We are excited to announce that following a competitive selection process, the Glass Art Society has been chosen to lead the International Festival of Glass (IFoG) and the British Glass Biennale beginning in 2026. The Festival is a biannual event that focuses on introducing the whole spectrum of glassmaking to the public through exhibitions, classes, workshops, hands-on activities, presentations, and special events.
In May, Ruskin Mill Land Trust, which has managed the International Festival of Glass for the past 20 years, announced that 2024 will be the last year they will oversee the festival. Rather than ending the Festival, they started a search for an organization to lead the Festival into its third decade of celebrating artists and introducing the joy of glass to new audiences. IFoG Director Janine Christley said, “The GAS conferences have always been an inspiration to the Festival team. We are constantly impressed by the air of colleagueship and excitement, as well as the skill and professionalism in hosting such complex events. I am personally excited by the way GAS is expanding outside of the US to become a global network for the glass community and am thrilled that the Festival will benefit from these connections. The alternative Festival structure will also give GAS an opportunity to explore interacting with the general public and how to develop new audiences. There are going to be exciting times ahead.”
GAS will work with the Ruskin Mill Land Trust team on the 2024 festival before officially taking the reins for the 2026 festival. The Festival provides GAS with a unique opportunity to build on what the organization already does so well, bringing together an international audience to celebrate glass, but geared toward a new audience. While the GAS Conference focuses on bringing glass artists together and creating educational and networking opportunities to help further their careers and practices, the Festival is designed to showcase the artists, techniques, and history of the dynamic glass community to the public.
In 2022, the GAS Board of Directors adopted a new strategic plan that prioritizes providing more services and opportunities to the global glass community and making those accessible to more people. Over the past few years, we have made significant moves to make our organization more global, including adding more board members outside North America, hosting conferences in Europe, and partnering with other glass organizations to highlight the work already being done to promote the glass community globally.
GAS Executive Director Brandi P. Clark stated, “I am so excited that Ruskin Mill Land Trust selected our proposal to manage IFoG! The Festival provides us with another opportunity to serve our community through a public celebration of the material we all love so much. We plan to honor the history of the Festival while adding a GAS spin to it, and you can expect to see many new partnerships and opportunities emerge as we get closer to 2026!”
The GAS team and Ruskin Mill Land Trust are already planning the transition and will be working together on the 2024 Festival, which will take place August 23-26. Learn more about the International Festival of Glass at www.ifg.org.uk and about the British Glass Biennale at www.glassbiennale.org.