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.

"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.

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.

Get the latest Festival news

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Festival-of-Glass-189670377738114/

Web site: www.festivalofglass.net.au

Blog (you’re here!): http://festivalofglass.blogspot.com

Volunteering at the Festival

Our Friends of the Festival online newsletter gives the latest Festival news, with special emphasis on opportunities to volunteer to help. To become a Friend of the Festival, please send an e-mail to: festivalofglassdrysdale@gmail.com

Put “Festival Friends” in the subject bar and put your name and address in the body of the e-mail. Thanks - we look forward to welcoming you!

Steuben crystal animals – art, not science

Steuben Glass Incorporated’s signature range of crystal glass animals originated in 1949 with “The Snail” and grew into an ever-growing managerie in the 1950s.

Steuben Glass Snail

The Steuben glass animals are unusual in that they combine the flowing, fluid forms of Art Nouveau and the massive, geometric lines of Art Deco. Neither of these artistic styles was still in vogue by the 1940s, although At Deco was still influencing some architects.

Steuben Glass Trout

Many Steuben glass animals, such as The Whale, The Trout and The Lion, make very striking ornaments. Others are just twee. The Owl is a good example of twee - and we won’t even mention The Koala!

Representation versus replication

Steuben’s glass animals are part of a long history of glass artists creating glass models of plants and animals. However, Steuben’s animals are in the realm of art, not science. Each one interprets its subject in glass, whereas other glass artists have sought to replicate the original plant or animal with scientific accuracy.

For example, in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Dresden glass artists Leopold Baschker and his son Rudolph created hundreds of scientifically accurate glass models (to scale and enlarged) of plants and animals for universities and museums. (See “[Glass] Art imitating life” on this blog, 29 January 2018)

Similarly, contemporary Venetian glass artist Mauro Vianello creates meticulous replicas of plants and animals – especially marine life – for universities, research centres and museums. (See “Glass adds a shimmer to summer” on this blog, 12 January 2018) Mauro is Artist in Residence at the 2018 Festival of Glass, where he will demonstrate his glass art magic and teach beginning and advanced glass artists some tricks of his trade.

Steuben Glass – a short history

Steuben Glass Whale

The company originated as the Steuben Glass Works, founded in 1903 by Thomas G. Hawkes, an Irish-American glass engraver, and Frederick Carder, an English glassmaker. They named the company after its location in Steuben County in the south-west of New York state. In 1918, the nearby Corning Glass Works (now Corning Incorporated) bought Steuben. In 1933, Steuben created a formula for crystal that was stronger than ordinary glass, with a very high refractive index that made it reflect and refract light better than any other. What followed were Steuben’s ‘golden years’, which ended in 2008, when Corning sold Steuben to the Schottenstein Stores Corp. of Columbus, Ohio. In 2011, Schottenstein closed Steuben, but Corning re-purchased the Steuben brand name; and in 2013, Corning licensed The Corning Museum of Glass to oversee sales and production of Steuben glassware.

SOURCES

Plaut, J. S. (1972) Steuben Glass. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. (3^rd revised edn.)

Steuben Glass web site https://www.steuben.com/

Footnote - the Steuben Lion
The Steuben Lion resembles the lion in the Holden cars current version of the ‘lion and stone’ logo. The logo has evolved significantly from its original, designed for Holden by Rayner Hoff in 1929. It refers to a prehistoric fable, in which observations of lions rolling stones led humans to invent the wheel.

Steuben Lion

Holden's 'lion and stone' logo

Holden's original logo

Featured Festival of Glass sponsor: Decal Specialists 
The Festival of Glass committee is very grateful to Decal Specialists for supporting the 2018 Festival of Glass - in particular, for sponsoring the "Encouragement - Best in Show" Glass Art Award.

The company manufactures ... well ... decals! Decals can be applied to any solid sealed surface, enabling artists to ‘import’ a lacquered image to the surface of their work. The company stocks a range of images, or they can create custom decals from a customer’s images.

The company makes three types of decal: ceramic decals, for fired glazed finishes; glass decals for transparent or opaque glass surfaces; and ‘non-fire’ decals for use on any sealed surface (e.g. terracotta, woodwork).

Contacts:

6/2 Brand Drive, Thomastown, Victoria 3074

Tel. (1300) 132 771    (03) 9380 7722

E-mail: enquiries@decalspecialists.com.au

Featured Festival of Glass Sponsor: Leura Park Estate

The Festival of Glass committee is very grateful to Leura Park Estate for being a major sponsor of the Festival’s 2018 Treasure Hunt (8 January to 18 February) and for co-hosting “Twilight Flames” (17 February).

Established in 1995, the 150 acre Leura Park Estate includes 40 acres planted with premium, cool climate varietal vines, from which grapes are predominantly hand-picked. In the hands of winemaker Darren Burke, they yield the Estate’s renowned Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay wines, as well as Sparkling Shiraz, Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay and Sparkling Blanc de Blanc.

Owners David and Lyndsay Sharpe have designed menus to complement their wines, including stone-based pizzas, seasonal grazing platters (ideal for groups), steak sandwiches and salt & pepper calamari served with a Greek salad. Also on offer is exclusively roasted coffee and an extensive range of teas.

Visitors to Leura Park Estate can relax on the sun drenched alfresco area or on the lawn under market umbrellas, while an open fire beckons on cooler days.

The Estate staff can assist people planning a private function, a party, or a special occasion such as a wedding or work function. For informal occasions, the Estate offers its ‘fabulous, fun, finger food functions’.

Contacts

1400 Portarlington Rd., Curlewis Vic. 3222

(03) 5253 3180                       http://leuraparkestate.com.au/

Open: 10.30am – 5.00pm Sunday to Thursday and all public holidays; open daily in January. Live music on Sundays. Bookings recommended.

Thanks to the City of Greater Geelong and the Bendigo Bank, our Awards sponsors, our Treasure Hunt sponsors and other local ‘in kind’ supporters.

Get the latest Festival news

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Festival-of-Glass-189670377738114/

Web site: www.festivalofglass.net.au

Blog (you’re here!): http://festivalofglass.blogspot.com

Volunteering at the Festival

Our Friends of the Festival online newsletter gives the latest Festival news, with special emphasis on opportunities to volunteer to help. To become a Friend of the Festival, please send an e-mail to: festivalofglassdrysdale@gmail.com

Put “Festival Friends” in the subject bar and put your name and address in the body of the e-mail. Thanks - we look forward to welcoming you!

Festival favourites grow and diversify

In the eight years of the Festival of Glass, several features have become firm favourites, each one growing and becoming more diverse each year.

The Expo - Sunday 18 February, 10.00am - 4.00pm Christian College, Drysdale.

The Expo is the heart of each year’s Festival of Glass and the Festival’s eight years have seen it grow and diversify steadily. Festival organisers expect the 2018 Expo to attract 4,000 to 5,000 visitors, drawn by a record number of stalls featuring glass art, sculpture, jewelry, mosaics and home ware.

Several Expo exhibitors will demonstrate various glass working techniques and the Festival’s 2018 Artist in Residence, Mauro Vianello, will blow and sculpt glass and talk about his life as a glass master on the island of Murano, in Venice.

Several Expo exhibitors and Mauro Vianello will run classes after the Expo, where complete beginners can try their hand at glass art while experienced glass artists can refine and develop their skills under the tuition of specialists.

The Glass Art Awards – 2018 winners announced at the Festival Expo.

Each year, the entries to the Awards grow steadily each year in numbers and diversity. This is especially true of entries for the Bella Wein Award, which is sponsored by the Clifton Springs and Curlewis Lions Club. This Award is for the entry that captures best the character of the Bellarine Peninsula. (“Bella Wein” is the original Wathaurong name for the area.)

The Treasure Hunt – grand draw at the Festival Expo

In just three years, the Treasure Hunt has captured the imaginations of businesses and Treasure Hunters across the North Bellarine. For the 2018 Treasure Hunt, Diane Schofield’s team visited virtually every business in the area, inviting each one to participate. They were met with warm welcomes from past participants and quizzical curiosity from potential ones. As a result, a record 32 businesses are participating in the 2018 Treasure Hunt and have commissioned dozens of glass art prizes, which are on display in their premises.

Featured Festival of Glass sponsor: Clifton Springs and Curlewis Lions Club

Building communities through good practice

Lions Clubs aim to promote understanding, good government and good citizenship and to encourage people to serve their community. For many years, the Clifton Springs & Curlewis Lions Club has supported the Festival of Glass and the Festival Committee is very grateful to for their support. The Lions’ support has been an excellent example of service to community. They’ve been a major element of each Festival Expo; they help to set up and take down the venue and their sausage sizzle tent keeps Expo visitors fed and watered.

Since 2016, the Clifton Springs & Curlewis Lions Club have sponsored the Festival's "Bella Wein" award - part of the Festival's annual Glass Art Awards. The Bella wein Award is worth $500 and goes to the piece of glass art that best interprets the identity of the Bellarine Peninsula. The Award celebrates the continuity between the past and the present - "Bella Wein" is the name given to the Peninsula by the area's original owners, the Wathaurong people.

Featured Festival of Glass sponsor: Bayshore Electrical and Air Conditioning
Bayshore Electrical and Airconditioning services the Bellarine Peninsula and surrounds. Steve has supported the Festival of Glass for several years as a sponsor of the Festival's Glass Art Awards and the Festival committee is very grateful to him.
Contact Steve: Tel. 0400 201 396   Web site: http://bayshore.net.au  
 

Thanks to the City of Greater Geelong and the Bendigo Bank, our Awards sponsors, our Treasure Hunt sponsors and other local ‘in kind’ supporters.

Latest Festival news
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Festival-of-Glass-189670377738114/

Web site: www.festivalofglass.net.au

Blog (you’re here!): http://festivalofglass.blogspot.com

Volunteering at the Festival

Our Friends of the Festival online newsletter gives the latest Festival news, with special emphasis on opportunities to volunteer to help. To become a Friend of the Festival, please send an e-mail to: festivalofglassdrysdale@gmail.com

Put “Festival Friends” in the subject bar and put your name and address in the body of the e-mail. Thanks - we look forward to welcoming you!

Fresh features in each Festival

The Festival of Glass is now in its eighth year and each Festival has fresh features alongside Festival favourites.

Fiona Horne's quirky creatures

A fresh feature of the 2018 Festival is Glass Inspirations - the inaugural exhibition of glass art at The Bungalow restaurant in Drysdale. The exhibition showcases the work of local glass artists and includes hand-made sculptures, jewellery, platters, lights and vases. Every unique, hand-made piece of glass art in the exhibition is for sale.

Glass Inspirations was launched at a High Tea at The Bungalow on January 8 and will run until March. Several of the featured artists have been commissioned to create prizes in the Festival’s Treasure Hunt and so their work is on display in businesses across the North Bellarine. Several of them will also be exhibitors in the Festival Expo on February 18 at Drysdale’s Christian College.

The Bungalow is participating in the Festival’s 2018 Treasure Hunt, so while customers browse Glass Inspirations, they can keep an eagle eye open for The Bungalow’s glass ‘Tiny Treasure’ – a small glass sculpture. When you spot the ‘Tiny Treasure’, The Bungalow will stamp your Treasure Hunt form. Each form with stamps from ten participating businesses goes into a draw at the Festival Expo on February 18, with dozens of unique pieces of glass art as prizes.

Featured Festival of Glass sponsor: The Bungalow restaurant

The Bungalow is open seven days a week. Its “All Day” menu is supplemented by a special dinner menu and both are complemented by extensive beverage and wine lists. All can be viewed on the restaurant’s web site, as can information about The Bungalow’s catering service.

The restaurant is located in – what else – an early 1930s California bungalow on the corner of High Street and Eversley Street, Drysdale. The building has been refurbished extensively and, in a nice touch, the restaurant’s web sit includes a tribute and thanks to everybody who contributed to the transformation.

The Bungalow co-hosted the High Tea on January 8 that launched the 2018 Festival of Glass, is a major sponsor of the Festival’s Treasure Hunt and is holding an exhibition of glass art – Glass Inspirations - until March 2018. The Festival committee is very grateful for this support and looks forward to growing the relationship with Kerry Bell and her staff.

The Bungalow, 32 High Street, Drysdale 3222. Tel. (03) 5216 3025

Monday – Thursday: 7.30am – 6.00pm; Friday – Saturday: 7.30am – 10.30pm;

Sunday: 8.30am – 4.00pm

http://www.thebungalowrestaurant.com.au/

Facebook and Instagram; bungalowrestaurantdrysdale

Thanks also to the City of Greater Geelong and the Bendigo Bank, our Awards sponsors, our Treasure Hunt sponsors and other local ‘in kind’ supporters.

More Festival of Glass information: http://www.festivalofglass.net.au or find us on Facebook

Festival launch on High Tea menu

A High Tea at The Bungalow restaurant in Drysdale on Monday 8 January celebrated the official launch of the 2018 Festival of Glass.

The event began with a welcoming glass of bubbly while around forty five guests looked at a preview of “Glass Inspirations”, an exhibition by local glass artists that runs at The Bungalow until March.

The Bungalow’s Kerry Bell welcomed everyone to the High Tea, then Festival of Glass co-ordinator Doug Carson talked about the Festival - now in its eighth year.

Glenda MacNaughton with future glass artists?

The guests were fascinated when local artist Glenda MacNaughton demonstrated how to stretch, mould and blow glass into beads and globes and talked about Mauro Vianello, a glass master from Murano in Italy, who will be the 2018 Festival’s Artist in Residence.

Pirate Chief Diane Schofield

‘Pirate chief’ Diane Schofield introduced the Festival’s Treasure Hunt, which has over a hundred glass art prizes, involves thirty two local businesses and ends on Sunday 18 February with a draw at the Festival of Glass Expo at Drysdale’s Christian College.

 

Featured Festival sponsor - Bendigo Bank 

The Bendigo Bank prides itself on being community-orientated and its investment in the Festival of Glass is a good example!

The Bendigo Bank is part of the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank's network of brands, providing a wide range of banking products and services to more than 1.4 million retail customers through its 400 plus branches and agencies. It works with communities to contribute to their prosperity, because it believes that successful communities make successful businesses.

The Bendigo Bank has supported the Festival from its beginning in 2011, and is now a major sponsor. The Festival Committee is grateful for the Bank’s support and is always happy to acknowledge the Bank’s contribution to the Festival’s success. The Bendigo Bank's investment and support has been crucial to the growth and diversification of the Festival itself and - importantly - of its roots in the local community. Without the Bank’s involvement, we’d have a very different Festival of Glass.

 

Business meets glass art at Treasure Hunt Preview

At an exclusive Preview on the evening of December 13, Bellarine business people met local glass artists from whom they have commissioned pieces of glass art for the 2018 Festival of Glass Treasure Hunt.

Some of the commissioned pieces

During the Treasure Hunt, which will run from 8 January to 18 February 2018, each participating business will display its commissioned piece; then all the pieces become prizes in the Treasure Hunt draw at the Festival of Glass Expo on Sunday 18 February at Drysdale’s Christian College.

At the Preview, the business people learnt how their commissioned glass art is created, while the artists learnt how their creativity is supporting the local economy.

Diane Schofield’s Treasure Hunt team has signed up thirty two businesses from Drysdale, Clifton Springs, Curlewis and Portarlington – up from the twenty eight businesses in last year’s event.

“Everyone’s a winner in our Treasure Hunt”, said Schofield. “Businesses can increase their custom, glass artists can increase their public profile and, of course, Treasure Hunters can win beautiful glass art.”

Business meets glass art at Treasure Hunt Preview

At an exclusive Preview on December 13 (6.00 - 7.30pm), businesses on the Bellarine will meet local glass artists from whom they have commissioned pieces of glass art as prizes in the 2018 Treasure Hunt.

Water Garden Kelly Veenstra

The Treasure Hunt will run from 8 January to 18 February, as part of the 2018 Festival of Glass. At the Preview, the business people can learn how their glass art is created, while the artists can learn how their creativity is supporting the local economy.

Diane Schofield’s Treasure Hunt team has signed up thirty two businesses from Drysdale, Clifton Springs, Curlewis and Portarlington – up from the twenty eight businesses in last year’s event.

“Businesses in the 2017 Treasure Hunt spoke very positively about their experience”, said Diane Schofield, “and their comments convinced others to join this year’s event.”

During the Treasure Hunt, each participating business will display its commissioned piece; then all the pieces become prizes in the Treasure Hunt draw at the Festival of Glass Expo on Sunday 18 February at Drysdale’s Christian College.

“We’re very grateful to our major sponsors The Bungalow, Leura Park Estate and Parkers Steakhouse”, said Diane Schofield, “We also thank the remaining 29 businesses, especially Chris Walsh’s Pharmacy, Pier View Lolly Shop, Joshae Hair and Beauty, Miss Lillypilly and Surf Junction.”