Just about 6 weeks left until GAS arrives in Portland. The dull roar no longer seems so distant. What’s up?

E-merge (May 5 – July 25) has been installed and enjoyed its quiet launch yesterday. Live jurying and the awards reception (May 17) are still ahead, but it’s up, looks great and was visited yesterday by almost 100 docents from the Portland Art Museum, many voting for the Popular Prize.
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This weekend Chris Van Dyke responded to my request that – in spite of the end of his company and his cancellation of speaking engagements across the country – he still deliver the keynote address at GAS this June.

For the reasons given in my last post - and more - I truly believe that what Nau tried to do is critical in our world today – maybe even more so in the economic climate we are all living.

I am hugely grateful that he’s agreed to continue the dialogue – with us – at GAS.

We’ve all gotten them: the phone call that starts “I’ve got some bad news. You might want to sit down.”

I got one of those yesterday. It was the Exec Director of GAS.

“We just lost our keynote speaker for the conference. His business went under.”

Looking “Stealth” in the face. Geoff & Jeff install e-merge.

OK. First of all, I heard the sound of my heart cracking. I loved NAU. They were a business that was about more than just business. They had a new vision. Of community, of giving back, of good design married to sustainability.

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[While the rest of the BE team is still cleaning up their posts, Susan is already on board with #2! Thanks, girl!]

Or is that track trip? Last month a few of us took the train to Tacoma to visit the new Hotel Murano and the Museum of Glass. Until recently Tacoma wasn’t known as a hot spot for much of anything, but in the past few years, it’s really spiffed itself up. Check out the MOG and this new hotel. We did.

International Sales Rep Extraordinaire Maria Gracia Cabanilla (left), RC Manager Janet Bartholomew (center), Marketing Department Writer Kate Schmitt (right, mugging statuary) and I entrusted ourselves to Amtrak for the day.

The hotel is GORGEOUS and entirely devoted to glass art. They graciously arranged a tour for us (they’ll arrange one for you too, if you call ahead) and we basically ran amuck for hours in their beautiful space. “Bullseye artists” abound, with work from Dante Marioni, Steve Klein, Cobi Cockburn, Orfeo and Narcissus Quagliata, Catharine Newell, April Surgent, and the list goes on. Each of the 25 floors of the hotel is dedicated to a different artist featuring their work, plus photos of the artist in action.

The Museum of Glass is a great spot, but I preferred the wider range of glassworking styles at the hotel. If you live in the Pacific Northwest or find yourself here this summer, the Museum is currently offering a real treat: two shows by dear Bullseye friends and amazing artists Lino Tagliapietra and Dante Marioni. This is a rare chance to see the work of two true glass legends up close and personal. And don’t miss the movie about Lino’s life.

Amtrak got us home mostly on time. We only had to endure one crazy drunken rambling maniac on the way. Hey, what’s a road trip without at least one drunken moron? Give Tacoma a whirl and get your glass fix.

- Susan Green

As proof that everything kewl isn’t done in Portland or by women, I offer as evidence this guy.

And his growing glass empire known as PHUZE that does all manner of stuff in the kiln, including some pretty wonderful custom architectural glass parts…

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