A bit of class for the Festival of Glass!

Janet's Bead Challenge piece

Janet's handmade bead

Festival of Glass Committee member Janet Jenkin won two prizes at the recent Melbourne Bead Expo.

In the 'Handmade Beads' competition, Janet won first prize for a single hand-made bead; and in the 'Bead Challenge', Janet won second prize in the popular vote. (Each piece is featured in this article.) As if that wasn't enough, Janet also won the Member's Prize for selling the most raffle tickets for the Expo!

This gives just a hint at the talent that's assembled in the Committee for the 2013 Festival of Glass and, therefore, of the likely quality of the event!

Snow in February, anyone?!

Snow dome collection: Brendan McNight

The Festival of Glass Committee would like to present some snow at the 2013 Festival on 17 February 2013, but we suspect that the weather might be against us!

As a compromise, we'd like to present a display of 'snow domes' - glass hemispheres full of water that create a 'snowstorm' over a miniature landscape when they're tipped upside down. Preliminary hunting on the internet hasn't turned up any promising sites, so if anyone knows anyone who collects snow domes and would be willing to lend their collection to the Festival, do please get in touch. If the past two Festivals are anything to go by, an audience of 6,000-plus will admire their collection!

We'd also like to present a display of glass paperweights. Despite promises each year that we're about to enter the paperless office, brisk winds continue to rustle and shuffle our memos, letters, etc., sending us reaching for anything to hold them down. Glass paperweights are superb examples of the artistry and craft of glass, so once again - if anyone knows anyone who collects paper weights and would be willing to lend them to the Festival, do please get in touch.

It's show and tell time!

The Festival of Glass Committee has been invited to present a display about the Festival to the City of Greater Geelong's Community Arts & Festivals Grants Ceremony in mid-December.

The City of Greater Geelong has supported the Festival of Glass consistently since it started in 2011, as has local councillor Rod Macdonald. The council invested significantly in the Festival of Glass in 2011 and 2012 and will be a major investor in the 2013 Festival.

The Committee appreciates the council's confidence in the Festival and is looking forward to presenting its display. We've been told that,  'there is no real size constraint, as we have plenty of space', so if anyone knows where we can hire a glass zeppelin, do let us know!

The ceremony will be at 5.30 for 6.00 pm formalities on Tuesday 11 December 2012 at Osbourne House, Swinburne Street, North Geelong. Whether you're a FoG fan or would like to learn more about the Festival, we'd love to see you there.