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Bibi Smit exhibits glass installation in Venice

Wouldn’t it be nice to be in a space where you can forget everything, turn off your thoughts and only focus on your senses for a moment? To find a moment of stillness? Opening on 20 April 2024, Bibi Smit aims to achieve this feeling with her latest artwork, ‘Surge’, which will be shown in the Palazzo Mora in Venice, Italy, as part of the collective exhibition ‘Personal Structures’.

‘Surge’ is a site-specific installation that invites the audience to step away from reality as we perceive it. It consists of blown glass sculptures, video projections and sound. Filmed in the area around her studio, each video loop shows fragments of water reflections and fire, creating a subtle, strange and dreamy image. Viewers are invited to experience the alienating feeling of not knowing exactly what they are seeing. As they try to make sense of the shapes, the video morphs into organic elements. The mind turns off thoughts and worries and becomes part of the immersive experience. For a moment, the imaginative space is full of possibilities, colour and movement.

Bibi Smit is known for creating sculptures and installations exploring the patterns and movement of natural phenomena, such as clouds, murmurations and water. She has shown her work in national and international exhibitions since the 1990s. She lives and works in the Netherlands.

This biennial exhibition is hosted by the European Cultural Centre and runs from 20 April 20 to 24 November 2024. It is free to visit and open every day except Tuesdays from 10am to 6pm.

Find out more: https://www.bibismit.nl/surge.html and https://personalstructures.com

Image: Detail of Bibi Smit’s ‘Surge’ (2024), comprising blown and sandblasted glass, projection and sound (H: 309cm, W: 87cm, D: 378cm).

QEST Sanderson Rising Star craft award

Do you know a UK-based emerging maker worthy of recognition who you would like to nominate for an impressive award?

The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) is collaborating with international luxury interior furnishings brand Sanderson, to launch a prestigious new prize, the ‘QEST Sanderson Rising Star Craft Award’.

This prize will recognise an emerging talent who is making a positive contribution to their craft, the wider craft sector and community. This person will be a committed maker who has been practising professionally in their craft field for between two and seven years.

It is open to craftspeople across the UK and offers a career-changing cash prize of £25,000.

Makers must be nominated by a credible person – which includes craft industry professionals, tutors, colleagues, peers or others who must know the maker and their work well in a professional capacity.

Please note: nominators can only put forward one candidate for the award.

Nominations close on Friday 17 May 2024 and the winner will be announced in October.

Click here to read the nomination criteria and fill in a nomination form.

Click here to learn more about the Award and the list of judges.

Apply for series 3 of Make it at Market

Many of us have seen the popular BBC tv series ‘Make it at Market’, which helps up-and-coming artisans to progress a career in their chosen craft. If you are a UK-based stained glass artist, or another type of glass artist, now is your chance to apply to be selected for the third series of the show.

The BAFTA-nominated BBC1 series follows a select group of amateur makers who are mentored through the practicalities and pitfalls of turning a hobby into a business. The aim is to give the successful applicants the knowledge and opportunity to transform their lives.

The first and second series can be found on BBC iPlayer by searching ‘Make it at Market’, which provides a sense of the tone of the programme. Programme makers Flabbergast TV, say, “It’s very warm-hearted and really shines a light on the brilliant makers, artists and crafts people that are working in the UK today.”

Applicants must be aged 18 or over. For more information and to apply, email MIAM@flabbergast.tv

Grand designs: an odyssey that started with orchids

American glassblower Jason Gamrath sells his larger-than-life botanical sculptures for many hundreds of thousands of dollars today, but he spent years perfecting his vision and learning the hard way about how the art world works. Here he explains how he has developed a thriving business.

I started my glass career when I was 15 years old at Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle, US, on the high school programme. About two weeks after I started blowing glass I made a purple vase and sold it, which showed me that people liked my style, and also that I could sell what I made. This gave me the impetus to follow a career with glass.

I had many wonderful teachers at Pratt, my first being David Minetti. He made us all feel like we could achieve anything we wanted. However, the most supportive person there was Paula Stokes, who helped me focus on a serious career path. She saw something in me from the start, introducing me in an early class with, “This is Jason. He’ll probably be blowing glass for the rest of his life.” It turned out she was correct! I am so grateful to her for being such an excellent, caring and inspiring person in my early years.

A detail of one Jason’s giant signature orchids made from glass. Photo: Lumina Studio/Dan Fox.

When I was old enough, I applied to Dale Chihuly’s Pilchuck Glass School. My mother helped me with my Pilchuck application, and we submitted it online with a minute to spare before the deadline. After a month or two, I received a letter saying I had been accepted by lottery!  I was only one of ten people from over 100 applicants who had applied from over ten different countries. It felt like I was meant to be there and study with the best.

It takes a dedicated team to assemble all the parts of each sculpture. Each Red Hot Poker comprises many blown glass pieces. Photo: Jason Gamrath.
A small selection of the different pieces that make up the Red Hot Poker sculptures. Photo: Jason Gamrath.

The artists at Pilchuck on William Morris’s team included Randy Walker, Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen, Jasen Johnsen, Rik Allen, JohnnyO, Kelly O’Dell, Raven Skyriver and Niko Dimitrijevic. They represented possibly one of the best glass teams ever put together in the history of the world.

At the end of the course, Randy invited me to work for him. I cried with joy and I gave it my all from then on. I spent around six years studying under him, and other top artists, while simultaneously developing my own work.

At one point I had a job offer from Dale Chihuly, but I had to decline because I wanted to create new work that the world had never seen before; I had to go my own way.

I finally saved up enough money to purchase a studio with a 14-foot ceiling. It was perfect for the large size sculptures I wanted to create.

Jason’s inspiration was an orchid at his parents’ house. It is physically challenging to create these large pieces quickly so they can be annealed.

When I was about 18, I had been inspired by a beautiful orchid at my parents’ house. I thought if I were able to make it out of glass, it would be one of the most beautiful sculptures ever. That was the starting point for my intense dedication to creating such a piece. I failed hundreds of times and it took me nearly four years to create the first orchid. However, by the time I had created the second or third, it was obvious that I had something very special, both in terms of a technical glass sculpture and in terms of the emotional reaction to these pieces as well – everyone felt the magic when standing underneath these massive orchids, which seemed to have great wisdom. I was further encouraged by the responses of everyone who saw them.

I put multiples together and then began creating the entire orchid plant, with flowers, buds, tendrils, roots and leaves.

That is when things started to take off for me professionally. I was invited on TV shows across the US and as far from Seattle as Japan, Ukraine and Greece. A famous designer flew me out to discuss projects, plus hundreds of articles were published in the press. Clearly the orchid in glass was something very special and I was excited to follow this path. However, what I really wanted to do was multi-million dollar projects – not to make a ton of money (although that does come with the territory), but to be able to fund and create exhibitions that would blow people’s minds. I aspired to create shows that people could see ten times and find something new on each visit.

The scale of these sculptures can be seen in this outdoor exhibition. Photo: Jason Gamrath.

At the age of 23 I heard about a big art competition with a top prize of $200,000. I made a load of glass work and exhibited it at a prestigious art museum venue for the show. I used up the limits on two credit cards to be able to make the pieces and deliver them.

The winner was decided by the greatest number of public votes, with the artists buying vote cards with a voting number on for the public to vote for their favourite. I got into the top ten, with a prize of $10,000, all of which I spent on buying more vote cards. Then I had a call from a lawyer for the competition saying I needed to sign a document stating that, if I won, everything I had in the exhibition would become the property of the organisers. My work on display was worth $300,000, which meant that if got the top prize, I would actually be losing $100,000. Immediately I stopped the vote cards.

From that point on, I started connecting with the wealthy people of the area and instead, I was able to sell almost all of the work that I’d entered in the competition. I didn’t win the first prize, but I sold $350,000 of art privately. That experience taught me a valuable lesson and I was lucky to learn it so young. When it was time to drive home, I got rid of my U-Haul truck, bought myself a Ferrari, and headed back to Seattle with my head held high.

I spent the next several years creating enormous glass sculptures. Knowing I had some very powerful artwork, I started looking for an impactful place to exhibit.

Large venues like this space at Phipps Conservatory are Jason’s preferred exhibition locations. Photo: Phipps Conservatory.

Finally, I found a project worth the effort. It required me to create 400 individual pieces. I spent all the money I had – hundreds of thousands of dollars – to create about 50 extra artworks to show, because I wanted the exhibition to be the absolute best it could be. Maybe it was because I exceeded the amount, or thanks to the support of my exhibitor, that the PR campaign was so wide-reaching. I was on radio shows, TV shows, did autograph signings and everything that made me feel important. Vast numbers of people visited the exhibition. And afterwards I bought my second Ferrari.

Glass Pitcher Plants recreated in large size and volume make an impressive display. Photo: Jason Gamrath.

However, I realised that getting all that attention was not the important part; rather, it was creating something that made people react emotionally, so I returned to that goal. I am now eight years into putting on huge shows over several months, which bring hundreds of thousands of people to see them.

The most rewarding part is seeing how people react to the work. A lot of people cry from joy at the beauty of work, but, perhaps more importantly, I see people cry with sadness when a piece reminds them of lost loved ones. People react not to the physical form of it, the beauty, the colour, the symmetry, or anything that would make a piece of art ‘good’, but to the pure energy that comes from it. The work connects with people on a deep level. I did not do this; I just let it flow through me, and, when I look at them myself, I am often very emotional. I know this sounds crazy, but once you have seen one in person, you will understand.

My aim is always to put on exhibitions where, ideally, 200,000 people visit. I achieve this by using venues like large hotels, grand openings around the world, botanical gardens and conservatories. Of course, private clients are a part of my business, but larger institutions are my favourites.

Jason aims for the wow factor with his colourful waterlilies created from metal and glass. Photo: Jason Gamrath.

I have huge emotional support from my family, friends and dog. When I commit to an exhibition, it takes a year or more of total dedication to the work and I could not achieve it all without them. If you are reading this, and you have helped on my project in some way, thank you so much – it would be impossible without you!

For anyone wanting to have a fruitful career with glass art, I would say it is important to serve an apprenticeship under a famous artist who makes incredible artwork! Tell them you will work for free, you’ll be 100% committed and work for them seven days a week, if required. If you give your energy to that person training you, they will help you to build your career. Once you have learned the basic skills, go out on your own and chase your goals. This may or may not be through galleries, but could be in the wider world, through institutions that love your work for what it represents. Find these people and I guarantee you will be successful!

Find out more about Jason Gamrath and his work via his website: http://www.jasongamrathglass.com

Main feature image: Jason Gamrath with his larger-than-life Venus Fly Trap glass sculpture. Photo: Lumina Studio/Dan Fox.

CGS and SGS members apply for joint exhibition

Would you like the opportunity to show your glass work in Scotland this autumn? If you are a UK-based member of the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) or Scottish Glass Society (SGS), apply now to exhibit in the ‘Balance and Harmony’ exhibition.

The SGS has invited CGS to collaborate on a joint exhibition of contemporary glass art, created by members of both societies. A panel will select the chosen pieces.

The exhibition will be held in the Trades Hall, Glasgow, Scotland, in the Merchant City area. It runs from 18 to 25 September 2024, coinciding with the Glasgow ‘Doors Open’ week. There will be a Private View/Opening on 17 September at 6pm.

The ‘Balance and Harmony’ theme invites artists to explore the interplay between contrasting elements, whether through form, colour, texture or concept, and to express the inherent beauty found in harmonious coexistence.

Artists may choose to interpret this theme in a myriad of ways, addressing not only the balance and unity within their individual artworks, but also reflecting on broader societal, environmental and spiritual notions of harmony and equilibrium.

Artworks could range from serene and contemplative pieces that embody a visual sense of tranquillity, to compositions that ingeniously juxtapose disparate elements to create a cohesive and balanced whole. From the use of complementary colours and textures to the incorporation of symbolic imagery representing harmony and equilibrium, the potential for artistic exploration within this theme is vast.

The aim of the exhibition is to demonstrate the amazing contemporary glass that makers of CGS and SGS create and to let the public appreciate and enjoy its magical colours, textures, use of light and variety of techniques.  It is also an opportunity for the public to not only discover their own local glass artists but to encounter work from other SGS and CGS members. The work displayed will feature as wide a range of techniques as possible.

The entry fee is £40 per application for members, plus an additional £15 if the applicant is unable to invigilate during the exhibition opening. The fee for students is £20. This entitles applicants to include a maximum of three entries.

All work should be for sale. There will be a commission of 30% on sales and you should reflect this in the price of your artefact for sale.

Non-members must join CGS or SGS to participate.  Links for membership:
https://cgs.org.uk/join-today/
https://scottishglasssociety.com/register/

Closing date for submissions is 5pm on Friday 26 July 2024. Apply via Curatorspace.

CGS New Horizons exhibition at Stourbridge Glass Museum this summer

Following on from the Contemporary Glass Society’s (CGS) successful 25th Anniversary exhibition at the Stourbridge Glass Museum in 2022, we are returning to the Museum with the show ‘New Horizons’ in 2024.

This exhibition will showcase new work that has not been exhibited before, made by over 20 invited artists, using both traditional and modern methods of glass making. This contemporary work challenges and explores the boundaries of glass.

‘Mutualism Triptych’ by Verity Pulford. Photo: Stephen Heaton Photography.

Glassmaking processes including hot glass, casting, kiln formed, pâte de verre, lampworking, neon and stained glass will be represented by the following artists: Anthony Amoako Attam, Emma Baker, Philip Baldwin and Monica Guggisberg, Heike Brachlow, Sarah Brown, Karen Browning, Penny Carter, James Devereux, Catherine Dunstan, Fiaz Elson, Dominic Fonde, Richard Jackson, Verity Pulford, Susan Purser Hope, Laura Quinn, Tim Rawlinson, Opal Seabrook, Ruth Shelley, Angela Thwaites and Brian Waugh.

New Horizons runs for four months from 13 July to 17 November 2024 and coincides with the Stourbridge-based International Festival of Glass and British Glass Biennale, which take place during the summer, so make sure to visit if you are coming to that event. Alongside this stunning display of work, CGS will be running supporting events, including artist talks and an opportunity to meet some of the makers.

Penny Carter’s ‘Totem Vases’. Photo: Thomas Moran Images.

This cornucopia of glass work reflects the dynamism and sheer talent of contemporary glass in this country and demonstrates how glass makers continue to develop and challenge our understanding of glass as an artistic medium.

The Stourbridge Glass Museum is an ideal venue to host this display of exemplary contemporary glass from CGS members. As well as highlighting glass from the present day, the Museum houses over 500 items from the internationally renowned Stourbridge Glass Collection, celebrating the heritage of glassmaking locally and internationally.

Stourbridge Glass Museum is at Stuart Works, High Street, Wordsley DY8 4FB, UK. https://www.stourbridgeglassmuseum.org.uk


Main image: ‘Trewyn Light’ by Tim Rawlinson. Photo: Alick Cotterill.

Exhibit at Blowfish Glass Gallery in Fifteen x Fifteen exhibition

Blowfish Glass Gallery is looking for 30 glass artists to showcase their creations in its ‘Fifteen x Fifteen’ exhibition in Stourbridge as part of the International Festival of Glass (IFoG) celebrations this summer.

The challenge is to create a unique piece of glass art no larger than 15cm cubed.  Submissions are encouraged from all glass processes, from flameworking and hot sculpting to pâte de verre, stained glass and more. This compact format encourages an exciting opportunity to experiment with new ideas and techniques to push the limits of artistic vision.

‘Fifteen x Fifteen’ marks the Gallery’s founding role in the new Glass Legacy Association Stourbridge (GLAS).

Alongside the exhibition, which takes place from 23 August to 23 September 2024, there will be an opening event featuring demonstrations by ten renowned glass artists.

The Gallery is partnering with the IFoG to deliver a programme of events during August 2024.

This exhibition provides successful artists with the opportunity to display their artwork in a historic setting at Blowfish Glass Gallery, located within the Red House Glass Cone units.

Gallery founder Bethany Wood said, “We anticipate a large number of visitors during the opening event, which coincides with the International Festival of Glass 2024. Take this chance to present your artistic vision to a dedicated audience of collectors and glass enthusiasts.”

Deadline for submissions is midnight on Thursday 30 May 2024 (12am BST).

For full details about ‘Fifteen x Fifteen’ and to apply, Click here.

Call for papers for Making Futures conference

Arts University Plymouth is hosting its biennial research platform, Making Futures, in October 2024, and is inviting contributions from designers, artists, makers, educators, scholars, policymakers, scientists and creators.

Convened and curated by Associate Professor Stephanie Owens, Dean of Arts, Design & Media at Arts University Plymouth, this year’s conference will explore creative encounters with current material research and innovation where artists, artisans and designers work across disciplines and communities toward a more equitable, sustainable and resilient world.

The programme of presentations, demonstrations and material masterclasses takes place from 17 to 19 October 2024 at the university campus in Plymouth, UK, and online.

The conference will explore social and material innovations, individual and global fabrication, analogue and digital technologies, knowledge production and exchange, archival and experimental processes, collaborations and partnerships, projects and products, studio pedagogies and practices which will influence the future of craft as a material practice and as a cultural idea.

Making Futures was established in 2009 as a platform for dialogue around contemporary craft and maker movements and how they relate to the creative industries in 21st century society.

Six conference tracks have been selected for 2024:

  • Craftsmanship, Artisanal Knowledge and the Aesthetics of Place
  • Rethinking the Relationship Between Body, Fashion and Ornament
  • Generative Materials? Toward a Convergence of AI and Matter
  • Softsystems – Biology, Networks and Post-natural Frameworks for Co-creativity
  • Optimising Craft Techniques for Sustainable Alternatives to Extractive Practices
  • Futurecraft – Pathways for Art, Design and Materials Science Research Collaborations.

The call for papers is now open online via this link. The deadline for submissions is 15 April 2024 at 5pm (BST).

Keynote speakers and details about registering to attend Making Futures in person or online will be announced in May 2024.

British Glass Biennale and International Bead Biennale artists announced

The International Festival of Glass has announced the 121 artists selected for the 2024 British Glass Biennale exhibition.

The expert judging panel, comprising Candice-Elena Greer (chair), Martin Donlin, Nadania Idriss, Tanya Raabe-Webber and Annie Warburton, selected the very best of this year’s entries from 326 applications, all of which achieved a very high standard.

This final year of the show under the organisation of the Ruskin Mill Trust saw a 31% increase in applications to take part in this showcase of the most interesting, diverse and outstanding glass art made in the UK in the last two years.

Artists selected for the British Glass Biennale (main section) are: Tamsin Abbott, Emma Baker, Vic Bamforth, Carol Bayada, Emily Bellhouse, Heike Brachlow, Steve Brown, Sarah Brown, Karen Browning and Jon Lewis, Charlie Burke, Susan Burne, Nina Casson McGarva, Ian Chadwick, James Cockerill, Katharine Coleman, Keith Cummings, Christopher Day, Sacha Delabre, James Denison-Pender, James Devereux, Celia Dowson, Laura Dutton, Fiaz Elson, Sally Fawkes, Karen Ferrand, Dominic Fonde, Gary Fovargue, Alec Galloway, Hannah Gibson, Stephen Graham, Claire Hall, Kate Henderson, Caz Hildebrand, Madeleine Hughes, Katherine Huskie, Richard Jackson, Kate Jones and Stephen Gillies, Choi Keeryong, Joshua Kerley and Guy Marshall Brown, Oksana Kondratyeva, Isabella Kullmann, Nadia Lammas, Monette Larsen, Peter Layton, Lola Lazaro Hinks, Jessie Lee, James Lethbridge, Julie Light, Jane Littlefield, James Maskrey, Sam Mukumba, Rachel Mulligan, Tracy Nicholls, Marzena Ostromecka, April Owens, Jacque Pavlosky, Rachel Phillips, Jade Pinnell, Richard Platt, Verity Pulford, Laura Quinn, Tim Rawlinson, David Reekie, Colin Reid, Bruno Romanelli, Annie Ross, Penelope Jane Ross, Layne Rowe, Charlotte Savill, Anthony Scala, Opal Seabrook, Sarah Shanahan, Sax Shaw, Ruth Shelley, Tracey Sheppard, Amanda Simmons, Cathryn Shilling, Robyn Smith, Sophie Southgate, Andrea Spencer, Helen Slater-Stokes, Dawid Stroyny, Phoebe Stubbs, Nancy Sutcliffe, Jane Vincent, Elliot Walker, Zac Weinberg, Sarah Wiberley, Colin Wilkes, Neil Wilkin, Bethany Wood, Rachel Woodman, Muna Zuberi.

Garvald Glass: John Newey, Cissie Grieves, Shannon Crosbie, Alison Edwards, Callum Smith, David Willis, Nicole Tait, Lizz McFarlene, Dominic Mather, Christopher Cobb, Michael Mclellan, Joseph Gibney, Marzena Ostromeka, Jane McArthur, Ramon Beascoechea, Michele Raine.

The British Glass Biennale Student Section will be represented by: Joanna Ackroyd, Anthony Amoako Atttah, Yiran An, Beth Colledge, Meimei Cui, Jianyun Ding, Helen Gordon, Brynn Hill, Holly Hooper, Ali Jarvis, Hassina Khan, Aria Kiani, Sophie Longwill, Joanna Manousis, Jason McAnuff, Faith Mercer, Helen Restorick, Polly Thomas-Colquhoun, Ziyu Wang, plus Yixue Yang and Wei Ding.

Invited Artists: Keith Brocklehurst, Martin Donlin, Matt Durran.

International Bead Biennale

There were 42 artists selected for the International Bead Biennale by jury members Will Farmer, Carole Morris and Pam Reekie. They represent the US, Canada, Australia, Spain, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Norway, Belgium and the UK.

International Bead Biennale artists selected are: Jeanne-Sophie Aas, Olga Alianova, Laurie Ament, David Bentham, Michele Bevis, Dan Bowran, Michael Bullen, Madeline Bunyan, Helena Castro García, Katharine Coleman, Julie Couch, Pauline Delaney, Sarah Downton, Simon Eccles, Rachel Elliott, Ilsa Fatt, Zoe Garner, Karina Guevin and Cedric Ginart, Brett Gui Xin, April Hilling Ross, Madeleine Hughes, Richard Jones, Joan Keller, Jennie Lamb, Freya Laughton, Ana Llavador, James Lethbridge, Benito Lozano Blanco, Teresa Malcolm, Allister Malcolm, Michaela Maria Moeller, Purnima Patel, Petra Pepper, Maria Popkova, Samantha Sonnefield, Ann Steenkiste, Michi Suzuki, Samantha Sweet, Ayako Tani, Angela Thwaites, Stephanie White and Jolene Wolfe.

Invited Artists

Keith Brocklehurst, Holly Cooper.

There are almost £30,000-worth of awards to be won, with prize winners to be announced at the awards ceremony on 22 August 2024 at the Glasshouse, Stourbridge, UK. Winners of the prizes chosen through public votes will be announced at the closing ceremony on 28 September 2024.

Opening times and venue

The exhibitions are open Tuesday to Saturday from 26 August to 28 September 2024 at the Glasshouse, Wollaston Road, Amblecote, Stourbridge DY8 4HF, UK. The awards ceremony marks the start of the International Festival of Glass, a four-day event celebrating the drama and excitement of glass.

Sunderland University to close glass and ceramics courses

Sunderland University has announced that it is to close its glass and ceramics programme once the current students complete their courses. This means that there will be no recruitment to the undergraduate glass and ceramics course that would have started in September 2024 and current courses will close by summer 2026.

The news follows the January 2023 announcement that the iconic National Glass Centre (NGC) building, where the courses are conducted, would have to close because it needs millions of pounds spent on it to rectify structural issues.

The university said it had been exploring the option of relocating a restructured glass and ceramics programme from the NGC to Priestman Building on City Campus, as part of its work to find alternative locations for activity based in the current NGC building.

It stated, “We commissioned an external project team to produce a feasibility report to assess the scope and viability of relocating, and to provide a high-level cost estimate. The report concluded that moving equipment and undertaking the necessary changes to the building – for example, ventilation and extraction facilities – would cost in the region of £9.4 million.

“Based on this report, and considering the number of glass and ceramics students, the University’s Board of Governors has concluded that relocating glass and ceramics is not financially viable.”

Work to find alternative locations for other activities based at the NGC is ongoing and the university said it remains in active discussion with its key partners, Sunderland Culture and Sunderland City Council, including on the potential to take space in the Culture House.

In the meantime, the NGC building and the activities within it remain open and no decisions have been made regarding the future of the site beyond summer 2026.

A petition the save the NGC has received over 32,000 signatures to date. Jo Howell, who organised it, posted this in response to the latest news: “We stand in solidarity with all of the staff and students. We are distraught to hear that like a thief in the night Sunderland University is taking away our glass and ceramic courses, leading to inevitable loss of highly skilled staff, valued teachers and of course eventually the building itself… We stand with you and we will fight to keep you.”