Modernity and the Crafts, the exhibition will explore the range of work by Canadian craftspeople through the themes of  Water, Land, Contact, Flora/Fauna, Arrivals, Myth/Metaphor and Departures.

Other events taking place during the Cheongju International Craft Biennale include an International Craft Fair where visitors are given the opportunity to purchase participating works of art, design and craft; an International Symposium entitled Outside the Box that will discuss dominant concerns in the field of craft at the beginning of the 21st century; and an Educational Program featuring performances, workshops and lectures.

Announcing Ontario's Successful Unity and Diversity Applicants

Rob Southcott, United We Stand

To learn more about Canada’s participation in the 2009 Cheongju International Craft Biennale, visit:
www.canadiancraftsfederation.ca/korea

Or contact Maegen Black, Administrative Director of the Canadian Crafts Federation at (506) 444-3315, maegen.black@gnb.ca.

About Unity & Diversity

Arron Lowe, Horizon

Fine Craft and Cultural Tour of Korea in 2009

September 18 – October 1, 2009

A special tour highlight includes a visit to the Cheongju International Craft Biennale, the largest fine craft event of its kind with work from over 40 nations. Canada is the featured guest country for 2009, showcasing contemporary Canadian fine craft. Part of the proceeds raised by the tour will support Canadian participation in the Biennale.

Cheongju has a population of 700,000, is located 128㎞ southeast of Seoul and is the administrative and cultural centre of the province of Chungcheongbuk-Do. The river Musimcheon runs through the surrounding layers of mountain ranges and the centre of the city. Notwithstanding the very distinct turnings of the season, the temperature in Cheongju averages 12 degrees Celcius and during the Biennale it is expected to be about 13 degrees. 

Cheongju’s geographical position has always been one of strategic significance, and archaeological evidence shows that a settlement has existed here since the Neolithic age. Visitors today may view the remains of the walls of Cheongju’s nine mountain fortresses, built in the seventh century AD. In the unified Silla period that followed, the town then known as Seowon-Kyeong became one of the new kingdom’s five capitals and the centre of local government. Cheongju was given its present name in 940 AD, the 23rd year of the Koryo Dynasty. A number of Buddhist temples such as Hengbeob-Sa and Beobju-Sa, as well as historic Confucian monuments, can still be seen in and around the city. Cheongju is perhaps most famous for the fact that the earliest known example of a book made with moveable metal type – the Buddhist scriptures known as Jikji simkyeong - was printed here in the fourteenth century.


Highlights of Tour

8 days in Seoul
3 days in Cheongju
1 day in Icheon
Note: 2 days of travel to/from Korea

Cheongju International Craft Biennale, Opening Ceremonies & Canadian Festivities, Changdeokgung Palace, National Folk Museum, Mt. Namsan Seoul Tower, Han River Cruise, Korean Craft Council, Street Markets and shopping, Yongmunsa Temple, Icheon Ceramic Village, Korean Craft Museum, Early Printing Museum, Bukchon Hanok Village walking tour, Contemporary Studio Visits, Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, Traditional and Modern Korean Cuisine etc.

Optional post-tour extensions include a traditional hanok experience in Korea, or travel to Japan, Thailand, Singapore, or China.

Cost per person based on double occupancy includes air travel, hotel, select meals and taxes: $3,907 from Vancouver; $4,087 from Calgary/Edmonton; $4,325 from Toronto and $4,415 from Halifax. (Excludes tips and other personal spending. Other departure points available upon request.)

For more information, visit www.canadiancraftsfederation.ca or contact koreatour@canadiancraftsfederation.ca or (506) 444-3315.