Beneath the Surface –  Professional Development Retreat, Exhibition & Public Engagement at Fundy National Park

Application Deadline EXTENDED: July 19th, 2024

The Beneath the Surface project is a partnership between Craft NB and Parks Canada. It takes place in 3 sections:

1. A Professional Development Retreat at Fundy National Park from Oct 21st to Oct 25th, 2024 – Guided tours, educational sessions, reflection & conceptualization time.

2. Followed by an independent creation period from November 2024 to March 2025 – Create your piece and develop a related Artist Talk/Workshop/Demonstration with guidance and feedback from the Curator and Craft NB Team.

3. Culminating in an outdoor exhibition and public engagement session during the Spring/Summer of 2025.

We will award 10 Craft NB members the opportunity to explore new perspectives in craft-making while experiencing New Brunswick’s rich natural environment with the goal of enlivening their individual studio practices.

Our Professional Development Retreat is designed to help artists experience the natural landscape, learn about the scientific processes that shape and change the natural world, and discover the rich cultural history of Fundy National Park (FNP) which is an important site for craft in New Brunswick, starting with the work of Dr. Ivan Crowell in the 1950’s.

During this 5-day retreat, park interpreters and creative leaders will interact with the artists to educate and inspire cross-pollination of ideas. Artists are also encouraged to spend time alone breathing in and pondering the nature that surrounds them. Please note that the retreat has a physical component of hikes, park exploration, and optional kayak trips – please indicate on your application if you require specific physical accommodations.

No work is required to be produced on-site during the retreat portion of the program. Rather, the aim of this time is to inspire participants and for artisans to explore new ideas and ways of working. Artists will have until the end of March 2025 to develop and create work in their own studios AND to develop a public engagement session consisting of either: an artist talk related to their creative process; A hands-on family-friendly workshop; or a demonstration of their craft.

The 10 artists selected to embark on this journey, through the vast and beautiful environments of the Fundy National Park, will have the chance to unplug from their busy lives and let nature inspire new ideas and exploration in their craft.

We invite you to review the Call for Artists and send in the required application and information by July 19th, 2024.

The call for Curator is officially open

Beneath the Surface – Call For Curator

Application Deadline: July 2nd, 2024

Craft NB and Fundy National Park ( FNP ) are pleased to host Beneath the Surface, a week-long artist retreat in the park resulting in a professionally curated outdoor exhibition and public engagement sessions. The exhibition will feature installation based works created by participating artisans based on their time spent in the Park. The exhibition will open in Summer 2025 and will be displayed throughout the Summer season. In the past, this exhibition has touched 300,000 park visitors. It is an excellent opportunity for all that participate.

There are very few artists in New Brunswick working in outdoor installation and environmental based art. This year’s Beneath the Surface project will enable and encourage participants to experiment and develop new sustainable ways of producing and showcasing contemporary craft outdoors. It will also challenge them to lead a public engagement session related to their piece or their craft. For many, this will mean working with new materials, conceptualizing new ideas, and producing work on a new scale.

We are seeking a passionate and driven individual who has past curatorial and outdoor installation experience. Preference will be given to individuals who reside in Atlantic Canada.

We invite you to review the Call For Curator and apply by July 2nd, 2024.