The U.S. capital of glass art and home to its highest-profile practitioner, Dale Chihuly, Seattle will be the setting for the 2011 GAS Conference.
The long wait for the announced location of next year’s GAS Conference has ended this evening. In a move designed to swell attendance well past the less than 1,000 who traveled to Louisville for the 2010 conference, the Glass Art Society has decided to hold the biggest event for glass artists at the very epicenter for glass art in North America — Seattle.
Set to run from June 1st to 4th, 2011, highlights will include a “Day of Glass” in neighboring Tacoma, Washington, on Wednesday, June 1, 2011, and a pre-conference reception at Dale Chihuly’s Boat House.
“We know from listening to you that one of the most important aspects of the GAS conference experience to you is connecting with other artists,” reads the official GAS announcement that was issued at approximately 7 PM Eastern Standard Time this evening. It was signed by GAS president Jeremy Lepisto and executive director Pamela Koss. It continues:“We are working to make an intimate conference experience for you with the downtown Sheraton Seattle as the conference hotel, which features a Pilchuck Glass Collection and plenty of spaces for networking and connecting.”
The full text of the announcement is reproduced below:
Dear Members and Friends of the Glass Art Society, Here is the announcement you all have been waiting for. In line with our mission, the Board of Directors of the Glass Art Society is happy to announce that the 2011 Glass Art Society Conference will be held in Seattle, Washington, June 1-4, 2011. The 2011 conference will also feature a Day of Glass in Tacoma, WA, on Wednesday, June 1, 2011. This 2011 Conference will celebrate the community and diversity of glass throughout the country and the world. We know from listening to you that one of the most important aspects of the GAS conference experience to you is connecting with other artists. We are working to make an intimate conference experience for you with the downtown Sheraton Seattle as the conference hotel, which features a Pilchuck Glass Collection and plenty of spaces for networking and connecting. Some of the 2011 GAS Conference features will be the Pre-conference Fundraising Reception at Dale Chihuly’s Boat House; lectures and the auction at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel; and Technical Display, lectures, and demos on the CMoG Hot Glass Road Show across the street at the Washington State Convention Center. A variety of demos will also be held at Pratt Fine Arts Center and Seattle Glassblowing Studio. The Closing Night Party will be held at the recently expanded Seattle Art Museum, just blocks away from the Sheraton. Special tours to Pilchuck Glass School will be offered on Sunday, June 5. The featured Day of Glass in Tacoma, WA, on Wednesday, June 1, 2011, will offer demos at the Museum of Glass and studios, and free admission to the Tacoma Art Museum. Mark the dates on your calendar! More information will follow. See you in Seattle in 2011!
