If you are graduating from a British or Irish accredited course in 2023 and you work with glass, make a note to apply for this year’s Glass Sellers’ and Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) Prize.
From 5 June 2023 you will be able to apply for this exciting opportunity, offering prizes of cash, vouchers, books and CGS membership, plus a subscription to Neues Glass – New Glass: Art & Architecture magazine.
In addition, the winner, second prize winner, two runners up and commended works will appear in the annual CGS New Graduate Review – a 16-page publication that is circulated globally by CGS and Neues Glass – New Glass: Art & Architecture, providing invaluable publicity.
A panel of experts will select the prize winners.
So make a note of the application period, which runs from 5 June to 17 July 2023. Application forms will be available via the CGS website.
Denmark’s Glasmuseet Ebeltoft will launch a major solo exhibition, ‘Evolutions’, featuring work co-created with nature, this April. The works have been developed by the Danish-Australian artist duo, Mikkel Dahlin Bojesen and Rhoda Ting, of Studio ThinkingHand.
The ‘Evolutions’ works explore methods of co-creating with other creatures, such as fungi, bacteria, ecosystems and synthetic life. In recent years, glass has played a more significant role in their practice as a material through which nature can be viewed and explored – as containers for living mushrooms and carriers of futuristic life forms, as alternative habitats for marine species and as prisms for looking back in time to the development of the planet.
The Studio ThinkingHand team, Mikkel Dahlin Bojesen (left) and Rhoda Tin.
“Our practice starts with a deep fascination with nature’s diversity and complexity,” they state. “We revolve around questions such as: What can we learn from the way fungi reproduce? Is plastic a species of rock? Are our actions actually controlled by bacterial flora? Is the internet a fungus? How do we learn to co-create with nature as intelligence? Can the microbes help us to create new social structures?
“Our works are thus a series of investigations showing how we, as a species, shape new horizons for a future we have only just begun to imagine.”
‘Evolutions’ includes several new works, created in close collaboration with the museum’s glass studio. These include the installation ‘Deep Time’, consisting of a series of glass columns embedded with 12,000-year-old organic material from the seabed in the Arctic, and ‘Habitats’, which investigates how seahorses and other species interact with human-made environments in glass. This was a collaborative project with marine biologists from the Kattegat Centre in Grenaa, Denmark.
The exhibition also includes fungi from Novozymes, which the artists grew in petri dishes, live algae, ‘soft robots’ and glass brains with growing microorganisms.
The exhibition features organic artworks that work with nature, like this detail of a glass brain.
The exhibition title is also appropriate to mark an evolution in the Glasmuseet Ebeltoft itself, which is launching an ambitious, strategic development plan to carry it into the future, spearheaded by museum director Mikkel Hammer Elming.
Among its many ambitions, the museum will develop the international glass art scene, create sustainable museum practices and glass production methods, collaborate with artists in new ways, introduce glass to new artists, create a bridge between glass art and contemporary art, digitise the museum’s collection, create a wildlife garden, plus contribute to developing Ebeltoft’s cultural life and public spaces.
As a starting point, the museum will be rebranded, with a change of name to be revealed in April 2023. Mikkel states, “We are sharpening the museum’s profile. We are already among the most significant museums in the world within contemporary glass art. We are now creating the platform to develop one of the most interesting art museums in Denmark. With the changes that will soon be announced, we are laying the foundations for developing the museum further. There are many dreams for the museum, and Studio ThinkingHand’s upcoming exhibition will be a perfect example of how we want to explore glass as an artistic material in the future.”
‘Evolutions’ will be shown in the museum’s modern wing and on the ground floor of the old building. It will be open to the public from 29 April 2023 to 7 January 2024. The exhibition is supported by Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens Fond, Augustinus Fonden, Axel Muusfeldts Fond, CAC Fonden, Det Obelske Familiefond, Knud Højgaards Fond and Statens Kunstfond.
Glasmuseet Ebeltoft is an international museum of glass art. With over 1,600 works from over 40 countries, it holds Denmark’s largest collection of contemporary glass art. It opened in 1986 in Ebeltoft’s former customs house. In 2006, it expanded with a modern extension and glass studio. Find out more via the website.
Main image: Still of seahorses interacting with glass from the video ‘Habitats’ by Studio ThinkingHand.
Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) members will shortly be receiving their copies of the May edition of our print magazine, Glass Network. As our usual editor, Kirsteen Aubrey, has decided to step away for the time being for health reasons, I have taken on the editorship alongside my duties as editor of Glass Network digital. She hopes to return to the role in the future and we wish her a speedy recovery.
This edition has the theme of ‘resilience’. It is not easy to forge a successful career in the creative industries and the past few years have been particularly tough for everyone, with the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now we face further challenges, with high energy costs hitting glassblowing particularly hard, along with high inflation.
However, creative people are hardy and adaptable. As the articles in this issue demonstrate, the path to maintaining a career as a glass artist or manufacturer is not always straightforward or easy. Determination and the support of the glass community help us to keep going and believe in our work.
I hope reading the stories of the contributors in this issue will show that even glass artists at the pinnacle of the industry have had many setbacks along the way – both physical and mental – and continue to adapt to survive and thrive.
We feature articles by no less than two people with MBEs – glass engraver Alison Kinnaird and stained glass practitioner John Reyntiens. Both are widely admired, but they provide honest and open accounts of their trials and tribulations.
Thank you to all the contributors for sharing their experiences so willingly.
Glass Network itself is also evolving; we now produce a digital edition of each print magazine, which members can find in the Resources section of the CGS website. When logged in on the Resources page, click on the ‘Members’ Area’ tab on the right and below that you’ll find ‘CGS Glass Network Magazines’, where you can click the link or scan the QR code to take you to each of the last few editions.
Our tireless Administrator Pam Reekie also requests that any member who hasn’t been receiving at least one email each week from CGS to contact her on admin@cgs.org.uk, as we have been having problems with some email accounts.
If you have an idea for an article for the next edition of Glass Network (November 2023 issue, publishing in October) – or for the rolling online news of Glass Network digital – please contact me on linda@wordbanks.uk.
Linda Banks
Image: ‘Leopard Lady’ by Alison Kinnaird MBE, who features in the May issue of CGS’s Glass Network magazine.
A large sculpture by Bibi Smit, called ‘Whirl of Life’, has been installed at the Mauritshuis Museum in The Netherlands. It was commissioned to celebrate the museum’s 200th anniversary.
It comprises two organic spirals that reach towards each other at the centre. The upper spiral moves from outwards to inwards and the lower flows in the opposite direction. Suspended from the ceiling at eight points, the work appears to be floating in space, requiring the audience to look up and move around.The artwork embodies the soft, strong and fluid characteristic of hot glass.
The installation features blossoms and leaves, which, Bibi says, radiate the energy of nature’s circularity and the transience of time.
“In nature, wilting is considered to be a sign of the plants’ circle of life towards the end. Here it is transformed into the central element and acquires a newfound beauty in all its possibilities. The petals are just past their prime, becoming translucent, and, as they fall off and curl up, they become alluring,” she explains.
The work draws inspiration from 17th century flower paintings and contains humorous elements, such as hidden creatures.
The sculpture was commissioned by the Friends of the Mauritshuis.
The museum is known for being the home to the painting ‘Girl with Pearl Earring’, by the artist Vermeer.
The sculpture is on permanent show in the exhibition hall following its installation in February 2023.
The Mauritshuis Museum is at: Plein 29, 2511 CS Den Haag, The Netherlands. Website: https://www.mauritshuis.nl
‘Whirl of Life’ hangs in the museum’s exhibition hall and can be viewed from different floors, giving the viewer a new perspective on the work. Photo: Annemarie Sabelis.
Top image: Detail of ‘Whirl of Life’. Photo: Annemarie Sabelis.
A new book investigates the history and production of the Bryce Glass Company, one of the most successful designers and producers of pattern glass tableware, novelties and lamps in the US in the 19th century.
Written by Debra M Coulson and Harley N Trice, Bryce Glass – Art and Novelty in Nineteenth Century Pittsburgh, tells the story of Scottish-born James Bryce (1812–1893), who emigrated to America and began his glassmaking career at the age of 10 as a child labourer at a Pittsburgh glasshouse.
In 1850 he founded his own glassware company at a time when pressed glass was increasing in popularity. Pressed glass transformed the lives of everyday people by making beautiful tableware widely available to those who could not afford the expensive blown and cut crystal enjoyed by their wealthy neighbours.
Bryce became one of the largest producers of pattern glass in America and, by 1871, was shipping its products all over the world. The company continued operations for 113 years, guided by second- and then third-generation family members.
The book celebrates the beauty and artistry of the naturalistic designs, colourful tableware, and whimsical novelties Bryce produced between 1850 and 1891. At its heart, this book is a highly illustrated work with 190 newly commissioned colour plates. It concludes with a compendium of authenticated Bryce products illustrated primarily with period line drawings – a valuable tool for both glass scholars and casual collectors.
Debra Coulson is a life-long Pittsburgher, retired environmental attorney, and long- time collector of American antiques, with a particular interest in early Pittsburgh history. Harley Trice is a great-great-grandson of company founder James Bryce. He is actively engaged in the antiques and art community, with a special interest in glass. Editor Gerald W R Ward is the Katharine Lane Weems Senior Curator of American Decorative Arts and Sculpture Emeritus at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
The book is available in hardback for £49.95. ISBN: 978-1-913875-33-6. 256pp. Illustrations: 222 colour and 170 black and white. Publisher: D Giles Limited, London. Order via www.gilesltd.com
Main image: Novelty shoes and boots made by Bryce Glass. Photo: Gavin Ashworth
On 4 March 2023 the US-based Museum of Glass hosted an exclusive, 200-person celebration of glass master Lino Tagliapietra. With family, friends, and colleagues, as well as artists he has inspired in attendance, Tagliapietra made his final appearance in the US. He plans to retire and spend his time with his family in Italy.
The highlight of the evening was the announcement that Tagliapietra has selected Museum of Glass as the place for his work and legacy to reside. The artist will contribute art from his own archive that will fill a new permanent gallery space.
“The planned Lino Tagliapietra exhibition at Museum of Glass is a key part of our strategic plan moving forward and represents our goal to celebrate glass artists. We are honoured that maestro Lino Tagliapietra has chosen Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington as the place to tell his legacy story, and that he will generously provide art from his archive to support this endeavour,” said Museum of Glass Executive Director Debbie Lenk.
Tagliapietra has had an immeasurable impact on the glass art movement and glass artists over his long career. He has trained and mentored many young glassblowers, passing on his knowledge and techniques to future generations. Simply put, the Studio Glass movement would not be what it is today without Lino Tagliapietra. Museum of Glass’s goal for this new permanent gallery is to highlight Tagliapietra’s mastery and vision, with the hope that it inspires future generations of glass artists to continue to push the boundaries of the medium and galvanises viewers to gain deeper understanding of its history and possibilities as it continues to evolve.
Museum of Glass Hot Shop Director Ben Cobb said, “It is an honour to have worked for and alongside Lino. His contributions to the progression of the Studio Glass movement cannot be overstated, and his drive and passion for the material is nearly unmatched. To hear Lino say over the years that the Museum of Glass is one of his favourite places to work gives me and the entire Hot Shop staff an immense sense of pride. And to be a part of and witness Lino’s energy on the Hot Shop floor has been a highlight of my career. I cannot wait for his story to be displayed in our galleries.”
Tagliapietra has visited Museum of Glass frequently since 2007. He has completed 19 residencies and appearances in the Museum’s Hot Shop to standing-room-only audiences, delighting thousands of visitors both in-person and around the world through the Hot Shop Livestream.
The Museum has held three major exhibitions of Tagliapietra’s work.
Tagliapietra’s unique style, characterised by intricate designs, uncommon attention to detail, and bold use of coloru, combines traditional Venetian glassblowing techniques with modern elements. His signature pieces, many of which will be on display in the new Museum of Glass gallery, feature complex movement and flow.
Museum of Glass Curator of Education Susan Warner, added, “Museum of Glass is the recipient of The Lino Archives, collected over the years Lino spent in the Pacific Northwest and carefully assembled by his studio, dating back to the mid-nineties. The work shows the evolution of Lino as an artist and demonstrates intricate Italian techniques in addition to the artistic freedom that the United States gave him. Lino grew as an artist in America by pushing the techniques into new territory, exploring their revolutionary potential with a boldness entrenched in years of experience with the material. His gift to the Pacific Northwest is the document of this time.”
Speaking at the event, Lino Tagliapietra commented, “It is very hard to explain in words what happened during these days. I would have never expected this much love and attention. It is true that this highlights the end of my journey. However, all the recognition, honours, awards, and friends that surrounded this event made my end of the journey very special and much less bitter.”
Lino Tagliapietra has worked with glass for over 70 years. He was born in Murano, Italy in 1934 and became an apprentice glassblower at age 11. Even at a young age, Tagliapietra exhibited an immense dexterity for glass and was appointed the title of maestro when he was just 21. In 1979, Lino visited Seattle for the first time and introduced students at the Pilchuck Glass School to the traditions of Venetian glassblowing. This cross-cultural collaboration shaped the identity of American glassblowing and offered Tagliapietra an opportunity to expand his horizons internationally.
Planning for the Lino Tagliapietra gallery at Museum of Glass is underway.
Helen Pailing was drawn to glass lampworking as a result of her interest in creating sculptural textiles. Her desire to use found and ‘waste’ materials in her embroidery course carried across to her work with glass. Linda Banks finds out more.
You started your career in embroidery. What led you to start working with glass?
My BA was in Embroidery (at Manchester Metropolitan University), a course that promoted stitch-based work in the broadest sense. Although hand and machine embroidery were taught, I tended to make sculptural forms out of threads and wires, and used knotting and binding techniques, as opposed to more traditional embroidery. It was during this course that I started to use found and ‘waste’ materials, initially because this was an affordable way to work large scale and experiment with multiples.
‘Untitled’ (2004) was made during Helen’s Embroidery BA and is an example of her preference for 3D work. It comprises thimblettes, acrylic, and nylon thread.
Coincidently it was textiles that brought me to glass. I was researching tenterhooks – metal hooks used to hold fabric under tension after cloth had been woven – and I wanted to make them out of glass. I was living in Northumberland at the time (on a residency with Visual Arts in Rural Communities) and I was introduced to lampworking at Wearside Glass Sculptures, located at the National Glass Centre (NGC) in Sunderland. I was immediately drawn to the intricate and unique glass forms that were a by-product of the process. Brian Jones and Norman Veitch gave me boxes of their glass ‘waste’ to work with and this led me to apply for a practice-based PhD focused on ‘recrafting waste’.
What glass techniques have you used and which do you prefer?
Lampworking is the technique I am most familiar with, thanks to Brian, Norman and Zoe Garner at the NGC. Plus, I did an intensive course at North Lands Creative with Ian Pearson back in 2017. However, I would still say I am at a basic level. What appeals to me the most about lampworking is its similarities with textiles – using scissors, tweezers, making/using line, spinning – I enjoy the scale and that multiples can be made relatively quickly. I also like that there is an immediacy with lampworking. What puts me off some of the other techniques is the long process and need for specialist equipment.
I would love to learn more about stained glass, and think how I could incorporate this into my sculptures.
Part of Helen’s ‘Growth’ series, which is now in the National Glass Centre’s permanent collection (2017). Borosilicate glass, sea glass, foam. Photo: David Williams.
What is your creative approach? Do you draw your ideas out or dive straight in with the materials?
It is the materials that almost always lead the ideas. I often say that I am working in collaboration with materials; through haptic logic, I figure out what feels right. I really enjoy this part of the creative process – having a space with materials all around and just seeing what might go together. It is especially pleasing when something that I’ve saved is just the right fit for a new assemblage. My making often relies on chance encounters and surprise gifts from people that know me and my work. For example, I’ve recently collected pieces of a Victorian mirror that a friend accidently smashed but could not bear to throw away. I know it will find its way into a piece of work…one day!
Sometimes the sketchbook is where ideas evolve, especially when the work is more site-responsive or I am working in a set space where the object needs more practical design thinking, such as where the plug will go.
‘Catalyst 2’ (2018). (Note: work on the wall belongs to another artist).
What inspires your work?
Helen Pailing with artwork from her solo exhibition ‘Rare Bird’ at the Republic Gallery, Blyth. Photo: Colin Davison.
Once I have a new material or idea then the objects and their history tend to inspire the new creations. In a recent solo show, ‘Rare Bird’, in a gallery based in the port of Blyth, I was thinking of the site of the exhibition in a place where the industry meets the sea. Blyth still has lots of industrial sites and towering over the gallery is a huge wind turbine. All this filtered into the making of the work; the clash or tension between the natural and the machine made. I’m interested in the energy within the objects I make; they have personality and somehow feel alive.
A piece from the ‘Rare Bird’ exhibition (2023). Blinds, borosilicate glass, fabric, thread, lights. Photo: Colin Davison.
What message(s) do you want to convey through your art?
One aim is for my artworks is to serve as a catalyst for changing attitudes towards waste materials, to energise the audience to take action or to motivate people to reform behaviours. This is an ‘activate’ art strategy, according to Linda Weintraub in her book TO LIFE! I drew upon Linda’s book when studying for my PhD ‘Recrafting waste using a stitch-based methodology: A collaboration between makers and matter’, which I completed in 2019, with thanks to my supervisor Jeff Sarmiento. Another nice quote from that book talks about how we’re ultimately all made of the same ‘stuff’:
‘Making material decisions from an ecocentric perspective means acknowledging that a finite stockpile of resources on the Earth compromises humanity’s shared inheritance with all other life forms. What we are and all we own are fabricated out of this common pool. Even the molecules that comprise our bodies are merely on loan from the ecosystem. Living organisms depend upon the cycling of a shared inventory of raw materials to perpetrate life.’ (Weintraub, 2012, p. 44)
Ultimately, I suppose I hope to share a love for making and to celebrate the material world.
Do you have a favourite piece you have made? Why is it your favourite?
I particularly enjoyed how so many elements came together to make the ‘Adorn’ chandelier, which was a commission from the NGC for the atrium. Almost 1,000 pieces of salvaged borosilicate were used to make the chandelier, which I saw as an adornment for the building. The waste glass was physically and metaphorically elevated and celebrated. The rope used to hang the piece is a nod to the rope-making heritage of the area and makes reference to the ropes and pullies still used in the dock on the other side of the River Wear.
The ‘Adorn’ chandelier (2018) at the National Glass Centre. Photo: Alex Crosby.
Each piece of glass was wrapped in copper tape thanks to many volunteers, including staff at the NGC, as well as friends and family. I saw the act of wrapping as a way to care for this discarded glass. I drew upon my father’s and brother’s engineering knowledge to create the frame and mechanism to hold the piece up. Zoe Garner and I spent hours ‘recrafting waste’, lampworking small glass hoops to each piece of glass. It was great to work on the installation, alongside Matt Jobling and Seb Trend, which took a week of work after hours up a cherry picker.
Close up of the making of the ‘Adorn’ chandelier, showing the glass pieces wrapped in copper foil.
Do you have a career highlight?
My career highlight must be the acquisition of four of my pieces by the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A). The artworks are all part of my ‘recrafting waste glass’ series and should be on display for visitors to see at the museum soon. I used to love trips to The V&A as a child and spent a lot of time there while studying my MA (Designer Maker) at Camberwell (UAL). It is such a privilege and honour to know my work will be cared for and sit alongside that of some incredible artists and makers from all over the world.
‘Untitled’ (2016) is in the V&A museum’s collection. Borosilicate glass, graphite. Photo: Alex Crosby.
Where is your glass practice heading next?
In early March 2023 I exhibited new pieces at Collect art fair as part of ‘Collect Open’. These works incorporated salvaged glass and light. I would like to further explore this combination and see where light and glass takes me. I’m also keen to learn more skills – both in glass and in other crafts, such as basketry.
Helen Pailing making ‘Brooches’ for her Collect Open exhibition.
Main feature image: ‘Brooch 2’ appeared in the ‘Collect Open’ exhibition in early March 2023, at Somerset House, London. It is made from salvaged glass, rivets, padauk and crinoline. Photo: Colin Davison.
The makers of the popular crafters’ mentoring tv series ‘Make It At Market’ are looking for amateur artists and crafters to take part in the second series of the programme. The first series aired recently on BBC 1 and iPlayer and was hosted by ‘The Repair Shop’ regular Dom Chimea.
In series 1, four glass artists were among those featured on the show, which aims to help talented craftspeople turn their passion into a career. Participants are mentored through the process, with advice from professionals in their chosen field. In series 1, each maker was also given an exciting opportunity to help them boost their career, ranging from exhibiting at top end events to having their work featured in specialist galleries.
The glass artists in series 1 were mentored by Allister Malcolm, whose studio is based at the Stourbridge Glass Museum in the Midlands.
Now Flabbergast TV, the makers of the programme, are looking for more aspiring craftspeople who want to turn their hobby into a business.
Applications are welcome from all communities and cultures, people with disabilities and disadvantaged backgrounds. However you must be over 18 to apply.
Expressions of interest are not a guarantee of taking part.
Sculptor Harry Chadwick has been selected as the winner of the Rising Stars 2023 Award. He works predominantly in metal and glass.
His Rising Stars prize includes a professional development award of £1,000 and a solo exhibition at the New Ashgate Gallery in Farnham, Surrey, in 2024.
Rising Stars is a curated, national platform to foster and champion new talent, early career makers, students and graduates from BA and MA crafts, design and applied arts programmes across the UK. It is organised by New Ashgate Gallery in partnership with the University for the Creative Arts and Dan Goode of Making Goode, and supported by Billmeir Charitable Trust.
Harry holds a BA in 3D Design Crafts from Arts University Plymouth (2019-2022). He welds, folds, and forms metal into sculptural pieces, encapsulating glass sheet to catch the light and to give a sense of movement to his work.
Harry’s work is an extension of his final degree show, ‘Pop Futurism’, where Pop Art blends with the Futurist movement. The sculptures reference his former career as an engineer, welder and fabricator. The familiar silhouettes of tools used within the workshop are cut from steel and powder-coated in bright colours. Contained within these tough outer shells is sheet glass, each layer resonating upwards from an invisible action. The large steel saws show resistance and movement where none should be, as a metaphor for the trials of life.
Harry Chadwick’s ‘Blue Maul’ (30 x 35cm) features metal and glass. Photo: Harry Chadwick.
There were 113 applications to this year’s Rising Stars award, from whom 24 talented makers were selected for the current Rising Stars exhibition. They are Jiro Ametani, Shannon Ellis Baker, Jarrad Belton, Faye Bentley, Viki Benwell, Luciana Bohm, Harry Chadwick, Guy Conners, Lisa Ghiggini, Amy Findlay, Lulu Harrison, Ismail Kamran, Nancy Main, Celia MacPherson, Natalie McCormack, Shakhina Mirjonova, Helen Munday, Chris Murphy, Parneet Pahwa, Rachel Peters, Helena Roberts, Samantha Sloane, Gow Tanaka and Ömer Öner.
See their work from 11 March to 22 April at the New Ashgate Gallery, open Tuesdays-Saturdays from 10.30am-5pm. Entry is free. More information and access to the digital catalogue here.
The winner and makers were selected by a panel of judges; Dan Goode (Making Goode), Dr Outi Remes (New Ashgate Gallery), Sharon Ting (University for the Creative Arts, Textiles) and Debra Allman (UCA, Jewellery, Ceramics & Glass).
Alongside the work of these new makers, Zeba Imam, the Winner of Rising Stars Award 2022 returns to the gallery for her One Year On exhibition of ceramics.
New Ashgate Gallery is at Waggon Yard, Farnham, Surrey GU9 7PS. Website: www.newashgate.org.uk
Main image: (left) Harry Chadwick, the winner of Rising Stars 2023, and ceramicist Nancy Main (runner up). Photo: Outi Remes.
An exhibition of work by three ceramicists who were given the opportunity to work with glass opens on 25 March at the National Glass Centre (NGC), Sunderland.
The ‘Confluence’ show developed from initial conversations between Andrew Livingstone (artist and Professor of Ceramics at the University of Sunderland) and Julia Stephenson (Head of Arts, NGC) around the relationship between ceramics and glass. They asked the question, ‘How might an artist who works predominately with clay/ceramic explore the medium of glass?’ There are some commonalties between the materials, processes and studio equipment. However there are also vast differences between the creative processes of these media.
The work in this exhibition exposes the commonalities and differences but also a confluence – a point at which the two materials meet. This is contextualised through the presentation of ceramic work by each of the artists which is selected from their respective practice.
The three featured artists are Bouke de Vries, Andrea Walsh and Andrew Livingstone. They were invited to the Glass and Ceramics department at the NGC and given access to the expert team and specialised equipment there.
Following this visit they developed proposals to extend their creative practice into glass, the outcomes of which can be seen in the Confluence exhibition. The NGC team worked with the artists on their ideas and realisation of the artworks through design and manufacture as part of a 10-day residency.
The project was produced and curated by Gregory Parsons, an independent curator and consultant.
Confluence is on show until 10 September 2023 at the NGC, Liberty Way, Sunderland SR6 0GL, UK. More on the website.
Image: (left) Bouke de Vries. Photo: Stefano Vuga; (top right) Andrew Livingstone. Photo: Colin Rennie of Torus Torus Studios; (bottom right) Andrea Walsh. Photo: Shannon Tofts.
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The book is available in hardback for £49.95. ISBN: 978-1-913875-33-6. 256pp. Illustrations: 222 colour and 170 black and white. Publisher: D Giles Limited, London. Order via 
