Waterford, Ireland’s Glass Heritage
Waterford, Ireland’s Glass Heritage- Maintaining a Living Tradition for the Future
Two events, June 4 & 7 2015
GAS, The Glass Art Society holds an annual conference to bring together an international community of glass enthusiasts and artists from every discipline of glass (blowing, hot casting, kiln work, stained glass, flame working, beadmaking, cold work etc). This year at Interface: Glass, Art, and Technology, at the San Jose Museum of Art in San Jose you can listen to Ireland’s representatives at a panel presentation at 2pm June 4th.
Panel Presentation June 4 at 2pm (free event at San Jose Museum of Art)
Join Dublin, Ireland sculptor Róisín de Buitléar, Waterford Glass Cutters Fred Curtis and Karl Hayes and Dublin National College of Art and Design Glass professor Caroline Madden for a fascinating discussion on life at the glass factory in Waterford and explore how glass artists and industry can help toward building a new future for glass making in Ireland.
Glass Art Society Demonstration June 7 at 10am (ticketed event at San Jose State University purchase tickets)
Róisín de Buitléar, Fred Curtis and Karl Hayes are invited Presenters of the Glass Art Society annual conference, which is meeting in San Jose June 5-7. They will demonstrate glass cutting, live, on Sunday morning June 7 in the San Jose State University Glass Studio from 10:00-11:30 am.
Led by Róisín de Buitléar, with Irish Master Glassmakers, Fred Curtis and Karl Hayes, the artists will demonstrate the diversity and potential in cold glass cutting and sculpting in crystal. See these world-renowned glass masters demonstrate glass sculpting from solid block, vessel pattern cutting, diamond point engraving and drawing with the copper-wheel, smattered with gems of history and lore from the Irish factory floor.
For centuries the Irish have been regarded as supreme artists in crystal glass, particularly in the techniques of cutting and engraving. Apprentices, under the guidance of Master Craftsmen, began working as teenagers to learn the intricacies of the art of working with crystal and these skills have been handed down over generations and have helped to support families and communities providing much needed employment. Now, however, crystal glass manufacturing in Ireland is hanging by a thread. The famous Waterford factory, which served for decades as a symbol of Irish artistic heritage, closed in 2009 and other famous glass factories in Cavan, Galway and Tyrone have closed, selling off equipment and putting hundreds of glassmakers out of work. Once known worldwide as the best and finest, Irish crystal glass manufacturing has faced impossible challenges partly due to economic shifts which were beyond the control of the thousands of families intertwined in the decline of the industry.
According to de Buitléar, “Glassmaking represents a distinct cultural identity in Ireland. It was a way of life for thousands of Irish skilled workers. Each glass factory closure is taking with it intangible qualities of a community’s capabilities: its potentialities, cultural distinctiveness and social relationships.”
Artist Biographies:
Karl Hayes, Copper wheel engraver – Waterford, Ireland.
Karl began his engraving apprenticeship at age 14 under the tutelage of his father Tom Hayes, one of the most renowned Master Engravers at the Waterford Crystal factory. He began by working at home on an old copper lathe. 1995 saw Hayes working as a cutter with Tara Crystal Lighting, designing, building and fitting, a wide variety of chandeliers for the worldwide market. Working as an independent engraver for 25 years, he has been commissioned by small independent crystal companies and larger factories such including Tipperary and Waterford Crystal.
Fred Curtis – internationally renowned cold glass sculptor Co. Wexford, Ireland.
Industrially trained at the world famous Waterford crystal factory from the age of 16, his glassmaking knowledge and his ability in confectioning shapes out of glass on the wheel, is legendary. Much of his skill is self taught and refined after many years of finding solutions to commission demands during his 30 years at the Waterford Glass factory sculpting department. Sought after by connoisseurs and collectors worldwide, Fred has designed presentation pieces for public figures such as: Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth, US Presidents Barak Obama, Bill Clinton,& Ronald Regan, Mother Theresa of Calcutta. He has recently been an artist in residence at Museum of Glass Tacoma and co-taught with Roísín de Buitléar at Pichuck Glass school 2014.
Róisín de Buitléar – visual artist, an alumna of the National College of Art and Design.
Róisín has completed many site-specific installations of blown, cast and architectural work, drawing her inspiration from her cultural heritage. Working with many forms of glass making, her artworks are represented in national collections in Ireland, Britain, Japan, China and USA and in Public buildings all over Ireland. Her work spans architecture, sculpture, and design. She teaches internationally and is recognized as an ambassador for Ireland’s glass community.
Dr. Caroline Madden – educator/artist who lectures in glass at the National College of Art and Design.
Caroline received her MFA from Massachusetts College of Art Boston (1992), and was professor of Art, Jacksonville University (1992-2007), directed, Governors High School Summer Program for Gifted and High Achieving Students (2001), (2003),. She was Visiting Assistant Professor of Art at School for American Craft, RIT (2001-2002) and taught workshops at Pilchuck Glass School, Urban Glass, Pittsburgh Glass Centre, the Fire Station Workshops. Madden received a Masters in Fine Art from the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston in 1992 and a PhD. See calendar for details of venues etc.,