The GAS Conference Comes to Sweden’s Kingdom of Crystal June 2 – 5, 2027
June 17, 2026 — The Glass Art Society (GAS) today announced that its 2027 Annual Conference will be held in Kosta, Smaland, Sweden, under the theme ReKindle: Glass, Sustainability, and the Future of Making. The conference, which was first envisioned for 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation, will convene the global glass community in one of the world’s great glassmaking regions: the Glasriket, known internationally as the Kingdom of Crystal.
“We are thrilled to finally bring the GAS Conference to Sweden, seven years in the making,” says GAS executive director Brandi Clark. “One of the things that makes each conference so special is the deep relationships we build with the studios, artists, and communities in each host city as we plan. It was heartbreaking to have to set aside the great work that had been done in 2020. Returning to build on that remarkable foundation, with the momentum of a successful Corning conference behind us, will enable us to offer a truly extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime conference experience for our community. We cannot wait to share everything we have planned,” says Clark. “We hope you’ll join us.”
Småland’s Glasriket region is home to 14 historic glassworks, including Kosta Boda (founded in 1742) and Orrefors (founded in 1898), whose designs have shaped the global language of glass art for centuries. The region sits within a broader Swedish culture defined by sustainability, design excellence, and an extraordinary relationship between craft and land — values that directly inspired the ReKindle theme.
The 2027 conference will welcome artists, educators, historians, collectors, technologists, and advocates from around the world. Programming will address sustainability in materials, process, and pedagogy; innovation rooted in craft tradition; emerging and experimental approaches to glassmaking; the evolving role of glass in art, design, and culture; and community-building and access within the global glass field. Proposals will be welcomed across all areas of glass practice and scholarship from June 18 to July 31, 2026.
Full details, registration information, and proposal guidelines: www.glassart.org/sweden-2027.
About the Glass Art Society
The Glass Art Society is an international non-profit organization whose purpose is to encourage excellence, advance education, promote the appreciation and development of the glass arts, and support the worldwide community of artists who work with glass. Founded in 1971, GAS serves more than 2,000 members in over 50 countries. www.glassart.org
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