As artists from all over the world converge on St. Louis for the Glass Art Society’s annual conference, it’s not just kilns heating up
Though legend has it that glass was invented when some clueless Phoenician sailors accidentally heated up sand with their cooking pots, glass art as we know it dates back to 50 B.C. It’s easy to see why artists love glass: It’s malleable and jewel-like, and it can be used to express the transcendent (rose cathedral windows) as easily as it can the giddily earthy (candy-striped Venetian bowls).
When the international Glass Art Society’s annual convention comes to town on June 15, we’ll have a chance to see both. Local organizers are amped to show St. Louis off to artists who are coming from as far away as the Czech Republic, Iceland, Japan and Italy. Public events include a city-wide Gallery Hop (6–10 p.m. June 16) showcasing work in more than 25 galleries, with the Third Degree Glass Factory (5200 Delmar, 314-367-4527, www.stlglass.com) serving as oasis and shuttle meet-up point and Mad Art (2727 S. 12th, 314-721-8940, www.madart.com) hosting the “Après Hop” party, 10 p.m.–midnight. Also on the docket: an opening-night party and auction of donated glass art (gaveled by Ivey-Selkirk) at the Millennium Hotel, a closing-night bash at City Museum and the Downtown Alliance’s Downtown Loft Tour and East-West Festival, timed to coincide with the conference.
GAS executive director Pamela Koss is especially excited about certain facets of the convention: Glass caster Ann Robinson is coming from Australia to accept the Society Lifetime Acheivement Award; young artists Sabrina Knowles and Jenny Pohlman will be conducting demos with the Corning Museum of Glass’ “Hot Glass Roadshow” mobile studio; and Nick Cave (the black sculptor and dancer, not the Bad Seed!)—whose costume pieces, which are also sculptures, involve glass in their construction—will be lecturing. For listings of public events, previews of auction pieces or more information about the Glass Art Society, go to www.glassart.org.
