In case you hadn’t heard, one of Vancouver’s biggest showcases for one-of-a-kind handmade goods comes to East Van this weekend, Make It Vancouver! It’s their Spring show with almost 200 makers, designers, artisans and crafters. As you might expect, there will be an amazing selection of items including fashion, accessories, jewellery, art, baby items, home décor and our personal favourite, food! There is great line up of vendors including some favourites such as French Made Baking, Rootables, The Salt Dispensary, Trudy Ann’s Chai & Spices, Jules & Kent and The Local Churn to a name a few. On deck for home décor is another strong line up and includes a personal favourite we’ve featured here previously on the site East Van Light. If you are looking for some gift items whether for Mother’s Day or an upcoming birthday, this is the place to be. And if you think it’s all for the women, think again. There will be something for everyone on hand. Add to that, for all you hungry shoppers, there will be food trucks and a beer garden. Make It Vancouver! takes place at the PNE Forum on Friday, April 22nd from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm, then continues on Saturday, April 23rd from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm with their last day being, Sunday, April 24th from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission is $5 at the door which allows you to shop all of the 3 days, admission is free for kids 12 and under. See you there.
Make It Vancouver! At The PNE Forum April 22-24
20 Apr
New In Town: East Van Light
30 Apr
Today we would like to introduce to someone doing creative work here in East Van, Dan Emery and his creation East Van Light. Dan designs and builds vintage industrial lamps with a beautiful and simple modern design. Dan comes from the film and television industry, but over the last 10 years, he also kept busy buying and renovating homes with his girlfriend. They worked together stripping homes to their frames and redesigning, rebuilding and revitalizing them into beautiful new spaces. After one particular renovation, they were left with some nice scraps of birch. They also had a nice antique reproduction Edison light bulb kicking around at home. A light went off in Dan’s head and an idea of designing vintage industrial lamps was born. His first pair of prototype lamps were developed.
A year and a half ago, Dan and his girlfriend moved from Montreal to Vancouver and settled in East Van, in the heart of Commercial Drive. Dan said he was impressed with the “wonderful culture that embraces and supports a ‘Buy Local’ philosophy”. This support of local and artisanal businesses inspired him to get East Van Light ramped into gear.
As you can see from the photos, Dan likes producing clean, minimal, designs that allow each component of the lamp to be showcased and enjoyed. He combines premium local salvaged wood bases with high quality reproduction hardware so that each lamp delivers a warm functional light. At the same time, his goal is that each lamp has a “refined old world aesthetic that inspires the work, repose, curiosity and conversation of those around it.” Dan says that he “strives for his lamps to be subtle in their support of the spaces they inhabit, while simultaneously engaging the audience that surrounds them.”
Dan will premiere East Van Light at the 2015 Spring edition of Got Craft? this weekend at the Maritime Labour Centre. Got Craft? is Vancouver’s largest indie craft fair and for this event he teamed up with a local East Vancouver carpenter, Brad Seiber, of ReForm + Design Woodworking, who is responsible all of the amazing woodwork that goes into the lamp bases. Together they purchased the entire trunk of an old slow growth BC Black Walnut tree, sourced from an old Scandinavian tree salvager who saved it from being torn down, and slowly and carefully dried these giant cuts of lumber in his barn out in the Fraser Valley for the last 7 years. Dan worked with the raw slabs to ensure the beautiful features, grain patterns and characteristics of this exceptional wood is showcased in each and every handcrafted lamp that he designs. Dan is passionate about providing high quality handcrafted lamps and is excited about launching East Van Light at Got Craft this weekend. You can expect to find Dan and 75 of his lamps at the Maritime Labour Centre this weekend from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. If you are not able to attend Got Craft? in person, you can also view a selection of Dan’s lamps on his Facebook page.
Photo Credit: Jenny Lyseng
Share this:
Got Craft? Spring Edition Maritime Labour Centre May 2 & 3
27 Apr
Vancouver’s largest indie craft fair, Got Craft?, returns this Spring to the Maritime Labour Centre on May 2 & 3, 2015. This event showcases some 75 local vendors with a wide variety of curated handmade goods. As well, they will be bringing back some of their most popular workshops to this event such as hand lettering with legendary sign painter, John Lennig of Big Top Sign Arts. What we were pleased to learn is some of the new East Van vendors that will be taking part in this upcoming event. They include:
East Van Light
Emilie Crewe
Five Corners Creative
Graveley & Sons
Kate Barazzuol Jewelry
Owl & Windsor
The Nine O’Clock Gun Company
Fable Naturals
For those doing a little Mother’s Day shopping, the timing of this show is just right, being Mother’s Day is May 10th. The first 50 people through the door each day will receive a swag bag full of goodies from vendors and sponsors. Got Craft? takes place on May 2 and 3, 2015 between 10:00 am-5:00 pm at the Maritime Labour Centre, 1880 Triumph Street. Admission is $3 at the door, and children (10 and under) get in free.
