2017 was a year full of opportunities for the Glass Art Guild of Utah — opportunities to learn, exhibit and sell fused glass art, and share in the camaraderie of friends. Following are some of the highlights of this past year.
Educational Opportunities
Participants stretch their legs on break during a business of art class
Building and Improving Your Art Business – Guild artists gathered at Salt Lake’s Downtown Artist Collective to learn about the business of art. Topics included marketing and pricing your work, photography, how to identify appropriate venues for your work, and the ups and downs of working the art festival circuit. Artist instructors included Desarae Lee, Jamie Kyle, and Chris Madsen (see http://www.downtownartistcollective.org/)
Kiln-formed Bead Workshop – Member artist and fused glass instructor Jodi McRaney Rusho led a workshop on creating fused glass beads. Jodi specializes in working with recycled glass. Her web site includes free tutorials, an on-line store, blog, newsletter, and a list of classes. Jodi can be found at https://glasswithapast.com/.
Beginning Silversmithing – Glass and metal artist Jan Harris Smith taught a beginning metalsmithing class for Guild members. Jan has been teaching art classes to adults for the past 22 years. She currently teaches fused glass and metalsmithing at Kimball Art Center in Park City (https://kimballartcenter.org/instructor-sort/jan-harris-smith/), and at Pioneer Craft House in Salt Lake.
Demos – The Guild meets every other month at Spectrum Studios in Salt Lake City. Time is set aside at the end of each meeting for demonstrations. Guild members are encouraged to share new work or demonstrate techniques they have been incorporating into their work. This year’s demos included:
- Etched dichroic name tag, Kerry Collett (http://www.celtcraftdesigns.com/)
- Kiln-formed beads, Jodi McRaney Rusho
- Mica sheets, Jodi McRaney Rusho
- Circles from squares (Bullseye Glass Tipsheet), Mary Young
- Dichro dots, Kerry Collett
Exhibitions
Artwork on display at Pioneer Theatre
The Guild sponsored two art glass exhibition and sales this year with local partners. Pioneer Theatre Company hosted artists in its Loge Gallery (http://www.pioneertheatre.org/loge-gallery/) during the run of King Charles III in March and April. In November and December, the Guild returned to Red Butte Garden (http://www.redbuttegarden.org) for its 14th Annual Glass at the Garden Show and Sale. Both of these events were quite successful for the Guild’s participating artists.
Gatherings
The shared love of glass brings guild members together from very diverse backgrounds. In addition to glass, we all love good food, good company, and a good laugh! Guild members who attended the Glass Craft and Bead Expo in Las Vegas met during the event to enjoy dinner and share stories of the day’s activities. In September, the Guild also met at Sugar House Park for its annual picnic meeting (the most popular meeting of the year!).
Looking Ahead
The Guild is looking forward to another fun year of learning and sharing in 2018. We currently have two classes scheduled for the early part of the year and two opportunities for exhibition and sale. Check back often for the latest updates from the Guild!
Are you a Utah-based fused glass artist looking for a place to learn, grow, share, and exhibit your work? Contact us for membership information!