Virginia Glass Guild Juried Exhibition 2017 is on display!
Check out the amazing works of art on display at The Charles H. Taylor Arts Center through December 3!
About the Virginia Glass Guild
This marks the 31st year for the Virginia Glass Guild and its 30th annual member show. The Guild was established in 1986 to promote quality art glass in the community and to provide a forum for glass artists to gather together for educational and support purposes. Stained glass was the dominant medium in the early years. This show shows how far the group has come, now featuring glass art in all its varied forms. Besides increasing the types and styles of art, the membership has also grown over the years, as have its activities. In 2015 the name changed from Peninsula Glass Guild to Virginia Glass Guild to encompass the entire commonwealth. The new Virginia Glass Guild welcomes artists living throughout the Commonwealth and working in diverse glass art techniques. This name change means the guild welcomes new members living throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, working in all areas of glass art at every level of interest; professional artists, hobbyists, teachers, and students.
Juror’s Statement from Dr. Jutta-Annette Page
Public art shows such as this one depend on the response of the community they represent. The annual exhibition effort organized by the Board of the Virginia Glass Guild is intended to provide a forum to show the interests, skills, and creativity of its members to the general public. Lovingly installed by VGG volunteers, it was eye-opening for me to see the range of techniques reflected in the submitted works and, more importantly, the strong focus on conceptual installations. The bread-and-butter of many artists working in glass, blown functional vessels and flame-worked jewelry, were almost entirely missing. Large works in neon, a dying craft, were the greatest surprise and reflect a stalwart dedication to the medium by this local community.
VGG awards a generous number of prizes every year in association with this event. As amateurs and college-trained professionals alike demonstrate their passion for glass in their submissions and compete for recognition, an even-handed distribution of the various awards must be endeavored. As the organization received few scholarship applications this year, I hope that more artists will take advantage of this opportunity in the future. Apply - you may well succeed!
About Dr. Jutta-Annette Page
Dr. Jutta-Annette Page is the Executive Director of the Barry Art Museum, in Norfolk, VA. She holds a Ph.D and MA in the history of art and architecture from Brown University, an MAE in jewelry, metalsmithing, and industrial design from Rhode Island School of Design, and an MA and BA in visual communication and art from Georg-August-Universität Göttingen in Germany. She was the Curator of European Glass at The Corning Museum of Glass from 1993 to 2003, and served as the Curator of Glass and Curator of the Decorative Arts at the Toledo Museum of Art from 2003-2016. A respected author in her field, Dr. Page has completed numerous publications and lectured extensively on a broad range of topics. During the 45th Annual Glass Art Society Conference, she was presented with the Honorary Life-time Membership Award. She served for ten years on the GAS Board, including as President.
Awards
Best In Show 2017 - Kelsey Finnie - Organized Chaos- Blown
Sponsored by Virginia Glass Guild
2nd Place - Hollister Weber - A Spectrum of Mindful Beings
Sponsored by Safe Place Mini Storage
3rd Place - James Akers and Kimberly McKinnis - Center of the Universe
Sponsored by Engraved Inspiration
Hampton Arts Commission Award - Robin and Julia Rogers - Butterfield’s Castle
Award of Excellence – Heather Hartle – Patti’s Roses
Sponsored by Cristallo Art Center
Honorable Mentions
Brett Henrikson and Hannah Kirkpatrick – Hands
Jenna Figgers – Dancing in the Kitchen
Jennifer Detlefsen - Popped Cherry
Morgan Gilbreath - Covering
Scholarship Awards
Charlotte Potter
Sarah Vaughn
Laura McFie