2010 Special Conference Events

GAS 2008 Pre-Conference Reception at Bullseye Glass Factory

PRE-CONFERENCE RECEPTION: COURTESY OF SAINT GOBAIN SEFPro/Corhart Refractories

Speed Art Museum, Wednesday, June 9, 6 - 9:30pm
Cost: $150
Maximum capacity: 300

Established in 1927, the Speed Art Museum is Kentucky's oldest and largest art museum with over 13,000 pieces in its permanent collection. During the GAS conference and beyond, a special exhibition of studio glass will be featured. Additionally its extensive collection spans 6,000 years, ranging from ancient Egyptian to contemporary art. A beautiful dinner with a Kentucky flair and hosted bar will let guests enjoy the best of the museum. The Pre-Conference Reception is a fundraiser that supports low conference registration fees for student members of GAS. You must be registered in advance in order to attend. Seats may still be available - please call the GAS office at 206-382-1305 M-F 9-5 PST.

DAY OF GLASS - A CELEBRATION

Wednesday, June 9, 8:00 am - 10:00 pm

Day of Glass in Louisville will be a stimulating and entertaining day of art for conference attendees and will provide a preview for the public of the excitement in store with the start of the Glass Art Society conference. These events will be free and open to both the public and conference attendees.

Click here for the complete Day of Glass schedule.

Day of Glass is sponsored by AACG and SCHOTT.

OPENING CEREMONY, RECEPTION AND KEYNOTE SPEAKER BILL SAMUELS

Marriott Ballroom V & VI, Thursday, June 10, 1:30 pm - 4:45 pm followed by the Opening Reception 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

GAS 2008 Opening Ceremony

Join GAS when we welcome participants and give tribute to our Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Mark Peiser, and our Lifetime Membership honoree, Tom Philabaum. Following their lectures, our Keynote Speaker Bill Samuels will address the crowd. Nothing says Kentucky like bourbon and Bill Samuels is President of Maker's Mark Bourbon.

The Samuels family claims the title of oldest bourbon family still going strong. Prior to 1840, the Samuels family did not produce bourbon commerically. It wasn't until T.W. Samuels (grandson to Robert Samuels who create the "secret" family recipe) came along and constructed a distillery at Samuels Depot, that the family made a business of bourbon. In 1943, after a break during Prohibition, Bill Samuels, Sr. burned that famous family recipe. Bill Sr. wanted to create a bourbon without the bitterness, and so he did: Maker's Mark.

Enjoy seeing your friends, music, light hors d'eourves and a cash bar.

GALLERY HOP

Downtown Louisville, Friday, June 11, 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

An opportunity to immerse yourself in the best of what downtown Louisville has to offer! Ride the trolley or traverse by foot the East, Central and West sections of Market and Main Streets during the Gallery Hop. In acknowledgment of the GAS conference and Louisville's burgeoning glass scene, many of the downtown galleries will be hosting exhibitions featuring or themed upon glass art. And that's not all - check out the beautiful Waterfront Park at night and be sure to take note of the plentiful diverse architectural features showcased by the downtown streetscape. Of particular interest is the area's record number of cast iron building facades. Don't forget to stop for food, drink, and a little nightlife or music along the way. Finish off the evening at the Louisville Glassworks rooftop party!

Click here for more information about the Gallery Hop (pdf, current as of May 6, 2010).

GLASSWORKS BLACK OUT BASH

Friday, June 11, 9:00 pm - 2:00 am - a ticketed event through Glassworks

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the GAS conference where Glassworks will be turning the lights out and letting the libations flow through this multi-level Black Out Bash. Live jazz in the basement nightclub, JazzyBlu; deejays, disco balls and hot glass performances in the Hyland Glass/Glassworks Hotshop; Kentucky beer and bourbon tastings with live bluegrass music on the first floor; the premier screening of the "Glass Performance Film Festival" (curated by Rik Allen, Kim Harty and Andrew Page) on the second floor; and live music rockin' on the rooftop of Glassworks. Come ready to BLACK OUT in your most fashionable black attire for a discounted entry.

CLOSING NIGHT PARTY

Muhammad Ali Center, Saturday, June 12, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am

Located 5 blocks from the Louisville Marriott, the Muhammad Ali Center (MAC) is truly a special place and will be a treat for all GAS party-goers. Join your friends after the GAS Auction at the Center. Louisville is the birthplace of Muhammad Ali, one of the many reasons he chose to locate the $41 million MAC here. The cultural center features exhibitions regarding Ali's core values of respect, confidence, conviction, dedication, charity and spirituality. The Center presents Ali's life from birth to the present. A mock-boxing ring is recreated based on his Deer Lake Training Camp along with Ali's boxing memorabilia and history. All GAS participants are free to roam the museum and discover the many wonders the museum has to offer during the private Closing Night Party. Light food and cash bar. Food and drink are not allowed in the exhibit areas.

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