The Glass Art Society has announced it will push its next in-person annual conference from 2021 to 2022, citing the ongoing uncertainty and health risks of Covid-19. After the planned 2020 conference in Småland, Sweden, was recast as a virtual event, attention shifted to the May 2021 conference, which was to mark the 50th anniversary of the artist organization, and had been planned to take place in Tacoma, Washington. Today it was announced that the celebration and the venue will remain the same, but take place on new dates -- May 18 through 21st, 2022 -- pushing the event a year ahead.
“We are so eager to gather together and celebrate our 50th Anniversary, but it’s not worth the risk and uncertainty that still hovers around COVID-19," said GAS executive director Brandi Clark in a prepared statement. "We are choosing to view this as gaining an additional year to make sure the Tacoma conference is truly something special."
One of the primary conference venues will be the Museum of Glass, which remains on board with the shift a year ahead. “COVID-19 has impacted artists and organizations alike and, while we’ll certainly miss hosting the GAS community in 2021, we’re excited about the impact we can collectively achieve in 2022,” Museum of Glass executive director Debbie Lenk said in a prepared statement. “It will be a perfect way to celebrate GAS at 50, and the resilience of the glass community.”
As it did in 2020, GAS is planning to provide a virtual conference experience for 2021. GAS has confirmed it is actively working on "an expanded virtual conference" for 2021, with more details to be announced this Fall as they become available.