The Robert M. Minkoff Foundation Academic Symposium at UrbanGlass

10/22/2019

https://www.worth.com/how-newcomers-are-transforming-venice-into-a-city-of-the-future/

The centuries-old Italian city is full of tradition, but new artisans are bringing fresh ideas from their hometowns.

10/21/2019

On Oct. 26th, at the upcoming 2019 Academic Symposium at UrbanGlass, Sheridan faculty and glass studio head Koen Vandstukken will deliver a talk "A Window on the World: Critical Thinking about Glass from the Renaissance to the Digital Age" in which the author of GLASS Virtual, Real (2016) expands on his book's inquiry into why glass suddenly gained traction as a contemporary art medium in the mid-20th century. His book tracks societal shifts that might explain this sudden interest in a new material for art in search of insights into the current use of glass within the arts. Vanderstukken will discuss new research that flips his inquiry, to look at how contemporary artists used glass to influence society, culture, and even politics. His query is ultimately about how critical thinking about glass led to shifts in culture and society, and what conclusions may be drawn regarding the current and future use of glass as an art material. For more info or tickets: urbanglass.org/symposium

10/15/2019

"Reevaluating Reflection in Architecture and Contemporary Art" is the title of a forthcoming presentation by Gabriel Peña, an artist, architect, and lecturer, currently pursuing a PhD in Humanities at the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture at Concordia University. For his talk at the upcoming 2019 Academic Symposium at UrbanGlass (October 24 - 26, 2019), Peña is researching glass properties such as reflection and its interplay with transparency as a medium to construct atmospheres that modify the perception of the built environment. Reflection allows us to become aware of our surroundings in different ways, either by connecting us in unexpected forms, formulating not only visual phenomena but new atmospheres generated in the interplay of transparency and reflection. Glass still holds the potentiality of emergent “experiences” that could transform the built environment as physical, multi-sensory manifestations. His talk will explore how glass, if treated accordingly to its bio-constructivist origins, not only as a membrane that allow us to communicate and relate to our environments, can transform our current experience of cities into bodily encounters that reconnect us to our status as space producers instead that of passive users. More information or tickets: www.urbanglass.org/symposium

10/13/2019

On October 24th, the head of Alfred's art history department Mary McInnes will deliver her talk "One Hundred Years Out: The Relevance of 1920s Glass to Current Practices," in which she asks "Has the art world moved beyond The Large Glass?" McInnes cites Marcel Duchamp’s double-paned sculpture constructed a century ago, asking: is it truly contemporary in its provocation and prescience? Can The Large Glass stand up to the insistent allure of our digital technology and screen culture? And, more radical still, do other modern glass forms that are physically overlooked and critically dismissed join Duchamp’s masterpiece in its presentness? McInnes contends that a hundred years out, three different types of 1920s glass manufacture—the studio objects of Marcel Duchamp, the workshop prototypes of Josef Albers, and the factory commodities of Guerlain and Chanel—are both current and compelling, and will discuss her discovery process, as well as the importance of glass educators to participate in the critical discourse on the field. For more info or tickets: www.urbanglass.org/symposium

10/09/2019

Don't miss the “Attention and Community” workshop at the 2019 academic symposium at UrbanGlass. A two-part collaborative presentation on the precedent and implementation of attention practice, co-presenters Anna Riley and Justin Ginsberg will deliver a lecture component to consider the role of attention in the arts as it differs from and builds upon critique practices. They will emphasize the importance of communal attention as a necessary step towards being present with artistic production, connecting deeply with one another, and living healthier lives. The second part of their joint presentation will engage in a brief, but active, collaborative-attention practice with the audience for the duration of 10-15 minutes. Riley and Ginsberg will guide attendees through a poetic meditation on the labors of glassmaking, providing each audience member with a small object at which she, he or they might choose to gaze during the practice. More info or tickets: www.urbanglass.org/symposium

10/07/2019

Come to the 2019 Academic Symposium at UrbanGlass to hear Judith Schaechter's presentation: "Critiquing the Crit" (Oct. 24 - 26, 2019)

A stained-glass artist living and working in Philadelphia, Judith Schaechter is an adjunct professor at University of the Arts and instructor at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She's observed that critique has changed little over time despite some lip service to the contrary. However, the world has changed a lot and with it, the student’s internalizing of
critique. It is with this long term perspective, she will discuss what what has changed and what hasn’t. Does the model of critique still work? Did it ever? Central to this is the observation that critique needs to be rethought. It’s time to subject this sacred cow to some of its own purported philosophy. More information or tickets: www.urbanglass.org/symposium

10/03/2019

On Friday, October 25, Matt Perez will deliver his presentation "Diversity and Inclusion: If You Feel You're Doing Enough, You're Not" as part of the 2019 Robert M. Minkoff Foundation Academic Symposium. An artist, educator, and a gay latinx cisgendered man, Perez attended Illinois State University (BFA) and the Rhode Island School of Design (MFA). Presented in the spirit of inclusion, his presentation will establish a baseline for diversity in America and compare it to the populations of individual academic institutions as well as neighboring regional areas. Perez hopes to unpack possible “why” factors that contribute to a lack of diversity within the glass silo and the creative ecosystem as a whole. His presentation will also examine the three exhibitions of New Glass presented at The Corning Museum of Glass in 1959, 1979, and 2019, looking at their gender and diversity make up, and ask the questions "How can we de­token the token? And what language do we use to better bring othered into exclusive spaces?" Tickets or more info: www.urbanglass.org/symposium

10/01/2019

Among the highlights of the 2019 Robert M. Minkoff Foundation Academic Symposium at UrbanGlass is an award to be presented to Lino Tagliapietra in recognition of his profound impact on the history of glass education in the United States. The ceremony will take place as the culmination of the Thursday evening gallery tour that kicks off the symposium and will take attendees through the Manhattan art neighborhood of Chelsea with stops at contemporary art galleries showing glass such as Marianne Boesky, Pace, and Luhring Augustine. The award will be presented at the final stop, Heller Gallery, where, during a catered reception (antipasti and wine) in honor of Tagliapietra, the maestro will share his thoughts on the history and future of American glass-art education in a public conversation with Glass magazine editor and symposium organizer Andrew Page. Tickets or more info: www.urbanglass.org/symposium

09/27/2019

The full schedule of presenters, panels, and events is out!

Friday September 27, 2019 | by Andrew Page Schedule released of the upcoming 2019 Academic Symposium at UrbanGlass (October 24 - 26, 2019) Launch Full Gallery The full program of the 2019 Robert M. Minkoff Foundation Academic Symposium at UrbanGlass , which will run from October 24 through October 2...

09/19/2019

JEFFREY SARMIENTO WANTS YOUR READING LIST!!!

For his presentation at the upcoming Robert M. Minkoff Foundation Academic Symposium at UrbanGlass, University of Sunderland reader in glass Jeffrey Sarmiento is asking glass educators what are the texts that every glass student should be sure to read? Sarmiento has been working in collaboration on The Glass Reader (Bloomsbury), a forthcoming collection of writing on glass art, craft, and design focusing on thoughts and discussions around glass which inform 21st-century practice. At the October 24 - 26th symposium (www.urbanglass.org/symposium), he will lead a forum for sharing reading lists with fellow educators, presenting pieces both fundamental and current that are used to stimulate our students. He has two main queries;

1. What is on your syllabus this semester? This could be general or set to students at different stages of their education (undergraduate/masters/postgraduate). Please send a reading list you typically assign to your students.

2. Name an essential text and provide a short commentary on why it is important for a glass student to have read it.

He's asking for responses via email [email protected] in the next couple weeks. We look forward to hearing the results of his research and discussing them at the symposium in late October. More info: www.urbanglass.org/symposium

09/10/2019

Upcoming at the 2019 Robert M. MInkoff Foundation Academic Symposium at UrbanGlass: Jens Pfeifer, head of glass at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, will lead one of his signature "Glass Virus: Think-Tank Exercises" on the subject of effective critique. The problem with plain critique, says Pfeifer, is that it can be oppressive and a one-way street of information. He believes constructive critique is a model for discourse that encourages all parties to learn and bring forward ideas in a discussion. Critiques should be a system of communication that recognizes problems and finds solutions in productive manner. To explore further, Pfeifer will employ a workshop approach to remove the cognitive distance to the subject, experiencing critical thinking rather than talking about it. Pfeifer has led four Glass Virus events to date, including launching the series at the first UrbanGlass symposium in 2013. More info or tickets: www.urbanglass.org/symposium

09/02/2019

At the upcoming 2019 academic symposium at UrbanGlass (October 24 - 26th in NYC), former Corning Museum of Glass chief scientist Jane Cook (center), now at Penn State, will lead a conversation about inter-departmental explorations in glass art in academia, with (University of Toledo assistant professor Brian Carpenter (L) and Angus Powers (R), head of glass at Alfred. In her introductory remarks, Cook will compare and contrast systems of scientific peer review and art criticism in academia. Learn more about this event or order tickets: www.urbanglass.org/symposium