N.L. artist revives lost craft of toy making in new exhibition

A new exhibit in St. John's explores the art and craft of handmade toys in Newfoundland and Labrador.

"Having a sort ofgeneric North American sense of culture growing up in Ontario, I really envy and admire the deep sense of place and belonging that seems to me to be very present in Newfoundland," said Katrina Tompkins, the artist behind the project.

Her exhibit, Good Fun: A Heritage Toy Project isat the Craft Council gallery in St. John's. Tompkins borrowed childhood toys from people in the province for the display. Some of the toys include analuminum plane, paper kites, wooden boats with white sails, wooden puffins "flying" from strings attached to the ceilings, doll houses,andmore.

Tompkins said she came up with the ideaafter she witnessed a different exhibit that showed traditional crafts fromNewfoundlanders and Labradorians that have been slowly forgotten.

"Anything that's handmade has a special place in culture," Tompkins said.

She said handmade toys can reveal a certain character of a place, as they showcaseimagination of people using whatever material was available.

Another charm about handmade toys, Tompkins said, is how they are not perfectly presented and alike,unlike the factory made toys she had in her childhood.

Alongside toys, Tompkins collected stories.

She said she met a manwho grew up in Tilting during the '60s. He told her how he and other children used to playafter church bystealing bridles and ridingponies.

So, Tompkins made rocking ponies and added them to the exhibit.

Other works in the exhibitwere enhanced with the help of local artists. Like a new, fresh wallpaper in a dollhouse, and new tiny dishes in its small kitchen. Tompkins also crafted furniture to go alongside them.

"It's a colourful little dollhouse inspired by a saltbox that I lived in in Joe Batt's Arm on Fogo Island," she said.

Visitors also have the opportunitieto make their own toys.

"I would absolutely love to see toy makingbrought back in a more daily occurrence and also as a place for people to experiment with making," Tompkins said.

Good Fun: A Heritage Toy Project is openuntil Sept. 20.

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