Searching Drysdale businesses with new curiosity

On Monday 1^st February, customers will search businesses in the Drysdale area with a new curiosity.

Ronnie (Ronnie's Cafe) and her 'Tree of Life' platter

The customers will be looking for small, hand-crafted glass ornaments - ‘Tiny Treasures’ – that are clues in a Treasure Hunt being run by the 2016 Festival of Glass.

21 local businesses are participating in the Treasure Hunt and each one has commissioned a piece of glass art – and a ‘Tiny Treasure’ - from local glass artists. 

From February 1^st, each participating business will display its piece of glass art, together with its ‘Tiny Treasure’ for treasure hunters to spot. A poster in its window will show that a business is part of the Treasure Hunt. Treasure Hunters receive a stamp on their entry form for each ‘Tiny Treasure’ they spot.

The Treasure Hunt will culminate in a draw for dozens of pieces of glass art at the Festival Expo on 21 February at Christian College, Drysdale.

Jacquie Campbell's glass shell at Surf Junction

Festival of Glass convenor Doug Carson said, “Everyone benefits from the Treasure Hunt. It brings customers to local businesses, it promotes local glass artists and it shows local people the beautiful things that artists make with glass. We hope that the Treasure Hunt will build a strong and mutually-beneficial relationship between the Festival, local businesses and local glass artists.”

Each year, something more
The Treasure Hunt will be a novel addition to the Festival of Glass, now in its sixth year. Each year, the Festival committee adds a new feature to maintain interest in the Festival. For example:

• the 2015 Festival featured internationally renowned Sydney glass artist Mark Eliott, who held demonstrations of glass art at the Festival Expo and ran workshops in the following week. Mark will return to the 2016 Festival, along with fellow glass artist Peter Minson.
• the 2014 Festival included Glass on Film - a rolling programme of short films about glass. Glass on Film was also a feature of the 2015 Festival and will be part of the 2016 Festival.

Glass art lights up local businesses

Businesses in the Drysdale region have started to display pieces of glass art that they have commissioned from local glass artists.

The commissioned pieces are among dozens of prizes in the glass art Treasure Hunt that is a feature of the sixth Festival of Glass in Drysdale in February 2016. Participating businesses will also display glass ‘Tiny Treasures’ - clues in the Treasure Hunt for treasure hunters to spot.

The first business to join the Treasure Hunt was Drysdale Fish and Chickens (30 High Street), and Mersina and her daughter were very pleased to receive a Flying Fish from local glass artist David Hobday.

Mersina and her glass fish

The Elegant Profile Beauty Salon’s (7/3 Wyndham Street) commissioned piece is a striking blue necklace made by Fiona Horne from recycled gin and mineral water bottles.

Pam's Marina Villani platter

Elegant Profile's necklace

At the newsagents in Drysdale High Street, Pam is pleased to display a fine glass platter by Marina Villani, featuring wattle flowers and foliage.

The Treasure Hunt starts formally on February 1^st, when treasure hunters can start to spot the ‘Tiny Treasures’ and receive stamps on their entry form. The Treasure Hunt culminates in a draw for dozens of pieces of glass art at the Festival Expo on 21 February at Christian College, Drysdale.

Bunnings supports “Endangered in Glass” community mosaic

Bunnings (Torquay) has agreed to support a community mosaic at the 2016 Festival of Glass Expo on Sunday 21 February.

Orange-bellied Parrot

The mosaic will depict two local endangered birds – the Hooded Plover and the Orange-bellied Parrot. Bunnings will provide mosaic-making materials plus a specialist mosaic tutor – Marion Smith - who will invite and assist visitors to create the mosaic – one tile at a time!

Endangered in Glass

The community mosaic is part of the Festival’s “Endangered in Glass” project, which aims to use glass to highlight the plight of the birds. The project starts with a Masterclass on Friday 19 February at Leura Park winery, Curlewis. Renowned glass artists Peter Minson and Mark Eliott will create glass replicas of the two birds, while an elder from the local Wathaurong people will give an indigenous perspective on the birds and their habitat.

Hooded plover

The glass replicas will be auctioned at the Masterclass, with proceeds supporting local efforts to conserve the birds. The glass replicas will tour the region to highlight the birds’ endangered status and to show the versatility and beauty of glass; the generosity of Bunnings (Torquay) means that a community mosaic of the two birds will join the glass replicas on their tour.

Local glass artist Glenda MacNaughton, from the Festival of Glass committee, said, “I have been to other community mosaic sessions at Bunnings and I know that this sort of creative activity supports social engagement and enjoyment. The Festival aims to build community engagement and economic development by offering hands-on experiences of making glass art to people who would not normally have the opportunity; and the community mosaic at the Expo will certainly do that.”

Mussel Festival visitors preview Festival of Glass

Visitors to Portarlington's annual Mussel Festival on January 9 had an unexpected bonus this year - a preview of the Festival of Glass Masterclass and Treasure Hunt!

30,000 visited the Mussel Festival

Volunteers at the Drysdale & Clifton Springs Community Association (DCSCA) tent  promoted the two new features of the Festival of Glass - the glass art Treasure Hunt, which starts on February 1st and finishes at the Festival Expo on Sunday 21 February; and the glass art Masterclass at Leura Park on Friday February 19.

DCSCA is the 'parent' of the Festival of Glass and it was part of a display by organisations connected with the local foreshore.
The display - coordinated by Bellarine Bayside - was at the entrance to the Portarlington pier and formed an adjunct to the Mussel Festival proper, which organisers said attracted 30,000 visitors.

A steady stream of people visited the DCSCA tent on their way to the Mussel  Festival. There was a lot of interest in the Masterclass and Treasure Hunt, although as far as the children were concerned, the nearby stuffed seal and wallaby had the edge!

A Festival at a Festival?!

The Festival of Glass will be represented at the 10th annual Mussel Festival at Portarlington on January 9, 9.30am - 5.00pm.

Mussel motors?!

The Mussel Festival organisers kindly offered a stall to the Drysdale & Clifton Springs Community Association Inc. (DCSCA) - the 'parent' of the Festival of Glass.

The 2016 Festival will include 100 food and drink stalls, market stalls, local musicians and entertainers, art shows, cooking demonstrations and tastings of local beer and wine .... "and all this for just $2!", as the organisers say.

The 2015 Festival attracted 10,000 people and still more are expected at this year's event.

For information about the stall-holders, go to www.portmusselfestival.com/stallholders/

The DCSCA/Festival of Glass stall will be near the pier; we're looking forward to telling you about the glass art Treasure Hunt, Masterclass and Workshops that will be new features of the 2016 Festival of Glass.

Word about the Festival is getting out online

The latest report on the Festival of Glass web site shows that it's becoming increasingly effective as the public face of the Festival.

There has been a steady increase in the number of visitors to the site and in the time they spend there. For example, in the last week there have been 268 visits - a 94% increase on this time last year; and those visits were by 199 individual users - a 74% increase on this time last year.

Not only does the web site now have a substantial following of returning visitors - it continues to attract new visitors, with 34% of the week's visitors being first-timers. Further, visitors now spend an average of 2.5 minutes at the site - an increase of 10% on this time last year. Of course, the web site has expanded considerably in the past year, making a visit even more rewarding!

The overwhelming majority - 94% - of visitors to the site are from Australia; and most of the remaining 6% are from the USA. So there's work to do to promote the Festival internationally! 

Finally, while the great majority of visitors come directly to the Festival web site, 21% come via Facebook and a small percentage come via Festival exhibitors' web sites and from Mailchimp (probably as a result of the Mailchimp-based 'Friends of the Festival' newsletter).

2016 Festival workshops will boost local glass artists

The 2016 Festival of Glass will feature workshops for everyone from beginners to professionals.

Details of each workshop can be found at the Festival web site (www.festivalofglass.net.au).

FOR BEGINNERS
Sunday 14 February. Appraisal & evaluation of historic glass bottles. Paul & David Bruce. Old Court House Museum, 11 High St Drysdale. No booking needed. Free.
 
Saturday 20 February. 10.00am - 2.30pm. It's Your Turn: Lampworking & glass blowing. Peter Minson & Mark Eliott. Senior Citizens Centre, Drysdale. Book via Senior Citizens Centre. Free.
 
Monday 22 February. 9.00am - 4.30pm. Glass Flamework Sculpture (1 day). Peter Minson & Mark Eliott. 42-44 Buccleugh Street, Drysdale. Book via markeliottglass@gmail.com (0411 767 346). $290.00.
 
Friday 26 February. 10.00am - 2.30pm. It's Your Turn: Lampworking & glass blowing. Peter Minson & Mark Eliott. Venue TBA, Drysdale. Book via venue. Free.
 
Saturday 27 February. Beadweaving for Beginners: Crystal bling bracelet. Glenda MacNaughton. Bead Art Studio, 164 Wyndham Street, Drysdale. No booking required. $40.00.

FOR THE MORE EXPERIENCED
Monday 22 February. 10.00am - 5.00pm. Contemporary Floral Pendant (Flamework and Jewellery). Jennie Merritt. Totally Shattered Glass Studio, Queenscliff - Portarlington Road, Point Lonsdale. $250.00. Book via jenniemerrittdesigns@gmail.com (0415 049 330)
 
Tuesday 23 - Thursday 25 February. 9.00am - 4.30pm. Glass Flamework Sculpture (3 day). Peter Minson & Mark Eliott. 42-44 Buccleugh Street, Drysdale. Book via markeliottglass@gmail.com (0411 767 346). $790.00.
 
5 March. 2.00 - 5.00pm. Chrysler Beaded Bead. Janet Jenkin. Dax Bead Art Studio, 164 Wyndham Street, Drysdale. No booking required. $40.00. (Kits: $7.00, $6.50)