BGSU central to glass festivities

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Japanese glass artists
Sayaka Suzuki, left, and Hiromi Takizawa, right, visited BGSU Wednesday and worked in the glassworks in
conjunction with the exhibit “Glass Masters of Japan and the North American Studio Glass Movement: A
Conversation” on view through Sunday in the Bryan Gallery. (Photo provided by BGSU Office of Marketing
and Communications)

This year art glass lovers and museums around the world are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the
American studio glass movement. Bowling Green State University has been involved in studio glass arts
for 46 of those years.
As the birthplace of the movement, Toledo is at the epicenter of the celebration and is hosting the
national conference of the Glass Art Society this weekend with activities continuing through Sunday.
The conference is expected to draw about 1,500 guests to events at the Toledo Museum of Art and SeaGate
Convention Center.
BGSU will sponsor the International Student Exhibition during the conference, along with other events on
campus. This exhibition showcases and makes available for sale work by glass arts students from around
the world. Awards are given for the best artwork.
"Blowing Glass State University: Forty-Six Years of Glass Arts" will be on exhibit from 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m. through Sunday with the opening reception at tonight at 6 p.m. in the lobby of One SeaGate at
550 N. Summit St. Art Walk buses will run throughout the evening until 10 p.m., taking visitors to the
other 25 or so galleries holding glass exhibitions in downtown Toledo.
BGSU alumni are also exhibiting in at least five other venues, including the 419 Gallery at 425 Jefferson
Ave.; 20 North at 18 N. St. Clair St.; Gathered Art at 23 N. Huron St.; Hudson Gallery at 5645 N. Main
St. in Sylvania; and the Parkwood Gallery at 1838 Parkwood Ave.
As part of the conference events, the School of Art is putting on an exhibition of Japanese,
Japanese-American and Japanese-Canadian glass masters on campus at the Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery"
Glass Masters of Japan and the North American Studio Glass Movement: A Conversation" opens at noon
June 13 in the Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery during the Day of Glass in the Fine Arts Center galleries.
Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Saturday.
Buses to Bowling Green will run from the Jefferson side of the Seagate Convention Center in Toledo on the
hour.
During the anniversary celebration, BGSU will honor the memory of Robert (Bud) Hurlstone, who began its
program and taught until his death in 2005.
Hurlstone was instrumental in developing the glass specialization within the school’s MFA program. He
also designed and supervised the installation of the original glass facilities in the school. The
remodeled hot glass studio is among the finest in the area.

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