Home from Montreal
June 1, 2010
The Montreal Conference Transparent Transformation was an incredible success, from the opening ceremony at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art on Wednesday evening where we celebrated the work and achievements of the cofounders of Espace VERRE, François Houdé (posthumously) and Ronald Labelle, and the work of Bancroft, Ontario artist Kevin Lockau, to the brunch on Sunday hosted by Art Mur where both Julia Reimer and Tyler Rock have solo exhibitions taking place.
On behalf of the Board of Directors for the organization I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to Christian Poulin, Catherine Piazzon, Cédric Ginart, Caroline Ouellette, Catherine Benoit, Carole Frève, Jessica MacDonald and Laura Sasseville for giving so generously of their time and efforts over the past two years to put this conference together. I would also personally like to thank the GAAC Board and all the other volunteers for coming together to help make this event happen. When a community comes together amazing things can occur. The sponsors, supporters and partners of the conference and Verre Couture are listed in the links and we thank them again, as we all know this week in Montreal could not have happened with out you.
The lectures were thoughtful and inspiring, and some generated much needed discussion. We have permission to print Anthony Schafermeyer’s lecture and once it has been translated into French it will appear on this site. I did not get a chance to see any of the demonstrations but fortunately for me and those who could not attend they are being made available on a DVD for $20. Espace VERRE will have the disk available initially, and we hope to be able to have it soon as well.
I’d also like to thank the vendors in the Technical Display area (Colour Fusion, Studio Glass Batch, Hub Glass, Digitry, and Euclid Kilns). You guys make what we do possible.
And then there were the parties. The opening of the members exhibition sponsored by GisterBlistz Glass Art Works was a great opportunity to connect with new friends and reconnect with old. The Boudoir de Verre, hosted by Rika Hawes and Gérald Collard, explored our hidden and not so hidden talents, with all the flair of a good old gaac party. Amanda Taylor has a link up on her blog to a part of that evening. Too much fun! And then there was the Verre Couture.
Can the glass fashion show ever be the same again? Duc C. Nguyên has graciously allowed us to repost the final parade of both the first half and the second half of the show. You can also check out the Espace VERRE facebook page for more images.
On the way home from Montreal we stopped at the Pointe-Claire Cultural Centre to see the exhibition ‘As seen through glass’ by Donald Robertson and Sue Edgerley. It is an incredibly beautiful retrospective exhibition which they have self curated. The subtle ties that link the works speaks volumes about the nature of the creative couple. If you have the chance to visit the exhibition which is on until June 20th, I highly recommend it. For those of you who are not able to, I have heard that a catalogue is in the works.
The conference always brings some changes to our Board of Directors. Caroline Ouellette, Natali Rodrigues, and Marcia DeVicque are leaving us and Diana Fox, Benjamin Kikkert, Wendy McPeak, Steve Tippin, and Rachael Wong have decided to talk the plunge and get involved. Thank you all. I will have a bit more to say about the new board members next time around, but as I had said in my last post we are still looking for someone to take the treasurers position. Interested? Please get in touch gaacpresident@gmail.com.
Hope your summer is magic,
Brad
