Glass Giddy

I’ve got a case of post-conference high, having just returned from the 42nd Annual Conference of the Glass Art Society in Toledo, Ohio, where the studio glass movement started 50 years ago.

The cause of my euphoria: a dizzying array of demos, lectures, discussions, and exhibitions.

First came the trenchant keynote speech by Toledo Museum of Art director Brian P. Kennedy on the topic of innovation; how many keynote speeches get a standing ovation? Seriously. Then we heard two completely different but equally charming acceptance speeches by lifetime achievement winners Joel Philip Myers and Bertil Vallien. Another endearing moment: GAS president Jeremy Lepisto placed a call from the podium to Harvey Littleton, often called the father of the movement, so that the hundreds of glass lovers gathered in the auditorium could wish Littleton a happy 90th birthday.

Overall there was a good blend of homage to the past and eagerness for the future, of Boomers and Millennials. “Blowin’ in the Wind” was a panel discussion on the early days, featuring Fritz Dreisbach, Marvin Lipofsky, Richard Marquis, Joel Philip Myers, Toots Zynsky, and the hilarious Henry Halem; cue the facial hair and montages set to the Rolling Stones. “Post-Studio Glass” tackled the provocative possibilities of “glass secessionism.”

Demos abounded – so much so that it was tough to choose between them. I count myself fortunate to have sat 8 feet from Matt Eskuche as he made two of his signature glass trash pieces.

Finally, there were opportunities to see glass at more than 30 venues (in Toledo, no less). Just being able to see in person works by artists I know only by images was worth the price of admission. Littleton’s iconic Blue Ruby Spray is bigger and more sprawling in person that I’d imagined, for example. April Surgent’s cold-worked imagery is more dimensional than I had understood. Giles Bettison’s pieces are even more intricate than I was aware. Brent Kee Young and Robert Mickelson’s flameworked sculptures are more impossibly fragile-looking than I knew. And on and on.