Contemporary Glass SocietyNew About Histories and reviews
By Susan Purser Hope – current Chair
Wow- what an achievement! The Contemporary Glass Society celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2022. In addition, the UN has also designated this as the International Year of Glass. Since its inception, CGS has remained committed to promoting contemporary glass. We are passionate about supporting and involving makers, collectors and enthusiasts in advancing and preserving contemporary glass for future generations.
The studio glass movement in the UK began in the 1960s when Sam Herman – a young American glass maker – visited a number of English and Scottish art colleges. He showed students that they could build their own furnaces and studios and did not have to rely on industry to make their work. By the early 70s a number of small almost exclusively blowing studios, including London Glass Blowing, had been set up. From these studios, 18 glass makers created a new support organisation – British Artists in Glass – affectionately known as BAG. This organisation was exclusively for professional artists and students, organising conferences and exhibitions for makers. By the early 1990s, having been run solely by volunteers, BAG ran out of steam and was disbanded.
In 1997, a group of glassmakers met in a London pub and a new organisation was conceived – the Contemporary Glass Society. Those founding members included Colin Reid and Peter Layton. Colin reflects:
“Peter Layton took the initiative to start a new society. About sixty of us gathered at The Leathermarket, London for a lively discussion to consider future steps. Following subsequent meetings between Peter Layton, Andrew Brewerton, Mark Angus, Liz Swinburne, Pete Howard and myself, we proposed a series of recommendations that informed the formation of the Contemporary Glass Society in 1997”.
Like BAG, for some years CGS was run entirely by volunteers; but it became apparent that for it to succeed, proper staffing was needed. Around the start of the new century, the Arts Council of England had plenty of public funding, and in 2002 CGS became a regular funded organisation. This was a milestone for the organisation. Sue Woolhouse remembers this well:
“After several years we secured seed funding from the Arts Council to support the development of CGS and we were able to advertise for its first paid role. Shital [Chair] was absolutely delighted when Pam [Reekie] applied. She not only had the administrative skills required but also a depth of knowledge and a deep sense of the glass world. Since then, CGS has gone from strength to strength and its membership continues to grow.”
Following Arts Council of England’s reorganisation, this funding ceased in 2012 and in August 2013, CGS became a charity. It is now a self-sustaining organisation funded by membership fees and money raising activities.
Conferences remain at the heart of CGS, with intriguing venues and international speakers. Ranging from the Art Deco glory (De La Warr Pavilion) to Eden Project (Cornwall), our conferences offer a platform for home and international glass artists and enthusiasts to build friendships and foster creative and supportive network. Richard Jackson describes his contribution:
“Sally Fawkes and myself organised ‘Perceptions’ the St Ives conference in 2000. It was another major achievement ending on a high with a reception on the rooftop at Tate St Ives after a private tour of the galleries. It wasn’t without its stresses though, two of our key speakers Caroline Broadhead and Bernard Dejonghe pulled out at the last minute due to health issues. However the upside of this was that they agreed to speak at the next conference at Tate Liverpool in 2001 – another great event – which was organised by Shital Pattani.”
In order for contemporary glass to develop, over the years CGS has encouraged education on all levels, nurtured good relationships with Universities and glass establishments and encouraged future generations of glass artists through our Graduate Prize and New Graduate Review.
We have established and sustained strong links nationwide with galleries, museums and galleries in addition to our online platform, creating opportunities for CGS members to showcase and sell their work. Memorable achievements include our first selected exhibition at the Devon Guild of Craftsmen, “Inspired” at London Glass Blowing, “Remarkable Glass” at the Contemporary Applied Arts and “Reflexivity” in Cambridge.
Max Jacquard explains,
“Glass artists and craftspeople need to be tough to survive in the modern world. Yet the experiences I learnt from being involved with BAG and CGS have taught me that we survive better as a community. By sharing and being a part of a network, we enrich not only our own practices but the art-form as a whole. The Studio Glass movement is alive and well, not because of the commercial successes of individuals, but because Glass enthusiasts want to reach out and share their passion for Glass with one another and the wider public. That remains as true today as it did Twenty-Five years ago.”
The 2012 London Olympics was a wonderful opportunity for CGS to promote contemporary glass, as Victoria Scholes remembers:
“With the creation of Glass Games and Glass Skills, a two-year extravaganza of exhibitions and events, we engaged more than seventy glass artists, organisations and over 200 thousand participants.”
To celebrate, a glass baton was commissioned which toured the country, with 24 artists exhibiting in London and a Medallion Exhibition of 82 artists showcasing at the International Glass Festival in Stourbridge. This exhibition is now an established part of the Festival.
The pandemic proved challenging, but the essence of CGS as a community and creative spirit remained strong. We engaged through twice weekly newsletters and our weekly talks with global artists, gallery owners, and collectors created a supportive network. During this time, we produced advisory documents to help members navigate Brexit and the pandemic. We took the opportunity to enhance our interactive website, promoting members via social media and launching online selling exhibitions. Our new, improved website with ongoing articles keeps the site fresh and inviting.
The pandemic made apparent the sense of community and collaboration within the glass world. Throughout its history, the Contemporary Glass Society has pursued a passionate belief in connecting with and supporting our members. We are growing, gaining more influence and shouting to all and sundry about the benefits of enjoying and working in our glorious material of glass!
Peter Layton
“1976 was an important year. I started my studio in Rotherhithe and the Crafts Council organised the hugely successful ‘Working with Hot Glass’ Symposium at the Royal College of Art. This symposium had a galvanising effect on the formation of British Artists in Glass (BAG) as a professional association of studio glassmakers. Under the guidance of John Cook, Head of Glass at Leicester and the driving force behind the symposium, BAG started with thirteen founding members.
I later became the first Chair of Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) with a small committee and support of Dr David Watts as Treasurer and Editor. Our first conference, held at the University of Wolverhampton, was a huge success, and the second CGS conference was held at the new National Glass Centre where the Chair was passed to Shital Pattani”.
Colin Reid
“I went to my first British Artists in Glass (BAG) conference in Carmarthen in the early 1980s as a recent graduate and was in awe of the key speaker, Howard Ben Tre with his colossal glass castings. At the Annual General Meeting I was taken aback to be volunteered for the committee by Sam Herman. It proved to be an excellent move as I got to know many other artists and was thrown in at the deep end organising a major BAG exhibition at the Commonwealth Institute – a great learning experience.”
Angela Jarman
“I remember going to the very first CGS meeting at Peter Layton’s old studio.
I volunteered to be on the steering committee (I must have been fired up!) and the title, aims and direction for the new society were voted upon. The Contemporary Glass Society was born.”
Sue Woolhouse MA RCA
“Shital Pattani was elected Chair to take the embryonic organisation of CGS forward. She was the perfect candidate for this new role. She worked diligently and despite everyone working on a voluntary basis, it started to gain momentum.”
David Reekie
“One of my earliest memories of Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) was a meeting at Staffordshire University in 2002, when my partner, Pam Reekie, took up the role of Administrator. We met with the committee comprising of Shital Pattani, Candice Elena Evans, Fiaz Elson and the much-missed Amanda Moriarty. This was the first time that a paid Administrator’s role had been created to pull the British contemporary glass community together with its own organisation. As history will tell, it intended to create a larger and stronger society comprising of glass artists, educators, and collectors with the aspiration to create opportunities for all members.”
Chris Bird Jones
“I’m glad to have played a part in the birth of CGS, within the working party steering committee and for those early CGS conferences at Wolverhampton, Sunderland and Stoke. The camaraderie and ‘going the extra mile’ has always been at the heart of CGS and enabled it to develop and flourish. There are too many honourable individuals to mention by name and I would be sure to miss someone out if I started that long list. However maybe a confession is needed, so here goes – I was the bolshie one, repeatedly chanting, to most people’s annoyance, “We need a full time administrator!!”
Without Pam, our determined and continuing Administrator, I am certain we would not be here today. Good memories all round. Congratulations CGS at 25! “
Victoria Scholes
“When I took over as Chair of CGS in 2008, it was hitting its stride with top notch national exhibitions, workshops and conferences and circa 500 members. We gained a reputation as a national hub of creativity and innovation, shaping the quality and presentation of glass in the UK. Our success grew as we developed the Magazine, introduced an online gallery, increased the number of exhibitions, introduced the New Designers Prize for Glass, created more workshops, a mentoring scheme and networking Petchakuchas.
However, as the Government’s austerity programme hit, we faced challenges, including losing our status as a regularly funded organisation. For a moment, our future seemed to hang on a thread. However, with the overwhelming support of our members, we designed and delivered our most ambitious programme. “
Katharine Coleman
“In 1997 I managed to get to Wolverhampton for that very first CGS meeting, desperate as I and many others were to join an association where one could meet people with skills and experience in contemporary glass. In the packed Wolverhampton lecture hall, my heart therefore sank when discussions began to rage about how the society should function and who could be a member. “We don’t want any aspiring glass artists (sniff) or students in this serious society of equals!” declared a very distinguished lady artist. How glad I am she was shouted down.
Ever since that meeting I have learned so much from my fellow members, enjoyed doing my bit to help when possible (apologies for ever to Mark Angus for dropping both carousels of his slides!) and having so much fun and inspiration along the way.
Hooray and a big thank you to everyone who made this possible.”
Max Jacquard
“This spirit of sharing was central to the British Artists in Glass (BAG) philosophy and I experienced that same generosity at subsequent conferences. It has been a significant influence in forming my identity as a “Glass Artist”. When BAG changed its name to Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) in 1997, it wanted to reflect the changing times and represent the fluid identities of artists, craftspeople, designers, and collectors of glass.”
Richard Jackson
“Having joined the committee at the ‘Glass Works’ 1998 CGS conference in Sunderland, a little later I suddenly found myself Chairman. There was a lot to do; leisure time quickly became CGS time for a number of years!
Getting ready for the emerging digital age and developing an enduring identity became a high priority. Key achievements I am proud of are: co-ordinating the building of the first CGS website – accessible then only by dial up internet and the design of the CGS logo, which is still in use and looking just as fresh today, enabling us to print society stationary.”