The gathering of the tribe will take place in Seattle, ground zero for glass.
In a short two months, The Glass Art Society will host its 41st annual conference, this one titled “Creative Crossroads”in Seattle. GAS officials report a surge in early registrations this year, and those looking to lock in the “Early Bird” discount rates should act before they expire this Friday, April 1st. (A full list of the discounted rates are listed on the recently redesigned GAS website.)
In recent years, the conference has roved far and wide — Louisville, Kentucky in 2010; Corning, New York in 2009; Pittsburgh in 2008; Portland, Oregon in 2007, and even Australia in 2005. And the attendance has varied as well, with fewer than 1,000 at the Louisville conference last year. Seattle is on track to see a sizable increase for Seattle, according to GAS executive director Pam Koss, who told the GLASS Quarterly Hot Sheet that the number of pre-registrations for the 2011 conference has already surpassed total attendance in 2010. The Seattle conference will be a homecoming for GAS as it returns to its headquarters city for the first time since 2003. As the West Coast cradle of the American glass movement, Seattle and its Washington-state surroundings will provide a number of unique places for GAS to utilize for special conference events such as the Pilchuck Glass School tour, demonstrations at Pratt Fine Arts Center, and the Seattle studio tour.
According to a letter posted by GAS President Jeremy Lepisto on the GAS website, this year’s conference will be an opportunity for the long-standing glass community in Washington to reconvene on their own turf. It will be a chance to explore not only the history of glass within the state, but to explore contemporary glass as it develops in the wider community. Some of the conference events include film screenings of movies made by and about artists Dale Chihuly, Cappy Thompson, and Jaroslava Brychtová. Lectures will given by European glass artist Ann Wolff, recipient of the 2011 Lifetime Achievement award, as well as long-time member Scott Benefield, recipient of the 2011 Lifetime Membership award. Speakers will also be discussing the connections between glass and youth, technology, the environment, and many more topics. To view the full conference schedule visit the Conference Program page on the GAS website.
In an interview conducted by GLASS Quarterly Hot Sheet, GAS executive director Pam Koss stated that the conference has already seen their pre-registration numbers exceed the full-conference registration numbers from last years conference in Louisville, Kentucky, where approximately 840 people were in attendance.
“I said going into this that this conference would be a litmus test to see where the economy was, and where glass artists are at this time.” She believes that the heightened number of people not only registering, but registering early, are a good sign for this years conference and the glass community. She further predicts that 2011 will boast numbers similar to or beyond those tallied during the 2009 conference in Corning, New York, where roughly 1,400 people were in attendance.
The reward for registering before the deadline this Friday is a savings of up to $50 on a full-conference pass. The full-conference pass covers most major events running from June 2nd through the 4th, and will include all lectures, panels, demonstrations, the opening ceremony and reception, a gallery hop. Not included will be the special fundraiser Pre-Conference reception, the Day of Glass in Tacoma, the Seattle Studio tour, and the Pilchuck tour and Day of Glass event. Registration prices are as follows:
Early Bird: Register by April 1
$255 Individual members ($25 off pre-registration, $50 off on-site registration)
$135 Full-time students ($25 off pre-registration, $50 off on-site registration)
$191 Corporate members ($19 off pre-registration)
$128 Patron members ($12 off pre-registration)
Pre-Registration: Register April 2 – May 15
$280 Individual members
$160 Full-time students
$210 Corporate members
$140 Patron members
On-site registration: Opens June 1
$305 individual members, $185 full-time students
Single-day conference passes can be obtained by those looking to attend one or two days of the conference, and will include lectures, panels, demos and other events scheduled only on the day or days for which you register, again with the exception of special events and tours with additional fees.
Single day conference passes are priced as follows:
$120 per individual member/day
$75 per full-time student member/day
For the GAS members looking to save money above and beyond the Early Bird discount, GAS is offering a work exchange program for this years conference. Requiring the work of over 100 people to facilitate the conference, GAS will give students and individuals the chance to register at more than 50 percent off of the Early Bird price, and even more off of the on-site price: $140 for individual members and $40 for full-time students. Those who are interested are required to submit an application between now and May 1, and will be asked to work between 11 and 13 hours over the course of the weekend doing an array of jobs including assisting with the Auction, Goblet Grab, registration or concessions.
One detail to keep in mind is that everyone planning to register for this years conference must be a current member. If your membership is up before June, or if you have yet to become a Glass Art Society member GAS requires that all attendees hold a current membership through the conference month.
Memberships are priced as follows for all of those new and renewed:
$70 Individual
$120 Sponsor
$275 Corporate/Business
$500 Patron
$1,000 Benefactor
$40 Full-time student
For any questions, registration forms, or schedule info visit The Glass Art Society website www.glassart.org.
—Alica Forneret
IF YOU GO: The Glass Art Society 41st Annual Conference “Creative Crossroads”
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 2011 Seattle Sheraton Hotel, Washington State Convention Center, Pratt Fine Arts Center, and Seattle Glassblowing Studio
Tel: 206 382-1305
Website: www.glassart.org