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BECon 2009
KILNCASTING: Filling the Void
June 18-20, 2009
Portland, Oregon, USA
WHAT BECON 2009 IS
BECon 2009 is the industry's foremost conference on kilnformed glass. This year's gathering is focused on kilncasting. Leading artists and technical experts will share their knowledge and vision—in everything from art, design and technical issues to international trends in kilncast glass.
WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN
June 18-20, 2009.
WHERE IT WILL HAPPEN
The conference will be headquartered on the campus of Portland State University in downtown Portland, Oregon—our progressive and arts-rich city, set in the scenic Pacific Northwest (United States).
WHO WILL SPEAK
Confirmed presenters to date:
- Ann Wolff Lärbro, Sweden
- Howard Ben Tré Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States
- Richard Whiteley Canberra, Australia
- Jeffrey Sarmiento Sunderland, England
- Marshall Hyde Corning, New York, United States
- Jaqueline Cooley Broseley, England
- Ted Sawyer Portland, Oregon, United States
- Research Exchange Panel from the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York, United States
- Bullseye Glass Co. Research & Education team
WHO WILL ATTEND
Up to 250 artists, designers, fabricators, studio operators, instructors, and students from around the globe who have demonstrated a commitment to learning about and/or developing the practice of kilncast glass.
NETWORKING/SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
These will include:
• A private reception at Bullseye Gallery.
• The much-loved Lehr-B-Q event.
• Tours of Bullseye Glass's innovative, groundbreaking production facilities.
COST
(Includes Bullseye Gallery Reception and Lehr-B-Q)
• Early registration (through April 30): $450
• Standard registration (May 1 – June 15) $525
• Registration at the door: $600
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS
We are offering 25 half-price scholarships for students. To qualify, you must be currently enrolled fulltime in an accredited university or have graduated from an accredited university no earlier than June 2008. Check back for application details.
REGISTRATION
The goal of BECon 2009 is to support professionals who use Bullseye glasses for casting. We will also consider registrants who have shown a commitment to developing a practice using Bullseye—including those with kilncasting or intermediate to advanced kilnforming skills. Check back for details about how to register.
PRE- AND POST-CONFERENCE OPPORTUNITIES
These will include:
• Workshops related to kilncasting, taught by international instructors. Confirmed instructors to date: Richard Whiteley and Jeffrey Sarmiento.
• Tours of Portland studios.
Check back for details.
CONFERENCE SPONSORS
BECon 2009 is sponsored by Bullseye Glass Co. and the Portland State University Department of Art.
CONTACT & INFO
Contact conference@bullseyeglass.com for more information.
Keep an eye on this website for updates.
PRAISE FOR BECON 2007
Below are excerpts from “Becon 2007: Done Right,” a review published in GAS News, September 2007, by Scott Benefield—international studio artist/teacher and past President of the Glass Art Society.
“BECon is a biennial conference that brings together artists and practitioners that have demonstrated an interest in Bullseye, and it works brilliantly. It exemplifies the company’s own thoroughness and intelligence in its conception, planning and execution. …Registration for the event is capped at 250 and applicants are juried in order to assemble a professional gathering, as opposed to a mass-marketing event for students, hobbyists and amateurs. This self-imposed limit makes everything else possible: a single track for lectures and panel discussions, manageable logistics for transportation by bus, an air of greater intimacy amongst attendees, and in general a greater concentration on quality rather than quantity. It becomes possible to gather everybody together in a space that does not require an airplane hanger, and at the end of three days you have at least a nodding acquaintance with your fellow conference-goers.
….Although the bulk of the program was based in the downtown Hilton hotel, many other congenial aspects of Portland—including excellent restaurants, parks and a newly-renovated contemporary craft museum—were immediately available in a walkable radius.”
Read the full review…
Following are written comments from a few BECon 2007 attendees:
“I thought the pace was perfect, the variety exceptional. The conference was much more than I expected…very exciting and inspiring!!”
“BECon has been spectacular! Very well and completely planned—to the nth detail. The panels were “meaty” and greatly informative.”
“I just wanted to let you know how impressed I was with BECon 2007, the event was coordinated impeccably and was a great source of technical and practical information in an area that is often unpredictable and not easy to navigate through.”
“The BE staff is very welcoming, warm, and available. You are lovely people and I am glad to have been involved. It has been a great opportunity to meet fellow artists.”
“Best conference, most relevant topics ever. Will be back for sure.”