New charity British Glass Foundation launched

At long last, the launch of the British Glass Foundation charity has been made public. The Foundation's aims are to protect the glass heritage of Britain - initially aimed at protecting the collection housed at the threatened Broadfield House Glass Museum in Dudley, West Midlands, it is to be hoped that it will encompass glass heritage throughout the country thus ensuring protection for collections in other repositories which may be under threat.

The Glass Message Board has been supporting the save Broadfield House campaign since its inception, and has just had the announcement added to its Glass News forum along with an invitation for glass lovers everywhere to support the British Glass Foundation and its aims.

Glass lovers blog

I've just happened across the most amazing blog written by a lady in Argentina - all about glass. It has stuff I've never seen before - amazing glass, so worth adding here as a post methinks in case anyone happens to read my page: http://objetosconvidrio.blogspot.com/

Scottish Glass Conference 1-4 October 2010

The conference is to be held at Edinburgh College of Art from the 1st to 4th October 2010. It is possible to register and book accommodation from Scotland's Glass website.

With up to 32 lectures in three parallel streams, Contemporary, Paperweights and Historical, this will be the UK's largest glass conference. Including demonstrations of paperweight making, hot glass work and engraving.

Follow them on Twitter, Scotland's Glass website
and the special 2010 anniversary website

Historical

Sat 2 October
10.00 h - 11.00 h Jill Turnbull - Four hundred years: The rise, shine and decline of the Scottish glass industry
11.30 h - 12.30 h Brian Blench - Helen Monro Turner, the Edinburgh College of Art and its students
14.00 h - 15.00 h Geoffrey Seddon - Jacobite Rebellion and Scottish Glass
15.30 h - 16.30 h Stephen Pollock-Hill - The Scottish Glass Industry in the latter part of the 20th century: A revival?

Sun 3 October
09.30 h - 10.30 h Simon Cottle - 18th Century Enamelled Glass: The Scottish Connection
11.00 h - 12.00 h John Smith - The Duke of Hamilton cabinet, James Tassie. and Collection of glass in Duff House
13.30 h - 14.30 h Graham Cooley - Loch, Heather & Peat: Domnhall O'Broin & Caithness Glass
15.00 h - 16.00 h Julie L. Sloan - The Rose and The Sumac: The Stained Glass of C.R. Mackintosh and Frank Lloyd Wright
16.00 h - 17.00 h Nigel Benson - Can Ysart Glass Be Considered An Early Exponent Of Studio Glass?
16.00 h - 17.00 h Gordon McFarlan - Glass Engraving in Victorian Edinburgh, the Bohemian Connection.

Stained glass

Sat 2 October
15.30 h - 16.30 h Susan Bradbury - A Contemporary Stained Glass Studio

Sun 3 October
15.00 h - 16.00 h Julie L. Sloan - The Rose and The Sumac: The Stained Glass of C.R. Mackintosh and Frank Lloyd Wright

Mon 4 October
09.00 h - 10.00 h John Clark - The difficulties created by the increasing use of enameling in flat glass...

Contemporary

Sat 2 October
10.00 h - 11.00 h Alison Kinnaird - Ancient and Modern - Scotland and Egypt
11.30 h - 12.30 h Siobhan Healy - Natural form in Design
14.00 h - 15.00 h Patricia Niemann - Glass in Body Adornment
15.30 h - 16.30 h Susan Bradbury - A Contemporary Stained Glass Studio

Sun 3 October
09.30 h - 10.30 h Jessamy Kelly - Full Circle
11.00 h - 12.00 h Louise Tait - North Lands Creative Glass - The Northern Light in the World of Glass
13.30 h - 14.30 h Denis Mann - Engraving demonstration with live video
15.00 h - 16.00 h Rachel Elliott - The 21st Century Glass Artist in Scotland
16.00 h - 17.00 h The Scottish Glass Society - Recent Projects

Mon 4 October
09.00 h - 10.00 h John Clark - The difficulties created by the increasing use of enameling in flat glass...
10.00 h - 11.00 h Eric Hilton - The Reciprocity Between Industrial and Personal Creativity
11.30 h - 12.30 h Mike Hunter - Demonstration using the Pastoralle pick-up technique.
13.30 h - 14.30 h 50 years of the British Society of Scientific Glassblowers
15.00 h - 16.00 h Scottish Glass Society Annual Conference

Paperweights

Sat 2 October
10.00 h - 11.00 h Derek Carter - Hawick to Wick - the evolution of Scottish paperweight making from the 19th century to the current day
11.30 h - 12.30 h Dave Moir - An Almost Forgotten Master: Jack Allan.
14.00 h - 15.00 h Alastair MacIntosh - Drop o' the Hard Stuff Paperweight Demonstration
15.30 h - 16.30 h Mike Hunter - 17th Century Venetian blown caneworking & 19th Century European caneworking including demonstration

Sun 3 October
09.30 h - 10.30 h Andy Nowson - Caithness Glass Paperweights: 1969-2009 - A 40 year Adventure Pushing the Boundaries..
11.00 h - 12.00 h Alastair MacIntosh - Of Ice and Fire
13.30 h - 14.30 h To be announced
15.00 h - 16.00 h Andy Nowson - Paperweights & Artglass - the creativity of Caithness Glass Designers explored

Broadfield House Glass Museum

My dearly beloved and I finally managed to get to Broadfield House Glass Museum in May and it was well-worth the trip! What a fantastic collection of glass from through the ages right up to stunning contemporary work.

The current exhibition is Take 30 where thirty leading glass artists, all of whom have had connections with the Museum during its thirty-year history, have been invited to exhibit their work, including a great selection of contemporary pieces by our favourite glassmakers Adam Aaronson and Allister Malcolm.

Having explored Take 30, we set off round the rest of the displays and were just blown away by the glass we saw.

From everyday pressed-glass items like we own, to rare handmade pieces from the 18th and 19th centuries, we ooohed and ahhhed over them all.

The fabulous ewer above was one of my favourite pieces - how much would I like to have that in my possession?!

We spent a couple of happy hours exploring, enjoyed a cuppa and a chat with one of the Friends "manning" (or should that be "womanning"?) the tea bar, and another with the helpful friendly folks on the desk. All-in-all it was a great visit and we loved going.

My dearly beloved now says he realises why the glass community is so determined to keep the Museum open: it won't close whilst he lives, he said. I can just picture him lying in protest across the doors to prevent closure!!!

So, if you've not been then go, you won't regret it! And whilst you're at it, why not join the Friends of Broadfield House - every new member is more power to their elbow! :)

Broadfield House - new video report

Well presented and clearly documented case for the future of the Broadfield House Glass Museum.

Simon Bruntnell, glass photographer

I'm so looking forward to a new book coming out. It's by Simon Bruntnell, a photographer who specialises in glass pictures - and they are amazing! He did the photos for Marcus Newhall's Sklo Union book (see previous in this blog).

Anyhow, Simon's rounded up a whole load of his photos of contemporary glassmakers' work and has a book of them coming out in March 2010. I can't wait to see it!

Objects of Desire