Frequently Asked Questions About 10,000 Villages

1. What is Ten Thousand Villages?
Ten Thousand Villages is a marketing organization that sells handicrafts from developing countries through its network of 36 stores in Canada, 115 in the US, and through 300 annual Festival Sales in Canada (100+) and the US (200+).
It is a program of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a relief and development organization working around the world. Ten Thousand Villages has its roots in the work begun by Edna Ruth Byler in 1946.
2. Where does everything come from and who made it?
Products sold by Ten Thousand Villages come from more than 30 countries around the world, countries considered to be “Third World” or “underdeveloped”.
We buy from more than 120 different groups of artisans and reach thousands of individual people. About 70% of the artisans are single mothers. Some artisan groups also seek to employ persons with physical disabilities.
Ten Thousand Villages intentionally looks to work with people who are unemployed or severely under- employed. Products sold by Ten Thousand Villages do not come from large factories but are made in small group settings or in homes where artisans can also manage household responsibilities or farm work.
We are concerned that the environment in which our artisans work is clean and healthy and materials used for production are not harmful to the artisan or the environment
3. How is a “fair wage” determined?
Ten Thousand Villages talks with the artisans themselves. They also talk with other organizations that are working in that country. We also learn what other persons in the community earn – farm workers, construction workers, teachers, etc. It is our goal that a person’s income enables her/him to pay for food, clothing, housing, children’s education and medical care.
4. How much money does Ten Thousand Villages send back to the artisan?
None! Before placing an order, Ten Thousand Villages establishes what the artisan group considers to be
a fair price for the item.
When placing the order, half of the purchase price is sent with the order. This allows artisans to purchase the raw materials needed and to pay wages during production.
Upon completion of the order, the remainder of the purchase price is paid before the order leaves the country. Orders are paid in full before they arrive in our warehouse.
5. How do we find these artisans and products?
Ten Thousand Villages is a program of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC www.mcc.org), a relief and development organization with contacts in 50 countries around the world.

More than 500 MCC workers live and work in 40 developing countries. In many cases these MCC’ers introduce us to artisans. Sometimes contacts come through other church groups or through the International Federation of Alternative Trade (IFAT www.ifat.org). IFAT is a 200-member fair trade organization to which Ten Thousand Villages belongs.
Regular visits and financial statements help us to ensure accountability. We do not ask any of the groups we buy from to sell exclusively to us, nor do we have exclusive contracts on any products.
We continually focus on trading with communities with the greatest needs.
6. How are we different from Pier One® or other importers?
Our principle is People First / Product Second. We deliberately go looking for people who have little or no marketing connections. In some cases, we buy from artisans who have never made anything they could sell before. We first encourage the artisans to make whatever they can from raw materials they have available locally. As we work together, products and artisans increase in sophistication.
We worked with Allpa (a group of artisans making ceramic pieces in Peru) for 5 or 6 years before helping them attend the New York Gift Show. Pier One learned about Allpa at the gift show and has placed orders with them since then.
7. Is everything really handmade?
Items are made in home workshops or yards. Stone workers use power tools but items are still made one at a time. Textiles are woven on handlooms rather than on power looms. In the case of the papyrus cards from Egypt, cards are printed by a silkscreen process, then individually hand-painted. Being individually made, products are not always identical.
8. Why aren’t there any products from the impoverished in Canada?
Our mandate is to work with poor artisans in developing countries. In developing countries, governments do not have social assistance programs to help the unemployed or disabled. Any person in Canada probably has better possibilities of accessing the market than a person on the other side of the world. The poorest person in Canada is generally better off than the typical person in Bangladesh, for example.
9. Who does a Festival Sale benefit?
It is Ten Thousand Villages’ intention that the artisans who make the products we sell are also the ones who benefit from our sales. No local Canadian organizations benefit from a Festival Sale. Each sale is run by volunteers.
Ten Thousand Villages is a non-profit, self-supporting organization. We do not raise funds for other MCC programs, nor do we receive donations from MCC. We have no shareholders to pay. We are grateful for the many volunteers who gladly work on behalf of world neighbours they will never meet.

To Blog, or Not To Blog

Pins by PLSGOCO

I have been a regular blogger now for a few years and have racked up more than 300 of them in addition to my professional practice as a reviewer, essayist and curator.  Facebook has also taken up some of my attention and has been a good way of reaching out to readers.  The temptation with Facebook is that it can be done in a few minutes.  It is the graffiti of communication, a post-it-note or abbreviated means of expression.  It does not encourage considered thought or a developed argument.  It does not encourage responsible thinking and writing.  But it can pack a wallop with a stinging after effect.  That makes it expensive mind-candy.

Tenured academics have the perk of sabbaticals to feed their research and keep the creative engines running.  I envy that situation, so I decided to take some time off from regular blogging and do some dedicated reading.  Furthermore, I chose to read fiction and poetry rather than factual prose.  I became more selective about which assignments to accept.  Now this was real luxury.

It is often said that there are usually two solutions to any problem: time and money.  I believe that time is more desirable than money.  If I am considering whether to accept an assignment or pursue a professional project, I will ask myself the following question.  "Do I want to spend my time thinking and researching this topic or artist?"  I rarely give second thought to the writer's fee.

Snagged for only $6 at Broken Books.

Hopefully, this is a matter of quality over quantity.  Oddly enough, life is too short–the quantity of days–to sacrifice quality.  Of course, practicality determines that we need a balance between the two.  I seldom take a walk without a goal or destination in mind.  Maybe it is the result of working to a deadline for the majority of my life.

Part of what sparked this phase of life or attempt to switch gears was a question posed by a friend.  She said, "what do you like to do for fun?"  I was stymied.  Dancing would have been my usual response but I have been sidelined with a persistent injury.  Activities like theatre, cinema and other cultural pursuits are for me professional endeavours.  Had I forgotten how to play?

I am an empty-nester and in my 60s.  What would I do in my so-called retirement years?  A second career seemed unlikely.  Serious travel was too expensive.  I have champagne taste and a beer budget.  My leisure time is dotted with thrift shops, second-hand bookstores and free lectures.  Perhaps I should have followed that sarcastic philosophy professor's career advice and "open a brothel."

When Politics Make Sense

Happy International Women’s Day!   “They tried to bury us. They didn't realize we were seeds.” On this day, we are proud to share with you what we stand for: The vision of PerSIStence Theatre is community enlightenment based on the core beliefs of feminism. We are a charitable.non-profit organization based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, that responds to the persistent and universal need for promoting, understanding and embracing the core beliefs of feminism. Through professional theatre and related initiatives, we work to change hearts and minds. OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES We challenge discrimination and stereotype in all forms We offer opportunities to all genders with a focus towards people who identify as women* We respond to issues that affect women and girls in our community We re-examine universal stories traditionally told by men, through a feminist lens We produce stories where at least 50 per cent of the text is spoken by female character(s) THE CORE PRINCIPLE Feminism: The belief in political, economic, personal, and social equality for women*. OUR CORE BELIEFS Sexism exists Sexism against women (misogyny) is enduring, pervasive, systemic, cultural, and ingrained All genders should have equal rights and opportunities All genders are the intellectual and social equals of each other All genders should be recognized and treated as equals *Women: PerSIStence Theatre recognizes the limiting nature of the binary use of woman. We serve and welcome anyone on the gender spectrum who identifies either always or some of the time as a woman. We also serve and welcome those who identify as nonbinary.  Intersectionality: PerSIStence Theatre works through an intersectional lens for gender parity. We understand and acknowledge that systems of oppression and discrimination are interdependent and span all social categorizations such as race, class, gender, ability, parental status, size, age, and sexual orientation as they apply to a given individual or group. Addressing one spoke of systematic discrimination or disadvantage means holistically addressing them all.

A great way to celebrate international women’s day

Where Art and Science Meet: Emily Jan

Apologue1 (The Anteater) 2016 48"x30"x24"  by Emily Jan

Two little girls stand transfixed before a mixed-media sculpture by Emily Jan, which takes the life-sized shape of a fabulous anteater. Its intense pink, shiny tongue is frozen in a gesture that snakes towards the girls and then ends with a flourish of greenery. A large bouquet of vividly coloured flowers cascades from its hindquarters and contrasts with the creature’s soft, snowy coat. The girls are puzzling this out. It doesn’t resemble any creature they’ve encountered in reality. It is literally fabulous or fable-like; Jan calls this series of sculptures Apologues, as in the animal populated stories of Aesop,although these are simply numbered rather than titled. Jan’s sensibility may be literary but she is never literal. The girls want to know, “what is the fable about?” They speculate about familiar squirrels and birds, “creatures that eat seeds and then poo them out” starting a new crop of plants. Their conclusion: “it’s the cycle of life, just like in The Lion King.”

The earnest young art critics have successfully untangled the challenge of interconnectivity in Emily Jan’s exhibition, T he World is Bound by Secret Knots . Or perhaps they have enacted one of Jan’s favourite concepts, “the artist as explorer.” They have journeyed to the safe jungle of the artist-run gallery, explored, discovered and studied. This ambitious solo show of ten vignettes in fibre and mixed media is Emily Jan’s response to a three-week residency in the Peruvian Amazon. This 2015 rainforest adventure was typical of Jan’s creative practice, which alternates between research travel and exploration–she has been to 36 countries so far–and long periods of deep engagement with materials and process in the studio. She needle felts raw wool into fur for her hybrid beings, casts resin for their skulls, teeth and impressive claws and hand weaves caning into armature-like skeletons. Second hand flowers and foliage are up cycled into fantastic accents that evoke forests and domestic decoration.

Characteristically, Emily Jan avoids plinth furniture that is common to art galleries. Her methods of display are nuanced selections from the domestic arena: tables, desks, plant stands and shelves. These in turn are harvested from the sustainable economies of the thrift shop or are temporary loans from the community of the exhibiting venue. Think of it as an artistic variation of “catch and release” hunting.

The furniture choices for The World is Bound by Secret Knots extend the aesthetic and narrative possibilities of her sculpture. Tables that would otherwise nest, are stacked vertically becoming small scale towers of consumption. They perch upon each other with neat, poised feet. Curved furniture lines resonate with curling talons, beaks and snake coils. Furniture references function and the warmth of the human hand. The rainforest has come into this living space although not through the use of precious exotic woods. There is a palpable animated energy in the room. A diamond-patterned textile leg from a pair of tights becomes a sinuous serpent on an equally sinuous branch that sprouts a surprising pair of eyes. Will we get consumed by our own habits of consumerism?

Emily Jan blurs the distinctions of time and being in her sculpture. It is hard to tell if her creatures are flourishing or becoming extinct; are they regenerating or are they in a state of decay? Fungus, plant and animal merge in ways that erode the boundaries of species. A fierce bird of prey is festooned with strands of beads that resemble both entrails and caviar. Jan confounds our categories of understanding into a fertile hybridity of fact and fiction. A rich ambiguity seems to have replaced the laws of nature.
Although the series is called Apologues, Emily Jan does not moralize. Instead she seduces the viewer with voluptuous form, detail and colour that is ultimately mysterious. Beauty resides in both the flowers and the weeds. The domains of science and art, which are both ways of understanding the world, are brought together to enhance each other. If fallacy is allowed in art, it is simply because it is another kind of truth.

Oh, For the Love of Words!

I have often joked that my business card should read, "Ms Words, For Fun and Profit".  Yes, words are my friends and I truly relish them.

A long while ago, a colleague of mine quipped, "what's the use of big words if nobody can understand you?"  I agree that words are meant for communication and there is little use in obscuring meaning with "fancy words".  However, I do refuse to dumb things down because that seems to me to be a race to the bottom. 

Thinking about my co-workers' comment and being truly adversarial at heart I subscribed to the Merriam Webster's word-of-the-day service. https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/calendar

I was a little disappointed.  This week there was only one word that I had never seen before: freegan.  Not surprisingly, it refers to someone who only eats free or recycled food. 

I didn't realize that I would get to use the word the same day that I made its acquaintance courtesy of Miriam, or rather Merriam.  (Yes, I am having fun anthropomorphizing words and books.)  Last night, I was in a Spanish restaurant where they are testing new recipes for a February launch.  I was offered a bowl of quail soup.  It was excellent– a great combination of creamed onions, quail and Vallencia oranges.  In turn, I offered a taste to a friend of mine.  His response was "no thank you, I've become a vegan".  I couldn't resist saying that what I had become was a freegan.  (Yay!).

A juror's perspective

 Hellcat Foos (For Protecting A Space), 2018, Lindsay Montgomery.

One of the aspects I most enjoy about my professional life is its unpredictability.  Assignments, invitations and projects come out of the blue and many of them have last minute deadlines.  Juggling all that can be a challenge, and I confess the older I get the more selfish I get –accepting those tasks I find most educational and enjoyable.  Jurying competitions, whether it be for grants, awards, or exhibitions, is on the top of that list. 

I try and always say "yes" because having to study a number of applications (often dozens of them) is a great crash course on what is being made by some of our most talented artists.  I can spot trends, get inspiration for articles.  Reading letters of recommendation are indicators of who are the power players.  And then there is my favourite– getting to work with my colleagues, who are a well informed and good natured bunch from across the country.  Last but not least, there is the pleasure of giving back to my community.  Given the professional path I have chosen, I will never have enough money to be a benefactor of any significance to an artist or institution.  This is the closest I get to being a cultural Santa Claus.

Most recently, I was involved with the Winnifred Shantz Award, which is a national award with the aim of transforming the career of an emerging ceramics artist–to the tune of $10,000.  The unanimous choice of the jurors, Dr. Rachel Gotlieb, Paul Mathieu and myself, was Lindsay Montgomery of Ontario.  You can read more about it:  http://www.theclayandglass.ca/events/awards/

The award winner will be celebrated at the host venue of the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery in Kitchener on December 1st.

The Writing Life: Sound Symposium X1X in Musicworks Magazine

Ah, the rythms of writing and publishing.  It is its own kind of ebb and flow.  I submitted the following review for a mid August deadline in Musicworks magazine.  I was excited by the opportunity to write about a new topic for me…experimental music and I threw myself headlong into the exhausting opportunity, not to mention the challenge of trying to cover an event that spanned ten days and 53 artists.  Now that it is published, I get to share it with you too.

Sound Symposium XIX

July 5-15,2018

St. John’s, NL

Although this year marked the 19th iteration of the biennial Sound Symposium, it was distinguished by several firsts such as colloquium, new awards, and of course–risk taking world premieres. The Symposium commenced with the Indigenous Improvisation Colloquium: Freedom and Responsibility–and heritage, ceremony and cultural ontology quickly became themes that threaded throughout the ten following days of performance.  Raven Chacon, who is a member of the American Indian arts collective Postcommodity, situated improvisation as a “safe place” for marginalized cultures. Meanwhile, Dawn Avery and Cris Derksen–both outstanding and innovative cellists–added First Nations voices that challenged simple categories.  Featured artists from Norway, Frode Fjellheim and Snorre Bjerck, expanded the scope of discussion to include the resurgence of the Sami vocal tradition of yoiking.  These themes, which probe the symbiotic relationship between place and identity, have a special resonance in the cultural psyche of Newfoundland and Labrador.

With ten international and forty-three Canadians artists creating sonic adventures in concert halls, cathedrals, galleries, pubs and the unforgettable Harbour Symphonies it is difficult to convey a cohesive review in a few words.  Performances went from dawn to dawn.  I have to admit I didn’t make the 4:30 a.m. organ and voice performance (David Buley) in the Anglican Cathedral, although I know from previous experience that the 4-manual Casavant organ is a treat.  One of the advantages of having afternoon, evening, late night concerts and even later night jam sessions was that there were multiple opportunities and impromptu contexts in which to absorb the many talents singly and together. If you didn’t make Subhira Quartet’s set in the formal concert hall, you could pick up their pub feature of Chilean infused world music. How often do you get to hear a guzheng and didgeridoo throwing down dance tunes?

Concerts were interspersed with events from sunrise meditation (Rosalind MacPhail), mindful sound walks and gatherings (Gayle Young and James Harley), to technical workshops on composition, instrument building and graphical scores. The screening of Sonic Divide (Payton MacDonald) gave audiences an in-depth appreciation of the training, inspiration and interpretation of MacDonald’s unique approach to using his mountain bike along with  found materials as percussion instruments.

The evening that MacDonald played live, he was on a concert program that included Rokkur and NL knitters and storytellers, and Doron Sadja.  That meant the audience was taken on an odyssey that went from pure acoustics –think bicycle wheels, spinning wheels and wool winders– to synthesizers, extreme frequencies and dense noise.  This is ambitious programming that requires an audience to really open its mind and ears.  As the week unfolded it was rewarding to see both audience and artists grow to accommodate each other.

The ambient Cinquanta (Jordan Nobles) played by percussionists, guitarists, keyboard and harp situated on the different floors of the open atrium of The Rooms charmed audience members.  They actively listened not by passively sitting but by walking through the environment, almost as an act of collaboration. Nobles’ composition was ideally suited to the soaring vistas of sky and sea on view through the expansive windows. 

A few hours later we figuratively transported to cliffs and ice flows. Roarshack, the impressive NL team of Paul Bendenza, Rob Power and Andrew Staniland, aptly performed Birds & Ice Report.  This composition is an artistic retrospective from Sound Symposium 1983 conceived by visual artist Frank Lapointe and the late percussionist-composer Don Wherry.  It is delicate without being precious and is a rare instance where neither image nor sound overwhelm each other. Photographer Greg Locke designed and digitalized Lapointe’s original images for this 2018 version.  

Throughout the Symposium, the strength of women composers was evident.  Adding to the well recognized Hildegard Westerkamp and Gayle Young, we were introduced to powerhouse players like Cris Derksen; Dawn Avery, who performed from her North American Indian Cello Project; Jennifer Thiessen (viola d’amore) and Ida Toninato (baritone sax) who as a duo admirably build performances based on their contrasting instruments; and improvisers Susan Alcorn (pedal steel guitar) and Amy Brandon (acoustic guitar and electronics) who combined their and the audiences’ energy.

The Sound Symposium has been a consistent creative pressure cooker for decades.  This 19th event, with its sense of adventure and community, could not be dampened even by Hurricane Chris that was reduced to a post-tropical storm and one more contributor to the St. John’s soundscape.

Gloria Hickey

PHOTOS: (Top) Percussionist performing with others (not shown) the world premiere performance of Jordan Nobles' Cinquanta; Local knitters joining Sarah Albu (far left) and Reuben Fenemore (far right) of Rokkur; (bottom) Paul Bendzsa performs as part of Birds And Ice Report. SOUND SYMPOSIUM XIX PHOTOS BY: Greg Locke.

Gloria Hickey is an independent arts-and-culture writer based in St. John’s. She has written articles for C Magazine and Billie.