Ulysses Cylinders Public Lecture

by Fiona Byrne

In the lead up to the opening of the Ulysses Cylinders exhibition by Dale Chilhuly and Seaver Leslie with Flora C. Mace and Joey Kirkpatrick a lecture was held at Dublin Castle. This lecture looked at the making of the exhibition, glass in Ulysses and also gave an insight into why the artists and organisers decided, almost forty years after the exhibition’s original conception, to recreate this iconic show.

The evening began with introductions from Paula Stokes and Róisín de Buitléar, who have both been instrumental in getting this exhibition to Ireland for its very fitting launch to coincide with the Bloomsday festivities. A screening of the making process of these beautiful pieces took place and the complexities of the artistic process were clear. These pieces have been lavished in gold, had delicate and intricate glass drawings melted into their surface, and then skilfully blown to their final shape. This labour intensive process encapsulates the love and effort on the part of everyone on this project to make the vision of the Ulysses Cylinders a reality.

The passion for the project is infectious. Seaver Leslie gave a wonderful talk about his role in the project and his respect for his fellow artists, including Joyce himself, is worn on his sleeve. His modesty is such that he comes across as a man who is proud to have been allowed to be part of this project and not as one of its main characters. However, once he began to speak you can feel the connection and depth of knowledge that he has for his subject matter.

He stressed the links with Ulysses and Joyce that go beyond a mere visual representation of the book. ‘Proportion is everything in the making of art’, Leslie tells us, echoing the harmonics of proportion in Ulysses. The joy of discovery also links these two artists we learn as Leslie recounts the story of finding a description of glass blowing in Ulysses and describes the emotion and pride he felt at his discovery. This is something which translates to the objects in the exhibition, as Róisín de Buitléar pointed out, you have to walk around each piece to get the full picture, you have to actively seek it.

Relationships are important in this project and ownership is not seen as an issue. Leslie expresses how all art steals and borrows inspiration from others. This exhibition is about collaboration and creation, using the ideas and talents of a group to push the art form to new levels. His collaboration with Chihuly began a long time ago when Leslie first encountered Chihuly working the hot work shop in college. He described how Chihuly’s vibrancy attracted an entourage of fun, creative people.

The contrast between the more singular process of a painter and this very team orientated process of glass blowing served to draw Leslie in to the world of Chihuly. He describes himself as being hidden in a forest and Chihuly being out there causing a storm. I for one am glad he chose to come out of his metaphorical hiding place and add his talents to the Ulysses Cylinders project.

Soul is the word which occurred again and again, finding something deep and essential within art, taking it, and making it your own. Leslie leaves us with the thought that Ulysses is a spiritual book and not to be daunted as, ‘you will find what you need’ from it.

After Leslie has spoken Dr. Luke Gibbons takes us ‘Through the glass darkly’ in his talk about the importance of glass in Joyce’s writing. He tells us that Joyce asked us to look at the glass and not just through the glass. To illustrate this he described the first scene of the Dubliners where there is a young boy looking up at the stained glass windows in a church.

Joyce used glass as a carrier of meaning in various ways, once saying that ‘only a transparent sheet separates me from madness’. Gibbons informs us of the fortuitous meeting of Joyce with Thomas Pugh of Pugh’s glass manufacturers. In Pugh he found a man who had claimed Ulysses as a seminal work but who operated outside of the academic circles, this, Gibbons tells us, was Joyce’s intended audience.

Though if seems artistic collaborations can sometimes go awry. Gibbons tells us of the mix up with a commission involving the artist Matisse who was asked to illustrate Ulysses. However misunderstanding the commission he illustrated Homer's Odyssey instead, leaving Ulysses without illustrations.

This project has had its set back also. Thirty nine years ago a tragic car accident stopped the original exhibition in its tracks and resulted in Chihuly losing the sight of his left eye.  Today the Ulysses Cylinders exhibition is on display at Dublin Castle after a long time in the making. This beautiful collection of objects holds more stories than those illustrated on their surface. They are alive with narratives waiting to be unlocked by the viewer.

GSoI: Looking back on Orientate (Part 2)

Mmmmmmmm... So lunch was delicious, all were in agreement on that point. The cosy atmosphere of the canteen also provided a good opportunity for guests, speakers and board members alike to relax and discuss the conference so far. We felt that this was a very important element to include in the day. Opportunities for the Irish glass community to mingle are rare enough and we wanted to ensure the day left some room for everyone to re-connect and make some new connections.

Lunch finished and food digesting nicely we made our way back to the lecture hall. While the first half of the conference featured talks from speakers whose professional careers had been led by glass/craft but did not work with the material directly, the latter half was devoted to artists working with glass specifically.

Angela Thwaites 

First up was the wonderful Angela Thwaites. Angela is a glass artist, researcher and teacher based in London. She works predominately in kiln-cast glass and has been involved extensively in numerous research projects on refractory mould making for glass.  She talked about her practice and the development of her career which began with an undergraduate degree in glass and ceramics from Farnham College of Art and Design, Surry. A monumental point in her career occurred in 1983 when she was awarded a scholarship to study under one of the all-time masters of glass casting; Professor Libensky. After receiving three more consecutive scholarships, she completed her MA at the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague in 1985. 

Angela pointed out that the meaning of orientate is ‘to determine one’s position with reference to another point’.  She described her extensive career as a journey where, “each experience leads to another.” Her study period under the Czech master was a pivotal point in her practice. After it she was part of a research project at the Royal College of Art and in 2010 she was commissioned to write a book Mould Making for Glass which followed on from the findings of the project. She reminded us that any small opportunity such as a conversation at a conference perhaps or an exhibition call, could lead to the next important step in our careers. She also stressed that an open mind and willingness to never stop learning are paramount to progression.

The other area of Angela’s career which she feels has really brought her many valuable experiences is teaching. Angela is currently senior lecturer in Design Crafts at De Montfort University, Leicester and a tutor at Richmond Adult and Community College. In addition, she has taught at numerous institutions as a visiting lecturer and continues to teach workshops and master-classes in glass casting internationally. She finds teaching very rewarding and feels she often learns as much from students as they learn from her. We were delighted to have Angela teach a casting workshop in NCAD just prior to the symposium. She truly is a passionate and engaging educator. All the workshop participants enjoyed her warm, relaxed manner and genuine enthusiasm towards their casting projects. In addition to her teaching duties Angela works from her own studio which is slowly taking over her back garden. She is currently working on several projects, assisted by her cat!

Our second practitioner talk was from Slovenian artist and designer Tanja Pak(pronounced Tanya). Tanja is currently head of the glass and ceramics programme at the Academy of Fine Art and Design in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital. Tanja’s talk was entitled ‘Immersed in Duality’ and she focused on her relationship with glass as both an artist and a designer.

Tanja Pak

Her work is influenced by the rhythm and flow of the natural world. She works from a restrained colour pallet; black, white and transparent glass, so nothing distracts from the organic simplicity of her forms. Tanja began her career as an industrial designer, graduating in 1994 from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana. This initial training in design is evident in how her complex ideas are simplified and expressed as functional glassware which is manufactured in collaboration with Slovenian glass factories. The glass tableware is functional and stylish and has received honourable mentions in the Red Dot Design Awards. While it is very commercially successful, evidence of the artist’s passions and influences still remain. The design of the vessels echo water drops and ripples. Graceful curves and soft lines give these manufactured pieces a very organic and feminine feel. Tanja does not see a difference, as such, between her practice as a designer and as an artist. The same inspirations create both lines of work; they are two sides of the same coin and walking the line between them is an exciting challenge for her.

There is a meditative quality to all her work – quiet and still, a frozen moment. It is most evident in her large installations which are often immersive environments incorporating smells and sounds as well as lighting and visuals. An example of one such installation was Within at Ljubljana Castle, 2010. This work featured cast glass branches, illuminated within wooden ‘trees’. The room was darkened and visitors’ footsteps muted by the chipped bark across the floor. The bark also filled the room with an earthy smell, further enhancing the illusion of being in meditative woodland. The atmosphere Tanja creates in her installations is one of tranquillity and reflection. She uses glass for its special relationship with light which becomes part of the complete experience of the work. “Glass for me”, she said, “is pure poetry”. Her talk showed numerous slides and videos of her installation but I imagine they cannot compete with seeing the work in person – I hope I get the chance to do so one day.

Cappy Thompson 

Wrapping up a very successful and informative day was CappyThompson who came all the way from her native Seattle, Washington, USA. Cappy is regarded as one of the world’s best glass painters, a master of the grisaille or gray-tonal painting technique. However, the material glass or the technique she uses is not of central importance to her. Cappy is first and foremost a painter and what is important is the narrative content of the work rather than its canvas. She is self-taught in glass working, beginning as a stained glass painter. Her initial paintings were influenced by folk art and mythology. While the design of her imagery still references this style of drawing the content developed to become entirely her own and is drawn from her personal life experiences and dreams.

Cappy’s lecture dealt with her beginnings as an artist and then traced the development of her style and career through the content of her work. The audience, at least many that I spoke to afterwards, were really moved by Cappy’s lecture. It caught you off guard; one minute she would be telling a cheerful anecdote about an element in the story, the next moment she would reveal a very personal and painful memory. Her talk was warm, sincere and unassuming and I think it really allowed the audience to connect with the work she shared with us. The narrative style of her work easily captures the imagination, enriched by the detail and jewel-like colours. Hearing the story behind each of the characters she paints makes the beautiful work even more appealing.

Cappy has been producing her unique work for over thirty years and in that time she has taught workshops internationally in major glass institutions. We at GSoI made the most of Cappy’s visit to Ireland – she taught a great workshop at the National Sculpture Factory in Cork before the conference and another great one to the National College of Art and Design glass students the week after in Dublin. It wasn’t all work though, she did get to see Cork, Dublin and lots of beautiful Irish countryside while she was here and we assure you, she said she really enjoyed her stay!

When the talks finished up we headed over to Tactic Gallery at Sample Studios for the opening of Sofie Loscher’s exhibition Waiting in the Wings. Sofie’s exhibition one of two exhibitions curated by GSoI’s vice-chairperson Emer Lynch to coincide with the symposium. Our guest speaker Jerome Harrington formally opened the exhibition after a brief curator’s speech from Emer. Conference guests and speakers had a chance network and mingle a little more at the exhibition with a well earned cold beer. The second exhibition in the 'Orientate' visual arts programme, These Liquid Brinks featured artist Caroline Doolin and was opened at The Guesthouse on Sunday November 3^rd with a tea and cake reception. The exhibitions were very well received – but I won’t say more than that because Emer has promised me a much more exciting article discussing both them and her work as a curator in more detail in the New Year, thanks Emer.

GSoI Team with speakers and artists at Tactic 

Tanja Pak and Fiona Bryne

'Orientate' was a great success for the GSoI in 2013. 

Many thanks to all who were a part of it and cheers to something even better next year!   

About the author

Meadhbh McIlgorm studied glass at the National College of Art and Design and graduated in June 2013. She is the GSoI Media and Communications Officer; those of you present at ‘Orientate’ would have seen her at the registration desk and the rest of you are probably familiar with her monthly e-bulletins and notifications. 

She is currently Artist in Residence in the NCAD glass department.  

GSoI: Looking back on 'Orientate' 2013

the auction exhibition in CIT Crawford College foyer
(photo Michael Holly, 2013) 

   

Dear reader, On Saturday the 2^nd of November 2013 the recently re-formed Glass Society of Ireland held its first international symposium; ‘Orientate’ in CIT Crawford College of Art and Design, Cork. Early that morning our favourite GSoI members (I joke, we have no favourites – we just hope even more of you can make it next year) sacrificed their Saturday lie-in to join us for a day of stimulating talks and presentations from a variety of glass practitioners, craft writers and curators.

The choice to include such a range of professional fields amongst our speakers was deliberate. We are acutely aware that the future of glass as an art material relies upon much more than a talented artists working alone in a studio. Everyone is connected by a vital network of dependency – the artists, the writer, the curator, the buyer. The symposium ‘Orientate’ was aptly titled; this conference aimed to uncover how contextualising the material has underpinned glass as an occupation - exploring how we orientate ourselves around the material.

Mimmo Paladino: El Rabdomante, Glasstress 2013

Our first speaker that morning was our keynote speaker Dr Francesca Giubilei. We asked Francesca to give the keynote address as she is Project Manager and Curators Assistant for the pioneering Glasstress exhibition. Glasstress, a satellite exhibition of the world renowned Venice Biennale, seeks to open up the use of glass as a material by giving artists access to the incredible skills and expertise of Murano’s glass-masters to produce work.

 

With her charming Italian accent, Francesca talked us through the origins of Glasstress, a project she described as ‘a bridge between the old idea of glass and the future.’ Projects like Glasstress are breaking down the perception of glass as a disciplined craft material and injecting it into the ‘anything’s possible’ world of contemporary fine art. Francesca’s lecture really set the tone about the pivotal point that glass is at today. The Glasstress exhibition 2013 was on show in Venice until the 24^th of November and will travel to the London College of Fashion next year.  

Helen Story: The Dress of Glass and Flame, Glasstress 2013 

After Dr Giubilei’s lecture the audience had the opportunity to ask questions and converse. An interesting discussion arose from the audience about the importance of ‘intellectual property’ when a glass-master is involved in the production of an artwork. Do projects like Glasstress undermine the technical skills and achievements of the glass-masters? Many of the makers present in the audience felt slightly uncomfortable with the idea that this style of a conceptually led project might be the way forward for glass. While everyone seemed to agree that the collaborations and exchange of knowledge occurring in Venice are exciting there also seemed to be a consensus that ‘we must not just train thinkers’ and that technical skills must not lose their value. 

The next speaker of the morning was our only Irish national: Dr Eleanor Flegg. Eleanor is a writer and lecturer. Craft is her main inspiration although as she informed us, she does not consider herself ‘a champion to the cause of craft’ she writes about it because she finds it interesting. Eleanor’s talk was a personal favourite: though it had very little to do with glass, it had everything to do with the potential of writing to explore all kinds of art/objects.  She talked about the different types of writing that may be used in the context of writing about craft – how it is often indulgent writing, focusing on promoting the artist/gallery/material or bland information based around dates locations and statistics about the piece or person in question. Critical writing is less common but is something that perhaps should be considered more since, Eleanor pointed out, “the reason that I write at all is to find out what I think.” Our thoughts and opinions are rarely straightforward; the reflective process of writing can help us assess them more clearly. She referred to writing as “a making process – it’s just not three dimensional”. Eleanor is interested in finding new ways of writing about craft and she is currently writing a speculative fiction novel based on her experience of a ceramic artist’s work (the name eludes me, I apologise). She delighted us by reading an extract from it during her talk – it was the most unusual way of engaging with an object I've encountered and strangely captivating. 

A central point of Eleanor’s talk left lingering in my mind was the idea that we should be ‘pushing boundaries without being certain of the results’. She is pushing boundaries in her atypical craft writing practice just as exhibitions like Glasstress push boundaries and break material tradition. If the audience – who were largely makers and students - were to take just one thing away from her talk I hope it’s an appreciation of the power of writing as a tool towards understanding our own opinion and perhaps our own practice in a way that is just that little bit more considered and - no pun intended, crafted.

Jerome Harrington, 'Glass in the Expanded Field' - Diagram.

The third speaker of the morning was Jerome Harrington. Jerome is a UK artist with a background in glass making whose current work takes an ‘expanded’ view of working with glass. He is not so much interested in working with the material itself as investigating how it is culturally perceived and utilized.  Jerome broke his talk into 3 loose sections, based around the questions ‘why glass?’, ‘what is glass?’ and ‘what does glass mean?’. One of Jerome’s most interesting projects the audience found was his 2011 study of Glass in the Expanded Field. Based on Rosalind Krauss’s exploration of the expanded field of sculpture in the 1960s, Glass in the Expanded Field is a study of how glass makers identify themselves and their peers within the discipline: subjects orientated themselves on a diagram in proximity to either ‘prioritising of craft skill’ or ‘prioritising of concept’. The results of the study show a wide range of stances by makers as to where they position themselves in relation to the studio glass movement, to craft practice and to fine art.

 

Emer Lynch and our panel of speakers
(photo Michael Holly 2013)

The morning session concluded with a panel discussion featuring the three speakers and led by GSoI Vice-Chairperson Emer Lynch, a curator whose own practice has developed from her educational background in glass at the National College of Art and Design. Emer invited the audience to engage with the speakers and ask questions on issues raised in their lectures. The main subject that was discussed was the difference between glass art and glass craft, and if indeed there was a difference at all. The apparent consensus within the audience was that the labels are generally nothing more than ‘marketing categories’ and that in general the discussion is one that makers can become fixated with but the general public don’t particularly care about the distinction. Everyone in the audience seemed interested in the debate and I imagine that if time allowed we might have continued to pick the speakers brains all afternoon but time waits for no one and it was off to a delicious lunch of home-made curry, courtesy of the college canteen. Yum!

To be continued! 

 Written by Meadhbh McIlgorm 
GSoI Media and Communications Officer

ORIENTATE Symposium: Online booking now opening

​

Great news! Tickets for our Oct/Nov events are on sale now. We have a fantastic line up of international presenters for the Orientate Symposium in Cork including our keynote speaker Francesca Giubilei from GLASSTRESS (IT). There are also places available on our workshops in Cork and Dublin! Angela Thwaites will be leading a Glass Casting workshop in the National College of Art and Design (Dublin) and Cappy Thompson will teach a Glass Painting workshop at the National Sculpture Factory (Cork).

Buy Tickets HERE

JUST GLASS SEMINAR, LONDON

Just Glass will host their 2012 seminar Finishing Touches; British Studio Glass on Saturday 20th October. This seminar will take place at The Conway Hall, London. Speakers include Katherine Coleman, Catherine Hough, Francis Federer, Richard Jackson and Anthony Scala.

Discounted ticket booking at £22.50 is currently available for the Just Glass Seminar. This offer will end on 14th September, after which tickets will cost £25.

W:  www.just-glass.co.uk
 

COMMISSIONING ARTISTS FOR PUBLIC SPACES SEMINAR, NI

This seminar with consultant and curator Frances Lord is intended for those who want to explore the benefits and practicalities of involving artists in the creative development of new buildings and the public realm. It takes place at PLACE, Belfast, on the 16th of August from 10.30am-1.00pm. Admission is free but booking is required.

This seminar, directed towards local authority officers, architects, interior designers and landscape architects, will include case studies and discuss innovative ways of working with artists, selection methods, matching aspirations to budgets and best practice in terms of embedding artists within communities.

Frances Lord is a consultant and curator with a background in crafts who specialises in developing and managing public art and commissioning projects. Clients include local authorities, healthcare trusts, environmental and regeneration agencies, museums and galleries. Frances is an Artistic Assessor (craft, design and pubilc art) for Arts Council England.

T: 028 9032 3059
E: info@craftni.org
W: http://craftni.org/events/commissioning-artists-for-public-spaces/

LARGER SCALE WORKING: POTENTIAL AND PITFALLS SEMINAR, NI

This seminar with consultant and curator Frances Lord is intended for makers who want to find out more about the opportunities and practical considerations involved in working on public art and large scale craft commissions. It takes place at R-Space, Lisburn on the 15th of August from 2pm-4pm. Admission is free but booking is required.

The seminar will include case studies, discuss the role of the artist, skills required, selection methods, making proposals, budgets and fees, artists' contracts, matching aspirations to budgets and trouble shooting.

Frances Lord is a consultant and curator with a background in crafts who specialises in developing and managing public art and commissioning projects. Clients include local authorities, healthcare trusts, environmental and regeneration agencies, museums and galleries. Frances is an Artistic Assessor (craft, design and public art) for Arts Council England.

T: 028 9032 3059
E: info@craftni.org
W: http://craftni.org/events/larger-scale-working-potential-and-pitfalls/

ARCHITECTURE AND THE ARTISTRY OF GLASS, UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON

As part of the 2012 International Festival of Glass this one-day symposium entitled Architecture and the Artistry of Glass explores the relationship between glass and architectural forms whether in terms of building materials or the artist wedded to architecture. The symposium brings together artists and designers with distinguished international profiles including John Lewis, Danny Lane, Brent Richards, Tomasz Urbanowicz and Keith Cummings. This symposium will take place on Friday 24th August 2012 from 10sm to 5pm. Prices: standard £130/ student £65.

E: Max.Stewart@wlv.ac.uk
W:  www.wlv.ac.uk/artanddesign/glassbiennale

NORTH LANDS INTERNATIONAL MASTERCLASSES AND WEEKEND CONFERENCE

North Lands’ 2012 Master Classes will be running between 29th August and 19th September. They offer a total of four Master Classes, with two running concurrently before the Conference and two after. The first two Master Classes will run from 29th August to 6th September with Angela Jarman and Jacqui Poncelet. The second two Classes will run from 11th to 19th September with Paul Marioni and Susan Stinsmuehlen-Amend.

The North Lands International Conference ‘Give-and-Take’ will take place on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th September 2012. The conference will explore conceptual and stylistic exchanges over time, between different cultures and media.

T: 01593 721 229
E: info@northlandsglass.com
W: www.northlandsglass.com/events/master-class-and-conference-programme

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF GLASS MASTERCLASSES, STOURBRIDGE, UK

A number of influential glass artists will host various masterclasses in the week leading up to the International Festival of Glass at Stourbridge, UK in August 2012. Those teaching will include Ian Hankey (UK), Richard Marquis (USA), Bandhu Scott Dunham (USA), Fritz Dreisbach (USA), John Lewis (USA), Shelley Doolan (UK), Antoine Leperlier (FRA), Diana East and Sean Taylor (UK), Vanessa Cutler (UK), Tanya Veit (USA), Allister Malcolm (UK), and Alison Kinnaird (UK). Full course descriptions and programmes are available on the International Festival of Glass website.

W: http://www.ifg.org.uk/all-classes.html

INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURAL GLASS SYMPOSIUM, UNIVERSITY OF SUNDERLAND

Working with Light as a Means of Interaction between Space and the Mind is the title of the University of Sunderland’s international architectural glass symposium to take place on 17th and 18th May 2012. Speakers will include Alexander Beleschenko, Rodney Bender, Algirdas Doveydenas, Marián Karel, Tim Macfarlane, Daan Roosegaarde, Judith Schaechter and Dana Zámecníková. Conference fees are £55.00 for one day and £90.00 for two days (if booked before 1st May 2012).

W: http://onlinestore.sunderland.ac.uk (search conference/events - International Glass Symposium)

ARCHITECTURE AND THE ARTISTRY OF GLASS, UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON 

As part of the 2012 International Festival of Glass this one-day symposium entitled Architecture and the Artistry of Glass explores the relationship between glass and architectural forms whether in terms of building materials or the artist wedded to architecture. The symposium brings together artists and designers with distinguished international profiles including John Lewis, Danny Lane, Brent Richards, Tomasz Urbanowicz and Keith Cummings. This symposium will take place on Friday 24th August 2012 from 10sm to 5pm. Prices: standard £130/ student £65.

E: Max.Stewart@wlv.ac.uk
W:  www.wlv.ac.uk/artanddesign/glassbiennale

INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURAL GLASS SYMPOSIUM, UNIVERSITY OF SUNDERLAND

Working with light as a means of interaction between space and the mind is the title of the University of Sunderland’s international architectural glass symposium to take place on 17th and 18th May 2012. Speakers will include Alexander Beleschenko, Rodney Bender, Algirdas Doveydenas, Marián Karel, Tim Macfarlane, Daan Roosegaarde, Judith Schaechter and Dana Zámecníková. Conference fees are £55.00 for one day and £90.00 for two days (if booked before 1st May 2012).

W: http://onlinestore.sunderland.ac.uk (search conference/events - International Glass Symposium)

ARCHITECTURE AND THE ARTISTRY OF GLASS, UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON

As part of the 2012 International Festival of Glass this one-day symposium entitled ‘Architecture and the Artistry of Glass’ explores the relationship between glass and architectural forms whether in terms of building materials or the artist wedded to architecture. The symposium brings together artists and designers with distinguished international profiles including John Lewis, Danny Lane, Brent Richards, Tomasz Urbanowicz and Keith Cummings. This symposium will take place on Friday 24th August 2012 from 10sm to 5pm. Prices: standard £130/ student £65.

E: Max.Stewart@wlv.ac.uk
W: www.wlv.ac.uk/artanddesign/glassbiennale

EUROPEAN GLASS CONTEXT 2012 – CONFERENCE

European Glass Context 2012 forms part of a biennial symposium for European contemporary glass and ceramics on the island of Bornholm in Denmark. A conference will be held on 16th and 17th September 2012 which aims to spotlight and address current themes impacting contemporary European glass.

The studio glass movement is now celebrating its 50th anniversary as an independent artistic practice. Half a century is a significant amount of time, yet the movement still seems young seen in the perspective of general art history. This calls for an opportunity to take stock of and look ahead for future opportunity, relevance, positioning, development, discussion etc.

What did the studio glass movement set out to do, and what did they achieve?
How does the studio glass movement identify itself in a craft and art context?
How can glass in the future position itself in the consciousness a larger audience? And where does the responsibility to do so lie?
Do we need any changes at all in the way we think about and make glass..?

This is an open call for anyone to submit proposals for talks and suggestions for presenters and themes for this conference. Your proposal must be max. 1 page. Please enclose your current CV and/or artist statement. The deadline to submit a proposal is 15th April 2012

W: www.europeanglasscontext.com

COLLECT, LONDON

Collect is the premier annual fair in Europe for international contemporary craft of museum quality. Collect 2012 presented by the Crafts Council will feature 31 UK and international galleries including the National Craft Gallery of Ireland. The highest quality craft will be showcased. The project space will return this year with ten large-scale installations by individual artists with a focus on textiles and furniture.

This year it is being held in the Saatchi Gallery in London, 11-14 May 2012.Tickets will be on sale in early February.

W: http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/collect/

NORTH LANDS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE – SEPTEMBER 2012

North Lands will be hosting their international conference ‘Give-and-Take’ on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th September 2012. The conference will explore conceptual and stylistic exchanges over time, between different cultures and media. We will be working in partnership with the Scottish Glass Society to host their annual exhibition, and to celebrate the Glass Games; a nationwide campaign which will harness the energy and audiences generated by the Olympics & Paralympics in 2012 to bring the magic of contemporary glass to more people than ever before.

W: www.northlandsglass.com

KITH AND KIN: NEW GLASS AND CERAMICS SYMPOSIUM, SUNDERLAND

A glass and ceramics symposium featuring presentations from artists exhibiting in Kith and Kin: New Glass and Ceramics (Andrew Livingstone, Colin Rennie, June Kingsbury, Chris McHugh, Erin Dickson and Jeffrey Sarmiento), and two artists; Charlotte Hodes and Prof. Paul Coldwell, whose practice similarly address conceptual approaches in the realisation of ideas and decorative concerns. The symposium will conclude with a European design case study by Dr Jack Dawson.

The symposium will provide a context for, and investigation into how the rich traditions of glass and ceramics in the North East of England and beyond, are being innovatively explored and developed through a range of contemporary practice, diverse content, cross-over of technique and media, and by practice-led research.

The symposium takes place on 10th February 2012 at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland. It is free to attend but please book through the National Glass Centre reception.

W: http://www.nationalglasscentre.com/whats-on/2012/02/10/kith-and-kin-new-glass-and-ceramics-symposium.html

GLASS ART SOCIETY CONFERENCE 2012 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

In recognition of the Toledo Museum of Art's role as the cradle of the American Studio Glass Movement, the Glass Art Society will be holding its 2012 conference in Toledo, Ohio. The city will welcome artists from around the world to celebrate the achievements of the past and to explore the seemingly endless possibilities of glass.

All registrants must be current members of GAS. Register before 2nd March 2012 for the lowest conference rates:
* Full Conference Pass, Individual Member: $275.00
* Full Conference Pass, Full-time Student Member: $145.00

W: http://www.glassart.org/2012_Toledo_OH.html
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr4C71dWQyI)

WHAT NEXT? PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY FOR RECENT ART COLLEGE GRADUATES AND STUDENTS

Fingal County Council and Draiocht wish to further recognise the needs and questions graduate artist may have post college. What Next? Is designed to tackle a number of relevant issues regarding the artist as professional i.e. funding opportunities, public art commissions, working with curators and private galleries, awareness of the Visual Artists Society, artist organised initiatives and the artist career path. The day is intended to be informative and informal with an emphasis on the audience member to get as much as possible out of this opportunity by asking questions of the panel members. Places are free, but limited; Bookings can be made through Draiocht’s Box office 01 885 2622.

Thursday 12th November 2009 10:30am – 5pm FREE
As part of this year’s Amharc Fhine Gall VI.

For Further Information on any aspect of the day please contact:
Caroline Cowley, Public Arts Co-ordinator, Fingal County Council,
P: 01 870 8449
E: caroline.cowley@fingalcoco.ie
or Sarah O’Neill, Deputy Arts Officer, Fingal County Council,
P: 01 890 6237
E: sarah.oneill@fingalcoco.ie

W: www.fingalarts.ie
http://www.draiocht.ie/whatson/visual.htm