2013 -Glass Boston

[Jacqueline Knight]

Wow! Absolutely astounding. The board of the Glass Art Society has canceled the GAS conference this year slated for Boston.


Here's the email I just received:

The Glass Art Society (GAS) has held a continuous succession of conferences since its inauguration in 1971. In 2012, we celebrated glass and its history in an extremely successful event in Toledo. Today, after careful consideration and with deep regret, the Board of the Glass Art Society has decided unanimously to cancel the 2013 conference in Boston.

The Board and staff of GAS are committed to developing an excellent conference for our membership and we recognize that our members would accept nothing less. We understand the importance of your investment in the Glass Art Society each year as you travel to attend the conference and want to ensure that you have the best experience possible. Unfortunately, after nearly two years of planning and working hard alongside the Boston co-chairs, we were unable to secure suitable venues and indispensable funding necessary for the conference’s success this June. This decision is due largely to the internal complexity of the interdependent partnering agencies and the unpredictable time factor in which each independent decision had to be deliberated within each partnering entity. Essentially, the process and unforeseen problems exceeded the timeframe required to launch and secure a fiscally responsible and logistically and professional successful conference.

This year, GAS will be providing numerous opportunities aside from a traditional annual conference. We have been working hard on new programs and strongly encourage you to keep watch for announcements of exciting events during the upcoming year. Members can look forward to webinars, regional events, tours and an improved web site with new functionalities, offering you a place to increase your knowledge and understanding of the developing field of creative work expressed in the medium of glass. Meanwhile, a strong and redesigned conference is in preparation for 2014, which will retain popular components but will also allow us to plan programs that reflect the expanded field. We will announce the GAS Conference location and dates in February. Also, ongoing investigations into securing an international conference venue continue.

There is much to look forward to in the coming year and we thank you for your continued support. The Glass Art Society is the largest and oldest organization for glass of its kind and the Board is always making their decisions with the organization and its members’ best interest at heart.

Sincerely,



Jutta-Annette Page, Ph.D.
Board President

[Joe Pfeifer]

Is the Color Melting Class still a go?

[Robert Mickelsen]

GAS had an agreement with Mass Art to host many of the events and provide housing. Then Mass Art had a change in management and the new honchos inexplicably refused to honor the previous commitment. There were months of haggling to no avail. With no venues and no monetary support to fall back on, the conference got canned. That is the short story.

[Greg Vriethoff]

Well, I guess that's one thing I can scratch off my list of "how the hell am I gonna pay for s**t this year?"

[Mark Rosenbaum]

Originally Posted by Robert Mickelsen

GAS had an agreement with Mass Art to host many of the events and provide housing. Then Mass Art had a change in management and the new honchos inexplicably refused to honor the previous commitment. There were months of haggling to no avail. With no venues and no monetary support to fall back on, the conference got canned. That is the short story.

thanks for the explanation Robert. There are so many variables that have to fall into place to put on a conference and for them to pull out at such a late date is a shame....

[Pete VanderLaan]

The color classes will still go on. I expect that Mark and Henry won't show up which is sad to me. Probably Croucher won't even show up from New Zealand.

If there were contracts in place, I would sue MassArt for breach. If theree weren't contracts in place, then GAS really ****ed up

[Pete VanderLaan]

Originally Posted by Jacqueline Knight

This decision is due largely to the internal complexity of the interdependent partnering agencies and the unpredictable time factor in which each independent decision had to be deliberated within each partnering entity.

Sincerely,



Jutta-Annette Page, Ph.D.
Board President

*************************
For me, this little quote in a nutshell , is a major reason for the conference failing. Anyone who writes like this is not going to be capable of organizing anything. Clarity is always nice.

Expecting Boston to come up with 100K in this economy is not going to happen and the email doesn't mention those funds. the language in the explanation is just god awful.

[Tom Fuhrman]

we never seemed to have these problems when Alice ran things. Once again, the younger generations may have the language and titles .but not the skills to get the job done. congress is another good example of this same thing.

[Rob Williams]

Originally Posted by Pete VanderLaan

*************************
For me, this little quote in a nutshell , is a major reason for the conference failing. Anyone who writes like this is not going to be capable of organizing anything. Clarity is always nice.

Expecting Boston to come up with 100K in this economy is not going to happen and the email doesn't mention those funds. the language in the explanation is just god awful.

I read that too and thought "uh, wut?" Then I saw the Ph.D and though "oh, right, that makes perfect sense."

[Pete VanderLaan]

masturbating with words

[Robert Mickelsen]

The "Lifeforms" event is going to go ahead too. We are working on a solution to the loss of the conference venue for the initial exhibition. I will post in in my "sticky" thread as soon as a decision has been made.

[Virginia Slawson]

Originally Posted by Pete VanderLaan

...
If there were contracts in place, I would sue MassArt for breach. If theree weren't contracts in place, then GAS really ****ed up

That was my first thought. There had to be contracts in place, right? ... oh wait...

Where's Sandy? There have been two 'local organizing meetings' in the last three or so months. I didn't get to them, but Sandy made at least one I believe. The feedback I've getting about those two meetings is "a lot of disorganization and frustration..."

I'm also hearing that the board wanted to place CMOG on the grass at the museum, and when that was refused, the board pulled up. I imagine that was after the little incident of 100K and MassArt reneging.

Last night when the email hit, Jesse Rasid/NOCA Glass School in Cambridge started rallying folks to pull off a renegade conference during the same time period as GAS was scheduled. He's looking for a show of hands. I think those of us in the Boston area, and beyond, could pull off a damn fine event, so I'm in, and looking forward to it.

Robin, what about the LifeForms Exhibit? Still on, I hope---? [ETA: Just read your post--good!)]

GAS' sudden decision to cancel is sure to sorely impact all those who have booked non-refundable tickets... Wow. just wow.

[Pete VanderLaan]

Hey, a lot of those tickets are from Europe..

I was never contacted by GAS to do anything regarding the conference and probably had my hands full anyways. I have not been on good terms with GAS for years. I would however be willing to try to be open here during the conference days Virgina. It's between my two classes. So, I would try to help.

When Tom Philabaum and Co did the first Tucson in 1997, there were meetings once a week for the last year. Incredible conference.

First Tucson, then Boston. There is so far no venue for 2014. Isn't the conference the one thing the organization is supposed to work on? This has got to put the organization in serious financial condition. If the disaster fund isn't gone already, it will be. GAS may have finally outlived it's mission.

[Pete VanderLaan]

Originally Posted by Robert Mickelsen

The "Lifeforms" event is going to go ahead too. We are working on a solution to the loss of the conference venue for the initial exhibition. I will post in in my "sticky" thread as soon as a decision has been made.

*******
Good luck Robbin!

[Robert Mickelsen]

I just want to say that my explanation above may be doing more harm than good. Conferences are incredibly complex events and to say that this is entirely the fault of Mass Art grossly oversimplifies the situation. The demise of the conference is much more of a "death of a thousand cuts" type situation with Mass Art being only a part of that. The real bottom line is money. The funding just was not there to allow GAS to adjust to the constantly changing dynamic. It is a really sad thing and I hope that the organization can survive it. I ask everyone to withhold judgment until the entire story is out.

[Virginia Slawson]

Originally Posted by Pete VanderLaan

...

I was never contacted by GAS to do anything regarding the conference and probably had my hands full anyways. I have not been on good terms with GAS for years. I would however be willing to try to be open here during the conference days Virgina. It's between my two classes. So, I would try to help.

When Tom Philabaum and Co did the first Tucson in 1997, there were meetings once a week for the last year. Incredible conference.

First Tucson, then Boston. There is so far no venue for 2014. Isn't the conference the one thing the organization is supposed to work on? This has got to put the organization in serious financial condition. If the disaster fund isn't gone already, it will be. GAS may have finally outlived it's mission.

That's great, Pete, thanks! Yes, I know you will be super busy with the two color classes, but let's keep thinking on this.

Tucson, oh yes! (so sorry I missed that one). I was wondering (but not surprised, I guess) why the planning meetings for Boston were so few, and this late, in the months before the conference. I had only heard peripherally, but not directly, about the meetings.

The venue for 2014 is only vaguely promised as "International." Doesn't an international venue take even more time to figure out? Okayyyy.

~v

[Dave Bross]

If there's a bootleg conference I might just travel north for it...much as I hate leaving FL anymore.

I love the concept of doing it anyway...in spite of whatever happened.

Ghetto glass at its finest...making it happen in spite of the odds.

I remember some of the most fun in Seattle was to be had in the tiny home shops like Charles Friedman's. Whole Salmons on the grill...female French glass artists chasing Franklin around (he didn't succumb, yeah, I know, enquiring minds...).

Way better than most of the bloviating downtown, with the exception of the tech and history seminars.

Will "The Truckdrivers of the Art World" spirit prevail?

[Pringle Teetor]

I'd vote for New Orleans again - Seattle was awesome though and most fun had outside of the conference like Dave said......must not have met you at Charles's house.

[Mark Rosenbaum]

Originally Posted by Pete VanderLaan

Hey, a lot of those tickets are from Europe..

I was never contacted by GAS to do anything regarding the conference and probably had my hands full anyways. I have not been on good terms with GAS for years. I would however be willing to try to be open here during the conference days Virgina. It's between my two classes. So, I would try to help.

When Tom Philabaum and Co did the first Tucson in 1997, there were meetings once a week for the last year. Incredible conference.

First Tucson, then Boston. There is so far no venue for 2014. Isn't the conference the one thing the organization is supposed to work on? This has got to put the organization in serious financial condition. If the disaster fund isn't gone already, it will be. GAS may have finally outlived it's mission.

Pete: When the conference was in New Orleans, we had weekly meetings and I think conference calls almost as frequently. They have changed the way that they work with the local committee. They use a "hired gun" that is not from the host city to be the Event Coordinator. I think that's a mistake. Local connections are extremely valuable and we used many of them to get our conference up and going. The money issue is major. The requirements are steep for the host city. Unless there are major sponsors in a city like Seattle, or Corning, it is a lot to ask....
There will be an announcement re. the 2014 conference soon, I think that is supposed to be an international city....

[Franklin Sankar]

Yes Dave a ghetto style meeting on a shoestring budget would be nice.
The social part of the conference is most important and valuable.
Naked ladies in hot tubs outside Charles studio, priceless. For the technical aspects of energy conservation I mean. Plumbing, energy flows etc.
Videoing the demos and swapping with others double your participation.
Now who,would want to miss such a conference?
In the other thread, I see Calgary quickly stepping up to the challenge.
Franklin

[Joe Pfeifer]

I am pretty new at this, have attended GAS two times. I also attended the show in November, in Oakland California at The Crucible. The Crucible show seemed as if it was done on a shoestring budget, but was remarkable. I got a lot out of it. They had demos, lecmos, and tons of amazing artists there. I actually preferred it to GAS in many respects. I got the information I needed. I met people. I even bought stuff there. I saw lot of great glass art. And the costs were very low, no "dues", etc.

I go to these things to learn and meet folks. If some "glass pirate" show comes together, maybe like the old time GAS show, I want to get one of the hand drawn posters!

[Jeff Mentuck]

Just a mere 18 miles North of Boston I'm the manager of a really nice facility at Salem State University. I could probably make the studio available to host an event if there's interest! We've got a great space with seating for 35. I was really looking forward to this conference. The last one I attended was Boston in '96 (?)

jmentuck@salemstate.edu feel free to contact me!

Jeff

[Virginia Slawson]

Originally Posted by Jeff Mentuck

Just a mere 18 miles North of Boston I'm the manager of a really nice facility at Salem State University. I could probably make the studio available to host an event if there's interest! We've got a great space with seating for 35. I was really looking forward to this conference. The last one I attended was Boston in '96 (?)

jmentuck@salemstate.edu feel free to contact me!

Jeff

Yes, we had a great time at the Boston GAS in '96 and we were looking forward to this one.

Jeff, see my post up above. Please get in touch with Jesse at NOCA, as he seems to be getting started on putting something together. I really want to see this happen.
~v.

[Pete VanderLaan]

Originally Posted by Robert Mickelsen

I just want to say that my explanation above may be doing more harm than good. Conferences are incredibly complex events and to say that this is entirely the fault of Mass Art grossly oversimplifies the situation. The demise of the conference is much more of a "death of a thousand cuts" type situation with Mass Art being only a part of that. The real bottom line is money. The funding just was not there to allow GAS to adjust to the constantly changing dynamic. It is a really sad thing and I hope that the organization can survive it. I ask everyone to withhold judgment until the entire story is out.

**********
I don't view it as Massart's fault at all. All I had to do was to read the email.

[Sandy Dukeshire]

well..lots of folks are giving GAS a big BOO HISS around here. i did go to a meeting. what i came away with was "we still need a place to have a party for 1000 and we dont have a dime. so if you know of anyplace (for free) please let us know". tough row to hoe. and, the parks dept of boston (?) said no to cmog mobile unit setting up in the grassy area in front of mass art. i dont know anything about the 100k figure. like Jeff, and others i'm sure, i was really looking forward to this conference. but hey! we dont care about all that! no GAS? NO PROBLEM!! bummer on the large scale, but i do think on the local level we will pool our resources to pull something off. between Jesse, Jeff, myself (and i'm sure others) we can still have some fun. i planned to have the studio hot for a small-scale-4-day-glass-love-in anyway. i'll even light up the second gloryhole!! for me, that would be better than heading into the city. i'm a bit farther out than Jeff - 25ish miles. actually, its already got a title: Boston Glassblowers Conference. BGC. maybe it should be Bootleg Glassblowers Conference . GO JESSE GO!!!