Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/125338
the 2013 co-chairs, george brown college, and harbourfront centre welcome you to snag's 42nd annual conference! Welcome, Bienvenu, Boozhoo! It is with pleasure and pride we warmly welcome you to Toronto for Meta-Mosaic, the 2013 SNAG conference. This is the second time that the SNAG conference has been held outside the USA and Torontonians, after 28 years, are thrilled to have you back. Toronto is one of the safest, cleanest and friendliest cities in the world; and with a population exceeding 6 million, it is the largest in the country. Canada is a vast, northern nation founded on English, French and Aboriginal values though culturally we share similarities to our American neighbours (albeit with some spelling changes!). Here we make jewellery in millimetres; we drink pop and brewskis; we eat our poutine with cutlery; we ask for the bill not the cheque; we pay with loonies and toonies; and the last letter of the alphabet is zed. Paul McClure Melanie Egan Toronto's name evolved from the Mohawk word tkaronto as the place "where trees stand in water" and is ancestral Mississauga (Ojibwa) land. Today, with half the city's inhabitants born outside Canada, Toronto is the place where one's differences are celebrated and embraced. The city is home to nearly all the world's ethnic groups, over 100 spoken languages, and an array of distinct neighbourhoods, cultures, communities (and restaurants!). This diversity is precisely what inspired our Meta-Mosaic theme. We trust our programming will provide provocative presentations, prompt lively conversations, heighten curiosity and infuse our field with fresh inspiration through an appreciation of our shared knowledge and histories. Your hosts, Harbourfront Centre and George Brown College, have pulled out all the stops to bring you a dynamic line-up of speakers, an ambitious Gallery, an exciting "Harbourfront Centre Happening", numerous student activities, and a fun-filled closing dance party. In celebration of the SNAG conference, we have also inaugurated a month-long festival of jewellery and metalsmithing to promote contemporary work to the general public. Toronto International Jewellery Festival (TIJF) exhibitions and events are being held in over 25 venues including most major museums and craft & design galleries throughout the city. We encourage you to arrive early or stay on a few days to take advantage of all that TIJF has to offer. SNAG could not have chosen a finer hotel venue to host the conference. Steeped in tradition and full of character, the historic Fairmont Royal York is one of Canada's grand old hotels. It now represents a fine piece of Canadiana and holds a unique place in our country's history. Lastly, we pay tribute to everyone who has worked on the planning of this conference: our stellar steering committee, our enthusiastic local volunteers, the supportive SNAG executive, and our generous co-hosting organizations. We have enjoyed working with you all and sincerely thank you for your commitment to making Meta-Mosaic an outstanding and memorable event. Thank you, Merci, Miigwech Paul McClure and Melanie Egan, 2013 SNAG Conference Co-Chairs 1