COME UP TO MY ROOM

CALL FOR INTEREST BY INVITATION

The Gladstone Hotel is seeking innovative, cutting-edge designers/artists, such as you to participate in our 2008 5th Annual Come Up To My Room. We focus on artist/designers who dedicate their practice to; experimental, inter-disciplinary, self-taught, hand-made/craft-based, installation, and environmental, art & design projects (including graphic, new media, photography, film & video.) We are looking for practitioners and emerging designers who approach design with radical personal vision to create site-specific installations.

What is Come Up To My Room?

Come Up To My Room is an alternative design show focusing on the diverse practices that work outside the norms of traditional design: multidisciplinary, independent, emerging and self-taught, all within the backdrop of our historic 118 year old hotel.

Come Up To My Room is unique in that we curate the show by “artist” and then trust the “artist” to design a site- specific installation following their own personal vision. We choose you but we don’t know what you as a designer have chosen to do with your space until we “come up to your room” and see what you have installed. Due to the nature of how the show is curated, it is transient and never presents itself the same way twice. Since its conception in 2004, the success of Come Up To My Room has been manifested in the magic of a small group of designers coming together for one weekend to step outside of the boundaries of discipline and to engage in dialogue with each other and with those who pass through the show. The premise of Come Up To My Room is that change happens through conversation and that innovation requires engaged dialogue between disciplines.

Come Up To My Room is a chance for you as “designer” to showcase personal projects, dream projects, impractical projects, and to refuel or challenge yourself creatively. It is an opportunity to reveal another side of your creative self.

Participants are required to showcase new work and are asked to produce work specifically for this event.

This event is limited to 12 rooms/one floor of the hotel.

When is Come Up To My Room?

Come Up To My Room runs Friday Feb 22 to Sunday Feb 24, 2008 with the Tuesday through Thursday (Feb 19-21) as an installation days. A Press Preview is scheduled for Thursday Feb 21 from 4-8pm. The Gladstone hosts a reception on the Saturday evening followed by the annual LoveDESIGN Party in the hotel Ballroom.

Exhibition dates coincide with IDS show Feb 21-24, 2008.

Taking place at the same time as the Interior Design Show, Come Up To My Room is an alternative event that allows “artists” to showcase their ideas, free from the constraints of commercial considerations.

Who produces Come Up To My Room?

Come Up To My Room is produced by: The Gladstone Hotel
Curated by Pamila Matharu and Christina Zeidler
Exhibition Production: Chris Mitchell

Deadlines and Fees:

Expression of Interest DEADLINE Monday Aug.20, 2007 See Check List below for details.

Participation fees are $650 + GST for room installations and $150 + GST for public space projects; includes installation day and 3 day space rental, exhibition administration, coordination, and inclusion in the promotion, publicity, marketing materials, and exhibition catalogue.

Sept 21th contract and $350.00 booking deposit (room installation participants) along with $150.00 damage deposit are due. Public spaces curated project participants must pay $150.00 + GST participation fee in full

Come Up To My Room runs Friday Feb 22 to Sunday Feb 24, 2008

Check List:

Aug. 20th (no later than 5pm), please submit hardcopy or electronic expression of interest. Please include: CD of 5-10 images of representative work, or jpegs/website url, CV, and 150 word bio of the artist, designer, or collectives. Please do not send ideas or plans for room installation! (Re-read paragraph 3 above.)

Sept 21st contract and $350.00 booking deposit (room installation participants) along with $150.00 damage deposit are due.

Sept 25st All Participants meeting 6pm Gladstone Melody Bar.

Oct 15-19 individual consultation appointments with public space projects participants

Dec 1st $339.00 balance of payment due. (room installation participants)

2 weeks prior final pre-exhibition participants meeting 6pm Gladstone Melody Bar

For more information contact the curators:
Pamila Matharu, pmatharu@rogers.com (+1) 416 846 6230
Christina Zeidler, christina@gladstonehotel.com (+1) 416 531 4635 ext. 7102

For more information regarding pricing, exhibition details and contracts contact:
Chris Mitchell, chrism@gladstonehotel.com (+1) 416 531 4635 ext. 7105

COME UP TO MY ROOM
The Gladstone Hotel’s 5th Annual Alternative Design Event

Feb 22-24, 2008(Event coincides with IDS)

Why should you participate?
The Gladstone is committed to providing participants with a rewarding and fulfilling experience including:

FOCUS - on independent and emerging designers with a range of design sensibilities including political, commercial and strictly aesthetic perspectives.

EXCLUSIVITY - This is not a tradeshow. The unique exhibition setting of our historic hotel, the physical size, focus, and mandate of the event provide the opportunity for every participant to shine.

ACCESSIBILITY - Participation costs for exhibitors and attendees are minimal cost compared to more commercial events.

EXPOSURE – Since 2004, Come Up to My Room Exhibitions have drawn over 2000 attendees each year. Attendees included Toronto and International press, local and international design industry professionals and gallery owners, collectors, patrons, and general public. Past show catalogues continue to generate connections for artists involved.

CONNECTIONS - Networking opportunities for artists with various press and industry professionals is a primary objective and a hallmark of success for last two years. 2004 thru 2006 Come Up to My Room exhibitions have resulted in lucrative connections for most participants with positive impacts on their careers including:

CUTMR 2007 participants were featured in Toronto Life Magazine, Canadian Interiors and the June 2007 issue of Metropolitan Home.
CUTMR 2006 participants were showcased in features by the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, EYE Weekly, Dose, National Post, Fashion Television, City TV’s Hour Town, Canadian House and Home Magazine, and Azure Magazine.
Participation in CUTMR has inspired past participants to expand their practice through new retail storefront business ventures. 2005 participant Jamie Cheveldeyoff launched Koma Furniture Gallery dedicated showing work by independent local designers, with an alternative approach to mass production. Members of 2006 participants MADE Collective launched a retail space – MADE showcasing limited run production creations.
2005 participants Patrick Lightheart, Timothy Friesen, D’Arcy St. Pierre, and Orest Tataryn generated project commissions through their participation.
Allyson Mitchell – “Come Up to My Room” connection with Canadian Art magazine lead to a feature article and exclusive on the Magazine’s May 2004 cover. This exposure has served as a springboard for Allyson’s career. Allyson’s 2005 installation was featured in the May 2005 issues of Dwell and Metropolis magazines.
Ryan Legassicke’s 2005 installation was also featured in the May 2005 issue of Metropolis magazine.
Bruno Billio – connected during this event at the Gladstone with an international art promoter leading to showing of his work in New York.
Derek Sullivan, Scott Euson, and Nep Sidhu were featured at 2004 News at Five sculpture exhibit curated by Canadian Art Editor Richard Rhodes at Toronto International Art Fair
Suanne McGregor, Bruno Billio, and Allyson Mitchell exhibited work at Holt Renfrew’s Headspace after connecting with curator Eileen Sommerman.
Stunt Double, Dennis Lin, Corwyn Lund, Nep Sidhu, Joy Walker, Terrence Cooke, Vest Collective and Motherbrand have been featured in Azure Magazine in a post show reviews 2004-06.
Come Up to My Room 2004 was short listed for a 2004 Untitled Art Award – Best Curated Show - see www.untitledartawards.ca.

These connections are enhanced by the exclusivity and exposure delivered by this event as noted below and also via the Gladstone’s advance marketing including press releases, exhibition catalogue, personal invitations, and the Saturday evening reception hosted by the hotel.

To see press coverage of past CUTMR events http://www.gladstonehotel.com/press.html
To see photos of past CUTMR installations http://www.gladstonehotel.com/cutmr2007.html

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