Glass Art Society - 2009

Questions continue about BLENKO COLLECTORS 2009 meeting schedule.

May I suggest you check out the GAS Conference. This one is on my 2009 list of things to do.
http://www.glassart.org/
Glass Art Society 39th Annual Conference: Local Inspiration, Global InnovationCorning, New YorkJune 11-13, 2009

For more than 150 years, Corning, New York, has been an important center for glassmaking artistry, innovation, and research. Through the programs and collection of The Corning Museum of Glass and the work of artists in the local community, Corning continues to be a profound influence on the world of glass art. Whether you are an artist, collector, scholar, student or educator, don't miss the return of the GAS conference to Corning in 2009, where you'll have an opportunity to inspire and be inspired by others, and to participate in shaping the future of glass.
PRE CONFERENCE TOURS:
Exploring Tiffany Windows in Western New YorkWednesday, June 10, 8 am(7:45 am: board bus)Cost: $140/personIncludes bus transportation and a box lunchMinimum 20, maximum 50 participantsTiffany historians Lindsy R. Parrott and Diane C. Wright lead an in-depth exploration of Tiffany Studios ecclesiastic windows and interiors in Corning and Rochester churches. Ornamental, figural and landscape windows dating from the early 1890s through the 1920s are the focus of this day-long tour. Tiffany mosaics and other richly ornamented fittings for ecclesiastic interiors will also be considered. Ms. Parrott is the Director and Curator of the Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass in New York City. She will discuss the innovative materials and fabrication techniques used by Tiffany to create these windows. Ms. Wright works in the American Decorative Arts Department at the Yale University Art Gallery. She will focus on the designers who worked for Tiffany and the history of the American stained-glass movement.
Sullivan Park Research CenterWednesday, June 10, at 12:30 and 2:30 pmCost: $15/personMaximum capacity of 80 people per tour. Details will be available on the day of the of tourCorning celebrated 100 years of Research & Development in 2008. A tour of the Sullivan Park R&D Center will be offered to Glass Art Society participants. The tour will include an overview of Corning’s R&D programs and facilities followed by demonstrations of three technologies for new products.
Finger Lakes Studio TourWednesday, June 10, 8 amCost: $95/personMaximum 25 participantsTake a ride and discover glass art studios nestled amidst the vineyards of the Finger Lakes. Our tour will visit 4 working glass studios along the shores of Canandaigua Lake, each with its own unique story and treasures. We will enjoy wine-tasting and lunch at one of the oldest wineries in the Finger Lakes, Widmer Wine Cellars.
Niagara Falls, NY Day tripWednesday, June 10, 7:30 am - 8 pmCost: $130/person*Includes: transportation, English speaking guide, admission to the Maid of the Mist, lunch at Hard Rock Café and guide and driver gratuity. *Pricing is based on 35 passenger minimum and may increase with a lower passenger count. Minimum 35, maximum 50 participants.Tour the best of art and nature on our tour to Buffalo-Niagara Falls – we will visit the Darwin Martin House (a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home), the Albright Know Gallery, as well as enjoy a cruise on the famous Maid of the Mist. Tour includes a “traditional” Buffalo lunch!
Sylvania Light Bulb Factory TourTuesday, June 9, 12:30 pm - 4:30 pmCost: $30/personIncludes: transportation, English speaking guideMaximum 30 participantsVisit the Sylvania light bulb factory. Learn about the history of this plant and its current operations as well as go on a walk-through of the factory floor. Visitors will be able to see the furnace, ribbon machines, frost machines and packaging operations.
Steuben Glass Plant TourThursday, June 11 & Friday, June 128am, 10am, and 12pmMaximum 10 people per tourCost: $15For more than 100 years, Steuben has been at the forefront of glass design, balancing state-of-the-art technological advancements with centuries-old traditional glassmaking techniques. Founded in 1903 by English glassmaker Frederick Carder, Steuben is an American company named after Steuben County, New York, where our design studio and glassworks facility are still located.The company was acquired by Corning Glass Works (now Corning Incorporated) in 1918, and in 1933, Arthur A. Houghton, Jr. was appointed Steuben's president. Soon after, he revolutionized the art glass industry with the introduction of clear Steuben crystal - a new optical glass of unparalleled brilliance and purity formulated by Corning Glass Works scientists. This new formula for extraordinarily pure glass, crafted by the most talented and accomplished designers and glassmakers in the world, has made Steuben the preeminent maker of fine glass internationally. Houghton's profound belief (still one of the driving forces at Steuben today) was that the unique partnership of designer and glassmaker is catalyst to the conception of visionary designs that literally push the art of glassmaking to the edge of creative expression. In Houghton's day as now, Steuben has had but one ideal - to make the finest glass the world has ever known, with strict adherence to distinctive edsign and to the "hand methods" of forming, polishing and engraving.At a time when value is increasingly important, Steuben continues to deliver unsurpassed quality, superior craftsmanship, and unerring attention to design and detail. From graceful, fluid forms sculpted in molten crystal to complex designs cut or engraved on the cooled glass, each perfect piece has earned its characteristic signature in diamond point: Steuben.

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