Paul J. Stankard at work on a paperweight during the conference's Saturday demonstrations. To his right is Salem scientific glass technology student Annalee Picket of Mahomet, Illinois. photo: kelly gralley
Celebrating it’s 10th year, the International Flameworking Conference brought a reported 400 visitors to the Southern New Jersey campus of Salem Community College for its opening night last Friday, for which conference founder and area artist Paul Stankard was honored as the featured artist for 2010. About half the opening-night attendees stayed on for the weekend’s events. On March 20th and 21st, some 200 flameworkers paid $150 to attend the star-studded demonstrations taking place over Saturday and Sunday featuring the top names in flameworked glass who had been invited back to commemorate the milestone.
The crowd looks on as Loren Stump demonstrates the technical skills that have made him a sought-after instructor. photo: kelly gralley
“In all my years in glass, I’ve never experienced a glass event as unique as this past weekend’s International Flameworking Conference,” Stankard told The Hot Sheet. “I was thrilled by the talented people, the large number of students, and the sense of community over the three day event. I believe American glass history was made at Salem Community College by celebrating the beginning of what some are calling post-Studio Glass.”
The former featured artists in attendance (with the year they were originally featured in parentheses) were: Robert Mickelsen (2001), Lucio Bubacco (2002), Kari Russell-Pool (2003), Cesare Toffolo (2004), Ginny Ruffner (2006), Loren Stump (2007), Carmen Lozar (2008), and Shane Fero (2009).
Lucio Bubacco works on an intricate goblet during his demo on the second day. photo: kelly gralley
While gallerists such as Amy Morgan of Morgan Contemporary Glass in Pittsburgh, or Bonnie Marx of Ken Saunders Gallery in Chicago traveled a considerable distance to attend this event, artists Bubacco and Toffolo came even greater distance. Both flied in from Europe to participate. Citing prior commitments in his home country of Japan, the featured artist from 2005, Iwao Matsushima, sent his regrets he could not attend.
Artists James Woodsonand Matt Eskuche flank former featured artist Carmen Lozar. photo: kelly gralley
According to official figures released by Salem, this year’s International Flameworking Conference drew 200 paid attendees, up considerably from the 143 who attended in 2009. The 2010 numbers are in line with the 2008 figures, said Salem Community College spokesperson Bill Clark.
“The conference, designed to celebrate excellence, has become a major resource in the glass field by exploring ways to nurture a fine art expectations in a once quite craft,” Stankard told the Hot Sheet. “It shows the growth in alternative processes to glass blowing for creative expression.”