Craft advocate Gail Rogers
Long-time advocate for craft Margaret “Gail” Rogers passed away in November, 2023, at the age of 85. What follows in a personal account by NWCF President Debra Sloan, who remembers Gail’s contributions to craft and her work with the Craft Council of BC, of which the NWCF is a member.
Gail Rogers, her contributions to crafts people and the status of craft in British Columbia
Word of Gail Roger’s passing has been moving regretfully through the craft world. Gail’s knowledge of craft came through the influence of her mother, Grace Cameron Rogers, who is honored by the CCBC’s Grace Cameron Rogers Scholarship. An expert on BC craft, Grace scouted with Doris Shadbolt for BC Crafts to sell at the Vancouver Art Gallery shop throughout the 1960s and 70s. She also promoted exhibitions, as, during that time, craft in the form of ceramics and textiles were given solo exhibitions at the VAG.
In 1973, Gail became the first Executive Director of what was then known as the Craftsmen’s Association of BC. The name was later changed to Crafts Association of BC (CABC) to reflect greater inclusivity. In 2009, the organization officially became the Crafts Council of BC. The CABC emerged from the Community Arts Councils and was formally registered as a society in 1973. Jean Marie Weakland was the first president; Deidre Spencer, the first editor of Crafts Contacts; and Gail, the first Executive Director. Their first office, library and tiny exhibition space was located in downtown Vancouver in the Dominion Building at the corner of Hastings and Cambie Street. It was here that I first met Gail, and where she started to lay the foundation for a provincial umbrella organization dedicated to craft.
By the late 1970s, everyone wanted to be on Granville Island, the new hot arts location in Vancouver. In December, 1979, CABC moved to 1411 Cartwright Street, Granville Island. It shared its location with the Cartwright Street Gallery, a separate entity and gallery managed by Diane Carr. The establishment was assisted by the federal government through the CMHC.
In 1985, after extensive fundraising and the efforts of a dedicated board, the CABC moved across the street to its present location at 1386 Cartwright Avenue. Architect Wolfgang Gerson, the husband of weaver, board member, and loyal volunteer Hilde Gerson, designed the layout of the building. Like Grace Cameron Rogers, Hilde Gerson is honoured with a CCBC award named after her. For the first time, the CABC had a gallery, shop, meeting room, and offices, and Crafthouse was established. In 1992, the Cartwright Street Gallery morphed into the Canadian Craft Museum, moved to Howe Street, but survived only until 2002.
In contrast, the CABC/CCBC has grown and evolved through 50 years, in no small part thanks to the foundation created by Gail and her volunteers. She oversaw the development of the shop and gallery, produced six-years-worth of Crafts Contacts newsletters, which were published bi-monthly and distributed across Canada and the US, and spearheaded the popular annual craft exhibition Made by Hand. She helped co-sponsor the Craft Market, a precursor of the East Side Crawl, at the Vancouver East Cultural Center. Most importantly, Gail made sure BC craft was showcased at Expo ’86.
Gail worked hard to promote crafts within the broader community. She was a pragmatic dynamo, radiating positive energy. During her 17-year tenure as the Executive Director of the CABC, she vastly enhanced the profile and status of crafts in BC. The crafts community, of which I am a member, owes Gail an enormous debt of gratitude for her vison and dedication.
Gail relinquished her position as ED in 1990, and many years passed before the crafts community could once again rely on an equally dedicated director. That position is now filled by Raine McKay, who has worked steadfastly at CCBC for 15 years, overseeing many ambitious projects and advocating for craft across Canada. Raine is another person to whom we owe an enormous debt of gratitude.
Debra Sloan, November 2023
