‘Moss for a Bed’ Opening at Ruthin Craft Centre, North Wales – 4th July 2026

Ruthin Craft Centre, the award-winning Centre for the Applied Arts, is proud to announce the opening of the exhibition, titled:

‘Moss for a Bed’ – A Solo Exhibition by Verity Pulford, runs from 4th July – 20th Sept 2026.

The exhibition brings together her signature ethereal glasswork with new porcelain works, shaped by Verity’s enduring fascination with nature.

“My work is inspired by the complexity of life, particularly the intricate structures and growth patterns found in nature. I am drawn to cryptogamic plants such as lichen, moss, and algae, as well as fungi, and the textures and forms of marine creatures, invertebrates, and coral. I am influenced by how being in nature—and observing it closely—makes me feel. How in both this experience and through the experience of making I find a place of quiet, safety and solace. I often explore ideas of magical realism, creating hybrid forms inspired by, or combining, different plants and organisms”

Verity Pulford is based in Eryrys, North Wales. She recently won the Gold Medal for Craft and Design at The National Eisteddfod of Wales, 2025. Her work is sold in leading galleries, exhibited internationally and collected by private and public institutions. She is a QEST Scholar, part of the Homo Faber Guide and member of the Guild of Makers of Wales. Verity has exhibited at Collect – the leading art fair for collectable contemporary craft and the British Glass Biennale on several occasions.

Verity has been awarded Arts Council of Wales grants for three major projects and WAI funding for a residency at the renowned Chihuly’s Pilchuck Art School in Seattle. She has also completed a funded residency at North Lands Creative Glass Studio in Caithness. Verity has undertaken several projects in healthcare including Walton Centre Liverpool and Betsi Cadwaladr sites.

Please contact Ruthin Craft Centre for more information on the talks and educational programme linked to the show.
Ruthin Craft Centre The Centre for the Applied Arts, Park Road, Ruthin, Denbighshire LL15 1BB. Contact: +44 (0)1824 774801 Email: ruthincraftcentre@dll.co.uk

Free Admission – Free On-Site Parking
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 5.30pm

International Festival of Glass CGS Exhibition

International Festival of Glass 2026
The CGS Exhibition

‘A Cabinet of Curiosities’

Call for Entries is open!

The Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) is delighted to announce that we will be holding an exhibition at The International Festival of Glass this year at The World of Glass, St Helens.

The theme is “A Cabinet of Curiosities”, and this is an open call to all CGS members!

Start thinking of what you could make to be a part of our Cabinet of Curiosities!

We invite you to embrace curiosity, experimentation, process-led exploration, and storytelling—whether entirely factual or imaginatively fictional—within your glass pieces. The work will be available for sale, and for the first time in our IFOG exhibitions, we will be able to display 3D objects as well as 2D works!

This exhibition is a sequel to our much-loved Postcard Exhibitions, previously held in Stourbridge. With the new location and format, we are thrilled to open this popular opportunity to everyone at any stage of their making and using any glass technique.

Please note: Unlike previous years, this will be a selected show due to limitations on the number of works we can display. But be assured that we are keen to show work from makers at all stages of their glassmaking career and in a wide range of techniques.

Criteria for Selection
• You must be a member of the Contemporary Glass Society.
• Your work should fit the theme of the exhibition- Be curious, experimental, and intriguing.
• The work must be completed, with high-quality final photos for promotion and the accompanying online exhibition.
• A wide range of approaches and techniques is encouraged and will form part of the selection criteria.
• Pieces should retail within one of the following price categories- £85, £150, £200, £300, £400, or £500.
• The work must be for sale. This is a fundraising event:
o 50% of the sale price goes to the artist (or you may kindly donate this to CGS)
o 20% + VAT goes to The World of Glass
o The remaining amount is a donation towards CGS events, including our 30th Anniversary celebrations next year.
• Size limits:
o Depth no greater than 10cm
o Height and width no larger than 20cm x 10cm (these can be used in either orientation)
• Limited editions are welcome—only one piece is needed for the show, with the option for additional commissions once purchased.
• The work must be delivered between specific dates in July/August to Sarah Brown at her studio. Exact details will be confirmed once your spot is secured.

• Application fee: £15

Exhibition and Sale
• We will hold a launch event at The Festival for the sale of the pieces (time TBC), a fun way to meet other artists and select your favourites.
• Pieces will be affordable, and unsold works will be made available online after the show, giving those who cannot attend a chance to purchase them.
• There will be a Best in Show prize and a People’s Prize, announced at the end of the exhibition.
Images and Documentation
We would love to receive:
• Videos/photos of you making the work.
• High-quality images on a clear background of the final pieces
Have fun with your pieces! Think outside the box (within the size limits) and make something exciting to display alongside a wide range of artists.

Key Dates
• Open Call Launched: April 2026
• Applications Close: 21st June
• Delivery of Work: July/ August 2026 (date to be confirmed)
• Launch Event: During IFOG
• Exhibition Dates: 27th August – 31st October
• Launch Event: During IFOG – time TBC
• Sold/ Unsold Artwork sent: Sold artwork will go to the purchaser in November. Unsold Artwork will need collection arranged at a date TBC.

APPLICATION FORM

MORE INFO ABOUT IFOG 2026

Berlin: Trays of Wonder with Joseph Cavalieri

Learn fun and easy ways to add detailed images and patterns to your glass work. Joseph Cavalieri is excited to return for his fourth class, focusing on fusing and slumping trays with bold, colorful images. Starting with cutting glass, you will learning silk screening, penning, painting, and airbrushing enamels onto glass. Joseph will bring a variety of exciting silk screens for you to use. No prior painting or drawing experience is needed; you will learn how to trace images to bring your piece to life. Plan to make four or more final works during this four day workshop, plus many fired samples of all the techniques, and learn from Joseph’s popular art residency lecture, He will share tips he learned during his fifteen visiting artist residencies. These techniques apply to stained glass projects as well as fused glass projects. Joseph will discuss and bring samples of how to easily use these techniques with stained glass, but the focus of the class is fusing, slumping, and having fun.

Kiln-Formed Glass: The Sustainable Art of Repurposing with Julia Gonyou

Kiln-Formed Glass: The Sustainable Art of Repurposing with Julia Gonyou

10-11 September 2026 (Thursday-Friday)

9.30am-4.30pm 2 days

Location: CGUK Glass Studio – Rochester, Kent

Please join us for an environmentally conscious new workshop focused on exploring the possibilities of sustainable kiln-formed glass, using recycled glass bottles, and float glass.

Participants will learn how to break down these materials and artistically repurpose the glass – without the use of moulds – into unique compositions using pattern, shape and script. You will explore techniques using expressive mark-making, textural objects and cut-outs to create distinctive relief work.

Explore this more streamlined and Eco-friendly approach to glass-making while building practical skills and creative confidence to support your future work.

Projects
Students will have the opportunity to create 3-4 projects, including sun-catchers, and free-standing panels to take home/collect after final firing.

Skill Level
Beginner/Intermediate

Further Information
More about Julia can be found here: www.juliagonyou.com

All class materials and necessary tools/equipment are provided.

Refreshments are included, but please bring your own packed lunch.

Participants must be 18+ years of age.

Workshops are held in our well-equipped studio above our retail centre, accessed via 2 flights of stairs, there is no lift.

NB. A waiting list will be in operation once the class is FULL – please email info@creativeglassshop.co.uk if you would like to be added.

Glasstress – The Modern Art Revolution in Venice

On April 1st, 2026, the international exhibition Glass Stress – The Evolution of Modern Art in Venice was inaugurated at the Tsinghua University Art Museum. This exhibition was organized by the School of Art of Tsinghua University, the Tsinghua University Art Museum, and the Berengo Studio in Italy. It brought together over 60 works by 56 artists from 20 different countries (including 6 British artists). The artists, within the specific glass culture context of Venice, responded to the proposition of the transformation of traditional craftsmanship in the contemporary context, exploring new artistic expressions and possibilities of glass in the context of globalization and multiculturalism.

Glass has been closely related to the development of human civilization throughout the long history. Due to the ‘stress’ generated during its preparation and shaping, it exhibits unique technical properties and thus becomes an artistic medium capable of expressing aesthetics, symbols, and concepts. ‘Glasstress’ as a physical concept refers to the situation where the amorphous structure of glass is ‘frozen’ during its transition from the molten state to the solid state, thereby retaining the stress state within the material. On one hand, it has given rise to the unique production techniques of glass; on the other hand, it also constitutes the material basis for the fragility, tension, and potential danger of glass. In artistic works, this ‘critical state’ between stability and fragmentation is often transformed into resources with aesthetic tension and spiritual metaphor.

For a long time, glass art has been mostly regarded as merely a ‘decorative medium’, and the inherent properties of the material have often been overshadowed by artistic concepts. The core breakthrough of this ‘Glasstress’ exhibition lies in establishing the ‘active nature’ of glass materials – the transparency, brittleness, and stress marks of glass are no longer mere by-products in the production process, but rather ‘material grammar’ that participates in the generation of artistic meaning, deeply influencing the conceptual construction and emotional expression of the artists.

Exhibiting Artists:

Tony Cragg (UK),Josepha Gasch-Muche (Germany),Sean Scully (USA),Gu Liming (China),Ted Noten (Netherlands),Marta Klonowska (Poland),Dustin Yellin (USA),Thomas Schütte (Germany),Mimmo Paladino (Italy),Zhang Lei (China),Bai Ming (China),Maria Grazia Rosin (Italy),César Baldaccini (France),Fiona Banner (UK),Michael Joo (USA),Jaime Hayon
(Spain),Cornelia Parker (UK),Javier Pérez (Spain),Polly Apfelbaum
(USA),Mirosław Bałka (Poland),Loris Cecchini (Italy),Penny Byrne
(Australia),Charles Avery (UK),Laure Prouvost (France),Emilio Isgrò
(Italy),Erwin Wurm (Austria),Fariba Ferdosi (Iran),Koen Vanmechelen
(Belgium),Halim Al-Karim (Iraq), Judy Chicago (USA), Marya Kazoun
(Lebanon), Jimmie Durham (USA), María Magdalena Campos-Pons (USA),
Osaru Obaseki (Nigeria), Jaume Plensa (Spain), Marie-Louise Ekman
(Sweden), Arne Quinze (Belgium), Chila Kumari Singh Burman (UK),
Massimo Lunardon (Italy), Tony Oursler (USA), Anna Jermolaewa (Russia),
Qiu Zhijie (China), Wu Jian’an (China), Wael Shawky (Egypt), Ilya & Emilia Kabakov (Ukraine), Fred Wilson (USA), Karen LaMonte (USA), Monica Bonvicini (Italy), Mat Collishaw (UK), Joana Vasconcelos (Portugal), Hans Op de Beeck (Belgium), Vik Muniz (Brazil), Antonio Riello (Italy), Robert Wilson (USA), Pedro Friedeberg (Mexico ), Li Jing (China).

For further information and images of works in the exhibition- See the attached PDF

Websites

Tsinghua University Art Museum

fondazioneberengo.org

(The text was compiled by Dr Jianyong Guo and Dr Dian Shi based on the exhibition’s promotional materials. All the figures in the text were provided by the organizing committee of this exhibition.)

Stained Glass Course (mixed ability)

Stained Glass (mixed ability) with Shelly Kitto

20th April to 6th July 2026

10am-12pm or 1pm – 3pm 10 weekly sessions every Monday (except 4 & 25 May)

Whether your aim is to create a beautiful piece of stained glass for your own enjoyment, to delight friends and family, or as an initial step into an art-based career, this class is the perfect choice. You will be taught traditional glass cutting and leading techniques from pattern design through to project completion. As you progress with your projects other skills may be introduced such as glass painting, Tiffany foiling technique and 3-D design.

Please note, there will be additional costs incurred by students during the course to cover basic tools and materials which are dependent on the project you choose to undertake; this will be discussed with your tutor during the first lesson.

Glass Cutting Tool Set

Projects:
· a 30cm-square leaded panel

· a further project(s) of the students choosing after tutor discussion/guidance

Skill Level

This class is mixed ability, suitable for the complete beginner as well as those wishing to continue their stained-glass journey.

You can read our terms and conditions for classes here.

NB. A waiting list will be in operation once the class is FULL – please email info@creativeglassshop.co.uk if you would like to be added.

Glasswork through Fire and Ice, a study of colour, form, movement, and stillness – summer school

Welcome to our summer school. A creative exploration of colour, texture, and transformation
Discover how glass can express the powerful contrasts of fire and ice in this five day course designed for both beginners and practising artists. From warm, flowing colour to cool, crystalline stillness, you’ll explore how these elemental forces can be translated into glass through hands on experimentation and guided studio play.

Throughout the week, you’ll work with a range of glassmaking techniques, including engraving, copper foiling, kiln forming, colour exploration, and small sculptural studies. You’ll investigate texture, translucency, bubbles, cracks, surface mark making, and the many ways glass can shift between movement and stillness.

The course offers a relaxed, supportive environment where you can take creative risks, follow your instincts, and enjoy learning alongside others. Whether you’re new to glass or expanding your artistic practice, this week invites exploration, discovery, and fresh ways of thinking through materials.

NOTE: The glass will be kiln fired; you may need to come back at an agreed time to collect your finished work.
We are not using lampwork techniques on this course.

Cost: £222 (full fee), £147 (reduced fee)
Location: Granville Park Centre, 100 Granville Park, Lewisham, SE13 7DU
Time: Monday – Friday 10am-3pm

Screen printing onto glass

Get back to basics with table top screen printing onto glass on tiles on this six week course. Learn how to mix enamels, print accurately on a smooth shiny surface.

If you have attended the introduction course then you will be able to explore the process further, take a few risks with your printing, develop your drawing techniques and produce something of great quality.

Cost: £180 (full fee), £105 (reduced fee)
Location: Granville Park Centre, 100 Granville Park, Lewisham, SE13 7DU
Time: 7-9:30pm

Glass engraving essentials, cold working for decorative functional glass

Build on your engraving experience and take your glasswork further through a focused exploration of cold working techniques using a rotary tool. This course opens up new possibilities for detail, texture, and precision, guiding you beyond simple mark making into more intentional, expressive surface design. Through a series of structured demonstrations and supported studio time, you’ll experiment with more advanced burr control, layered texturing, relief carving, and approaches for working confidently across different forms and glass types.

As your skills develop, you’ll plan and complete a personal project that brings together technique, design thinking, and your own creative direction. Along the way, you’ll refine your handling, expand your repertoire of surface effects, and discover how subtle shifts in pressure, movement, and tool choice can transform your work.

Whether you’re returning to engraving after a break or looking to extend what you already know, this course offers a thoughtful progression a chance to deepen your practice.

Cost: £135 (full fee), £78:75
Location: Granville Park Centre, 100 Granville Park, Lewisham, SE13 7DU
Time: 7-9:30pm

Glass engraving essentials, cold working for decorative functional glass

Build on your engraving experience and take your glasswork further through a focused exploration of cold working techniques using a rotary tool. This course opens up new possibilities for detail, texture, and precision, guiding you beyond simple mark making into more intentional, expressive surface design. Through a series of structured demonstrations and supported studio time, you’ll experiment with more advanced burr control, layered texturing, relief carving, and approaches for working confidently across different forms and glass types.

As your skills develop, you’ll plan and complete a personal project that brings together technique, design thinking, and your own creative direction. Along the way, you’ll refine your handling, expand your repertoire of surface effects, and discover how subtle shifts in pressure, movement, and tool choice can transform your work.

Whether you’re returning to engraving after a break or looking to extend what you already know, this course offers a thoughtful progression a chance to deepen your practice.

Cost: £135 (full fee), £78:75
Location: Granville Park Centre, 100 Granville Park, Lewisham, SE13 7DU
Time: 7-9:30pm