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
The Carnival Glass Society will be holding an exhibition celebrating the beauty, creativity and ingenuity of this pressed iridised glass at Stourbridge Glass Museum in April 2023.
The exhibition celebrates 40 years of the Society and features an opening reception on 22 April from 6-9pm.
Visitors will be able to see around 300 items of iridescent, pressed glass, including rarities not often seen. The display starts with a look at the inspirations for carnival glass and the early years after its introduction in America in 1907. It continues with its spread across the world in the 1920s and 1930s, as glassmakers in Europe, Australia, India and South America started making pressed iridised glass with their own unique designs and styles.
The exhibition also shows later carnival glass made in the second part of the 20th century, when the interest of collectors spawned a revival, and beyond.
Underpinning the exhibition is a ‘Stourbridge Glass Success Story’, showing how pioneers from the area helped spark a craze for carnival glass, which spread the legacy of Stourbridge’s glass making creativity and expertise worldwide.
After a welcome drink and chance to browse the museum, the Carnival Glass Society team will present an overview of the glass and an insight into the exhibition, as well as taking visitors on a tour of the exhibits and describing some of the intriguing stories behind them.
To book tickets for the Opening Reception, click here.
The exhibition runs from 8 April to 5 November 2023.
Building on the success of our 25th Anniversary year, in 2023 the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) is reaching out to more people than ever, to educate and inform and provide access to the remarkable experience that is the amazing material of glass.
From April to December, we are taking contemporary glass into the community through a series of Expanding Horizons Discovery Days, which are open to all and located in interesting and inspiring locations around the UK.
The programme for each day features four fascinating speakers, including both established artists and young, emerging makers. One speaker is an international artist who will join us virtually by Zoom. Speakers range from upcoming and developing talent such as Anthony Amoako Attah, Joshua Kerley and Joanna Manousis, to established artists such as David Reekie. International speakers include Galia Amsel, from New Zealand, and Kristiina Uslar, from Estonia. We aim to present the best of the world’s contemporary glass artists, to excite and inspire audiences.
At each venue, makers can take part in a ‘Show and Tell’ event, explaining the techniques and ideas behind a piece of their work. In addition, there will be demonstrations of the many techniques, old and new, that are used in the production of glass work.
The first Discovery Day is being held at De Montfort University in Leicester on 29 April.
Speakers are:
Bethany Wood – past Leicester student and founder of Blowfish Glass, a leading hybrid hot shop and exhibition space in Stourbridge
Joshua Kerley – one of the UK’s leading pate de verre artists
Anthony Amoako Attah – a Ghanaian student, who brings a whole new colour palette to kiln forming
Laura Donefer – lamp worker extraordinaire, who will be Zoomed to us from Canada.
The Discovery Days are sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers Charity Fund, with the Discovery Day at De Montfort University sponsored by Kilncare Ltd.
Further Discovery Day venues include the National Glass Centre, Sunderland (20 May 2023), the Hepworth Gallery, Wakefield (17 June 2023) and Oriel y Parc, St David’s, Wales (29 July 2023). Other locations for later in the year include the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the World of Glass in St Helens, and Arts University Plymouth.
Every event is available to all – glass artists, glass collectors, students, young people and the public. We also hope to live-stream each Discovery Day.
More details will be published about each event in due course. For the latest information, contact Pam Reekie via admin@cgs.org.uk
Image: ‘Filter I’ by one of our international Discovery Day speakers, Kristiina Uslar.
The Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts has announced two full scholarships for students from Commonwealth countries to undertake its MA in Traditional Arts.
The organisers are looking for students specialising in specific heritage crafts relevant to their own country who also have a wide interest in heritage, building crafts and architectural conservation. It is crucial that scholarship recipients have a desire to develop their skills to improve the historic built environment.
One of the areas that will be given priority is stained glass, including historic and decorative glass (e.g. painted, handblown and frosted glass).
Commonwealth citizens (excluding the UK) are eligible to apply. However British citizens and/or Commonwealth citizens already based in the UK are not eligible for this scholarship.
The scholarships are aimed at talented craftspeople and students from across the Commonwealth who would otherwise be unable to pursue further study of their craft or speciality skill. Consideration of financial need will be central to the selection of the recipients.
The scholarships aim to open up opportunities for successful careers in the heritage and conservation sectors to the successful candidates. They are made possible by the Commonwealth Heritage Forum via generous funding from the Hamish Ogston Foundation.
The scholarships will cover: overseas course fees; a monthly stipend to cover living expenses; accommodation fees in student accommodation in London; return air travel from home country to the UK; and visa costs, including the healthcare surcharge.
Priority will be given to those seeking to advance their knowledge, career, and sector leadership in the following fields:
Stonemasonry (including terracotta and carving in various stone types)
Carpentry and joinery (including carving, inlaying and parquetry)
Exterior and interior painting and decorating (including limewash, marbling, graining, traditional colours and finishes)
Gilding (on gesso and paper)
External and internal plastering (including stucco, lime renders and scagliola work)
Architectural ironwork
Stained glass, including historic and decorative glass (e.g. painted, handblown and frosted glass)
Tiling, mosaics, and ceramics as related to the built environment
Skills relevant to your country/region’s needs, and within the scope of the Commonwealth Heritage Forum and The Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts.
The course runs from September 2023 to July 2025 and the deadline for applications is Friday 28 April 2023.
For further information, including a detailed list of all requirements and the application process, visit the Prince’s Foundation website.
Angela Thwaites is known for her cast glass and likes to create pieces that draw the viewer in to take a second look. Her most recent work is moving smaller scale, but with no less impact. Linda Banks finds out more.
What led you to start working with glass?
Translucency, colour and light.
What glass techniques have you used and which do you prefer?
I was already working with hand-built ceramics, so it was a relatively easy step to take into kiln-forming techniques. Casting and pate de verre feel particularly empathic, as form is key to everything I make and these techniques offer the greatest range of formal possibilities with glass.
‘Ring Things’. Photo: I Latviunaite.
What is your creative approach? Do you draw your ideas out or dive straight in with the materials?
All of these plus more! I was taught in a very linear way, so some of that is there as a basis, but, the more you make, the more you can dive in and go. I don’t usually following a linear path now, so I might take a mould from a found object or a little clay or plasticine model I’ve made. I use all and any materials to rough out an idea.
I love drawing, too, in its own right. I draw before and after, so I can scope out what needs developing further.
I’m also working digitally to model shapes for 3D printing. Digital technology gives options that wouldn’t be possible to make by hand alone.
I draw on paper before I start with the 3D software, so I have a sense of where I’m going with it. I don’t think in numbers, so I don’t work mathematically. I use the Rhino construction plane like an on-screen sketchbook page and then choose one or two of the models I’ve created to work up for 3D printing before casting in glass.
‘Croissanty Catarpillar’. Photo: D Lawson.
What inspires your work?
Everyday things and experiences, odd, humorous and awkward things, as well as pleasing shapes. Something I see out of the corner of my eye, which could be a building or something growing or discarded. Something I read or hear, fragments, shadows patterns, movements – more or less anything inspires me.
‘Roker Pendant’. Photo: D Lawson.
What message(s) do you want to convey through your art?
Look! Look again!
‘Appleocalypse’. Photo: I Latviunaite.
What is your favourite tool or piece of equipment and why?
My hands. They’re an amazing piece of engineering, so flexible and multipurpose.
‘After the Fire’. Photo: D Lawson.
Do you have a favourite piece you have made? Why is it your favourite?
I have a couple of favourites. One is from my student days, it’s a bit damaged but still holds good and embodies most of the qualities I still hold dear: mass and space, tonal variation in colour. It’s become a kind of talisman.
Where do you show and sell your work?
I show in a range of different contexts. I’ve had work in a couple of the CGS exhibitions in the last year, plus I’m a member of the Contemporary Applied Arts (CAA) in London, A small group of pieces is on its way back from a museum in the US. I also take part in artist-curated and organised exhibitions.
‘Worlds within Worlds’ – Angela Thwaites’ research showcase at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland in 2016. Photo: Dave Lawson.
You also share your knowledge through teaching. What advice would you give to someone starting out on a career in glass?
It may well not be a quick fix but if it’s what you want then keep going and you will get where you want to be, eventually.
‘Vessel Line Up’. Photo: D Lawson.
Do you have a career highlight?
Yes – but there’s still time for more! Being selected for ‘New Glass Now!’ at the Corning Museum of Glass in the US in 2019 was a biggy for me.
‘Rock Lobster’ variations: 3D print; plaster mould; sand mould; poured glass. These were made during the ‘New Footprints in Glass’ Masterclass at Pilchuck Glass School in the US in 2018.
Where is your glass practice heading next?
Going forward, I’ll be involved in more collaborations and working across a broader range of media.
Is the global energy crisis affecting your practice?
Of course, it must, otherwise nothing will change. I’m working much smaller – ‘miniature monumental’, as I describe it. I am taking a thoughtful approach, reusing as much material and resource as possible, from glass to yogurt pots to rain water.
Angela Thwaites making the piece ‘Hortoculus’. Photo: R Taylor.
About the artist
Based in South London, Angela Thwaites’ practice explores glass through making, writing, education and research.
International exhibitions include ‘New Glass Now!’ (2019) in the US, ‘NGC21’ (2019) at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland, UK; ‘British Glass Biennale’ (2017), Stourbridge, UK, and ‘Hsinchu City International Glass Festival’ (2014), Taiwan.
Publications include ‘Mixing With The Best’ (Royal College of Art, 2002) and ‘Mould Making for Glass’ (Bloomsbury, 2011).
Find out more about Angela via her website or follow her on Instagram: @angelamthwaites
Main feature image: ‘Always Coming Home’ by Angela Thwaites. Photo: D Williamson.
A hybrid book launch and glass exhibition with live demonstrations is taking place in Stourbridge, West Midlands, opening on 25 March 2023.
Glass artist and author Catherine Dunstan has teamed up with glass artist and founder of Blowfish Glass, Bethany Wood to present the event.
The new book, Creative and Professional Development for Glass Artists, by Catherine Dunstan, will be released on the first day of the event. It is a practical guide for glass artists looking to find their creative voice and plan their journey in the world of glass. It features insights from numerous glass artists and industry professionals, including contributions from Tamsin Abbott, Simon Alderson, Anthony Amoako Attah, Juliet Forrest, Katherine Huskie, Flora Jamieson, Julie Light, Verity Pulford, Laura Quinn, Elliot Walker and Bethany Wood.
In celebration of the book launch, an exhibition will launch simultaneously at Crystal Mile Contemporary Gallery, owned by Bethany Wood, at the Red House Glass Cone in Stourbridge.
The ‘Process’ exhibition will be a unique and exciting opportunity to look into the creative minds of the 12 artists featured in the book. Sketchbooks and technical drawings will be displayed alongside test pieces, works in progress and more established pieces.
The book launch and ‘Process’ exhibition opening will take place on 25 March 2023, from 10:30am-9pm. There will be live demonstrations by professional glassblowers to watch through the day.
The exhibition takes place at Unit 15, Red House Glass Cone, High Street, Wordsley, Stourbridge, West Midlands DY8 4AZ, UK, and will run until 15 April. Specific dates and opening times will be listed on the Blowfish Glass website.
The launch day is free to attend but booking is required. Book via this link.
In addition, over the course of the exhibition, online talks and panel discussions on themes relating to creative and professional development will be run in a virtual event called ‘Process Online’. There will be a small fee to attend these events and tickets can be booked on Catherine Dunstan’s website via this link.
Creative and Professional Development for Glass Artists is published by Gather Books, a Bristol-based small press with a focus on craft-themed books. Pre-order a print copy or e-book version here.
Image: Detail of ‘Process’ exhibition poster, showing sculpture by glass artist Elliot Walker, photographed by Simon Bruntnell.
If you’d like to follow in the footsteps of the UK’s Elliot Walker – who won Season 2 of the Netflix glassblowing competition Blown Away – read on. The series is filmed in Canada, but travel and accommodation are covered. Please note the deadline for applications is 23 February so not much time to get your application in.
The production company marblemedia is casting glassblowers from around the world for Season 4 of Blown Away – the acclaimed Netflix series where glass artists race against the clock to compete for a grand prize and be named the new Blown Away Champion.
Travel and accommodation costs are covered, honorariums will be provided, and there is a significant prize package for the winner.
Applicants must:
be able to travel to Canada any time between April – June 2023
have a valid passport not expiring in the next six months
be 19 years of age or older
be proficient in speaking and comprehending English
be willing to undergo a background check
be passionate about art and have a competitive spirit!
Previous applicants are encouraged to reapply.
The application must be completed all in one go as you will not be able to revisit it once you’ve started entering your information.
PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ARE MANDATORY. If you encounter an error adding your media to the application, please email your videos and photos to jtavares@marblemedia.com once you’ve submitted your application.
Applications will close at 11:59pm PST on Thursday, February 23, 2023.
Swiss artist Simon Berger has a solo show at the Museo del Vetro of Murano, Italy featuring artworks that explore the fragility of the human condition. Around 20 original pieces make up the ‘Shattering Beauty’ exhibition, which is on now until 7 May 2023.
The exhibition, curated by Sandrine Welte and Chiara Squarcina in collaboration with the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia and Berengo Studio, is conceived as an immersive installation where visitors are invited to lose themselves among glass cubes and sculptures of varying dimensions.
The installation also features several glass portraits, created using the technique the artist calls ‘morphogenesis’, which has made Berger an international name.
In his hyper realistic portraits Berger recreates the lines of the human face by breaking the glass using tools such as a hammer to etch and draw haunting human faces. Reinforced safety glass, which has a crucial layer of plastic as its core, ensures that the material, though broken, stays in place. This highly controlled sculptural technique originates from the artist’s classical training in carpentry and demonstrates how many artists are translating techniques from other mediums into the world of glass.
Berger’s unique technique of deliberate ‘shattering’ contradicts years of teaching, whereby broken glass has been seen as wasted or ruined. On the contrary, he instead turns the material’s so-called weakness into its most vital asset. Its ability to break becomes reframed as its ability to change, to be altered, and to be recast as something new. To watch the artist create these works is to witness a vivid ‘performance’. The shattering of the material is not an end point for Berger, but just the beginning.
‘Shattering Beauty’ is on at the Glass Museum, Fondamenta Giustinian 8, 30121 Murano, Italy. More information via this link.
Image: Cubes featuring faces made up of cracked glass feature in the exhibition.
The Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) is extending its reach across the country in 2023 with new events and exhibitions. The first of these initiatives is the opportunity for CGS members to exhibit at the Buckenham Galleries in Southwold, Suffolk.
Situated in the heart of the seaside town of Southwold, the Buckenham Galleries is an independent fine art gallery and one of East Anglia’s leading contemporary art spaces. CGS is excited to be working with the gallery for the first time to present its ‘Sumptuous Summer’ exhibition, from 1 June to 15 July 2023.
The exhibition, which is open to all CGS members, will celebrate the warmth and sensuous pleasure of a Sumptuous Summer. The brief offers artists the opportunity to explore anything that relates to that glorious season, which extends from the June solstice through to the September equinox.
Exhibiting a wide range of contemporary glass art, the show will feature a mix of wall pieces as well as plinth-based work. All the work will be for sale at a wide range of prices, so there will be something for everyone.
From the applicants, 15 artists will be chosen to take part in the show. Up to three pieces can be submitted per artist. The selection panel includes the gallery owners and internationally renowned glass artist, David Reekie, whose studio is in nearby Norfolk.
There will be a preview afternoon on Saturday 3 June at 2pm, enabling visitors to see the array of glorious glass, meet the artists and find out more about their work and techniques.
The application deadline is Sunday 12 March 2023 at 5pm.
For more information and application, click here. There is a £25 administration fee to apply.
The Buckenham Galleries is at: Buckenham House, 81 High Street, Southwold, Suffolk IP18 6DS, UK. Website: https://buckenhamgalleries.co.uk
Image: The Buckenham Galleries that will host the ‘Sumptuous Summer’ exhibition.
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