N.L. artist revives lost craft of toy making in new exhibition
Katrina Tompkins is the artist behind the exhibition "Good Fun: A Heritage Toy Project," where she showcases toys she collected from people across the province with some artistic twists she added. (Submitted by Katrina Tompkins)
A new exhibit in St. John's explores the art and craft of handmade toys in Newfoundland and Labrador.
"Having a sort of generic North American sense of culture growing up in Ontario, I really envy and admire the deep sense of place and belonging that seems to me to be very present in Newfoundland," said Katrina Tompkins, the artist behind the project.
Her exhibit, Good Fun: A Heritage Toy Project is at the Craft Council gallery in St. John's. Tompkins borrowed childhood toys from people in the province for the display. Some of the toys include an aluminum plane, paper kites, wooden boats with white sails, wooden puffins "flying" from strings attached to the ceilings, doll houses, and more.
Tompkins said she came up with the idea after she witnessed a different exhibit that showed traditional crafts from Newfoundlanders and Labradorians that have been slowly forgotten.
"Anything that's handmade has a special place in culture," Tompkins said.
She said handmade toys can reveal a certain character of a place, as they showcase imagination of people using whatever material was available.
Another charm about handmade toys, Tompkins said, is how they are not perfectly presented and alike, unlike the factory made toys she had in her childhood.
The exhibition showcases wooden toys borrowed from people in the province and also toys crafted by Katrina Tompkins. (Submitted by Katrina Tompkins)
Alongside toys, Tompkins collected stories.
She said she met a man who grew up in Tilting during the '60s. He told her how he and other children used to play after church by stealing bridles and riding ponies.
So, Tompkins made rocking ponies and added them to the exhibit.
Other works in the exhibit were enhanced with the help of local artists. Like a new, fresh wallpaper in a dollhouse, and new tiny dishes in its small kitchen. Tompkins also crafted furniture to go alongside them.
"It's a colourful little dollhouse inspired by a saltbox that I lived in in Joe Batt's Arm on Fogo Island," she said.
Visitors also have the opportunitie to make their own toys.
"I would absolutely love to see toy making brought back in a more daily occurrence and also as a place for people to experiment with making," Tompkins said.
Good Fun: A Heritage Toy Project is open until Sept. 20.
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