To the uninitiated, an event called a “Flame Off” might sound like a heavy metal festival, a fire-safety class, or some sort of convention for fire-blowing circus professionals. But those in the glass world know the truth: A Flame Off is actually a competitive meeting of flameworkers testing their skill in challenge matches. A regular features of the pipe-making gatherings, a somewhat different sort of flame-off will be taking place at the 2011 “GlassFest,” a glass and fine arts festival taking place in Corning, New York during Memorial Day weekend.
The Flame Off event, which makes its debut at the second-annual Glassfest this year, will take place on May 27th and 28th. The competition is open to all flame workers and gives all the opportunity to showcase their prowess with a torch and express themselves artistically, all while competing for prizes (and Glassfest glory). Participants have seven hours to make pieces on either day. The pieces will then be judged on Sunday. The event features both blown and hand-sculpted pieces made of either clear or colored glass and will be judged by artist Paul Stankard alongside industry experts Amy Schwartz and Jesse Kohl. Stankard will also be doing a live demo on Friday, the 29th. In addition, GlassFest will be raffling off one of Stankard’s pieces that he’s donated to the festival.
Live glassblowing demos in Centerway Square in Corning, New York.
The GlassFest event itself, which runs from May 26th through May 29th, is in its second year after a successful inaugural campaign last year. In addition to Flame Off, there will be hourly glassblowing demonstrations given by Corning Museum of Glass gaffers. Friday and Saturday night artists have the opportunity to participate in “Light Up the Night,” an event offering local glass artists the opportunity to showcase their neon and glass sculptures as they illuminate Riverfront Park, a repeat of an event that helped define the 2009 Glass Art Society conference that took place in this small city in Western New York. During the day on Saturday and Sunday, Corning is shutting down its historic Market Street and turning it into a large vendor’s show, complete with demonstrations, that will see regional glass artists sitting alongside their compatriots working in metal, ceramics, and jewelry. Finally, the event is a great opportunity for all visitors to the Finger Lakes region to visit Corning’s exceptional assortment of museums and galleries. The Rockwell Museum of Western Art is putting together a self-guided museum tour that highlights Native American glass, pottery, and bronze work.
Corning’s Exhibit A gallery opens their “Summer Glass Invitational” exhibition by featuring work by artists Anna Boothe, Jason Chakravarty, Anne Gant, Joanna Manousis, Dan Mirer, Kari Russel-Pool, Nadine Saylor, and Robert Wood. Meanwhile, their contemporaries at West End Gallery will showcase the work of glass artists Marshall Hyde, Aaron Jack, Amy Ruza, and Daniel Sherlock. All of this is, of course, is in addition to The Corning Museum of Glass, itself, where the festival’s opening festivities are happening with a glass ribbon cutting and an opening gala that features live music, hot glassmaking by special guest artists, and hors d’oeuvres.
This year’s slate of events goes beyond a celebration of glass and art to include beer and wine tastings, live music, and even an 8-mile run, so it promises to be a great (and, fingers crossed, sunny) weekend for the glass enthusiast and novice alike.If you are an interested in participating in any of the weekend’s events check out the GlassFest website.
—Jason Gutierrez
IF YOU GO: GlassFestMay 26-29, 2011Corning, New YorkTel: (607) 397-6292website: www.glassfest.org