Chair: Kristin Deady
kdeady@salemcc.edu856-351-2234
Text in blue are links, if you click on the text more information will pop up.
The American Scientific Glassblowers seminars are an educational lecture or training program taught by one or more instructors to symposium participants. They last ½ day to full day.
___________________________________________________________________________
Seminar 1: “Glass in the Service of Science Throughout the History of the Material”
Presenter: Dr. Marvin Bolt
Monday, June 17th – 8:00am – Noon – We will start at the hotel and then bus over to the Corning Museum of Glass
Join the Corning Museum of Glass’ curator of science and technology, Marvin Bolt, for a seminar focused on the significance of glass in the history of scientific inquiry. Marvin will lecture on this topic for the first half of the seminar and will then lead attendees on a tour of the museum to highlight objects in the museum’s collections that are relevant to this topic.
Marvin Bolt is the first curator of science and technology at The Corning Museum of Glass, Marvin Bolt is responsible for developing and maintaining collections, exhibits, and programming in the Museum’s Innovation Center.
In this role, Bolt enhances the Museum’s science and technology-based collections and exhibits, and interprets the information for diverse audiences, from schoolchildren to working scientists. He also develops new scientifically focused educational programs and increases accessibility to the Museum’s scientific research and collections through digital channels.
Bolt, a specialist in telescopes, comes to the Museum from the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum in Chicago, IL, where he was curator of the history of astronomy and vice president for collections at the Adler’s Webster Institute for the History of Astronomy. There, he oversaw a collection of approximately 10,000 scientific objects, artifacts, rare books, and works on paper from the 13th to the 21st centuries and curated numerous permanent and temporary exhibitions, including Telescopes: Through the Looking Glass (2009–present) and Evening Amusements! Popular Astronomy, 1750–1930 (2002–2003).
Bolt co-curated two exhibitions in 2016: Fragile Legacy: The Marine Invertebrate Glass Models of Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka and Revealing the Invisible: The History of Glass and the Microscope.
Bolt has lectured and published widely. He also has served as a grants referee for NASA and NSF, and has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Notre Dame. He holds a Ph.D. in the history and philosophy of science, as well as two Master’s degrees in philosophy and the history and philosophy of science, all from the University of Notre Dame.
___________________________________________________________________________
Seminar 2: “Lampworking History”
Presenters: Beth Hylen & Eric Goldschmidt
Monday, June 17, 1:00pm – 5:00pm – Rakow Library Seminar Room
In addition to the work they do at The Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG), they are also flameworking artists with a passion for learning more about the historical background of the technique. After exploring this topic independently for several years, they joined forces to research and lecture together.
This overview will explore the ancient beginnings of working glass in the flame and the flowering of the technique during the early Renaissance in cottage industries and science. We’ll also touch on the traditions of itinerant glassblowers, the glass of Nevers, glass eyes, industrial uses such as light bulbs, and more. The workshop will conclude with tours of the CMoG galleries and the Rakow Research Library, viewing lampworking treasures in glass and on paper. You will also learn how you can pursue your own research on the history of glassblowing.
Beth Hylen is the Reference and Instruction Librarian at The Rakow Research Library of The Corning Museum of Glass. Since 1978 she has worked in a variety of positions at the Library and enjoys delving into library resources to help researchers find answers to their questions. Beth serves on the Glass Art Society (GAS) History Advisory Committee and the Decorative Arts Special Interest Group for the Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA). She has been a featured speaker at the International Society of Glass Beadmakers, the International Flameworking Conference, as well as GAS, ARLIS/NA, the American Cut Glass Association, the Carder Steuben Club and others. She is an accomplished glass and mixed media artist whose work has appeared in books, articles, and exhibits nationwide.
Eric Goldschmidt is the Properties of Glass Programs Supervisor at The Corning Museum of Glass. He has worked with flameworked glass since 1996 when his roommate introduced him to the torch. Since then, he has studied with and assisted many of the world’s most talented glass artists. These experiences have given him a vast array of techniques from which to draw. He combines this wealth of knowledge with his own interests in the subtle energies of the natural world, delicate forms and intricate color application to create original works. Previously, Eric was the resident flameworker at The Studio of CMoG and a flameworker for Arribas Brothers Company at Disney World.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Seminar 3: Corning Museum of Glass Tour
Monday June 17th, 1:00pm – 5:00pm – Meet at Hotel Front Lobby
We will have a guided tour of the Corning Museum of Glass.Established in 1951 by Corning Glass Works (now Corning Incorporated) as a gift to the nation for the company’s 100th anniversary, The Corning Museum of Glass is a not-for-profit museum dedicated to telling the story of a single material: glass. Annually welcoming just under half a million visitors from around the world, the Museum’s campus is home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of glass, the world’s foremost library on glass, and one of the top glassworking schools in the world. This museum tour is specifically designed for the scientific glassblower and will focus on science but will also include the wonders of the museum.
Nearly 50,000 objects representing more than 3,500 years of history are displayed in the galleries; items range from the portrait of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh to contemporary sculpture. The Museum’s highly regarded curators and librarians actively acquire materials; and curators, librarians, educators and artists organize special on-campus and traveling exhibitions; teach; conduct and publish extensive research; host numerous artist residencies and public presentations; and showcase daily demonstrations of contemporary glassworking. The Corning Museum of Glass’ authority on glass art is felt around the world.
___________________________________________________________________________
Seminar 4: “The Sound of Breaking Glass”
Presenter: Alexis Clare
Tuesday June 18th – 8:00am – Noon – Hotel, Cohocton
Glass is not just the stuff you make windows or bottles from; it is a sub-state of “solids” where the atomic structure is disordered like a liquid but doesn’t flow like one and is more static like a solid. Behaviors of glass that make it both supremely useful and extremely challenging have their roots in glass’ non-crystalline atomic structure. So in principle you can make a “glass” out of any material and we’ll talk about all glass; the kinds you are used to and some that you are not. We will talk about glass’s behavior; (both good and bad) and about how we can tweak it to behave the way we want! Seminar soundtrack available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDbUEydkuR8!
Dr. Alexis Clare holds a BS in Chemical Physics and a PhD in Physics from the University of Reading UK. Her group is interested Engineering the composition of glass for specific applications. They are also interested in making new and unusual glasses for optical, magnetic and even biological responses. She is also looking at novel ways of processing glasses such as 3D printing and Spark Plasma Sintering.
___________________________________________________________________________
Seminar 5: “ASGS Oral Histories” & “Looking Back and Moving Forward Panel” (2-part seminar)
Panelists: Ted Bolan, Adolph Gunther, Doni Hatz, Kaite Jones and Ian Pearson 
Tuesday June 18th 8:00am – Noon – Hotel
Moderated by Sally Prasch
Oral History Speaker: Brad Turner
This event is free, no registration required
This seminar will address the history of the ASGS organization through the eyes of several individuals who have been a part of it in a variety of capacities. Through dialog with the panelists the conversation will delve into the inception of the organization, how the organization helps its members in their educational and career pursuits, how collaboration within the organization helps support scientific research and the importance of understanding history when looking to the future. In the second half Brad Turner will guide us in how to systematically collect oral histories and learn effective way to preserve our history. Together will will introduce some basic concepts of oral histories, talk about the process and review interviewing skills. We will take turns on doing a short recording section with each other, capturing each others history. We want you to relax, have fun and our goal is that you will not be afraid to record an interview yourself.
Adolp
h Gunther was born in Berlin Germany. At age fifteen, he started his apprenticeship (known as Lehrling in Germany) as a scientific glassblower at Osram Industries. His workshop had a total of twenty four students to be invited to join Osram as a research glassblower. At age twenty, he immigrated to Canada and worked as a neon tube bender. Five and a half years later he immigrated to America and worked for Sargent Welsh in Chicago. Six months later he visited Germany and met his future wife Inge. Upon his return to the US he took a job with Fisher Scientific and in 1966 started a glass shop at Stauffer Chemical. Twenty years later, Ted Bolan and Adolf started Advanced Glass Technology that is still in operation today.
Ian Pearson has been practicing lampworking since 1961, and is an acknowledged master of the craft. For many years he was a scientific glass blower creating highly complex laboratory equipment; Ian now uses his blend of ancient craft and modern technology to make art objects and gifts at his studio Glass Creations in Scotland.
Brad Turner – A former community journalist and editor, Brad Turner is Assistant Director of the Southeast Steuben County Library in Corning, NY. On behalf of the Glass Art Society’s History Committee, Brad has conducted oral history interviews with internationally known glass artists and founders of the Studio Glass Movement. As a journalist in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Brad’s interviews, arts features, profiles and editorial columns appeared in various local newspapers and business journals in New York. Brad has served on The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes Board of Directors and he is currently a board member of the Friends of the Southeast Steuben County Library.
___________________________________________________________________________
Seminar 6: “Bringing Conservation out of the Lab; Conserving and Interpreting Blaschka Models”
Tuesday June 18th 1:00pm – 4:00pm – Hotel, Cohocton
Presenters: Stephen Koob, Alexandra M. Ruggiero & Astrid van Giffen
In 2016, The Corning Museum of Glass presented Fragile Legacy: The Marine Invertebrate Models of Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka. This exhibition presented the story of the Blaschka family, the interest in marine life in 19th-century Europe, and the techniques and methods for creating these beautiful glass models.The conservation team’s expertise on the Blaschkas was integral in the research, planning, and execution of this exhibition and their work led to exciting new discoveries.The Museum’s conservation and curatorial teams worked together to explore new areas of research and translate this information to our audiences. Join us for a behind the scenes look at this process, and how research and treatment of Blaschka models has continued since then.
Astrid van Giffen became the Assistant Conservator in 2009. In 2007, she completed the conservation training program of the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage (ICN) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, with a specialization in glass and ceramics. Her training included internships at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, MD, and The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY. Since completing the ICN program, she’s worked as a private conservator in Oregon and was the Samuel H. Kress Fellow in Objects Conservation at the Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies of the Harvard Art Museum (2008-2009). She also holds a BA (2001) in Classical Studies from Willamette University.
Stephen Koob Chief Conservator at the Corning Museum of Glass, Stephen Koob is responsible for the care and preservation of all the objects in the museum’s collections. He is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the Archaeological Institute of America as well as being a Fellow of the International Institute of Conservation and the American Institute for Conservation. Before joining the museum staff in 1998, Koob worked for 11 years as conservator at the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.
Alexan
dra Ruggiero joined the Museum in 2012. She assists with acquisitions, exhibitions, cataloging and research of the Museum’s glass collections, with a focus on glass from 1850–1945. Ruggiero curated the 2018 special exhibition, Glass of the Architects: Vienna, 1900–1937, a cooperation of the MAK and LE STANZE DEL VETRO, and co-curated the 2016 special exhibition, Fragile Legacy: The Marine Invertebrate Glass Models of Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, with Dr. Marvin Bolt, curator of science and technology.
Ruggiero earned a bachelor’s degree in Art History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a master’s in the History of Decorative Arts through the Corcoran College of Art + Design and Smithsonian Associates in Washington, D.C. Her graduate research focused on 20th-century German glass and furniture.
Before arriving at The Corning Museum of Glass, Ruggiero served as a curatorial research assistant at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and as a decorative arts research specialist intern at the Library of Congress. Ruggiero is a member of the Association of Art Museum Curators (AAMC) and serves on the Steering Committee for the Rockwell Museum Ambassadors in Corning, N.Y.
