UPDATED 01/10/2017
For it's 47th annual conference, the Glass Art Society is going overseas for the first time since the 2005 Adelaide, Australia, conference sent intrepid artists on long-haul flights Down Under. The 2018 event is set to take place in Murano, Italy, from May 16th through 20th, a notably longer duration than recent conferences, which have been three-day affairs. Led by Lino Tagliapietra, the conference steering committee for 2018 includes Cesare Toffolo, Lucio Bubacco, Davide Salvadore, Marina Tagliapietra, Roberto Donà, Adriano Berengo, and the Consorzio Promovetro Murano, an association of craft and industrial businesses in Venice dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Murano’s artistic glass and centuries of history.
“I am excited to have GAS in my native city of Murano, as it is a symbol of union between the two places that have allowed me to become the glassblower I am today,” said Tagliapietra in a prepared statement. “This conference will be a wonderful and historical event.”
Justifying the selection of such a far-flung location, the official announcement cited membership surveys in which Murano was the top response of what location would be most desirable for a future conference.
“Every year we survey our members on their interests and they have been consistent in expressing their desire to travel to Murano and Venice for a future conference as their top destination outside of the United States,” longtime executive director Pamela Koss said in a prepared statement. “We are elated to invite our members from around the world to meet in Murano and enjoy a truly special conference in an iconic and significant place for glass art.”
Sponsors of the 2018 GAS conference include the Berengo Foundation and the artists of the steering s ommittee.
In other conference news, GAS has announced that registration is now open for its 2017 conference, "Reflections from the Edge: Glass, Art, and Performance," set to take place in Norfolk, Virginia from June 1st through 3rd, 2017.
More information: www.glassart.org
Editor's Note: The original posting incorrectly listed the dates for the 2018 conference. The correct dates of May 16th - 20th -- are listed in this corrected item.