Paul Marioni, Blade, photo: Russell Johnson courtesy: North Lands Creative Glass
Lybster, Scotland, is historically known as a fishing village, but over the past 17 years, it has been taking on a new identity as an international center of glass art. North Lands Creative Glass, located here on the windy North East cost of Scotland, is home to a world-class program of master classes, conferences, residencies, and workshops, which educate, support and inspire artists. Organized around the theme of “Give and Take” the master class program (click here to download a PDF copy) for this summer 2012 has been finalized. The goal of “Give and Take” is to explore conceptual and stylistic exchanges over time, between different cultures and media.
North Lands Creative Glass was established in 1995. It prospered under the leadership of Dan Klein, creative director and chairman of the advisory council until his death in 2009. Klein played a major role in making North Lands a center of excellence in glass making, and was one of its chief fundraising forces. Since Klein’s passing, and, as a result of the current economic climate that has many arts and crafts organizations facing financial difficulties, North Lands has been forced to do some belt-tightening. Because North Lands Creative Glass is set on maintaining the high standard of quality set in their programs, the issue arising for the center involves the frequency of their programs.
“The issue is less about quality of content and more about the possible frequency of activity,” Lorna O’Brien, Innovation and Business Development Director, told The GLASS Quarterly Hot Sheet in an email exchange.“The less funding we have the less we will be able to offer in the future.”
Still, North Lands continues to attract independently funded projects that supplement their main program. This summer Bullseye is helping to support a Highland International Symposium titled “Location and Perception.” The symposium will take place at North Lands Creative Glass from July 5 through July 13 and will be hosted by glass artists Jane Bruce and Michael Rogers.
“Last year we helped to underwrite a similar group residency led by artists Steve Klein and Richard Parrish that drew participants from around the world,” Lani McGregor past North Lands Creative Glass board member told The GLASS Quarterly Hot Sheet in an email exchange.
North Lands has also teamed up with different organizations to share resources. This year North Lands Creative Glass is working in partnership with the Scottish Glass Society to host an exhibition as part of the national campaign “Glass Games.” This year’s exhibition theme “Cultural Exchange” will be held at North Lands in September. It opens on Sunday, Sept. 9 and will remain open until Wednesday, Sept. 19 2012. “Cultural Exchange” will explore how we interact and respond to each other, our environment and how we communicate, gain knowledge and share emotions.
North Lands is also working closely with other glass societies such as Contemporary Glass Society to make 2012 a focal year for glass as it is also the Year of Creative Scotland which celebrates culture and creativity in Scotland.
The core of North Lands offerings, though, remain their annual educational programs and symposium. From Aug. 29 to Sept. 19, North Lands will offer four learning sessions instructed by established artists from around the world. Many of the courses will delve into generations of ideas and inspiration behind the work as well as the creation aspect.
Sessions I and II will be held from Aug. 29 through Sept. 6.
Session I, titled “From the Outside In” will be taught by Angela Jarman—a respected glass artist from the UK. The session will concentrate on the art of casting with relation to surface pattern and interior texture—as Jarman only works with clear glass and neutral colors. The aim will be to create objects that convey an artistic statement that their content is greater than the sum of their parts.
Session II, titled “Give and Take” will be taught by internationally known ceramics artist Jacqueline Poncelet. Poncelet strays away from a minimalist aesthetic. The session will concentrate on pattern, form and color at the same time using techniques such as fusing, sandblasting, and enameling with an emphasis on teamwork.
Susan Stinsmuehlen-Amend, Random Disclosure, courtesy: North Lands Creative Glass
Session III, titled “What’s the Big Idea…Sand Casting” will be taught by Paul Marioni—a renowned glass artist and pioneer of the Studio Glass Movement. Marioni’s work is often dreamlike in nature and reflects human type themes. The session will focus on vision and personal experience as well as technical skills such as casting glass and working in the hot shop.
Session IV, titled “Painting in the Space of Glass” will be taught by Susan Stinsmuehlen-Amend—past president of the Glass Art Society and a respected glass artist. The session will focus on using enamels to apply images to two and three-dimensional glass forms with a concentration on expanding dimensional space by layering.
Sessions III and IV will be held from Sept. 11 through Sept. 19.
In the midst of the program, a two-day international conference will take place.The conference will offer a series of lectures presented by curators Rupert Faulkner and Madelief Hoche, art historians Jane Pavitt and Wilfried van Damme as well as each of the artists instructing.
Ambassador and connoisseur of malt whiskey from Glennfidich Distillery, Bert Macor, will also discuss the distillery’s dedication to the craftsmanship of their original triangle glass bottles. The lectures will highlight the relationship between the theme, “Give and Take,” and the artists’ personal work, as well as in-depth commentary on topics such as postmodernism for design today, nature’s influence on artwork, African aesthetics in art and “Give and Take” in the context of public art commissions.
—Suzann Caputo