top

January 2016  

Welcome New Members! 
Welcome to all the ISGB members who joined in December:

Arizona
Renee Wiggins

Florida
Orin Rubin & Claudia Gercak 

Indiana 
Amy Kuczewski

Pennsylvania
Sandi Pierantozzi

Tennessee
Barbara Bush


The Melting Point
Sedona, Arizona
ph.928-554-4754

Akihiro Okama will be at The Melting Point on Sunday, January 31st from 11am to 5pm, demonstrating his glass techniques on the torch. This is a free event, so please make plans to join us in Sedona!

Upcoming classes include:
  • Astrid Riedel - February 18-21 and 25-28, 2016
  • Holly Cooper -
    March 17-21, 2016
  • Sara Sally LaGrand - April 20-24, 2016
Beginning beadmaking and glass blowing classes available.

Paid Advertisement


Rakow Research Library
 
A world of glass knowledge is at your fingertips. Check out the Rakow Research Library at Corning Museum of Glass! 

 



Board Meeting Minutes
Want to keep up with what's happening in ISGB? Board Minutes are available on the forum or you can request a copy from your Regional Director.

 



 


Bead Release Archives
news_tablet.jpg
Looking for a back issue of the Bead Release electronic newsletter? 

Click Here! 

 


 

Contact Us 

 

ISGB

Sarah Riggle, Administrator

 

85 East Gay Street

Suite 707

Columbus, OH 43215

614.222.2243

admin@isgb.org

::

Beads of Courage

 


Rashida Ferdinand 


When ceramist Rashida Ferdinand returned to New Orleans, following her evacuation after Katrina, she decided to do more community development work "that directly helps us improve the quality of life." Mandala, her public art piece, became a local rallying point in the Lower 9th Ward. Along with others, she helped establish a nearby neighborhood market which was the beginning of Sankofa* Community Development Corporation (CDC). The market was "a revitalization tool-to have an event in the area that celebrated the culture and resources that were provided for people to come back home."
 
With Rashida as its executive director, Sankofa CDC's programs "began to grow by seeing what the need is in the community. [We] responded to people's feedback and transitioned to a farmer's market, and connected [it] with children and schools ... and healthy foods." The market and gardening programs are building a "model for a healthy food hub and healthy neighborhood."
 
For Rashida, the work of Sankofa is another form of creative exploration: "Community engagement is listening and understanding and growing in an environment of different factors. The people, the neighborhood, the development. Those things are all connected to my identity as an artist."
 
_________
*Sankofa is a West African word that means "to go back to the past to build for the future."

by Jeri WarhaftigPresident

WHEW!! We have survived another holiday season!  No matter what your last six weeks entailed, the turning of the calendar from 2015 to 2016 is an opportunity for renewal, and a chance to set your sights on your goals for the coming year.
 
I have been a member of the ISGB Board for almost a year now (half the time as President - elect, half the time as President) and one of the things I love about the Board experience is the master plan for the entire coming year. As the Board and staff hammered out the 2016 budget, we made plans for shows, scholarships, educational experiences, fundraising events, the Gathering, Glass Bead Evolution, Bead Release and the administrative needs of the ISGB. It was unbelievably exciting and invigorating to be in on planning for what will unfold for our organization in 2016. Typical of me, I'm planning for the "known" since chaos will come along without a plan!
 
Several ISGB deadlines arrive in January. Most importantly, perhaps, I urge you to take a look at the Gathering Scholarships offered through the ISGB. Did you know that there is an International Scholarship that includes a travel stipend in addition to the conference registration and help with the hotel? U.S. members can apply for one of several scholarships that offer varying amounts of support.  Every member is eligible to apply for the Cathy Finegan scholarship, which includes conference registration, a class, five nights in the hotel, a bead bazaar table and more! The deadline for all scholarship applications is January 11, 2016, so there is still a little time to apply. The Gathering is an educational and enjoyable experience, why not try for a scholarship?
 
January 15, 2016 is the deadline for applications for the position of ISGB Chapter Facilitator. The ideal candidate for this position will have strong communication and organizational skills, experience in a successful chapter leadership role, and an interest in aiding the ISGB. If you have been active in your chapter, consider throwing your hat in the ring for this position! (January 15 is also the last day to renew your ISGB membership if you want to receive the Gathering booklet immediately upon its release.)
 
Submissions for the Hands of the Maker II exhibition are due by March 15, 2016. (Read the Call for Entries below) There is still plenty of time for you to conceive of collaborative jewelry or functional items that embody the Gathering theme of Breaking Traditions. This is an opportunity to include your work in a gallery show slated to appear in a premier New Orleans gallery.
 
I also want to remind you that four times a year the ISGB publishes a stellar magazine that is a labor of love for a large team of your fellow members. If you forget to download every issue, you are depriving yourself of a magazine that non-members PAY to download through our website. From artist profiles to tutorials to eye candy, Glass Bead Evolution is a real feast. It is a not-to-be-missed benefit of ISGB membership.
 
If you feel a little "out of the loop" on breaking ISGB news check to see that you are receiving our Constant Contact messages. Did you read the "sneak peek" about Gathering presenters and instructors? How about the great news that Linda Newnham was awarded the Bead and Button Scholarship and will be attending the show this spring? If you aren't reading this news, perhaps you have overlooked messages from the ISGB. If you need help with email settings, drop me a line and I will point you toward someone who can help you receive all of our Constant Contact messages (of course then YOU have to remember to read them!). Another great place for information is the ISGB Facebook page where we post organization news and items of interest to our members.
 
I am excited about 2016 and I hope you are too. I wish for us all a year of health, contentment, creativity and inspiration. I hope you will all try to avail yourself of the opportunities the ISGB offers to connect with one another and to forge meaningful relationships through our shared passions for glass art. Happy New Year!
 
top 

The Artist's Role in Recovery
New Orleans 10 Years after Hurricane Katrina
reprinted courtesy of CERF+, the artists' safety net.

When Hurricane Katrina brought the full force of its devastation to New Orleans ten years ago, the city struggled to regain a foothold after the failure of multiple levees, widespread flooding, massive power outages, and great loss of life and property. As the floodwaters receded, artists began returning and a small bright spot emerged. Artists started to rebuild, leading their city to a more hopeful place and, eventually, one with flourishing neighborhoods anchored by artist co-ops, art markets and galleries, and punctuated with public art projects and robust social activism.
 
Mary Len Costa was Director of Public Arts at the Arts Council of New Orleans at the time. In 2007 she became Interim President and CEO and remained in that position until 2013 when she retired. She is also an accomplished ceramic artist and weaver. Mary Len spoke with CERF+ about Katrina and the role of artists in the city's recovery.
 

CERF+: You had damage to your home and were able to evacuate to Alabama. When you came back to New Orleans, how did you reach out to others? Was the arts council still in business?
 
Mary Len Costa: I often kept my email list of the 600 artists in the Visual Artists Registry from the arts council with me. I always had it printed out. Even from Alabama-I almost immediately [tried] to contact all those folks. People would say, 'I'm in Texas or I'm in Arkansas. I haven't heard about my house. Or, yes, I know everything is gone. I don't have a studio...' Having that list was a lifesaver ... because I could communicate.

About six weeks later we were allowed to come back [to their home in New Orleans] during the daytime ... we found ice and we were cooking for friends who didn't have a way to cook. Once I secured my house to whatever degree I could, my daughter and our friend, we'd get in the car and go to neighborhoods where I knew artists were. Or go try to see what condition the public art was in. I'd carry my red book with me and get people's information. I'd get an email address and people would say 'Oh, I just heard from so-and-so and this is their new cell number.' I'd sometimes stand in the grocery store for an hour writing, talking. I didn't have access to the Internet at that point. It was just hit or miss. We [arts council staff ] were all laid off for six months. Of the 18 arts council employees, six totally lost their houses. When we finally were able to come back in January, it was [just four people]. We were able to save the Visual Artists Registry and everyone's slides. Once we reopened, we offered to put slides on disk for those artists who'd lost everything. And the archive of the city's One Percent for Art public art program. Those two things were very instrumental. Visual artists who'd come back to rebuild their studios and find out if they even had one slide left-anything as witness to the fact that they were ever an artist....one piece of art that they may have done ten years ago [for] the One Percent for Art program may have been the only thing that was witness to [their artistic career.]
 
CERF+: So you set about trying to find all that public art. You were tracking down anyone who might help you gain access to a building.
 
Mary Len: As Director of Public Art my main responsibility was to work with all these agencies with city bond money to put public art in public buildings. City employees were put up in a hotel ballroom... a mass of people sitting on the floor with their computers in front of them. I found the librarian, I found the people from Parks and Parkways that oversaw the grounds where there was public art. I found people from New Orleans Recreation Dept. We had a lot of things in those centers ... telling them, 'Well, I'm just gonna go in. If there's a broken window, I'm crawling in and pulling out that artwork.'
 
CERF+: How did you go about rescuing the public art?
 
Mary Len: I found one of their custodians-Mr. Goodwill. I loved his name because that's exactly who he was. And he and I would call each other and I'd ask him, 'Well, Mr. Goodwill, are you going into Gert Town [a neighborhood in New Orleans' 16th ward] today?' And he'd say, 'Well, I'll meet you there.' He sometimes wouldn't let me go in the buildings, but he'd ask, 'Tell me what the artwork looks like.' And I'd draw a picture of it on the concrete or on the back of whatever I could find. He would go in and bring the artwork out. I'd take a photograph of it and he'd say, 'Well, we have one place where we could take it.' So either he would take it or I would take it. It was either in my parlor in the hallway or he'd store it. The library was the same way. I was able to get 41 [of 42 pieces] without damage.

Before
 
After

















 



Martin Luther King Branch of the New Orleans Public Library, Caffin Street, 9th Ward

CERF+: When I was in New Orleans a few months ago, it was obvious to me just how important the arts were to the city's recovery. Could you give some examples of what artists and arts organization did?
 
Mary Len: One example that's really visible is the artists who came back and created co-ops. Artists started opening up art galleries on St. Claude Avenue going towards the 9th ward. Artist Christopher Saucedo worked with the University of New Orleans (UNO) where he taught and helped establish the UNO St. Claude Gallery. Morgana King, currently the Director of Public Art for the Arts Council of New Orleans, opened The Front, an artist-run collective gallery in the St. Claude Arts District. Artists started Good Children [gallery.] That whole St. Claude's art district into Marigny/Bywater has revitalized that area not only as a commercial strip but as a residential one. Artists moved back into that area to be close to each other. Visual artists came in here and were determined to show that there was something visually beautiful in New Orleans. 

Mandala, a public sculpture by Rashida Ferdinand (see left sidebar) Photo credit: Lindsay Glatz

The Joan Mitchell Foundation's Art in Public Places program gave artists $25,000 to rebuild their studios and to make public art in these neighborhoods. Having faith in that neighborhood and putting art back in that neighborhood really spurred redevelopment on. Rashida Ferdinand's piece, Mandala, was one of the Art in Public Places pieces.
 
CERF+: Rashida's piece was such a source of optimism. It seemed like a rallying point. 

Mary Len
: Yes, because just a block away was the library and school. Two pivotal places that were totally wiped out, the center of the neighborhood. I was here when, literally, I was the only person on the street other than the National Guard at that intersection. I walked into the library and saw it was not going to come back for a long, long time. There were fish on the roof. The lines of water that the library [had] sat in were well over my head. I had to crawl through a window and walk through pitch black and could hear things inside. I didn't know if they were two-legged or four-legged. For Rashida to come in and, not even a block away, to put her piece with the mirrors reflecting back at the people - this is who we are. This is where we're going. That really was a true sign of hope in a neighborhood that had everything taken away from it. Artists have that sensitivity, that sixth sense, to recognize joy as well as other feelings and to translate that into another language.
Evacuspots (14' x 4' x 6") stainless steel sculptures serve as icons to designate gathering points in 17 locations for transportation out of the city in the event of mandatory evacuation. The sculptures, created by artist Douglas Kornfeld, were commissioned by the New Orleans Arts Council and Evacuteer.org. People have "adopted" them, decorating the Evacuspots during Mardi Gras and holidays. The city is looking into lighting options for greater visibility at night.
Photo credit: James Shaw
top 

Call for Entries: Hands of the Maker II: Collaboration

Kathryn Guler at the torch

During the 2015 Gathering in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the ISGB unveiled Hands of the Maker I: Wearable Treasures, a juried exhibition of international artists that revealed an impressive range of finished pieces, each resulting from a single pair of hands.   
 
In preparation for the 2016 Gathering in New Orleans, Louisiana, the ISGB is announcing a Call for Entries for the next installment in the Hands series, Hands of the Maker II: Collaboration. In this exhibition, the artistic focus will be on the exploration of the cooperative hands that contribute to a successful collaboration.
 
Because qualifying entries will entail collaboration between artists, this call is being announced well in advance of the Gathering booklet. Hands II will be launched at the Rhino Gallery in New Orleans and will be on display during the Gathering. Additional venues for the exhibition will be identified in late spring, 2016. 
  
As artists, we each struggle to create a finished piece that expresses our vision and that in some way, subtle or bold, bears our signature. As we remarked in the description of the first Hands show, makers truly leave a piece of themselves in everything they create.
 
In this ISGB juried exhibition, as in last year's, our focus is on the artists' hands and their breathtaking capabilities. The hands are everything. They help bring a story to life, capture a moment in time, evoke the spirit of our creative process. Hands perform mundane tasks like tying shoes, they complete gestures, and they speak through our handwriting. As we age, our hands begin to tell the story of our life's work and our creative calling, and like our work, they change over the course of time.
 
Collaboration is the act of working with someone else to produce or create something. At the furnace, glass artists collaborate seamlessly to produce a single finished piece. But many other glass collaborations are at a physical distance and not close in time. Still, in a successful collaboration the hands of each maker contribute to a final item that is a whole greater than the sum of its parts. If it is true that makers leave their mark, a successful collaboration shows the mark of a team, the ultimate maker's mark achieved only through the synergy of disparate efforts and not easily identifiable as a signature of either participant.
 
For this exhibit, you are invited to submit finished wearable or functional pieces that are collaborative and that speak with a new voice created from the voices of two or more makers. You are encouraged to keep in mind the theme of the 2016 Gathering which is "Breaking Tradition".
 
The early Call for Entries is designed to provide adequate time for work to travel from artist to artist as necessary. All participants must find their own collaborators and make their own collaborative arrangements. All participants must be ISGB members by the date of submission. Glass in any form may be used with complementary mediums, diverse materials, and/or variations in technique.
 
A fee of $25 is due with each submission. An additional fee of $25 is due from the collaborative teams selected for the exhibition. Complete the application and pay the submission fee online at www.isgb.org
 
Specifications
  • Submit two to six color images of the collaborative pieces. Include two black and white images of each collaborator's hands during the creative process, showing the execution of their unique aspect of the finished piece. Include a single, brief description (paragraph form, 200 words or less) comparing and contrasting each artist's contribution to the finished collaborative work.
  • Images should be high resolution (300 dpi or 1600 pixels), uncropped, unadjusted and in jpeg format. All images must have sharp focus, proper exposure, and a neutral backdrop (graduated, gray, white or black smooth). Not accepted: Images with textured backgrounds, watermarks, text, copyright notice, edited frames, edited backgrounds, or other Photoshop effects.
  • Up to six pieces may be submitted if you are accepted into the exhibition. At least 50 percent of the pieces must be for sale. An inventory list with all artist's contact information and retail price(s) must be included with the pieces when they are submitted. No exceptions will be made and pieces will not be displayed if the inventory and price sheet is not included with the shipment.
  • If selected for the exhibition, all pieces, and additional photography required, inventory and retail price lists, and artist information must be received by May 20, 2016. Shipping instructions will be sent out with notification of acceptance.
  • Artists selected for the exhibit will receive a percentage of the retail price of the sold items. Payments and any unsold pieces will be returned via insured mail.
 
Timeline
 
March 15, 2016 - $25 fee due with submission. Send color images of the collaborative pieces, black & white images of all artist hands, and a brief description comparing and contrasting each artist's contribution to the finished collaborative work. Images of the work will go through a jury process. If accepted for the exhibition, notifications regarding any photography that needs to be retaken will be sent. 
 
April 22, 2016 - Exhibition selections and Jury comments and scores sent out on all submissions.
 
April 30, 2016 - $25 acceptance fee due. ISGB strives to keep our commitment to maximize exposure for our member artists. Due to a rise in shipping fees and our desire to not sacrifice exhibition travel, we are forced to offset these costs with an additional acceptance fee. We think you will find that the value received by participating in ISGB exhibitions is worth this fee.     
 
May 20, 2016 - Finished pieces, a full retail price list, and all artist contact information due.



Hot Tips
Sage Bray
Editor/Publisher
The Polymer Arts

Helpful Hints on Packing Materials
    
As 2016 begins, so does a new season of shipping work for upcoming shows, online sales, and events. Coming out of the holidays, we've all gathered materials that can be repurposed and recycled. Here are a few ways to make great use of these items.
  
For that bulky bubble wrap, messy packing peanuts, and those poofy air pouches, gather them by type into garbage bags, label them with masking tape and hang them from the rafters of the garage, stuff them under the bed, or store them in the back of the garden shed so all this free material is at hand when you need it, without taking up a lot of precious living and work space.  
  
Those long sheets of paper stuffing (often seen in Amazon shipments) may seem useless but if you flatten it out, it is a fantastic surface protector for those messier projects and you can sketch on it or make notes as you work. They are usually perforated every 8-10 inches so you can easily separate them and make an inexpensive sketchbook. Once flattened, these sheets take up very little room.
  
Don't use shipping tape to wrap bubble wrap or other materials around your items. It will destroy the packing material as you or the customer tries to remove it so it can't be recycled or reused if, for instance, the customer needs to return something to you. Use masking tape instead or simply roll and tuck it neatly and let the box hold it together.
  
Those poofy pouches are a source of free small bags. Separate them from each other, snip off the top and pack collections of beads and findings waiting to be strung. Use a piece of masking tape over the top and punch a hole in it so you can hang them on pegs until ready for use. If you get the ones without any printing on them, they are even appropriate for packing beads and supplies, using a nicely printed sticker to close them and further impress your customers with your name and brand.
  
Keep an eye out for the cornstarch packing peanuts. Those can be used as a base to wrap polymer around and create hollow beads. Just leave open holes opposite each other in the clay and then soak in water after curing. The water will disintegrate the cornstarch and you can blow out the residue or pick it out with a needle tool.  

top
 

Industry News & Opportunities
by Kendra Bruno, Executive Director

American Craft Council Timeless resolutions shared by an anonymous craftsman in Craft Horizons (the predecessor to American Craft) from the last issue of 1947.
 
Bead Dreams A juried competition of exceptional bead artistry from around the world. The outstanding piece among category winners receives a Best in Show trophy and a $1,000 gift certificate from Fire Mountain Gems and Beads. 
  
Bead&Button Show The largest consumer bead show in the world offering a myriad of educational opportunities. 2016 registration is now open.
 
Corning Museum of Glass May 2016 marks the 20th anniversary of the opening of The Studio of The Corning Museum of Glass.
 
Glass Craft & Bead Expo Annual event in Las Vegas featuring specialty classes in hot, warm and cold glass as well as a show floor offering the latest glass, kilns, tools and specialty items.
 
ISGB - Gathering 2016 Commemorative Bead Artist Misty Shwiyyat's piece is a wonderful representation of the theme for the New Orleans conference.
 
ISGB - Gathering 2016 Scholarships Each year ISGB offers a number of scholarships to members who seek artistic excellence and the education needed to further explore their passion for glass, beadmaking, and the creative arts.
 
ISGB - Sneak Peek at Gathering 2016 The focus for Gathering XXIV is Breaking Tradition which echoes the revision of our mission statement and supports extended creative community outreach.
 
Mendocino Arts Center Artist in Residence Program A program that facilitates educational and individual artistic growth.

Museum of Glass Joey Kirkpatrick and Flora C. Mace have a career that spans thirty-six years. This survey exhibition will highlight their prolific bodies of work.
 
Paper Life Paper art creations of the American artist Rogan Brown who designs then cuts by hand or laser thousands of paper microorganisms. 
 
Pittsburgh Glass Center Therman Statom, sculptor, glass artist, and painter is known as a pioneer of the contemporary glass movement for his life-size glass ladders, chairs, tables, constructed box-like paintings, and small scale houses. 
 
Revere Academy An opportunity for those who have never attended the Revere Academy to take a free class. Open to all, the winner receives a scholarship for travel, lodging, tuition and fees for a 3-day class during the Open Session.
 
The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which includes its main building and The Cloisters museum and gardens dates back to 1866.
 
The Society of Arts and Crafts An exhibition and sale of studio jewelry. From Minimal to Bling, now in its fifth year, presents the various trends, materials, and processes in contemporary jewelry.
 
Toolbox Initiative A volunteer effort created by jewelers Matthieu Cheminée and Tim McCreight to assist jewelers with limited resources through the collective strength of the arts community and to create new connections worldwide.

Tucson Gem - Jewelry Show Schedule For two weeks every year, Tucson becomes the number one playground for the worlds of international jewelry, gems, and minerals.   
 
with moves like MacGyver Exhibition Juried show that will examine the creative process which a maker will go through to complete a piece. 

AmazonSmile benefits ISGB and as an Amazon customer, you can select our organization. Support ISGB while you shop! 

top 


 Like us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter
The ISGB is the leading organization for the promotion, education, and appreciation of the art of glass beadmaking for wearable, sculptural, and functional art. 

Our mission is to preserve the rich and diverse traditions of the art of glass beadmaking and glassworking techniques; promote educational initiatives and professional development; and encourage innovative use of complementary mediums among artists and craftspeople. 

We invite you to join us on our journey through collaborative creativity in the worlds of glass and complementary mediums.