February 2022 – AHVA Workshop Blog

Materials up for purchase:

Raw canvas (6’ wide)
Canvas stretchers (10’)
Reusable safety gloves (small, medium, large)
Locks
Safety glasses
Dust masks
Other (misc. materials)

How to purchase Materials:

For in person purchases:

Simply visit the AHVA workshop where you can find a set of QR codes which direct you to the payments website as well as other important links to get you started in using the workshops resources such as:

WHIMIS training
AHVA workshop bookings (visit this link for a more detailed rundown on how to book a time slot)
AHVA payments

Note: the most popularly purchased materials are individually marked with a QR code at their respective locations around the workshop for your convenience.

For online purchases:

If you prefer to pre-buy your materials online before your visit to the workshop, you may choose to purchase online instead. Once you have purchased your materials online, you can select the pickup location as the AHVA workshop and pickup whenever works best for you.

Visit this link to begin purchasing.

Note: All payments are made made contactless online which means we don’t take payments in the form of cash (sorry!).

Easy buying and no more crying!

An Artist’s Crate

WHAT IS A CRATE?

A crate for art purposes is typically a wooden structure made out of thin and relatively light materials (fig. 1,1.1) – an example being plywood sheets – with light lumber for a support frame around the edges. A well constructed crate should have: handles on both sides (fig. 2), feet on the bottom for easy trucking and movement of the crate (fig. 3), a large panel for the front cover that can be removed and replaced with multiple screws and/or nails (fig. 4), the inside should be lined with foam (usually multiple pieces) with one solid piece secured to the bottom while removable pieces are used to frame and secure the artwork within the crate for transport (fig. 5).

Why you should invest in a crate as a practicing artist:

Transportation – with a good enough quality crate, the artwork can be moved with stress free knowledge that it is protected along its journey. For weirdly shaped artworks, the crate provides a solid form that is easily moved and makes damage a lot less likely to the artwork in question.
Protection – a finely crafted crate will provide an excellent barrier against the elements as well as long term storage factors such as dust, grime, and general wear and tear.
Storage – a crate would be a good investment if you know you’re going to be holding onto a work for a longer period of time. It can provide reliable storage and makes for easy archival needs if you have multiple artworks stored in one area.

Go get yourself a crate! They’re great!