Herding Individualists NOW MAKING GAFFER ... - Glass Art Society

esources, etc.
technical article
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purposes only and does not necessarily indicate endorsement
by the Glass Art Society.
We are happy to include information as supplied to us by
various sources. Please send us your press releases and notices
including specific, current facts as far in advance as possible to:
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to: Shannon@glassart.org. GAS NEWS is a bi-monthly publication.
Members receive their newsletters approximately 6-8 weeks
after the deadline.
Upcoming Newsletter Deadlines:
December 15 for the March 2006 issue
February 1 for the April/May 2006 issue
We look forward to hearing from you.
Calls to Artists
COMPETITIONS
4th Annual Ugly Necklace Contest 2006, A Jewelry Design
Competition With A Twist. Yes, an UGLY Necklace Contest.
Can you put together a well-designed and functional, yet UGLY,
necklace? The Fourth Annual Ugly Necklace Contest for 2006
is offering a first prize of a $992.93 shopping spree on the Land
of Odds website (www.landofodds.com), and a Runner-Up prize
of a $399.07 shopping spree on the website. To enter, take
three good color snapshots or scans of your necklace, and
write a short poem about it, and submit by March 15, 2006.
Entries will be judged by a panel from The Center for Beadwork
& Jewelry Arts. These distinguished Beadwork and Jewelry
Artist instructors will judge based on the hideousness of the
necklace, its shape, color and use of materials, its functionality
and wearability, how well the artist has shown an understanding
of good design principles (and how to violate them).
For more information contact: Land of Odds, 522 E Iris Dr,
Nashville, TN, 37204. Tel: 615-292-0610, Fax: 615-460-7001,
warren@landofodds.com, www.landofodds.com.
Best of Artists America Book Series Kennedy Promotions
is producing its second unique new book series, The BEST OF
AMERICA: GLASS ARTISTS 2005, 200+ winners featured in a
beautiful soft cover book listed with major online booksellers.
Cash prizes awarded to five best in show. Open to all U.S. glass
artists. Also included is a special Emerging artist category.
$30/3 slides, 4 x 6 photos, or CD entries, $5 for each additional
entry. Deadline: February 15, 2006. For more information
contact: Kennedy Promotions Best Of, P. O. Box 6876,
Williamsburg, VA 23188, Tel: 757-564-6261, artbestof@yahoo.com,
www.bestofartists.com.
Glass Competition The Glass Axis, in Columbus, OH is hosting
a juried glass commission competition. The projects submitted
are for sites in the headquarters of a large telecommunications
company. To download a prospectus and pictures, go to our
website at: www.glassaxis.org/west_proposal/. Deadline for
submission is March 1, 2006. Please call 614-291-4250 or send
an e-mail for further information (studiodirector@glassaxis.org).
For more information contact: Glass Axis, 1341 Norton Ave Ste
B, Columbus, OH, 43212, Tel: 614-291-4250, Fax: 614-291-0122,
studiodirector@glassaxis.org, www.glassaxis.org.
EXHIBITIONS
Courthouse Gallery Call to Artists Artists are invited to
submit slides of recent work for the Lake George Arts Project’s
Courthouse Gallery 2007 exhibition season. The Courthouse
Gallery presents five to seven exhibitions yearly of regional
and national contemporary visual artists in all media. Strong
preference given to work created within the last two years.
Submission Guidelines: Ten to twelve 35-mm slides of recent
work in a plastic slide sheet (marked with artist’s name, top of
slide, medium, date and dimensions), slide list, resume and
artist’s statement, and self-addressed-stamped-envelope for
slide return. At this time the Gallery Committee cannot accept
CDs, emailed submissions, or links to websites in lieu of slide
submissions. Deadline for submission is January 31, 2006. For
more information contact: Lake George Arts Project, 1 Amherst
St, Lake George, NY, 12845, Tel: 518-668-2616, Fax: 518-668-3050,
mail@lakegeorgearts.org, www.lakegeorgearts.org.
Kiln Processes Using Recycled Glass: A Juried Competition
and Exhibition for Fine Art, Crafts, and Industrial Products
The purpose of this competition is to showcase exemplary
artistic glass, ceramics and industrial products using recycled
glass. Deadline is February 15, 2006. For more information,
a set of guidelines, or an application packet contact: Center
for Environmental Economic Development, PO Box 4167,
Arcata, CA, 95518-4167, Tel: 707-822-8347, Fax: 707-822-4457,
ceed@humboldt1.com, www.ceedweb.org/glass.
North American Glass 2006 The Guilford Art Center presents
the biennial glass exhibit North American Glass 2006. Artists
may submit up to three pieces. Applications are due January
27, 2006. Notifications will be mailed February 21. Exhibit runs
May 14 through June 25, 2006. Cash awards totaling $1,000 will
be awarded. For more information contact: Guilford Art Center,
411 Church Street, PO Box 589, Guilford, CT, 06437, Tel: 203-
453-5947, Fax: 203-453-6237, gallery@guilfordartcenter.org,
www.guilfordartcenter.org.
GALLERIES
Luniverre Gallery in Paris seeks emerging and established
artists working in cast glass and/or mixed media for our
biannual group shows, December to February and July to
September. Please send CV and artists statement with 10-20
slides, dimensions, and price of works, together with SASE to:
Glenmagus, 272 Glen Farm Road, Portsmouth, RI 02871.
Luniverre Gallery, 20 rue des Coutures St. Gervais, Paris,
75003, France, Tel: +33-1-4461-0481, Fax: +33-1-4461-7062,
www.luniverre.com.
Good Things | Small Packages: An Intimate Look at Small
Glass Public Glass, San Francisco’s center for creation and
education in glass, invites all glass artists who work on a small
scale to apply for this juried exhibit and publication which will
feature small sculpture, paperweights, scent bottles and glass
beads. All pieces must be no larger than four inches in any
dimension. Jury fee is $25 for three works. Entries due
January 24, 2006. For more information and to download
an application, please visit www.publicglass.org. or e-mail
janicepeacock@comcast.net with questions.
OTHER
Call for Papers: Space Exploration Within and Beyond the
Image aims to examine ways space is constructed in visual
representation and through social experience from a range
of cultural, historical and methodological perspectives. We
invite graduate students to submit papers addressing issues
of space, specifically ways it has been framed, activated or
otherwise produced in visual culture. Papers might address
such media as sculpture, dioramas, landscape, installation art,
performance, architecture and urban design, film, or tableaux
vivants, etc. Other areas of inquiry might include display,
the plinth, theatricality and absorption, spatial schematics,
interiors, ritual spaces, borders, and virtual space. We welcome
submissions from all areas of art history and related fields.
In addition, we invite submissions from practicing artists and
filmmakers engaged with ideas and problems of space in
their work. Papers should be between 15 and 20 minutes in
length. Abstracts of no more than 500 words, a current CV,
and contact information should be submitted by Monday,
January 16, 2006, via e-mail or post to the address below.
Some travel funding is available. Graduate Symposium
Committee, Department of Art History, University of Southern
California, VKC 351- MC 0047, Los Angeles, CA, 90089.
Contact: uscgradsymposium@gmail.com.
Shows + Fairs
10th Annual Craft As Art Festival Sept. 29, 30, and Oct. 1 at
the Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, NY. Work
must be original. Applicants must submit five color slides
and an SASE with 65 cents postage. Deadline is Jan. 4, 2006.
After this date, applications will be reviewed periodically
until the show is filled. For more information contact:
American Concern for Artistry and Craftsmanship, PO Box 650,
Montclair, NJ, 07042, Tel: 973-746-0091, Fax: 973-509-7739,
www.craftsatlincoln.org.
1st Annual Craft as Art Festival Oct. 14, 15 and Oct. 21, 22
at the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY. Work must be original.
Applicants must submit 5 color slides and an SASE with 65
cents postage. Deadline is January 4, 2006. After this date,
applications will be reviewed periodically until the show is
filled. For more information contact: American Concern for
Artistry and Craftsmanship, PO Box 650, Montclair, NJ, 07042,
Tel: 973-746-0091, Fax: 973-509-7739, www.craftsatlincoln.org.
21st Annual Autumn Crafts Festival Sept. 9-10, 16-17 at
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York, NY. Work
must be original. Applicants must submit 5 color slides
and an SASE with 65 cents postage. Deadline is January 4,
2006. After this date, applications will be reviewed
periodically until the show is filled. Artists may apply for one
or both weekends. For more information contact: American
Concern for Artistry and Craftsmanship, PO Box 650,
Montclair, NJ, 07042, Tel: 973-746-0091, Fax: 973-509-7739,
www.craftsatlincoln.org.
30th Annual American Crafts Festival June 3- 4, 10-11 at
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York, NY. Work
must be original. Applicants must submit 5 color slides and
an SASE with 65 cents postage. Deadline is January 4, 2006.
After this date, applications will be reviewed periodically until
the show is filled. Artists may apply for one or both weekends.
For more information contact: American Concern for Artistry
and Craftsmanship, PO Box 650, Montclair, NJ, 07042,
Tel: 973-746-0091, Fax: 973-509-7739, www.craftsatlincoln.org.
Sunfest 2006 SunFest of Palm Beach County, Inc. is currently
seeking artists for the 24th annual Fidelity Federal Fine Art &
Craft Show, scheduled for May 4 through May 7 of SunFest
2006. SunFest, Florida’s largest music, art and waterfront festival,
takes place along the Intracoastal Waterway in downtown
West Palm Beach. Participants in the show are eligible to win
one of 22 awards totaling $16,000. Approximately 165 artists
will display works in 11 categories including drawing, fiber
textiles, fine art sculpture, glass, jewelry/metal, mixed media
(2D & 3D), painting, photography, pottery/ceramics and wood.
Applications and entry qualifications are available from the
SunFest website. To receive an application by mail send a
self-addressed stamped envelope to Sunfest. Completed
applications must be received no later than February 3, 2006.
For more information contact: SunFest of Palm Beach
County, Inc., 525 Clematis St, West Palm Beach, FL, 33401,
Tel: 561-659-5980, Fax: 561-659-3567, www.sunfest.com.
Coldworking
with Diamond Tools
By Jiyong Lee
Advertise in the
2006 Resource Guide
The annual GAS Resource Guide is a collection of
ads from manufacturers and suppliers of glass-related
goods and services, organizations, publications, schools,
galleries and museums from around the world, and is
used by GAS members as a reference guide year-round.
The 2006 Resource Guide will be distributed to each
conference attendee at the Glass Art Society's 36th
Annual Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, June 15-17,
2006. Following the conference, the Resource Guide
will be mailed to all GAS members who did not attend
the conference.
That's a total distribution of almost 3,000 GAS
members in over 50 countries!
Don’t miss the opportunity to gain visibility for
your company or program in this useful reference
guide. Reserve your space in the Glass Art Society
2006 Resource Guide today! Reservations and payment
are due February 15, 2006. Advertising artwork is due
March 1, 2006.
Also, make sure to reserve your space for
the Technical Display at the GAS Conference by
February 15. See our website at www.glassart.org
for more information.
In the long history of glass making, the use of
diamond as an abrasive medium appears to be a
relatively recent development, before which emery
(natural black corundum) or crushed garnet was used
as abrasive material. Modern diamond tools are high
precision grinding tools made to exacting limits not
only for glassmakers, but also for scientists and engineers
as well. There are two different types of diamond
tools, with the distinction being the way the diamonds
are bonded to the body of the tool. These two bonding
methods are known as “sintering” and “plating.”
Sintered diamond tools have diamond mixed into
the bronze metal (usually mix of copper + tin or nickel)
and bonded by means of heat and pressure. They are
longer lasting than plated tools but are also more
expensive. Using and redressing sintered diamond
tools wears away the bonding material to expose new
diamonds. There are different alloys used as bonding
substrates for use in various applications. For example,
a harder bonding alloy should be chosen for tools
intended to cut harder materials because the harder
the material being cut, the faster it will wear away the
tools’ bonding alloy, thus tending to release diamonds
before they are spent. Conversely, a very hard bonding
alloy is used on a tool to cut a soft material, then the
diamonds tend to become dull and not released easily
enough to expose new sharp diamonds.
Over time, sintered tools’ profiles can change but
can be re-profiled by their manufacturers, who recommend
using these tools in one direction only because
of what is known as “comet tail”. The bronze that does
not get worn away from behind each diamond particle
forms what resembles a comet tail and supports the
diamond, holding it in place as it cuts away material.
Initially, the decision of which direction is forward or
reverse is arbitrary, but the user should remain committed
to that direction for the life of the tool. If the tool is
used in reverse, the diamonds on the surface are easily
be knocked out because the comet tail is in front of
them instead of behind them. With the diamonds
knocked out, the existing bronze comet tail, now facing
the wrong way, must be worn away before new diamonds
will be exposed to continue cutting. Essentially,
the malpractice of using sintered diamond tools in
opposing directions not only wastes the time of not
cutting material at an optimal rate, but it also shortens
the life of the tools dramatically by prematurely
knocking out unspent diamonds.
Plated diamond tools have diamonds electroplated
to a surface using a bonding agent (usually nickel).
Since plated diamond tools have only one layer of diamonds,
they do not last as long. The positive side is
that plated diamond tools are low-cost. As diamonds
wear out or fall out, the cutting and grinding process is
slowed down, much like what happens with sandpaper.
Theoretically, plated tools can be re-electroplated by
the manufacturer, but unless you have a special, custom
designed tool to re-plate, the process is not cost effective.
Plated diamond tools can be used in opposing
directions because the nickel that holds the diamonds
on the surface of plated tools is much more durable
than the bronze in sintered tools and is therefore not
expected to be worn away in normal use to release
spent diamonds.
A Talk with Maestro Davide Salvadore
Written by Beth Lipman from an interview with Davide Salvadore in July 2005
The Venetian Maestro Davide Salvadore never
really studied glass. Glass has always been a part
of his family history; his first memories are from
the glass factory where his father and uncle
worked, and from his house where his mother and
grandmother made beads. When his school day
finished at noon he would come home, eat lunch,
and go to the factory. Davide was eight years old
when he was given his first important responsibility:
stoking the furnaces with wood all afternoon
each day. He remembers himself as a “wild child”
someone who was mischievous; this chore kept
him from getting into trouble. At age ten he
started working on the factory floor.
The young Davide knew he wanted to
become a Maestro because he wanted to be like
his godfather, Cesare. His mother’s brother, Cesare
Mantoan, was a Maestro who had a dynamic
personality and dressed impeccably. Despite his
untimely death at an early age he left a deep
impression on Davide. When Davide was a small
child, he was one of 13 family members living
in the house. The Maestro always received special
treatment; his clothes were always laundered with
special care and he was always served first at the
dinner table. His grandmother loved all of her
sons very much but always made sure the Maestro
had everything he needed.
Another event made Davide aware of the
Maestro’s importance. A Maestro known as the
“Beautiful Grape” lived across the street from
Davide. They were friends and used to joke and
play. Once, when he was walking down the street
with his grandmother, Davide greeted the Maestro
with an informal “Ciao Ciao!” His grandmother
squeezed his hand hard and whispered,“That
is not how you salute a Masestro!” When they
arrived home his grandmother told his parents
In modern glass cold-working studios, both types
of tools are commonly used. Many studios have
grinding machines that use interchangeable diamond
discs, fiberglass plated with nickel and diamonds and
adhered to rubberized magnetic backing pads. Most
diamond saw blades are sintered. Core drill bits and
cutting, carving and engraving wheels are commonly
found in either sintered or plated types.
All diamond tools require the use of water.
Insufficient use of water increases the risk of destroying
both your tools and your glass. All scientific optic glass
companies use synthetic or semi-synthetic coolants
diluted in water to help with cleansing and lubricating
the cutting surface, and to extend diamond tool life.
Using coolant presents several issues, such as reusing
the coolant/water mixture, filtering the mixture as it is
re-circulated in use, and recycling or disposing of the
mixture when spent.
Factors such as the amount of water used, type
of glass materials being processed, how the tools
have been maintained and used, etc., will play a role
in the life and performance of your diamond tool.
Reading operators’ manuals, asking questions of
manufacturers and experts, choosing the proper
tools, and good maintenance will extend the life
of the diamond tools and enhance your working
efficiency as well as your safety.
I would like to thank to Rakow Research Library
of Corning Museum of Glass and Kurt Merker Kelheim
for providing reference.
Jiyong Lee, Assistant Professor
Glass Program, School of Art and Design
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
who scolded him and put him to bed without
eating supper.
Once he decided he was going to become a
Maestro he pushed himself to work harder, faster,
and more accurately. At age 17 he was able to
create extremely complex forms with great speed
and difficulty and earned the title of Maestrino
(young master). One of his first jobs was in the
Dabronzo factory. He worked on a team with
approximately 12 glassworkers; Dabronzo typically
had 15 teams working at once. During the 1960s,
Italians from all regions could find work on
Murano but only Muranese could be Maestros.
He never felt very competitive, although the faster
he worked the more money he earned.
A Maestro is judged by the speed and efficiency
with which he works on the production
line. In Murano, Maestrini always earned a certificate
of accomplishment which entitled them the
title Maestro. The process began with an emerging
artist exhibition, Premio Murano, in which maestrini
exhibited works of glass such as a reticello vessel,
or an extremely thin tumbler. The most prominent
Mastroes and owners of the factories judged the
exhibition and decided who was to earn the certificate.
This tradition died shortly after Davide was
awarded his certificate. A version of the Premio
Murano still continues and the most important
Maestro still attend the exhibition to view emerging
talent. He was awarded his certificate 15 years
ago at age 37. Davide marks this moment in his
life as the moment he felt he was a Maestro.
Beth Lipman is an artist living and working in
southern New Jersey. Her work,“Bancketje,” was
recently exhibited at SOFA Chicago and the Fuller
Craft Museum in Brockton, Mass. She is the Studio
Director of Education and Artist Services at
Wheaton Village.
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