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.
The Glazenhuis museum and glass studio, based in Lommel, Belgium, is inviting experienced glassblowers to apply for a 10-week residency. There are two options available, one for a single glassblower and one for two glassblowers (or a glassblower and an assistant).
Each residency will include:
Research and development of artistic practice
The production of a limited series of saleable glass objects for the recently opened museum gallery
The creation of one artwork for the city’s renowned glass art collection
Maintenance of the studio
Support from a team of staff, freelancers and volunteers.
The residency times available are:
Period 1: 15 May-30 July 2023
Period 2: 31 July-8 October 2023
The application deadline is 12 April 2023.
The museum and glass studio are set for extensive renovation, starting at the end of 2023, so this is the last chance to apply for a residency before GlazenHuis closes for this work.
The solo residency (1 glassblower) comprises:
Access to hot and cold glass studio (+/-4 days hot glass studio per week)
Free accommodation on site (apartment for 2 people)
Full reimbursement of travel expenses (1 person)
3000 euros for daily expenses after receipt of invoice
Use of professional photos, which will be taken during the residency.
For the duo residency (2 glassblowers or glassblower with assistant), the successful applicants will have the same as the above, but with travel expenses for two people and a total of 4500 euros for daily expenses.
Announcement of the selected artists in residence will be made by 19 April 2023.
British-Cypriot glass maker Theo Brooks investigates identity through his glass art, which is inspired by studying the history of Cypriot archaeology, rituals and languages. Linda Banks finds out more.
What led you to start working with glass?
I first came into contact with hot glass at the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham, Surrey. I was shown around by the professor at the time and, as soon as I saw someone working with hot glass, I was mesmerised. Once I started working with it, I realised it was a combination of all the things I had been studying at the time and loved. I really enjoyed the physicality of working with hot glass, after playing competitive sports as a kid. It’s a magical material unlike any other.
‘Battuto Bull’ is 66cm high. Photo: Theo Brooks.
What glass techniques have you used and which do you prefer?
The glass techniques I work with are a combination of hot, cold and digital processes. The hot working techniques are a mixture of hot sculpting with an oxygen and propane torch and more traditional vessel making glass blowing techniques. Once the pieces are out of the kiln, the cold working begins! This takes the form of a variety of pattern- and texture-making processes through lathe cutting, sandblasting and engraving. I am keen on applying digital techniques with glass when I can, from plot cutting, water jet cutting or 3D printing.
‘Bull Murrini’ stands 42cm tall. Photo: Theo Brooks.
What is your creative approach? Do you draw your ideas out or dive straight in with the materials?
My ideas usually come from my research. Currently I read a lot about ancient Cypriot culture through archaeology papers from authors such as Jennifer Webb and Erin Averett. Archaeological sites and museum visits also offer a rich source of information. I have explored the collections of museums such as the Cyprus Archaeology Museum in Nicosia, the Cesnola Collection in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology in Michigan. These insights into Cypriot ancient cultures and the history of the island, combined with the aesthetics of the objects themselves, trigger the ideas. Then I try to bring these ideas into a contemporary setting. The idea manifests as rough sketches, which are then drawn out to measurement, callipered up and made. I don’t usually ‘make things on the fly’, as the process of hot sculpting requires the organisation of pre-made parts, a team of people, specific torches and equipment set up.
‘Geo Bird’ stands almost a metre tall and is inspired by historic artefacts. Photo: Rebekah Alviani .
What inspires your work?
Being British-Cypriot and growing up in London, my work explores identity and connecting back to my heritage, family and culture. I have always felt displaced from my Cypriot heritage.
My current body of work explores ritual objects and practices in ancient Cyprus. My focus is on researching artefacts from the Bronze Age. However I do dip into the Iron Age and Cypro-Archaic objects too, as I find them fascinating. The motifs of the bull and birds were popular on objects and the iconography held symbolic value in particular rituals. These objects had specific uses, from marking out ritual spaces to apotropaic functions.
Another theme that runs through my work stems from my ongoing investigations into the ancient indigenous languages of Cyprus. I explore communication through the imagery, symbolism and sculptural forms on ancient Cypriot ceramics. These languages, such as the Eteocypriot language and the Cypro-Minoan syllabary, are indecipherable today. The glyphs remain lost information, making me focus on the line markings for their aesthetics. I am inspired by these markings, abstracting the symbols further and running them across the surface of glass sculptures. Lately I have been transforming the 2D glyphs into 3D forms. My dream would be to make monolithic-sized sculptures of them.
The reinvention and celebration of these objects allows me to discover a part of my heritage that I have been removed from. I go back even further into the ancient practices to unknown and mysterious spaces. The activities that took place in the cult rituals are intriguing. They were often performed in multi-purpose spaces, which included metal forging and oxen sacrificing. These rituals are believed to have paid tribute to the ‘Ingot God’ or ‘Horned God’, and only high members of society could participate. A lot of the rituals involved masking ceremonies, where people would wear ceramic and bucranium masks. These masks allowed them to take on a persona to either become an intermediary with the god, or to be brought spiritually closer.
‘Mediatory’ is 80cm high and is an example of Theo’s ongoing fascination with the bull often represented in Cypriot history. Photo: Theo Brooks.
What message(s) do you want to convey through your art?
I intend my sculptures to be contemporary reflections of ancient Cypriot history, celebrating and promoting Cypriot arts and culture. As part of this facet of my work, I want to connect Cypriot glass makers around the world. I have created an Instagram page called @cypriot_glass_artists, where I have been reaching out to makers in different countries. I hope to spread the word further later this year through a demonstration I will be doing at the Glass Art Society conference [7-10 June 2023 in Detroit, USA], where I will be sculpting an ancient Cypriot artefact in glass.
An underlying theme that runs through my work is the effect of colonialism in Cyprus. This led to many ancient Cypriot objects ending up in museum collections around the world. Although not the main focus of my research, it can be hard to ignore when walking through vast collections of objects such as the Cesnola Collection in New York.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the largest collection of Cypriot artefacts outside Cyprus. These were taken by Luigi Cesnola who, according to his reports, excavated 118 sites in Cyprus in the 1800s, amassing 35,000 archaeological artefacts. These objects are known as the ‘Cesnola Collection’. They were purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1872 and Cesnola became the first director of the Museum soon after.
Following his death, part of the Cesnola Collection was dispersed to leading museums around the world, as well as several major American universities, such as Harvard, Stanford and the University of Michigan. Some of the objects in the collection are one-of-a-kind pieces and hold importance in the history of Cyprus. The way in which these objects were collected during the Ottoman Rule in Cyprus is controversial. It is said that a ship load of 6,000 objects was lost at sea during the journey to the US. Little information is given in the museum about how they were collected and came to the US, even though the Collection was a backbone of its works in its early days.
Theo loves the physicality of working with hot glass.
What is your favourite tool or piece of equipment and why?
Batisti engraving lathes, with a good set of diamond wheels, have to be among my favourite pieces of equipment to work with in the cold shop. I also love a coarse grit sandblaster, which allows you to you carve deeper and faster. In the hotshop, it has to be a custom pistol grip Nortel Midrange torch, which really allows you to work with glass in a unique way using different applications of the torch.
Do you have a favourite piece you have made? Why is it your favourite?
Usually it’s the next thing I’m excited to work on, but recently I have enjoyed working with mixed media with glass, particularly 3D printing and metal. There is something about the combination of finishes of the PLA [polylactic acid plastic filament] with satin glass that I like.
Some of the pieces Theo displayed at this year’s ‘Collect Open’ exhibition. Photo: Gideon Fisher.
Where do you show and sell your work?
The last couple of years I have shown work at Venice Glass Week in Italy, the Tacoma Museum of Glass for the Glass Art Society conference show in the US, the Glass Biennales in Bulgaria and the UK, the Craft Glass Creation awards in Heijan, China and a solo show at the River House Arts Gallery in Toledo, Ohio, in the US.
In the UK, I have just started showing work with Blowfish Glass Gallery in Stourbridge, and I have just been showing at Collect in Somerset House, London, as part of ‘Collect Open’.
Theo enjoys abstracting marks found on ancient Cypriot ceramics in his contemporary pieces. This is a detail of ‘Battuto Bull’. Photo: Theo Brooks.
What advice would you give to someone starting out on a career in glass?
Work hard and be kind! Glass is an international language and should be embraced. They make glass all over the world, so let it be a reason to travel and see all the amazing ways that it is being used/worked across the world.
Finishing setting up my first solo show at the River House Arts Gallery in the US was definitely a great feeling. Getting to enjoy the opening with my partner, the assistants that helped me make the work, mentors and friends was great. I hope to be able to have another solo show in the UK to share this kind of experience with people here.
An exhibition of Theo’s distinctive work. Photo: Theo Brooks.
Where is your glass practice heading next?
I have just moved back to the UK after three-and-a-half years in the US, so I am looking for the next thing. My main focus recently was finishing the installation for Collect Open, which I did as part of a Glass Tech/Tutor residency at UCA Farnham. Hopefully that will unfold further opportunities.
Is the global energy crisis affecting your practice?
I think that the global energy crisis is affecting everyone in the glass community and the way people are working. In my last role as the glass studio technician at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture in Philadelphia, we were really looking into ways to become more sustainable in the school and teaching setting. Assistant Professor in Glass Jessica Julius brought in people like Frederik Rombach, who works with waste glass, to do sustainability audits and think of creative ways to improve the way in which we work. I think it will take the efforts of the whole global glass community to address this for the future.
And finally…
Now that I am back in the UK, I would love to be more involved with the excellent opportunities that are available through CGS and participate in more shows and other events throughout the UK.
About the artist
Theo Brooks lathe cutting a pink mask to provide textural interest. This piece was made for the ‘Collect Open’ exhibition 2023. The finished piece is in a previous image above. Photo: Laura Quinn.
A British-Cypriot glass maker from London, UK, Theo Brooks studied glass at the University for the Creative Arts, Farnham, UK and gained his Masters in Fine Art from Bowling Green State University, Ohio, US.
He apprenticed in hot glass with Simon Moore, Smithbrook Glass Blowing Studio and Rothschild & Bickers Ltd, and studied glass cutting with Philip Baldwin and Monica Guggisberg, in Paris, France. Brooks has work in permanent collections and has exhibited internationally in Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, USA and UK. He has also won scholarships to attended masterclasses at Penland School of Crafts, Corning Museum of Glass and the Toledo Museum of Glass. Most recently Brooks has been working as the glass technician at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture in Philadelphia, USA.
Main feature image: ‘Bird Faced Deities Set’ by Theo Brooks.
An exhibition of European glass engraving featuring the work of 45 glass artists opens on 19 March 2023 at the Gernheim Glassworks, part of the North-Rhine Westphalian Industrial Museum (LWL-Industriemuseum Glashütte Gernheim), in Germany.
Visitors to the Gernheim Glassworks can also watch the glassblowers producing glass pieces that are then refined by cutting and engraving in the coldworking studios.
The glassworks features a landmark glass cone that came about as a result of a visit to Stourbridge, UK, in 1820 by German businessmen. They were so impressed by the cone furnaces there that they went home and built one on the banks of the River Weser, adding a small village for the workers around it. It has functioned as a working furnace ever since.
The engraved glass exhibition, ‘Gravur on Tour: Gernheim 2023’, runs until 9 September 2023. There is an illustrated catalogue of work by members of the Glass Engraving Network from Finland, Estonia, Czechia, Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Romania, Ireland, Scotland and England. It costs €15.
There is also the opportunity to book a place on a wheel engraving course, run by Wilhelm Vernim, from 22-27 August 2023. There are spaces for 6-8 people and all abilities are welcome. It will be held in English and German and costs €650. More information via email to: glashuette-gernheim@lwl.org
LWL-Museum Gernheim Glassworks is at Gernheim 12, 32469 Petershagen, Germany. Find out more via the LWL website
A bursary is available for a craftsperson working in warm or cold glass, providing subsidised studio space at Cockpit in London.
The Cockpit Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers Bursary offers one year of business support and subsidised studio space at the Cockpit art space in London. The business support includes one-to-one coaching and business development workshops. There are also selling and promotional opportunities, including two annual Cockpit Open Studios events.
Applicants must have warm or cold glass as a major constituent of their work and be currently living in the UK and entitled to remain for the duration of the award, which begins in September 2023.
Bursary sponsor, the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers, supports the promotion of glass as a material and has continuing contacts with the glass industry. The Company promotes knowledge of the properties of glass in schools and helps with education projects in the City of London and around the country. It also supports smaller businesses and artists working in glass through exhibitions, competitions and prizes.
Applications close on 11 April 2023. Find out more and apply via this link.
The current awardee is Lulu Harrison, whose work is pictured.
Devon’s Teign Valley Glass Studio (TVGS) is holding a social and glassmaking weekend on 9-11 June 2023. Everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy a weekend of fire, passion and fun!
If you are a glassblower or lampworker, you are invited to work in the studio and take part in the demonstrations. This will be a chance to watch amazing glass artists at work, meet old friends and make new ones, take part yourself, or simply watch and learn!
On Friday 9 June and Saturday 10 June there will be 2-hour solo demonstration slots at 10am-12 noon, 1-3pm and 3.30-5.30pm. The full studio space will be available and there will be assistance from the TVGS team and others.
On Saturday 10 June at 8pm there will be a makers’ dinner at the Old Pottery Restaurant on the site, with a guest speaker.
Then on Sunday 11 June, from 10am-7pm, there will be a lampworkers’ and hot glass workers’ ‘mash-up’, celebrating 50 years of the House of Marbles that is located on the site and which houses the glass and marble museum, as well as selling a wide range of marbles alongside toys and gifts. This mash-up will comprise a series of open/jam sessions to create one-of-a-kind marbles with the assistance of the TVGS team.
For more information or to take part, please contact Richard Glass via email: glass@teignvalleyglass.com
Teign Valley Glass Studio is based at the Old Pottery, Pottery Road, Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ13 9DS. Website: www.teignvalleyglass.com
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