Our members enjoy access to past and upcoming presentations, receive our award-winning magazine, Ornamentum, and so much more.
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WHAT'S NEXT
Read more about this special event with Charlotte Mickie here.
WHAT'S NEW |
Spring Newsletter 2026 Read all about it! A thoughtful event of caring for your closet, RMS Titanic's First Class Lounge Panel, movements to support craft education in Ontario, recreating the CBC Arts logo with pixel noise in mind, and Canadian Design in the hit show Heated Rivalry. Interested in reading the content above and more? Access the newsletter here. Can't get enough with Spring 2026? Visit our newsletter archive. Image: Hayley Morton, CBC Arts logo design. Image Courtesy: the artist & CBC Arts. |
Ornamentum Online Read the new web exclusive Need something whimsical and full of play? Consider learning about Gigi Wenger's practice in ceramics, the artist's favourite pieces, and the process that brings these strange creatures to life. Read the full Artist Profile on Gigi Wenger here. Check back to read interviews with Canadian artists, makers and designers at ornamentum.ca. Image: Detail view of Gigi Wenger, Minis, 2023. Image credit: Guillaume D. Cyr. |
New Ornamentum feature Reed Screens in the House of Light Read about the vital contributions of Violette Dehghani and Mehdi Ebrahimian in the revival, preservation, and dissemination of Persian arts and handicrafts. Dehghani and Ebrahimian's children recently gifted a Kurdish reed screen from their personal collection to Nickle Galleries at the University of Calgary. Read the story of the reed screen's journey from Iran to Canada here. Image: Violette Deghani working at the newly-established Handicrafts Centre under Iran's Ministry of Economy in the 1960s. |
ORNAMENTUM: CSDA/CCAD's AWARD-WINNING MAGAZINE Ornamentum is
Canada’s preeminent publication dedicated to exploring and cultivating
the aesthetics of the everyday. Written for a broad readership, this
award-winning magazine highlights creative design and craftsmanship in
both historical and contemporary work. |
On newsstands across Canada until May 31, 2026 | SIGNS & SYMBOLS The Fall/Winter 2025 issue focuses on the prevalence of signs and symbols in the decorative arts, ranging from the obvious to the esoteric, and everything in between. Articles explore rebus plates, which require viewers to decipher visual riddles, as well as the painted emblems designed by WWII sailors to represent their ships. Also inside this issue, readers will learn the fascinating history of gun shield art at the Royal Canadian Navy's Seagoing Officers' Club in St. John's, and be introduced to the chainmaille of Morris Fox, imbued with polyvalent symbolism. Finally, an article by Sophie Piao—at age eleven, the magazine’s youngest writer to date—goes beyond pattern recognition to define themes in Canadian quilts that demonstrate their social, economic, and cultural contributions. Learn More Digital Issue Print Issue Subscription
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AT-A-GLANCE |
ABOUT CSDA/CCAD The Canadian Society of Decorative Arts/Cercle canadien des arts décoratifs is a national nonprofit that promotes decorative art and design in Canada, through guest lectures, special events, and publications. We're a diverse community, ranging from artists and makers, to experts and enthusiasts. | BECOME A MEMBER Take advantage of benefits including special member discounts, artist’s talks, opportunities for exposure through our newsletter and social media, and behind-the-scenes access to institutional and private collections that are not available to the general public. All are welcome! | NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP Learn about upcoming exhibitions, hear from artists about their craft, and stay updated on all the latest decorative arts news from Canada and around the world! |