One of the works I kept coming back to at #GradEx111 was Willa Crowder’s “All The Layers Between”. @springssungal
For years I’ve joked and talked about creating an OCAD U award for “Best in Plinth”. Not an award for the artwork itself necessarily, but for the apparatus or method of display. How a work is installed, suspended, supported, lit, or positioned in space. How we show our work is often just as important as the work itself.
This installation would have been a strong contender.
The suspended corset forms, fine tension lines, embroidered details, and pooling textile elements completely changed the feeling of the room around them. The work felt delicate and controlled at the same time, almost like the sculptures were being held in a constant state of tension.
Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to meet Willa during my visit, but this was one of the standout installations from the day for me.
Maybe 2027 is finally the year “Best in Plinth” becomes a real award.
Spent the day at #GradEx111 as part of OCAD U Alumni Relations’ new Alumni Ambassador initiative, speaking with graduating students and walking this year’s exhibition.
Returning to GradEx as a Sculpture & Installation alum (2015) and now as someone working across fabrication, public art, education, and community-building, one of the most rewarding things was seeing how expansive and interdisciplinary student practices have become.
A few projects and conversations that stayed with me:
Jes Bonnie’s “Tender Fragments” explored intimacy, memory, bodily distortion, and material transformation through large-scale sculptural textile works that balanced softness, vulnerability, and grotesque beauty in a really compelling way. (Enjoy Berlin!)
Callum Gardiner’s sculptural installation investigated discarded domestic technologies, recycled materials, and systems of communication through an assemblage of reconstructed media objects. I was especially drawn to the material experimentation of the sound panel of shredded sweatshirts.
Fletcher Barrett’s “Big Compendium of Lithography: The Registration Process and Our Registration” approached printmaking through research, documentation, and preservation of technical knowledge. I especially appreciated the care given to process and the transmission of craft knowledge between artists. Sometimes the process is the art.
Derek Berry’s installation and print work surrounding intrusive thoughts and OCD translated internal psychological experience into physical space through repetition, signage, and visual rhythm in a way that felt immediate and deeply human. (Put that Rigid to work!)
Kiki Asal’s “The Glow Of Effort” transformed personal conversations into symbolic jewellery objects that functioned almost like portraits through material and form. The work carried a real sense of care and intentionality.
I also had a great conversation with the team behind “Beam It Up Blorp!”, an independently developed game project full of charm, absurdity, and a surprisingly polished visual identity. After demoing it, I immediately wishlisted it on Steam (you should too!)
Part of the @threedaysgraceofficial show is a fireside session. This inspired the gift that @tdcoliseum gave them of a portable wood stove and s'more kit from @jessicas__sweets
We were asked if we could make some plaques with a thank you from the venue.
The process:
-Cut strips of brass sheet to the desired size.
-Coat the brass with a layer of black lacquer because our laser can't engrave metal, but it can *remove* paint.
-Laser engrave the artwork into the lacquer.
-Hook up electrical leads to a power source and using a wad of cotton dipped in saline solution, electroetch the brass. The lacquer acts as a resist.
-Use Isopropyl alcohol to remove the lacquer and reveal the etch.
-Rivet the plaques onto the camp stoves and voila!
Always fun to get to play around with different techniques and knock these projects out! Swipe through to see the magic that is electroetching.
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#artstudio #hamontart #shoplocal #supportlocal #smallbusiness
Built something pretty surreal this past weekend for Three Days Grace @threedaysgraceofficial at their show at TD Coliseum @tdcoliseum
Using the artwork from "One X" as the starting point, we recreated the iconic paper chain figures as a human-scale sculptural installation for the band’s dressing room. The piece was fabricated from CNC-cut MDF and sign acrylic, then wired with addressable LEDs so the checkmarks and X glow.
Swipe through for some behind-the-scenes shots and build footage. The second slide shows the 1/10th scale maquette we made to pitch the concept before scaling it up. Keep going to see the band hanging with the final piece backstage.
Still kind of wild to put work in front of a band we’ve been listening to for over 20 years. Huge thanks to everyone involved in making this happen. The show was absolutely awesome
Also part of our shortlisted proposal for the Cowan Recreation Centre at RBJ Schlegel Park in Kitchener was Stickwork, a set of sculptural benches for the building's West entrance.
The concept comes from two moments in lacrosse: Throwing sticks into a pile before a pickup game to pick teams, and the chaos of trying to find a shot through a wall of sticks during play.
Those ideas became two large-scale benches formed from lacrosse sticks turned horizontally, creating multiple ways to sit or lean on while you waited for your game or your ride. Positioned at the main entrance and pickup zone, they’re meant to be used constantly.
Materially, the design contrasts thermally treated wood with powder coated aluminum, referencing both traditional indigenous stick making and the more contemporary box version of the game.
Thanks again to the @cityofkitchener , @mirrormax.studio for bringing the work to life in digital, and to Sean, John, Seamus, Connor, Hannah, Judy, and James for the collaboration, and @mccormacktimber for the material samples.
We were recently shortlisted as 1 of 4 teams for a public art commission at the Cowan Recreation Centre at RBJ Schlegel Park in Kitchener.
Our proposal for the building's North entrance, Through the Net, draws from a familiar moment you've seen in basketball: the camera view above the rim, whether it’s of a dunk or the ball rolling around the rim before it drops through the hoop.
The sculpture translates that perspective into a 10-foot diameter rim that dips into the ground to eliminate tripping hazards, with curved glulam ribs forming a large-scale net structure above. Designed to be stepped into and gathered within, it becomes a place for teams to meet, take photos, run through, or use as an impromptu goal.
While we didn’t move forward to the final stage, we’re proud of where this landed and the direction it pushed us in.
Thanks to the @cityofkitchener for the opportunity, @mirrormax.studio for the incredible renders, and to Sean, John, Seamus, Connor, Hannah, Judy, and James for the work that went into this one.
Swipe for a night time view, a 3d printed version, and an early mock up.
Spring’s here. Your porch deserves better than a sad plastic pot.
We’re running a Porch Planter Workshop May 3rd at Art Aggregate where you’ll build your own solid wood planter with a hanging sign.
You’ll learn the basics of measuring, cutting, assembly, and finishing, and leave with a piece that’s ready for plants or an address sign.
What you’ll make:
16" wide x 24" tall planter with hanging sign. Plants not included.
Who it’s for:
Beginner friendly. No experience needed.
Come make something useful, learn a few things, and walk out with a planter that doesn’t suck.
Spots are limited, grab yours through Eventbrite (link in our bio)
OPEN HOUSE
Tuesday, April 21 is John’s 60th birthday. He’s the co-founder of McCormack Timber Supply Co. and our dad. It also lines up with the 9 year anniversary of Art Aggregate.
We’ll be at the shop from 12–5 for a casual open house. Nothing formal, just a chance to drop in, say hello, wish John a happy birthday, and help us mark both milestones.
We’ll have cake, some drinks, and the doors open.
637 Parkdale Ave N, Hamilton
Tuesday, April 21
12–5pm
ROCK PAPER SCISSORS (version 2) is out in the world now as part of the Burlington Waterfront Sculpture Trail. You can find it in the seating area beside 389 Brant Street.
Tag us in photos of you beating your friends!
This version doesn't have a fold up base like the previous one, instead has a large weighted cavity as well as weather resistant materials for longer outdoor exposure.
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Sculpture Trail organized by @cobalt_connects
Waterproof MDF from @mccormacktimber
Rain Refresh paint from @sherwinwilliams
Concept, CNC work, and Construction by @artaggregate
#BWST2026 #hamont #burlont #artstudio #makersgonnamake
Our Monthly Maker Meetup is back Tomorrow Monday, April 13 from 6:30 to 8:30 at Art Aggregate, 637 Parkdale Ave N.
With Art Crawl kicking off and the busy season ahead, this is a good time to get together and talk shop. If you are working toward an upcoming market, show, or event, bring what you have been making. We are always up for a bit of show and tell, feedback, and conversation around what is working and what is not.
These meetups are a mix of artists, makers, designers, and people working across all kinds of mediums. Some come with work to share, others come to listen, connect, and meet new people.
If you are looking to get a second set of eyes on your work, figure out your next steps, or just stay connected to the local creative community, this is a good place to do it.
Free to attend. Snacks and drinks provided. Free parking.
