Who says that learning cant be fun? The Kay Bain Weiner Foundation, which is dedicated to sharing information about glass art, recently proved that its certainly possible when it sponsored a fun and successful cruise to the western Caribbean to help support its educational goals.
Glass Enthusiasts Coming Together
On January 10, 2010, the KBW Foundation sponsored a cruise on Celebrity Solstice that set sail for the western Caribbean. This was the Foundations first glass art conference cruise. There were over 148 glass enthusiasts on boardbeginners to experts from Alaska to Florida, from California to New Hampshire to Israelto participate in this inaugural event. Workshops, lectures, and demonstrations devoted to the various types of glass art, the business of glass, and the beauty of glass made up a large part of the experience. The theme of the event, Accelerate Your Creativity, rang true for all of the attendees as they participated in this great chance to improve their techniques and learn new ones.
The cruise was a resounding success, with nearly twice the number of expected glass enthusiasts signing on to participate in the cruise, demonstrations, workshops, and lectures. It was so successful, in fact, that the second annual KBW Foundation cruise and conference has already been scheduled for the week of January 8, 2011. Glass art enthusiasts will sail from Miami, Florida, and make four stops at western Caribbean ports, including George Town, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico; andRoatan, Honduras.
A Chance to Network
Those attending took advantage of the evenings on board to meet informally and network, sharing pictures,ideas, information, and even a glass reindeer with each other. The experience was so benefi cial and so much fun that many of them are already looking forward to next years cruise on the Celebrity Eclipse and are hoping to meet many more glass enthusiasts.
The events for the 2011 cruise are already in the planning stage and include glass art lectures, workshops, and demonstrations presented by nationally renowned glass artists. Tentative lectures and workshops will include photographing art, the golden age of glass art, glass enameling, art clay metal, painting on glass, wire wrapping jewelry, and marketing techniques. These lectures, hands-on workshops, and additional networking opportunities will all be part of this unique experience.
Approximately half of the participants of the January 2010cruise have already signed up for next year, but there is stillplenty of room. Join the KBW Foundation and happily lookforward to combining your love of glass with a wonderful vacation.Contact Herb Weiner, Top Travel at (760) 603-8646 orvia e-mail at [email protected] for more information.
Outstanding Educational Opportunities
The quality and variety of the seminars and other experiences offered to attendees were a large part of the events success, with many people sharing welcome information. Joe Porcelli talked about his love of Tiffanys creations and shared many beautiful pictures. Phil Teefy, owner of Rainbow Glass, offered information about the history of glass and pte de verre and held a productive workshop on mold making. Information regarding the use of kilns and their proper maintenance was provided by Randy and MikeGlotfelty, owners of Jen-Ken Kilns. Another welcome presentation came from Cheryl Kerber, an Enrolled (Tax) Agent, who provided important information to glass art business owners and artists in the area of tax implications, advantages, and the pitfalls of businesses and hobbies.
Workshops offering tips and techniques to encourage creativity among glass artists and hobbyists were also very popular among attendees. Cathy Claycomb shared her creativity in her Hidden Images seminar, and Jackie Truty talked about and gave workshops on making fine-silver jewelry with Art Clay Silver.
Welcome tips for the sometimes illusive skill of capturing glass in photos were offered by Ann Sanborn, who gave a presentation on techniques for using a digital camera to its best advantage as well as a workshop on pendant making. Creative workshops on sketching to help artists tap into their imaginations when making glass projects were held by Kay Bain Weiner, and Bill Bird and Maureen James shared information about the glass organizations and the publishing business. A panel of glass artists even answered questions from the audience. Everyone presenting was well versed in his or her particular area of expertise, and every one of them was greatly appreciated by those participating.
Copyright 2010 by Profitable Glass Quarterly.All rights reserved.
Kay Bain Weiner, FounderKBW Foundation,7447 Via De Fortuna,Carlsbad, California 92009,(760) 603-8646