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December 2011/January 2012 Newsletter
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Letter from the President
Greetings!
Looking back over 2011 brings me incredible joy! What we have all done with the AGASC this year renews my faith in the ability of artists to come together and sacrifice ego for the greater good. I thank each and every one of you. "The learning and knowledge that we have, is, at the most, but little compared with that of which we are ignorant." Plato Those of you that know me well, know just how passionate I am about my never-ending quest for knowledge, technique, and skill. This Fall I had the most incredible experiences at two diverse workshops in wildly different studios.  The first, Graal technique taught by the indefatigable John Brekke www.johnbrekke.com at Brooklyn Glass, was the answer to so many of my dreams. Translating my imagery with this turn-of the-20th century  Swedish technique, opened my eyes and helped me bring my "A" game to new heights. John is an awe-inspiring, unselfish, altruistic artist/teacher who never fails to bring out the best in everyone. I cannot wait to work with him again! I also encourage you to support Brooklyn Glass www.brooklynglass.com and to keep them on your radar when looking for classes or visiting New York. Secondly, I returned to Oaxaca for a third year for Dia de los Muertos and a second stint at Studio Xaquixe in Magdalena de Etla, Oaxaca. www.xaquixe.com True innovators and world leaders in environmental responsibility, Xaquixe has perfected a recipe of 95% recycled glass and only 5% raw materials. This amazing eco-conscious studio, owned by Christian Thornton and Salime Harp Cruces, employs indigenous people and generously shares design models and technology with local ceramic studios, craft workshops, and artisanal cinder block and brick producers, in concert with their commitment to reduced emissions in Latin America. And what can I say about immersing myself in the art, food, culture and joy of Oaxaca? My deeply embedded Celtic ancestry, imbued with my love of Mexican folk art, and the compatible religious iconography of both, are recurrent themes in my work. I owe much to Jamex and Einar de la Torre for bringing this aesthetic to the world of glass. www.delatorrebros.com Their Mixed-Media course this year took us from the hot shop to the workshop for two full weeks of relentless fun! Being able to witness TRUE collaboration left me speechless (I know...me? speechless?). I have seen (and helped) them work numerous times in the hot shop, so I was well aware of how THAT dance is done. What surprised and delighted me was witnessing the process that takes place during cold assembly. No one loves controlled chaos more than me, so I was in heaven. Summer 2012 they will teach at both Pilchuck and Penland. Do yourself a favor... Needless to say, I encourage each and every one of you to get out there and take a class! You can NEVER know it all. Su amiga en vidrio, Kathleen Mitchell President, AGASC |
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"Another Fabulous Patio Sale"
Twice a year AGASC members have a huge sale
in Balboa Park with the largest selection of glass
for sale in Southern California!
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Lyn Feudner sells her artwork
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Patty Yockey with some of her vases
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All types of Beautiful glass for sale!
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Link to our patio sale album
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SPONSORS
 PACIFIC ART GLASS
Art Glass, Supplies
and Classes
125 West 157th Street
Gardena, CA 90248
phone (800) 354-5277
or (310) 516-7828
 BULLSEYE GLASS FACTORY & RESOURCE CENTER 3610 SE 21st Ave Portland OR 97202 (503) 232-8887 RESOURCE CENTER SANTA FE 805 Early Street, Bldg E Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 467-8951 
UROBOROS GLASS 2139 N. Kerby Ave. Portland, OR 97227 USA Phone 503-284-4900 FAX 503-284-7584 
TOYO SUPERCUTTER A new generation of self-oiling professional glass cutters 
HOLLANDER
FUSING CENTER
5455 Guhn Road
Houston TX 77040 phone 713-460-0045 fax 713-462-3646 Pat's 1502 Glassworks Stain Glass & Repair www.1502glassworks.com 2176 Chatsworth Blvd San Diego, Ca 92107 619-223-1895 or 619-224-4622 
redhotmetal.net 530-342-1970 email - info@redhotmetal.net |
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Blair
"30 ROCKS!" Celebrating the Best of AGASC!  | |
Our 30th anniversary cake!
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The Art Glass Association of Southern California celebrated thirty years as a non-profit devoted to educating the public about the glass arts with a fabulous exhibit of members work. The show was titled "30 Rocks!! Celebrating the Best of AGASC!" And rock it did! Thirty five members of the organization brought over one hundred art glass pieces to the show. Fusing and kiln work dominated. When the organization began in 1981, stained and leaded glass was the dominant art form with only a few entries in fused or blown glass. Today it is just the opposite. Boyce Lundstrom, the Godfather of Glass Fusing was one of the participating members this year with his new process of Raku Glass. Boyce brought fusing to the Southern California community of San Diego in 1980, opening a fusing studio here as a research and development hub and teaching center. Members of this hundred plus association surely were influenced at an early stage in the development of glass fusing. . It was during this time that Marti Blair and Ingrid Coffin paved the way for the 501c3 that became AGASC.  
When Blair stepped in this year as Show Chair, she took it on as a labor of love. Along with Co-Chair Jon Simpson, they and the new board members pulled off a winner of a show. Other Founding Members were on hand to pick up awards and give evidence to the fact we've come a long way, baby: Former Presidents Leslie Perlis for Best Cold Category with "Swing!", and Heather Trimlett's Best Lampwork with "Interlocking Cones" for their outrageous and gorgeous work. Boyce Lundstrom took the prize from CBS Dichroic for his "Raku Dichro" platter and Ms. Blair with the award for Best Mixed Media, a romantic raku glass wall piece "Redheads and Roses". Nancy Becker now of Bend, OR, won Best Blown Glass for a beautiful piece: "Fuschia", part of her "Dance of the Faeries" series and Louise Colson in Idaho sent one of her provocative "Zipper Bowls" series "Purple Zipper Bowl with Rainbow Reveal".   AGASC welcomes entries from all members at all levels and typically has a judged show. Judging the work this year was an esteemed panel: Rob Sidner, Director of Mingei Museum; Wendy Maruyama, Professor Emeritus in Furniture Design at San Diego State University, and Betsy Lane, art consultant extraordinaire of Betsy Lane Art and Del Mar Sculpture Garden. Together they shook up the show with a few surprise changes in categories and a tip of the hand to an upcoming artist John Gibbons for his "Binary Code", a sculpture of kiln-formed glass and steel. Rick Knight was promoted to Masters Category for his "Martini" dish of fused glass powders, ala Leatherbarrow. Best of Show went to a relatively new glass artist,
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Bill Matulich, Susan Hirsch, Ilanit Shalev
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Susan Hirsch. AGASC is proud to have her on their board as Vice President. Other board members took 2nd Best of Show: Ilanit Shalev with her cool cold worked piece: Relationships #1, and Bill Matulich with a dynamic fused, cut and cold-worked piece "Blue Rondo".
AGASC President Kathleen Mitchell, a popular glass blowing instructor at UCSD Crafts Center in La Jolla, brought some very provocative pieces, including "Seven", a mixed media piece with gorgeous furniture design as a pedestal for the 7 Deadly Sins; blown glass figures representing the familiar cast of characters: Greed, Lust, Gluttony, etc., a thoughtful piece with lots of humor, and her De La Torre influenced "Tonsorial Dilemma". Her studies with the De La Torre brothers continued as she headed to Oaxaca just after the show for a 2 week workshop with the well-known brothers.
Rob Morey, Education Chair sponsored a casting workshop this year as part of the Million Bones Project, with artists in all mediums making art to bring attention to the genocide in Sudan, the Congo, and Burma. The cast glass skulls from the workshop were in the show and will be part of an exhibit on the Mall in Washington DC in 2013. Other workshops are humming along, including a spontaneous workshop on Raku Glass by new member Sandy Levin. Sandy won prizes in Emerging Artist Categories and charmed visitors with her "Madam Chairperson" mixed media piece, aka "Sit on My Face!"
Show sponsors Uroboros Glass and CBS Dichroic, and patron members keep the lights on and connect us to the greater network of glass artists that enhance our shared mission of education in the glass arts. Working with a shared mission, people become more engaged and have more fun improving their work. Many more sponsors donated prizes to the show winners. Thanks to our Patron Members: Pacific Art Glass, Uroboros Glass, Bullseye Glass, Toyo Supercutters, Hollander Fusing Center, Pat's 1502 Glassworks, and Red Hot Metal for supporting the shared mission! The Association invites you to visit their website at www.agasc.org for a further look into our ongoing activities and sponsored workshops.
Many thanks to our photographer this year... Graham Blair!!! After taking so many great pictures at the artists reception he put together this wonderful video for us to enjoy.
"30 Rocks" Artist Reception VIDEO!! and view pictures at More 30 AGASC reception pictures
Link to see the entire list of AWARDS on the AGASC annual show page
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Our November event at UCSD Craft Center...
"Make your own Ornament" was a huge success!
by Susan Hirsch
 | | Kathleen helps Connie shape her ornament |
We all want to thank Kathleen Mitchell and Patti Yockey for donating their time, teaching and guiding us in blowing our own ornaments in the hot shop at UCSD craft center. About 20 members attended the workshop and this was the first experience for many of use who do other forms of glass. Kathleen and Patti both teach hot glass at UCSD and made it possible for us to use this wonderful facility just for members of the AGASC. They had three very helpful students assist them. Now we really appreciate those wonderful blown glass ornaments we see at craft centers and retail shops! Watching Patty and Kathleen making it look easy with their expertise quickly became a humbling experience when I gave it a try! Turn, turn, turn or it falls into a blob! Each person was cheered on by the group as the ornament was completed! I passed out some colorful dichroich sticks generously provided by "Dicro Magic" that I had won at the Annual Show. These added a little extra pop to many of the ornaments.
Link to all of the great pics from this fun event!
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Heating up in the glory hole
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Patty demonstrates
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Yahoo Raku ...Workshop with Sandy Levin
The Yahoo Raku Workshop held on October 20, 2011 at Sandy Levin's studio was a smashing success. No glass was broken, but the tiny hole in the cement floor will always be remembered fondly. And the attendees will always remember it as the workshop where Sandy kept saying "Oh, and one more thing!" Seven inquiring artistic minds came by to discuss, questio
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Carol's quilt
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n, and play with copper, aluminum, brass and reactive dry enamels developed by Boyce Lundstrom.
This was a two-part workshop. Part one gave everyone the opportunity to have fun assembling their sandwiches of glass and talking shop. Then they took home their pieces and fired them in their own kilns with Boyce's "Raku Glass" book and firing schedules in hand. On November 6, we all got back together for a vegetarian potluck show and tell. You can't have an AGASC event without food! It was fun and informative to see the finished piecesthat included surprises and masterpieces. In fact, it was so
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Rick and Carol experimenting with materials
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much fun, no one remembered to take pictures
(maybe it was the wine). Anyway, I did manage to collect a few pictures. They tell the story. Check them out. Yahoo Raku Workshop 102011
For more information about Boyce Lundstrom's books and reactive dry enamels, go to BoyceLundstrom.com
Link to more workshop pictures
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LJ creating her landscape.
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Dyson DAMS on Sale! (While they last)
Ditore Glass Works has a limited supply of glass dams and we are putting them on sale for the holiday!! Stock up now on these great dams as when they are gone, they are totally gone.
Size available is as follows: 1 ½" x 2" x 48" extruded dams.
Original price of $40 now reduced to help in this poor economy to $32.
dick@dickditore.com
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End the rumor! Alpine Glass is Alive and Well...
Contrary to rumors being passed around, Alpine glass is doing well and plans to stay in business for a long time. Wishing you all a Happy Holiday season . Please come by and visit us for new ideas and beautiful glass and glass products.
Respectfully, The staff at Alpine Stained Glass
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS DECEMBER 10 AGASC Holiday Party at Ilanit Shalev's Home 6:00 pm. JANUARY 15 General Meeting at Chabad Hebrew Academy in Scripps Ranch. 2:00 pm. 10785 Pomerado Road San Diego, CA 92131 DIRECTIONS To submit events that may be of interest to our members contact
our AGA Newsletter Editor Carol Korfin Share your experiences at a workshop, show or event with all of us at AGASC!
This is your newsletter... We would love to hear from you! Deadline for Articles and Events for Feb/March Issue is Jan. 15 |
Carol Korfin Newletter Editor Art Glass Association of Southern California
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