letter from the GAs President Get ready to be ... - Glass Art Society

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L E T T E R s T O T H E E D I T O R The Glass Art Society (GAS), its Board of Directors, members, and employees are not responsible for and do not necessarily endorse the views and opinions expressed in Letter to the Editor. Passive Racism and Institutional Discrimination 2 Shortly after receiving my MFA from The Ohio State University, I was offered the position of Studio Director of a glass arts organization in Columbus, Ohio. While I was encouraged by many to keep looking, I accepted the position with great enthusiasm. I felt strongly that I would be able to share my experience and passion for the glass arts with the greater Columbus community. I was able to accomplish a great deal in my first year. The studio became more self sufficient, class enrollment and studio rental rose exponentially, the community became more interested in the studio’s mission, and the fundraisers brought more bodies and money through the door. Long time members of the organization, some spanning the length of its 18 year history, were refreshed to learn that the studio could be more than they thought possible. Being Studio Director meant being in the middle of all possible scenarios. I received a crash course in Board Culture and office politics. I attended every board, committee, and membership meeting so that I could fully grasp, and assist in the movement towards the organization’s growth. It is at these meetings that I was witness to what was clearly the presence of institutional discrimination and racism. I became conditioned as Director to accept certain personalities within the board and membership. However, some of those vantage points crossed the line when an employee of the organization was being treated differently than everyone else. In this case, seemingly innocent acts such as minimal eye contact progressed to more aggressive behavior including verbal assaults. It is clear to me now that this escalation could have been avoided if the surrounding individuals acknowledged these actions were unacceptable and confronted the individuals involved. My reason for revealing these experiences is not to denigrate or cast blame. Racism is very real. The heart of this problem is as much about the people who used the word “nigger” as it is about the people around them who allowed it to be used. There is nothing benign about ‘passive’ racism. Get Ready! (continued from pg. 1) Transformation as theme for the conference: As our environment is evolving, so are we as individuals. The conference speaks to both forms of transformation and their intersection. How do the external pressures of our changing world affect our artistic journey? How do we continue to reinvent ourselves in the face of economic, social and artistic pressures? What are we becoming as individual artists, and as a glass art movement? There is no better place to explore these issues than in a city that is alive with transformation. Pittsburgh is a great city for the GAS conference: Besides the excitement of conferencing in a lively cultural center, most of which can be easily accessed on foot, the conference will be occurring during Pittsburgh’s “Year of Glass.” With Chihuly’s Gardens of Glass at our phenomenal conservatory, a significant contemporary glass exhibit about the dialogue between the Italians and Americans at the Carnegie Museum of Art, all local galleries exhibiting regional and international artists, including an exhibit of Japanese glass art at the Pittsburgh Glass Center’s Hodge Gallery, the conference participant will have a rich array of artistic experiences. The Year of Glass is a unique city wide collaboration with cross promotion of all glass programming throughout the year. After two and a half years at the organization I resigned, exhausted from fighting this situation. I was able to move on, but I was not the person of color that was ostracized and dehumanized. I did not have to absorb the hateful words “boy” and “nigger”. I hope that this can begin a dialogue as to what each person and organization can do to prevent what happened in Columbus from happening anywhere else. If nothing else, publicly acknowledging that it exists is a start. Thank you for your time. Bridget Boss Guidelines for Letters to the Editor 1. Letters will be selected for publication based on space availability, topical interest, number of letters received on the same topic or area, and adherence to our guidelines. Only letters from Glass Art Society members will be published. 2. Letters containing potentially libelous matter, profanity, or that attack the character or reputation of a person or company will not be printed. 3. Letters may be edited for language and length. 4. Letters should be limited to 200 words (currently under review). 5. Letters submitted for publication by regular mail or e-mail must include the author’s first and last name, address and phone number for verification purposes. Anonymous letters will be disregarded. If your letter is published, your first and last name will be included (unless you ask that it not be), but your address and phone number will not be included. 6. When writing, faxing, or e-mailing a letter to the editor, use the subject line or heading “Letter to the Editor.” 7. When responding to a specific article, state the article title and include the date in parenthesis. 8. Frequency of submissions may need to be restricted. If we receive multiple letters on one subject or from one writer, we will attempt to sample a variety of opinions, but may apply the general standard of one letter per writer per three newsletters. Our convention center, the largest green building in the country, is a uniquely aesthetic space for demos, vendor booths and the student exhibition with a glass wall facing one of our three rivers. The conference hotel is an architectural gem of a bygone era, beautifully restored. The Byham Theater, another restored gem will welcome you at opening day lectures and ceremonies. A walk along the Allegheny River will take you to our final party at Pittsburgh’s Science Center. The rivers may lure you to other experiences of the city. Also available will be an architectural walking tour, an industrial glass tour, a rehearsal of the Pittsburgh Symphony in the glamorous Heinz Hall, plenty of delicious food, and theater performances. The Mattress Factory, an internationally renowned installation art museum, and the Andy Warhol Museum are there to explore. The Pittsburgh Glass Center, with its state of the art studios, accessible to all, is the reason for all of the glass focus. Once you experience it you will want to move to Pittsburgh. And we will help you do it! In short, you will not want to miss this chance for reflection by the rivers, for thought-provoking lectures, and for inspiring demonstrations. Absorb the atmosphere of this engaging community. Come to be transformed. Inspired by her parents’ passion for collecting studio glass, Karen Johnese became the founding chair of the board of the Pittsburgh Glass Center in 1998, and became executive director in 2003. Along with Kathleen Mulcahy, Ron Desmett and Randi Dauler, Karen is a co-chair for this year’s GAS conference. Ana Thiel's prize-winning Trine G A S L I N E New Developments Craig Nutt has recently joined the CERF staff as their first Director of Programs. Craig is a furniture maker, sculptor, and artist advocate. He presented a panel discussion at last year’s GAS Conference in St. Louis. Kirstie Rea will be the new Creative Director of Canberra Glassworks. The New Orleans Creative Glass Institute (NOCGI) has opened its doors as an open access glass studio and education center, allowing affordable studio access to glass artists (and future artists) throughout the city of New Orleans. GAS Board member Eddie Bernard, and Jonn Hankins, will serve as directors; other staff includes Laurel Porcari, Gayle Seybert-Gish, Carlos Zervigon and Angela Bart Bernard. Alert: Internet Fraud Targets Artists by R. Rene Friedman (continued on pg. 4) Artists who show or sell their work online are being targeted increasingly by internet fraudsters. Although there are many types of fraud schemes, one common scam is called “advance fee fraud.” The artist receives an inquiry by email from a prospective buyer located in the UK or other foreign country. The letter is not well written, with poor use of English, punctuation, and grammar. The letter may indicate that the writer is not familiar with the artist’s work. However, after receiving a price list, the writer says she wants to make a purchase, sight unseen. The price is typically between $2500 and $5000. The writer offers to pay by cashier’s check or money order prior to shipping. If the artist agrees to the deal, the buyer sends a cashier’s check. The check is for more than the amount of the purchase. The buyer then contacts the artist, claiming an error occurred, and asks for a refund of the overage. Since the artist just deposited the cashier’s check in the bank and believes there’s no risk, he writes a check or wires the “excess funds” to the buyer. The artist also ships his work. A week or two later, the artist is contacted by the bank, who informs him that the cashier’s check was a forgery. The bank then deducts the entire amount of the cashier’s check from the artist’s account. Worse yet, the art is gone, as well as the money that the artist unwittingly “refunded” to the fraudster located abroad. To protect yourself from internet fraud, remember that money orders can be forged, checks can bounce, and credit cards can be stolen. Be sure that the payments you have received are “good funds,” and have cleared the bank, before you ship your work. For sales involving large sums, having a lawyer review the deal may also make sense. At the end of the day, the best protection against fraud is to be well informed. Consult the website for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and artists’ forums online for more practical tips on identifying, preventing, and responding to potential instances of internet fraud. R. Rene Friedman is a litigation partner at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago, and is married to an artist who recently received an advance-fee fraud solicitation in the mail.
M E M B E R P R O F I L E J. P. Canlis Rich Wren "Flesh" S T U D E N T P R O F I L E Rich Wren by Andrew Erdos Rich Wren, tattooed back Rich Wren is a Philadelphia based artist whose work is not limited to glass. He often crosses boundaries between sculpture, two-dimensional art and body modification. Many of Wren’s pieces refer to his experience as a tattoo artist and his interest in the human body. The identity of the body, writing on the body, and the message sent to others through imagery permanently imbedded into human flesh is depicted with many mediums. He explains, “The images I create on glass and steel are quite similar to these actions. The image is an act, a reaction or a memory.” The piece “Flesh” embodies these intentions. The title provokes psychological associations of a raw, primal nature, and Christianity. As Wren describes it “The bread before the glass cross has a duality of being one’s own body and Christ’s body (sinner and saint). Flesh is a shrine and an altar, to the divinity of self, and to the mortality of mankind.” Wren is also well-versed in Judo and a small circle form of Aikido called Aiki-jui-jitsu. This experience with circular motions and the use of staff like weapons has helped him understand many of the fine details in glass blowing. The Jo staff is approximately the same length as most blowpipes and punties, and aspects such as balance and centering draw parallels between the ancient art of glassblowing and these ancient martial arts. Wren has been practicing Aiki-jui-jitsu and Judo for approximately nine years, and has been teaching it for four years. He has over five years of experience as a tattoo artist and currently works at the Inkwell outside of Philadelphia. Wren began working with glass at Bucks County Community College. This spring he will be Graduating from Tyler School of Art. Examples of his work can be found in the Temple University Collection, the Magellan Logistics Collection, and permanently embedded in people’s flesh across the country. Andrew Erdos is a student at Alfred University will be graduating spring 2007. He has been operating a small lampworking studio in Newtown, Pennsylvania since winter 2004. He has work in the private collections of Mr. and Mrs. Michelle Guggenheim and Junior Marvin (guitar player for Bob Marley and the Wailers). For Jean-Pierre (J.P.) Canlis, simplicity and completion are the most important elements of his work. As he explains, “Anyone can make something simple seem complex; it is taking the complex and translating it into the most simple form which inspires me. I want the viewer to walk away settled, feeling the art has a sense of completion.” His pieces resonate with this purity, exposing the essence of the organic elements that Canlis captures in his work. Canlis’ signature has become his unique bamboo installations. Whether they are mounted on a wall of a bedroom or 3D in a hotel, the original works make an impact. The solid sculpted glass stalks of these installations can tower up to twelve feet high. The natural forces of the ocean are the inspiration for Canlis’ series of work, “Ocean Studies.” An avid surfer who spent his childhood in Hawaii, Canlis has a keen under-standing of the ocean’s movement, currents, and waves, which he explores in the six different forms of his “Ocean Studies” series. Canlis first picked up a glassblowing pipe in 1991 at Hawaii’s Punahou School and later studied glass art at Alfred University in New York and the Pilchuck School in Washington. After Martin Blank introduced J.P. to Chihuly in 1993, J.P. spent the next nine years working in Chihuly’s hot shop. During his last fours years with Chihuly, Canlis also worked with Lino Tagliapietra’s glass team. In 1996, Canlis created the company Jean-Pierre Canlis Glass, now known as Canlis Glass. In 2005, after working exclusively on Canlis Glass in Honolulu for four years, J.P. moved back to Seattle to set up Canlis Glass Gallery & Studio in downtown Seattle with his wife and business partner, Leigh Canlis. J.P.’s works are on view in restaurants, hotels, and corporations throughout the United States. His latest works are available for viewing at Canlis Glass Gallery in the Northwest Worklofts, 3131 Western Avenue, Suite 329, Seattle, WA 98121. Also visit www.canlisglass.com. Right: J.P. Canlis Above: Canlis’ Bamboo series (detail) 3
Page 1: januar y februar y 2007 volume 18 i
Page 5 and 6: G L A S H A U S The International M
Page 7 and 8: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, June 7-9,
Page 9 and 10: S p e c i a l E x h i b i t i o n s
Page 11 and 12: seminars, conferences, events Other
Page 13 and 14: Sculptured Glass Australia, 5 Glouc
Page 16: Glass Art Society Board of Director

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