Archives: Online Exhibitions

“That’s bizarre!” “How surreal!” -when we make these statements do we really know what they mean?
To be bizarre can also be described as odd, strange, unusual, grotesque, or weird.
In contrast surreal, in relation to an artwork could mean that the elements in it are combined in a
way that you would not normally expect like having the disorienting, hallucinatory quality of a dream.
This immediately conjures up images by Salvador Dali and the Surrealists.
How are you bizarre and surreal?

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We invited CGS glass artists to show to respond to this theme and to show us their work. 55 artists are in the exhibition.
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Thank you to all those artists that took part.

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For any questions relating to the show, please contact Nicky at: web@cgs.org.uk

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Launched on 7th July 2025

The Contemporary Glass Society proudly presents A Sense of Place, a global celebration of glass art featuring 77 international artists. This dynamic exhibition invites you to explore how artists from around the world interpret the concept of “place”—not just as a physical location, but as a deeply personal, emotional, and cultural experience.

From cherished memories to powerful sensations, each piece reflects the diverse ways we connect with the environments around us. Whether it’s a landscape that evokes peace or a site that stirs emotion, this exhibition is a visual journey into the spaces that shape our identities.

Join us for this truly international show and discover the many ways glass can express our Sense of Place.

Meet the Makers Talk (details TBC).

Circles have no beginning and no end. They are not just geometrical symbols but are also what makes life possible. The sun and the moon are both circles and so is the cycle of life. Circles are also an intricate part of nature; time and the seasons occur in repetitive cycles.
Whoever thought that a circle was, well, just a circle?

CGS members grabbed the opportunity to show us what this theme meant to them and the resulting show is superb. We are so proud to launch this international digital glass exhibition.

64 Contemporary Glass Society glass artists truly do show us their ‘Full Circle’ – whether as a visual form or as a metaphysical concept.

For any press enquiries, please contact Helen at admin@cgs.org.uk. For any website or exhibition enquiries, please contact  info@cgs.org.uk

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If you wish to commission or purchase work, please contact the artist directly. Thank you.

Day and night, black and white, bold contrasts made by shadows in stark sunlight – all are examples of light and dark. Darkness, is the direct opposite of lightness, is defined as a lack of illumination, an absence of visible light, or a surface that absorbs light, such as black. It is estimated that 99% of our universe is hidden in the dark – and as light travels at a finite speed, the further you look into the universe the further one looks back in time.

The CGS invited glass artists to show us their contrasts, extremes, even their explorations into space – to boldly go where no one has gone before.

We are so thrilled to launch this show as the first show of 2025. And a huge thank you to all those artists that joined the show to take part!

It is one of the most exciting shows we have had yet!

59 CGS artists are taking part in the show!

If you have any questions about the exhibition, taking part, or need any technical help, please email us at info@cgs.org.uk

2024 sees the last International Festival of Glass to be held at the Ruskin Centre in Stourbridge.  The Contemporary Glass Society has been involved with the Festival since its inception.
As our time at the Ruskin Centre comes to an end and we look forward to the next era of the Festival, to celebrate the amazing journey we have all had, we asked our members to share their own memories. 

Memories are magical moments that we treasure so join us in our last Postcard Show at the Ruskin Centre and visit a small treasure full of memories.

Over 100 CGS members took part in this fantastic and fun fundraising show. Over half the postcards sold in Stourbridge but we still have some amazing ones wanting to find a new home.

All work is for sale at affordable prices £50, £75 or £100. and 50% will go towards CGS events in 2025

Do take a look.

Please email admin@cgs.org.uk to enquire

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If you need any help with the online shows or socials, please email info@cgs.org.uk

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“Words, words, words! All our lives we use words to express ourselves, to tell stories, to make deals, in love and in anger. We lie, we joke, we make promises and even thump our political soapbox. How do you use words in your work? Do you start with words in a title and take inspiration from them or actually write within your glass? ”

We asked CGS member artists to tell us how they use words within their work.

50 glass artists share their ideas with us.

Meet The Makers Zoom Evening- 27th at 7.30pm, contact admin@cgs.org.uk for more information 

Live – 4th Nov 2024 – 6th Jan, 2025

Live – 2nd September 4th November

“A pattern is an arrangement of lines or shapes, especially a design in which the same shape is repeated at regular intervals over a surface. Patterns exist all around us. We can find a pattern in the trees, in passing cars, ice crystals, in our thought processes or in our clothes. A pattern is also an arithmetic sequence, regularity in the world, in human-made design or in abstract ideas.”

What does pattern mean to CGS glass artists. And how do they express it in their work – see their compositions.

54 CGS members share their work with us.

Contact info@cgs.org.uk if you have any questions about the show or participation in shows.

“Cultural Traditions.”

8th July – 2nd September

Theme:

Traditions develop around religion, holidays, food, dance, clothing, language, music, crafts and pastimes, or anything else important to your cultural background. Traditions help form the structure and foundation of our families and our society.

CGS asked member glass artists to show us what is important to them and what their legends are.

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If you have any questions about this show, submissions, or future membership and taking part in show,s please email info@cgs.org.uk

From the smallest microbe to the biggest animal on earth – the Antarctic blue whale – we all experience the cycle of life from birth Preview Changes (opens in a new tab)through to death.  Shakespeare wrote about the 7 ages of man – the infant, the schoolboy, the lover, the soldier, the justice, the pantaloon and old age.

The rhythm of life has a powerful beat so we invited CGS members and glass artists to show us their journey through the natural world. Even their glass pieces go through a cycle of creation!

Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) Members took up the invitation – and here we show you what they produced!

Most work is for sale – please contact the artists directly to make a purchase.

If you need any help or have any questions about the show or taking part, PLEASE EMAIL info@cgs.org.uk