Bigger Expo attracts bigger crowds

Around 4,500 people attended the 2019 Festival of Glass Expo at Christian College in Collins Street, Drysdale on Sunday 17 February.

Fifty artists and businesses showcased a wide range of glass art and Expo visitors could try their hand at creating jewellery, mosaics and leadlighting, in between watching the presentation of the Glass Art Awards and the draw for the Festival’s Treasure Hunt prizes of specially commissioned glass art.

Continuous demonstrations by the Festival’s three Artists in Residence - Karina Guevin and Cedric Ginart from Montreal and Davide Penso from Murano - drew big audiences. Some young spectators were invited onstage to receive their first lesson in glass blowing, to everyone's delight!

In the week before the Expo, Karina Guevin and Cedric Ginart ran their three-day workshop on using borosilicate glass "More is Better" (a Festival first) and over the ten days following the Expo, Davide Penso will run classes for beginning and experienced glass artists.

Rounding off the 2019 Festival in march will be a series of workshops by Bellarine glass artists. Topics will  include fused window hangings (David Hobday), bead weaving (Janet Jenkin) and glass mosaics (Diane Schofield), as well as glass enamelling and even glass garden art! Full details are on the Festival web site.

International artists blow glass, draw crowds

Internationally renowned glass artists Davide Penso, Karina Guevin and Cèdric Ginart captivated a 90-strong audience at “Twilight Flames”, an evening of spectacular glass blowing and sculpting on Saturday 16 February at The Range, Curlewis.

Davide Penso holds his glass seaweed

As the audience watched the artists melt, pull, shape and cut molten glass into fantastic creations, they enjoyed finger food and drinks from The Range, while door prizes of wine donated by Leura Park Estate added to the evening’s excitement.

Davide Penso is from Murano, Italy and was Artist in residence at the 2017 Festival; Karina Guevin and Cedric Ginart, from Montreal, Canada are visiting Australia for the first time.

Karina Guevin & Cedric Ginart

“Twilight Flames” is a highlight of the Drysdale-based Festival of Glass, which is held each year at venues across the North Bellarine. “At ‘Twilight Flames’, people can meet world class glass artists and watch them create unique glass art”, said Festival convenor Doug Carson. “We hope that it inspires our local artists to stretch their imaginations, just as they stretch their glass.”

Montreal comes to Drysdale

Glass artists Karina Guevin and Cèdric Ginart from Montreal are Artists in Residence at the 2019 Festival of Glass and their presence has added a distinct flavour to the events.

Karina and Cèdric are world renowned for their remarkable creativity, skill and - yes - humour in blowing and sculpting glass, especially their extraordinary hand-made glass goblets. This is their first visit to Australia and before they started work, they explored some of Victoria's surf beaches.

Karina creates a rabbit

Between Wednesday 13 and Friday 15 February, their “More is better” workshop at Drysdale’s Café Zoo introduced people to the techniques and skills required to work with borosilicate glass and their demonstrations showed just what is possible with imagination and ambition!

Cèdric creates a goblet

On Saturday 16 February, Karina and Cèdric joined Murano glass master Davide Penso - the Festival's other Artists in Residence - in “Twilight Flames”, a spectacular evening of glass blowing and sculpting that attracted ninety people to The Range, Curlewis.

The two artists finished their stay on Monday 18 January at 5.30 with “Torch and Talk” – an evening of demonstrations and conversations at Drysdale’s Café Zoo.

A Guevin-Ginart goblet

"Glass Inspirations" in Drysdale

Monday 3^rd December 2018 saw the opening of Glass Inspirations – an exhibition of glass art at Drysdale’s Café Zoo.

Glenda MacNaughton "Cockatoo Woman"

Local glass artists have created large and small pieces of glass art jewellery and sculptures for Glass Inspirations, around the theme “Birds of the Bellarine Peninsula”. Each piece will be unique and hand-crafted on the Peninsula, making them ideal gifts.

Visitors to Glass Inspirations can admire the glass art, identify the birds and, perhaps, buy one of these delightful pieces. If the pressure of having to choose gets too much, Café Zoo can always supply a restorative snack!

 “Glass Inspirations gives people just a hint of what they’ll see

Marina Villani "Pelican in flight"

during the three months of the 2019 Festival”, said Festival convenor Doug Carson. “Then in January, the start of our annual Treasure Hunt will see treasure hunters young and old searching businesses across the North Bellarine for glass ‘tiny treasures’.”

Glass Inspirations will run from Monday Dec 3rd to Monday February 11th 2019, between 9.00am and 5.00pm at Café Zoo, 23 High St, Drysdale.

‘Tiny Treasures' for Treasure Hunt businesses

Each business in the Festival’s 2019 Treasure Hunt is preparing to place its glass ‘Tiny Treasure’ – a small glass figurine for Treasure Hunters to find.

More than 30 businesses across the North Bellarine – from Curlewis to Portarlington – are taking part in the Treasure Hunt and each one has commissioned a ‘Tiny Treasure’ from a local glass artist.

The Tiny treasures will be delivered well in time for the official launch of the 2019 Treasure Hunt on 7^th January 2019, with a “High Tea” at Café Zoo (23 High Street, Drysdale).

Where's this 'Tiny Treasure"?

Even before the launch, eager Treasure Hunters can see what they’ll be looking for, because the ‘Tiny Treasures’ are on the Festival web site: www.festivalofglass.net.au

The web site also includes an interactive map giving information about each participating business.

... and this poor bandaged soul?

When a Treasure Hunter finds a ‘Tiny Treasure’, the business stamps their entry form. (Each business will have blank forms.); and every ten stamps earns the Treasure Hunter a place in the Treasure Hunt draw at the Festival Expo (Sunday 17^th February), with specially commissioned pieces of glass art as prizes.

Many businesses have found it so enjoyable to be part of previous Treasure Hunts that they were happy to sign up for the 2019 event.

In 2019, you won’t miss the Treasure Hunt – it will be advertised in all the local papers and on roadside signs; and each participating business will have a poster in its window.

Getting a taste of the 2019 Festival

Monday 3^rd December 2018 will see the opening of Glass Inspirations – an exhibition of glass art at Drysdale’s Café Zoo

Glass birds by students at Mauro
Viannello's workshop, 2018 Festival

Local glass artists have created large and small pieces of glass art jewellery and sculptures for Glass Inspirations, around the theme “Birds of the Bellarine Peninsula”. Each piece will be unique and hand-crafted on the Peninsula, making them ideal gifts.

Visitors to Glass Inspirations can admire the glass art, identify the birds and, perhaps, buy one of these delightful pieces. If the pressure of having to choose gets too much, Café Zoo can always supply a restorative snack!

 “Glass Inspirations gives people just a hint of what they’ll see during the three months of the 2019 Festival”, said Festival convenor Doug Carson. “Then in January, the start of our annual Treasure Hunt will see treasure hunters young and old searching businesses across the North Bellarine for glass ‘tiny treasures’.”

 

Glass Inspirations will run from Monday Dec 3rd to Monday February 11th 2019, between 9.00am and 5.00pm at Café Zoo, 23 High St, Drysdale.

A record range of workshops for 2019 Festival

The 2019 Festival of Glass will feature a record number of workshops already and there could be more - the Festival is still five months away!

Davide Penso

Venetian glass master and jewellery designer Davide Penso will run a 4-day masterclass – Glass Jewellery Lab: from wondering to wearing. This event, which will be the first of its kind at the Festival of Glass. As its name implies, it won’t be just a workshop, it will be a laboratory, where participants can test, try and perfect fresh, new jewellery ideas under Davide’s individualised expert assistance and guidance. All you need to bring are your jewellery ideas (and maybe a lab coat!).

In another Festival first, there will be a specialist workshop on sculpting and fusing borosilicate glass - More is Better - run by Karina Guevin and Cedric Ginart, two more of our international Artists in Residence.   

Cedric and Karina at work

There will also be workshops on glass blowing (beginning, intermediate and advanced) glass fusing, mosaics, enamelling, beadweaving and bead embroidery.

You can see all the details about each workshop in the Festival web site (www.festivalofglass.net.au), from where you can book places directly using Eventbrite.

Oh, by the way ....

You might think that there’s no need to book yet – after all, the workshops are months away! Think again - places at each workshop are limited and places are being booked already!

Meet our Canadian visitors

Cédric Ginart and Karina Guevin will join Davide Penso, a glass master and jewellery designer from Murano, Italy as Artists in Residence at the 2019 Festival of Glass.

Cédric Ginart

Karina and Cédric are renowned glass artists from Montreal, Canada. Cédric is a scientific glass blower and a glass artist. In both capacities, he has worked with scientists, artists, industrialists, designers and architects. At present, he works as a scientific glassblower at Montreal University, while also pursuing his career as an internationally renowned glass artist and teacher. 

Karina Guevin is a sculptor and a glass artist, renowned for her technical and aesthetic innovation in glass. She teaches flame working at many international schools and her glass sculptures and jewellery has been exhibited throughout Canada, as well as in the United States, France, Japan and the United Kingdom.

Karina Guevin

What a team!

Karina and Cédric often teach flamework together at international schools. Cédric has the quiet concentration you might expect of a scientific glassblower, while Karina has a riotous sense of humour and delights in small animals! Put the two together and the results are spectacular! Their modern-day versions of traditional Venetian-style goblets must be seen to be believed and, of course, you can do just that at the 2019 Festival of Glass.

A Guevin/Ginart goblet

You can see Karina and Cédric at work by joining their workshop, More is Better: sculpting, fusing and assembling borosilicate glass, from 13^th – 15^th February at Drysdale’s Cafe Zoo.

You can also sign up for their evening demonstration, Torch and Talk; blowing and sculpting a glass goblet on Monday 18^th February from 5.30pm – 7.39pm.

More information about each event is on the Festival web site (www.festivalofglass.net.au).

For more information about Karina and Cédric, visit their web sites:

* Cédric Ginart: https://www.cedricginart.com

* Karina Guevin: https://www.karinaguevin.com

This will be their first time teaching in Australia and the Festival is delighted to welcome them and host their visit.

Artists in Residence

The Festival started to feature an Artist in Residence four years ago in 2015, when Mark Eliott filled the bill. Since then, we’ve hosted Mark Eliott and Peter Minson in 2016, Davide Penso (Murano) in 2017 and Mauro Vianello (Venice) in 2018.

2019 Festival - not one but three Artists in Residence!

In a Festival first, the 2019 Festival of Glass will feature not one but three international Artists in Residence.

Davide at work in Murano

Firstly, Murano glass master Davide Penso makes a welcome return to the Festival of Glass. Davide was our international Artist in Residence in 2016 and was a great hit with the general public who attended his demonstrations and with the people attending his three workshops.

Davide is internationally renowned as a master of flamework, but also as a jewellery designer and creator. He will demonstrate his skills as a flameworker at "Twilight Flames" and at the Festival Expo; and he will give personalised guidance to students at "The Jewellery Lab" - four days of intense experimentation and creativity.

The sub-title of this unique event is "From wondering to wearing", because at "The Jewellery Lab", students can turn their jewellery ideas into finished pieces and then show them off at a gala "Glitz and Glam" evening.

Karina and Cédric at work in Montreal

Our second and third Artists in Residence will be Cédric Ginart and Karina Guevin, from Montreal, Canada. Cedric is a scientific glass blower and glass artist, who has worked with scientists, artists, industrialists, designers and architects; Karina Guevin is a sculptor and a glass artist, renowned for her technical and aesthetic innovation.

Karina and Cédric will join Davide Penso at "Twilight Flames"; at "Torch and Talk" they will create their own flamboyant versions of extraordinary  Venetian glass goblets; and at their "More is Better" workshop, they'll show you how to do it!

Twilight Flames: The Range at Curlewis. 16 February at 6.30pm. Tickets: http://www.festivalofglass.net.au

The Jewellery Lab:  Zoo cafe, Drysdale High Street. 21 – 24 February.

Registration and information: http://www.festivalofglass.net.au

Torch and Talk:  Zoo cafe, Drysdale High Street

 More is Better:  Zoo cafe, Drysdale High Street. 13 – 15 February. 9.00am – 5.00pm.

A glass mural to brighten Drysdale's arcade

The Festival of Glass committee is creating a glass mural to brighten the shopping arcade in Drysdale High Street.

"Before"

The arcade was painted a deep brown, making it a dark and uninviting place to visit or even to walk through. The Festival committee felt that the arcade could be improved by repainting it in a lighter colour, then installing a glass mural to make it a unique site of interest.

Business owners in the arcade were enthusiastic about the proposal, as were the arcade’s owners, so painting started in July. Festival committee members were joined by DCSCA committee members and by some Festival Friends (were you there?!) and after two coats of paint, the arcade looks better and brighter already – even before the mural!

"After"

Passers-by made lots of very positive comments to the painting team, who explained that the project is a Festival of Glass initiative and promoted the Festival shamelessly!

The Festival committee is now considering possible designs for a series of murals to decorate the arcade walls. Each mosaic will be created on a board, which will then be fixed to the wall.

The arcade project is the second mosaic in Drysdale initiated by the Festival of Glass. In October 2016, we unveiled the ceramic and glass “Welcome to Drysdale” mural overlooking the town’s ‘village green’. The mural was created in collaboration with Wathaurong Glass, Bellarine Secondary College and the Rotary Club of Drysdale.

Building community with glass

Now in its eighth year, the Festival of Glass is helping to build a sense of community as it promotes local glass artists.

The Festival is an initiative of the Drysdale & Clifton Springs Community Association*, which set up a Festival committee in 2010 to establish and run the Festival. The Association’s intention was always that Festival would contribute to the identity of the growing local community while it promoted glass art – especially by local glass artists.

Consequently, the Festival has actively involved local organisations, groups and individuals since it started in 2011. The committee draws on its strong links with the Community Association and several committee members are also involved with other local groups and organisations, including the Lions, Rotary and the SpringDale Neighbourhood House. These organisations sponsor various elements of the Festival – especially the Glass Art awards - and their members volunteer to help at specific Festival events. The Bellarine Historical Society recently initiated an annual Historic Bottle Evaluation, which it runs as part of the Festival with the two organisations cross-promoting each other.

The Festival has involved local schools – through its “Welcome to Drysdale” glass mural project and its Mentorship Progamme for local young aspiring glass artists.

Business meets art at the Festival

As the Festival has grown, it has benefited an increasing number of local businesses in various ways. First, by buying goods and services from them – the committee always aims to “Shop local”. Second, the Festival Expo brings several thousand visitors to Drysdale and the Festival promotional material encourages them to explore local commercial attractions such as wineries, cafes, olive farms and shops. Third, the Festival’s Treasure Hunt brings treasure hunters to each participating local business across the North Bellarine - and every treasure hunter is a potential customer!

Local businesses have responded in various ways and the Festival committee is very grateful for their support. Without it, the Festival of Glass wouldn’t be what it has become. Some businesses sponsor specific elements of the Festival, such as the annual Glass Art Awards, the Artist in Residence Programme, the Mentorship Programme and, of course the Treasure Hunt; others give 'in kind' support, such as vouchers or special prices.

Special mention must be made of the Festival’s two biggest and most consistent sponsors - the City of Greater Geelong and the Bendigo Bank. Each one’s support and encouragement has been crucial to the Festival’s establishment, growth and diversification. Without them, the Festival committee would not be able to bring together anywhere near the number and range of people that it does – artists, visitors, businesses and community groups.

A sense of historical identity

Since the Festival committee was established in 2010, it has learnt that the Festival is the latest event in the centuries-old history of glass on the Bellarine Peninsula. The Festival has initiated an online history of glass in the area:

http://fogglassreflections.blogspot.com.au/

This history started when John Batman first arrived at Indented Head, bringing glass beads and mirrors as ‘gifts’ for the local aborigines. At the turn of the century, the area was known for the ‘torpedo bottles’ in which local spring water was sold; in the 1930s, huge quantities of shell grit were exported from the Bellarine to Melbourne’s glass factories and Pilkington opened Australia’s first automotive glass factory in Geelong. Glass has been implicated in the area’s growth since then.

* Now the Drysdale, Clifton Springs & Curlewis Association.

Featured Festival Sponsor: OPSM (Waurn Ponds)

The Festival of Glass committee is grateful to OPSM (Waurn Ponds) for supporting the Festival of Glass – in particular, the Festival’s Mentorship Programme for local young aspiring glass artists.

Since Optical Prescription Spectacle Makers opened its first store in Macquarie Street, Sydney in 1932, the company has expanded until there are now nearly 400 stores across Australia and New Zealand – including the one at Waurn Ponds, of course! OPSM stocks a wide range of designer frames, brand-name sunglasses (most can be fitted with prescription lenses) and contact lenses.

OPSM (Waurn Ponds) 173 - 199 Pioneer Road, Shop T913, Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre, Waurn Ponds, Vic 3216. Tel: (03) 5243 9288

Opening hours. Monday – Thursday 8.00am to 6.00pm; Friday 8.00am to 9.00pm; Saturday & Sunday 9.00am to 5.00pm.

Featured Festival Sponsor: Lisa Neville

The Festival of Glass committee is grateful to Lisa Neville - Member for Bellarine - for her continued support of the Festival of Glass. Lisa has supported the Festival both financially (assisting with our advertising costs) and in person, visiting almost every Festival Expo despite her busy schedule. Following her 2017 visit, Lisa made a Member Statement to the parliament, praising the Festival as a “wonderful achievement” and congratulating its organisers.

Lisa was elected as the Member for Bellarine in the Victorian Legislative Assembly in 2002 and is the Minister for Police and Water in the current Victorian State government. Between 2006 and 2010, she was the Minister for Mental Health and Minister for Community Services and Senior Victorians. Prior to entering parliament, Lisa was Manager of the SpringDale Neighbourhood Centre in Drysdale, President of the Board of Barwon Health and Chairperson of the Barwon Network of Neighbourhood Houses.

Electorate office: Shop G066, Gateway Plaza, Leopold, 3224

Tel. 03 9637 9654       lisa.neville@parliament.vic.gov.au

Featured Festival Sponsor: Silvan family

The Festival of Glass committee is grateful to the Silvan family for sponsoring the People’s Choice Glass Art Award at the 2018 Festival. The Award consists of $200 and a hand-made glass plaque from Wathaurong Glass. It is awarded to the creator of the most original and eye-catching entry to the Art Glass Awards, as voted by people attending the Festival Expo. The Silvan family sponsors and presents the People’s Choice Glass Art Award in memory of their loved one, Antonio Silvan. Throughout his life, Tony valued community events. He encouraged everyone in his family to get involved in their community and to celebrate and embrace its diversity.

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