SESSIONS & PRESENTERS
Session Descriptions
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: TINA OLDKNOW
Mystified as to what gets into the prestigious Corning New Glass Review each year? Our keynote speaker, Tina Oldknow, Curator of Modern Glass at the Corning Museum, will talk candidly on what makes the cut, what doesn't, and why.
TECH TALK: COMPATIBILITY - WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT ISN'T
A comprehensive discussion of what this fundamental concept means for the kilnformer. Is factory testing adequate for your purposes? What other tests can you do? Why isn't the COE a guarantee? Bullseye founder and president Dan Schwoerer will lead a safari through Jungles of Bad Science and Swamps of Half-truths on the way to understanding the potential and the limits of your materials.
ARTIST PRESENTATION: SILVIA LEVENSON
How do you get from that beginning fusing class to winning Corning's Rakow Commission? Silvia Levenson, 2004 Rakow Award winner will join us from Italy to share what the journey was like.
TECH TALK: STRAIN AND STRESS IN KILNFORMED GLASS
Understand and control stress in your projects. In user-friendly language Rudi Gritsch will explain the internal structure of the glass that results in stress. Science-based, but in easy layman's terms, this is the lecture that will help you to both avoid and to solve the problems that accompany different types of kiln processes.
ARTIST PRESENTATION: KLAUS MOJE
Considered by many to be the father of the contemporary kilnformed glass movement, founder of the world famous Glass Workshop at the Canberra School of Art and Bullseye's inspiration in the development of Tested Compatible glass, Australia's Klaus Moje, will highlight this conference with his incisive opinions and indelible charm.
TECH TALK: ANNEALING - A PRACTICAL APPROACH
Quit searching for charts and magic formulas. Start to understand the concepts. Heavily illustrated with slides, graphs, and real-life examples, this is an eye-opening introduction to the practical side of cooling glass. An expanded version of the top-rated lecture that Dan Schwoerer delivered at BECon 2003, we expect it to again get reviews like: "Why didn't someone just tell me this stuff before?"
ARTIST PRESENTATION: PAUL HOUSBERG
What does it take to move your studio from a fine-arts focus to an architectural focus? Artist Paul Housberg creates understated, color-infused glass walls which integrate beautifully into their architectural surroundings. Paul will explain how he works with clients to propose, design, and fabricate these large, tactile, and luminous glass works.
MAKING IT REAL: ARTISTS AND ARCHITECTS WORKING WITH KILN-GLASS STUDIOS
Do you aspire to working with architects and designers to create architectural and sculptural pieces? Find out what they want from the artist/fabricator relationship. Architects Rick Potestio and Susan Emmons, and artist James Harrison will discuss how kiln-glass has impacted their work, and how that work was made possible by working with kiln-glass studios.
ARTIST PRESENTATION: RUDI GRITSCH
Acknowledged to be at the technical forefront of our medium, Rudi Gritsch, relies on this in-depth knowledge of glass to go beyond material matters and into its philosophical meaning, into his use of it as Metaphor, as an "international language without words", connecting the object's Maker and Viewer through the story the material allows him to tell.
AUCTIONS: DO WELL AS YOU DO GOOD
Are you unsure whether or not donating to auctions is good for promoting your career? Consider the benefits as well as the costs. Other questions considered; how to select which piece to send, whether or not a good photo must be provided and who pays for which expenses. Learn from both sides of the auction stage from artists Steve Klein, Marty Kremer, Taryn Coles of Pilchuck Glass School, and professional auctioneer Dan Klein, who will introduce the topic and moderate the panel.
THE GROWING STUDIO
Are you longing to accept jobs that are beyond your kiln size, skill set, or hours in the day? Wondering whether you should invest in employees or a bigger kiln? Studio Ramp owners Mel George and Jeremy Lepisto will be joined by Paul Housberg and other panelists to discuss the benefits and costs of these options and other alternatives to consider as you scale up your studio business.
GETTING AND EXECUTING PUBLIC COMMISSIONS
So you want to start winning public commissions? Get advice on finding opportunities, developing successful proposals, dealing with budgets and becoming familiar with typical design and architectural issues. The panel features James Harrison, Dana Lynn Louis, and Kristin Calhoun of RACC.
ART MARKETING ALTERNATIVES
Have you considered marketing your work outside of the traditional gallery or art exhibition? Toni Sikes, founder and CEO of THE GUILD and GUILD.com, explains the benefits and the process of using the Guild website or carefully targeted Sourcebooks to effectively market production artwork, one-of-a-kind pieces or commissioned artwork.
RESIDENCIES AS A MODE OF CAREER AND ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT
What is it like being an Artist in Residence at different organizations, and, almost more importantly, how does one secure such a position? How do residencies help further one's career and artistic development? Artist Mark Zirpel will have a conversation with Ted Sawyer about his experiences with a variety of programs, including Pilchuck Glass School, North Lands Creative Glass, and the Creative Glass Center of America (and Bullseye).
TEACHING CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT
Many instructors are extremely comfortable teaching students the processes necessary for the physical execution of works in glass, and have specific exercises to do exactly that. But there is often more to successful work than its fabrication. Jessica Loughlin, Richard Whiteley, and Catharine Newell will discuss strategies for helping students understand why they make their work, how to develop and refine their ideas, and ultimately how to translate their concepts into glass.
SHARING THE WEALTH: DEVELOPING AS AN ARTIST AND EDUCATOR
Not all artists are educators, but many artists choose to make education an integral part of their professional lives. When the two worlds are combined, what are the greatest benefits and challenges to the artist? Why teach? What are the secrets to successfully fulfilling personal and professional goals in both spheres? Christy Corbett will moderate and participate in a discussion with Steve Klein and Alicia Lomné about their chosen path as artists and educators.
TRANSITIONS TO GLASS
What do artists from other media bring to the kilnforming studio? What attracts them to glass? What can you learn from working with them? What helps them succeed in the kilnforming studio? Printmakers Tom Prochaska and Martha Pfanschmidt will talk about their explorations of kilnformed glass.
CSI: KILN-GLASS STUDIO
Do you know devitrification when you see it? When is the firing cycle the culprit? Why did that glass break? When did that glass break? What are the limits of Tested Compatible glasses? Get acquainted with BECon attendees and devitrification simultaneously. In this interactive session, we will break into teams working with a series of sample tiles and teams working with the firing cycles for those samples. Teams will analyze their piece/cycle and then will try to find the corresponding cycle/piece. Together, they will discuss why they think that they've found the right match. Collectively we'll review our findings and discuss how they fit the theory of firing and specific glass chemistries.
KILN-GLASS HEALTH & SAFETY
Looking for sensible recommendations regarding health and safety practices in the studio? What responsibility do you have for the safety of your employees? As a Certified Industrial Hygienist/Certified Safety Professional with over 20 years experience in the field of industrial safety and health, and a kiln-glass worker for over ten years, Greg Rawls is uniquely qualified to provide practical and prudent advice.
ART PACKAGING OLYMPICS
Compete in packaging a piece of art for safe shipping and gallery staff appreciation. Timed event. Fragile "artwork" and a selection of packaging materials will be provided. Tests of packaging will include a box launch off of a balcony: Hey, what Brown can do for you, we can too. Four teams will be selected to compete in this glass-rattling event. Enter your team of three people, or participate as a spectator.
MY KILN, MY WORK
Selecting a kiln that is right for you and your work begins with a series of questions. Should I buy it or build it? Is bigger better? Does my studio have electrical limitations? Will students have access to the kiln? Join John Hohenshelt of Paragon Industries in a discussion with two artists with expertise in kiln construction and how glass behaves in kiln-firing: Richard La Londe and Ray Ahlgren. They will help you sort through the variables so that you can make a decision that is right for you.
ARTIST PRESENTATION: JESSICA LOUGHLIN
Jessica Loughlin's minimalist works in kilnformed glass are powerful argument for letting the material carry the message. Loughlin will survey her background, her inspiration and the philosophy behind the work that has taken her from school to museum collection in record-breaking time.
ARTIST PRESENTATION: MARK ZIRPEL
What? An artist working in glass that gets raves from the glass-phobic arts press? Mark Zirpel's exhibition at the Bullseye Gallery got unprecedented media coverage. Want to know why? Maybe Mark will tell us. Or maybe he'll just talk about his work and you'll understand.
DEMONSTRATION: COLDWORKING W/ RICHARD WHITELEY
Richard Whiteley's life is one continual grind. Want to see how he does it? Whether cutting lead crystal or soda-lime, Whiteley has the tools, the tricks and the studio to finish some of the most elegant cast glass ever to come out of a kiln.
PRICING YOUR WORK
Whether for gallery, gift market, internet, or direct sales, price is among the most puzzling factors in the artist's marketing mix. Guild founder Toni Sikes gallery director Lani McGregor and artist/studio operator Jeremy Lepisto offer strategies and rationales for the artist.
