The Glass Art Society (GAS) has announced that its 2024 conference will take place in Berlin, Germany, from 15-18 May.
The theme of the conference will be ‘Berlin: Where Art + Design Meet’ and will focus on the space where art meets design, the synergy between the two, and the relationships between artists and designers.
GAS is asking artists, educators curators and researchers to submit ideas for diverse and engaging presentations. Concepts for demos, lecmos, lectures, panels, films, or performances are welcome. Collaborators or community-focused artists who bring people together are invited you to share their experiences and expertise in support of GAS’s mission to connect, inspire, and empower all facets of the global glass community.
A wander through the Sussex Prairie Garden in West Sussex this summer and autumn enables you to interact not only with an array of beautiful flora and fauna, but also with a dazzling array of contemporary glass created by members of the Contemporary Glass Society. The ‘Expressions of Nature’ 3D sculpture exhibition features diverse glass art from 13 artists and is on now until 15 October 2023.
Sussex Prairie Gardens is Britain’s largest ‘Prairie’, or naturalistic, garden, with eight acres of stunning gardens to roam around. The exhibition, organised and curated by glass artist Gabrielle Argent, features established and emerging glass and mixed media artists from around the UK.
As well as freestanding glass artworks, there are combinations of art glass with wood, metal and stone. They look spectacular placed amongst the drought-resistant perennials and grasses which continue to grow throughout the summer and autumn. The sculptures accentuate the vista with enticing art forms emerging from the foliage.
“This is an immersive exhibition which invites visitors to explore art in the landscape,” says Gabrielle. “Each sculpture has been placed to interact with the plants around it, complementing the colours, textures and life cycle of the prairie planting. The placing of the artwork is in sync with the orientation of the sun to make it sing with colour, texture and meaning. The result is a glorious experience for visitors within the stunning prairie planting. Artists have embraced the brief in such innovative ways. Visitors can switch off and tune into the therapeutic benefits of nature in this beautiful open space.”
CGS members taking part alongside Gabrielle include Gail Boothman, Isobel Brunsdon, Emma Butler-Cole Aiken, Nettleberry Dawn, Magda Gay, Ian Godfrey, Gay Hutchings, Lisa Pettibone, Susan Purser Hope, Steve Robinson, Clare Summons and Helen Twigge-Molecey.
“Collectively, the art glass on show represents a remarkably wide range of glassmaking techniques, including fused, lampworking, leaded, stained, copper foiled, etched, mirrored, screen printed, sandblasted and hand-blown glass,” notes Susan Purser Hope, chair of the CGS and a participating artist.
Sussex Prairie Garden is at Morlands Farm, Wheatsheaf Road (B2116), near Henfield, West Sussex BN5 9AT. The garden is open every day except Mondays and Tuesdays from 1-5pm. More information via the website.
Image: Steven Robinson’s ‘Ocean Haze’ and ‘Koi Dance’ in the foreground at the Sussex Prairie Garden.
The Glass Virus is hosting its seventh think tank conference in Amsterdam in September 2023 and invites artists, designers, educators, makers and thinkers to join the discussion about glass art education.
This year’s theme is ‘On the Hybrid’ and the gathering will mark the tenth anniversary of the organisation.
The Glass Virus is a European platform that was founded to stimulate discussion about the future of education in glass art. It strives for a new interpretation of glass in art and design.
The think tanks are organised every two years and are aimed at exchanges between all academic glass art programmes, but are open to participants from all disciplines, artists, designers and other stakeholders. The ambition is to create an international platform focused on expanding strategies in glass art education.
Hosted by the Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, this will be the first in-person gathering since the pandemic. It takes place on 22 and 23 September 2023.
The keynote lecture on the first day will be by Belgian writer, critic, curator and coordinator of fine arts at PXL/MAD Hogeschool Hasselt, Luk Lambrecht, who will consider how the arts can no longer claim the privilege of the artistic means employed, no matter how technical and artisanal they may be and/or are presented. Today, all artistic means are ‘at the service’ of what and about what an artist wants to ‘speak’. This has become a broad and colourful spectrum, as demonstrated by the countless exhibitions that incorporate the hybrid as a self-evident DNA. This presentation will be the basis of subsequent discussion among the participants.
On the second day, Anna Mlasowsky will invite attendees to be part of an intervention that charges physical and philosophical perception and brings the artist’s view into the discussion on the hybrid. She is a German-born artist who lives and works between Seattle and Stockholm, where she is Professor for glass and ceramics at Konstfack University.
The think tanks provide an open forum addressing current cultural, social and political topics in relation to art practice(s) and offers young artists, researchers and curators a space to explore their ideas and research.
Students are encouraged to join the think tank conversations and can participate for free.
To register, email theglassvirus@gmail.com before 5 September 2023 stating how many people you want to register and when you are planning to arrive and leave (there may be an extension to the itinerary). The registration fee is €50 per person. Students do not need to pay but must register via email. Payments can be made to The Glass Virus: IBAN: NL19 INGB 0675 0692 38 or BIC/SWIFT: INGBNL2A
Further information on the itinerary will be provided after registration.
The Architectural Glass Centre at Swansea College of Art is offering specialist glass painting masterclasses by Jonathan Cooke in September 2023.
Jonathan Cooke teaches regularly at Swansea College of Art. He is an ICON (Institute of Conservation) Accredited Conservator-Restorer (ACR). He served a traditional apprenticeship at York Minster, and established his stained glass conservation company, called Jonathan and Ruth Cooke, in 1987.
Over a 40-year career he has researched, explored and experimented with traditional painting techniques, which now inform his restoration glass painting and original work alike.
The glass painting masterclass is suitable for both beginners and those with previous experience of glass painting. Jonathan will demonstrate and teach his techniques, as well as discussing materials, tools and firing schedules.
There will be ample time for participants to practise, produce samples and create finished pieces to their own designs.
An additional masterclass will be available, focusing specifically on the use of enamel and silver stains. This will be an exploration of materials and techniques for use principally in traditional glass painting, using a range of stains, transparent and opaque enamels,
a range of media and mixing techniques, application and firing regimes to achieve differing effects and outcomes.
The Glass Painting Masterclass takes place from 19-22 September 2023 and costs £310.
The Silver Stain and Enamel Masterclass takes place from 23-25 September 2023 and costs £330.
Swansea College of Art is based at: Campus, Dynevor Pl, De-La Beche St, Swansea SA1 3EU, Wales. To book email: agc@uwtsd.ac.uk or tel: 07769 210127.
Four glass artists are among the 27 craftspeople awarded funding by the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) to further their training and education. They are Lulu Harrison, Michèle Oberdieck,
Glass maker Lulu Harrison is a self-taught glass artist with an MA in Material Futures from Central Saint Martin’s. She creates glass artefacts inspired by primitive glass making and works with waste and local resources, ensuring she has as little impact on the environment as possible.
The 2023 QEST Scholarship will enable her to pioneer experimental and sustainable glassmaking using locally sourced and waste materials. She will receive one-on-one training from glass scientist and historical glass expert, Dr Chloe Duckworth, to develop her skills and knowledge in material science, the history of glassmaking, traditional craft and sustainability. The scholarship will support the development and promotion of this unique glassmaking approach, with the goal of achieving scalable production.
Michèle Oberdieck studied textiles at Glasgow School of Art before completing an MA in Glass at the Royal College of Art in 2016. She was selected for the European Prize for Applied Arts Exhibition in Belgium 2020, the Ireland Glass Biennale in 2019, and twice for Venice Glass Week.
In March 2023, she was chosen by the Crafts Council as one of 14 artists to exhibit at Collect Open in Somerset House.
With her 2023 QEST Scholarship Michèle plans to enhance her skill set and understanding of blown glass by taking courses in the UK, Germany and the US. She will learn new techniques, particularly in colour and cane making, which will be applied to the development of her glass ‘Fantasy Plants’ series.
A glass piece from Michèle’s ‘Fantasy Plants’ series.
Rachel Phillips trained in Architectural Stained Glass and since 2000 she has been creating commissioned work for a variety of buildings and contexts. Until 2019 she was specialist glass painting tutor at the Swansea School of Glass. More recently she has been developing work free from context or architecture as a way of exploring her creativity.
Rachel’s 2023 QEST Scholarship will support a series of bespoke masterclasses to enhance her creative development, equipping her for a new chapter in her artistic journey. She will enhance her skills in gilding, screen printing with silver and copper stains and layered enamels, glass engraving, glass bonding and more. She hopes to expand her creative output and help stained glass have more of a presence in contemporary art and craft exhibitions and publications.
Rachel Phillips will extend her stained glass practice with new creative skills.
Verity is a glass artist whose work is inspired by the shapes and textures of plants and other organisms. She uses various kilnforming techniques including cast glass and pate de verre and her practice is characterised by experimentation and curiosity.
Verity Pulford has been awarded several Arts Council of Wales (ACW) grants to develop her practice. She has recently been awarded a grant for the project ‘Mutualism’ and has received funding from ACW to attend a residency at Pilchuck Glass School in the US.
A 2023 QEST Scholarship will enable Verity to spend time enhancing her skills with Fiaz Elson at The Glass Foundry, where she will find ways to combine pate de verre and casting techniques to create larger-scale glass pieces, and experimenting with various glass types, colours, oxides and paints. She will also explore cold working methods for shaping and finishing the glass forms. In addition, she will spend time with Angela Thwaites developing her skills, knowledge and aesthetic aspirations related to casting glass. Techniques covered will include refractory investment moulds, burn out methods, core casting and lost wax.
Verity’s scholarship will enable her to gain experience with master glass makers.
QEST supports the training and education of talented and aspiring craftspeople through traditional college courses, vocational training, apprenticeships and one-to-one training with a master craftsperson. Its aim is to help support Britain’s cultural heritage and sustain vital skills in traditional and contemporary crafts.
QEST has two application periods each year for prospective scholars and apprentices. The next application period will be 10 July-14 August 2023. Find out more via the website.
The Waterfront Gallery in Milford Haven, Wales, plays host to the fourth Wales Contemporary exhibition in 2023. It has launched a call for entries from artists working in 2D or 3D in any subject matter and in media including glass.
Artists based in the UK and internationally are invited to enter to compete for prizes totalling £12,000, including a top prize of £3,000.
Shortlisted works will be shown at the Waterfront Gallery from October to December 2023.
The prize fund totals £12,000, including the Open Prize, worth £3,000, as well as:
Two dimensional prizes:
1st Prize: £2,000
2nd Prize: £1,000
3rd Prize: £750
4th Prize: £500
Three dimensional prizes:
1st Prize: £2,000
2nd Prize: £1,000
3rd Prize: £500
Public’s choice prizes:
1st Prize: £1,000
2nd Prize: £250
The shortlist and award winners will be chosen by a selection panel comprising designer Mehdi Moazzen, artist Janette Kerr and Ashley Hall, professor of Design Innovation at the Royal College of Art in London and visiting professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.
All artists aged 18 and over are invited to submit 2D or 3D artworks in any medium excluding photography, digital prints or film. The 2D works may be up to 70cm in any dimension. For 3-dimensional work the maximum size is 50cm in any dimension. There is no minimum size limit. The submission fee is £15 for one work, £25 for two and £30 for three.
The Wales Contemporary exhibition takes place at the Waterfront Gallery, The Old Sail Loft, Discovery Quay, The Docks, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire SA73 3AF, Wales, from Saturday 21 October to Wednesday 20 December 2023, with a Private View on Friday 20 October 2023 at 2.30pm.
Veruska Vagen’s dot de verre technique fuses her love of painting, glass and art history, using tiny dots of coloured glass to create delicate artworks inspired by the painters of the past – and even a portrait of Dale Chihuly. Linda Banks finds out more.
What led you to start working with glass and which techniques do you prefer?
Painting was the medium of choice in college, for which I received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, with an emphasis on art history. Glass had always intrigued me, particularly stained glass, which I also felt drawn to. I had always wanted to find a way to incorporate those passions of painting, glass and art history, through some kind of homage to the three disciplines.
For years, sandblasted glass served as a working surface for enamelling and the process was incorporated on both flat and three-dimensional glass. But it wasn’t until discovering the material I use now (Wasser glass confetti) that everything really came together.
‘Le Baiser’ (The Kiss), 1868, after Carolus-Duran, is made using the dot de verre technique. It measures 17.75” x 11.75” x 1.5” (framed size).
What is your creative approach and what inspires your work?
‘The Gaze’, 1878, after Dicksee, measures 17.5” x 11.25” x 1.5” (framed size).
Just as plein air painters find inspiration in a specific landscape they wish to interpret, I tend to find intrigue within a particular artistic genre. One year it was focusing on the details of Pre-Raphaelite portraits that served to inspire; another year it was illustrations of women from the early 20th century. Once fully engaged I dive into learning everything possible about a specific period and aesthetic. I study the details of what was found to be compelling for that era and explore what makes it timeless today. Then I set out to illuminate such classics in a new format and way of seeing the images, through a mosaic of glass dots.
‘Bianca’, 1920s, after Armstrong.
What message(s) do you want to convey through your art?
As with much of art, most of the pieces have come from a place of resonance in one way or another. Often there is some visceral connection with an original concept or artist from another place and time that seems relevant today. For example, in studying depictions of dogs in art history, I came across a sweet image of a sleeping terrier from an artist named Hall; a 1918 painting entitled ‘Peace’. A reference for this painting described the artist’s response marking the end of World War I and relaying the understandable emotions symbolised through his dog’s tranquil repose. I found this image very moving. One can imagine such a desire for solace today or in any other period of turbulence in human history.
‘Peace’, 1918, after Hall, comprises kiln-fired glass dots on black rolled Spectrum glass.
An artist always hopes that others can find meaning in any work of art that is personal to them yet transcends the greater human experience. My hope is that in revisiting a compelling image and paying homage to the original, I can share with others a moment of transcendence by reintroducing a beloved rendition through an abstraction of glass dots which, as with life in general, comes more into focus with a bit of distance. Hopefully the work can be a metaphor for seeing art and the world in a whole new way. It is also important to me to be sensitive to the issue of appropriation and credit the source of the art whenever possible and the era in history in which it was created.
What is your favourite tool or piece of equipment and why?
Hands down it is a decades-old pair of tweezers I cannot live without. I’ve literally had nightmares about losing those tweezers and panic any time I misplace them in the studio. They are quite long and I’ve used them for so many years that the metal is worn down where the finger grips are. The tweezers have the perfect tension for picking up 3mm glass dots and no other tool I have ever tried has worked with such ease. I could not make the pieces I do without them. The tweezers are so old I can’t even remember where they came from but I can honestly say they are irreplaceable.
Veruska’s ‘irreplacable’ tweezers are perfect for handling the tiny glass pieces that make up her intricate glass artworks.
Do you have a favourite piece you have made? Why is it your favourite?
I think it was Picasso who once said his best painting was the next one and I rather like that thought. It’s hard to pick a favourite, though there are some pieces that brought great joy while making them. I remember smiling the entire time while working on a zebra mosaic inspired by a 19th century natural history illustration. Depicting stripes with dots was like creating visual jazz and I have fond memories of making that particular piece, among others. I suppose the most challenging pieces sometimes end up as favourites simply because of one’s heartfelt experience in creating them.
‘Mountain Zebra’, c.1850, after Hawkins, created in dot de verre technique.
Where do you show and sell your work?
I’m honoured to be a part of several museum exhibitions at present though have a number of galleries representing my work as well, listed on my website.
What advice would you give to someone starting out on a career in glass?
Focus on making great work first. Find a way to support yourself while developing your art and find your artistic voice. Once you have found that voice, something uniquely your own, you will be ready to launch your career.
Do you have a career highlight?
One highlight was the first mosaic piece I made using the newly discovered glass dots, 30 years ago before pixeled representations became commonplace in the computer age. It was an experiment, a portrait of glass master Dale Chihuly done in rows of dots and using a ruler (a method I still use today). The kiln firing went well with the dots tack-fusing nicely without melting together, so I decided to donate it to the annual Pilchuck Glass School Auction fundraiser. To my utter delight, Dale was there and bid on the piece, which started a bidding war. The piece went to six times over value before the gavel went down and Dale went home with his portrait. There could not have been a greater incentive for me to continue exploring this new technique. I owe much of my career to Dale’s vote of confidence, and to others who believed in the work, for which I feel forever blessed and grateful.
About the artist
Veruska Vagen at Pilchuck Glass School.
Originally a painter, Veruska Vagen spent years living in the Southwest US, where she maintained a studio and worked in oil, watercolour, glass and mixed media. The course of Vagen’s life changed when her glass enamel work brought her to the renowned Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington. She moved to Stanwood in 1993 and served 12 years with the William Morris Studio, during which time she developed a unique mosaic technique called dot de verre.
Find out more about Veruska Vagen, her technique and her work via her website.
Main feature image: Veruska Vagen’s glass technique involves the careful placement of thousands of tiny glass dots to build up the design she is creating.
Now that the buildings of the Stourbridge Glass Museum are complete, attention has turned to the outside landscaping. The main feature of this is a new lighting structure at the front of the museum, which can change colour for different events.
Created and installed by Simworx Ltd of Kingswinford, the circular interpretation shows where the original cone used to be and reflects the heritage of the former White House cone and tunnels hidden beneath.
The British Glass Foundation, the charity that runs Stourbridge Glass Museum, secured £78,630 from FCC Communities Foundation towards the external landscaping at the museum, which includes the lighting structure, seating, cycle racks, artwork and interpretation panels.
The BGF commented, ‘The project has transformed the now fully refurbished former derelict Stuart Crystal site in Wordsley into a world-class glass museum and a new home for the renowned Stourbridge Glass collection. The museum was formally opened by HRH The Duke of Gloucester on 19 April 2023. Funding was secured from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the internal fit-out of the museum.’
Find out more about Stourbridge Glass Museum here.
Image: The design of the new lighting structure is reminiscent of the White House cone that once sat on the site.
We are sad to report that Ed Burke – the ‘E’ in E&M Glass – passed away on 15 May 2023, surrounded by his family.
Ed was a Master Glassblower, with a great skill for stemware and tableware and a love of geometric style glass.
He worked in the glass industry for over 35 years and could put his hand to most challenges that came his way, working with his wife Margaret, along with his son Charlie and daughter-in-law Amelia.
Ed discovered glass at the age of 18 and embarked on a career in the medium. Studying at college he obtained a BA (Hons) degree in glass design and then worked and learned from many established glassmakers.
In 1988 he built his own furnace and studio and began producing his unique style of glassware on the Welsh/English border.
Norway’s S12 Gallery is celebrating the work of new graduates and emerging artists in its ‘Young & Loving!’ exhibition, which is on until 30 July 2023.
‘Young & Loving’ is described as a humorous translation of ‘young and promising’, pointing to the exhibition’s focus on new artists. An exploratory approach to glass as part of an artistic expression is a particular feature of this exhibition, which has been held annually since 2007, apart from a break of a few years recently.
Glass has an incredible ability to transform and renew itself. It can be shaped both cold and hot. It is neither liquid nor solid, but shares properties from both states. Glass can be transparent, reflect, transmit or absorb light. This broad range in the material is also reflected in this year’s exhibition, which represents a diversity of expressions, where themes such as emotions, form and cultural identity are examined from each individual’s unique perspective.
The artists participating are Charlotte Avigail Jutrem Cohen (NO/ISR), Marie Breyen Hauschildt (DK), Suh Moon Ju (KR), Joshua Kerley (GB), Maria Helena Nerhus (NO) and Kwun Lan Wong (HK).
Joshua Kerley makes objects that are inherently un-glasslike and aims to reassess the traditional perceptions of glass technically, aesthetically, and materially. His works transcend traditional boundaries, arouse curiosity, and challenge the viewer’s comprehension of the material world.
Marie Breyen Hauschildt has been working with the words ‘something that comes out of something’, investigating shapes and stories that mimic the transformations of something that moves from one place to another. The result is a series of abstract sculptures that almost resemble living creatures.
S12 Gallery is at Bontelabo 2, 5003 Bergen, Norway. Find out more via the website.
Image: (left) work by Joshua Kerley and (right) sculptures by Marie Breyen Hauschildt.
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