Emiko Sawamoto	Kristen Frantzen Orr	Jennifer Geldard
“Art or craft? It is not important to me. I create glass objects because it pleases me, not to ‘voice my inner self’ or ‘to make statements.’ I love small objects with diminutive details.”	“When I am working at the torch, I become centered and my mind switches over to a quiet place where I can express feelings that are too deep for words.”	“I’m interested in the textures I have been able to create by allowing glass to speak for itself. Lately, my focus has been on enamels, reactive glass and metals. By observing some of the chemical reactions taking place, my time at the torch becomes playtime as I experiment and wonder. “

In 1993 some of the country’s first glass artists converged for an exhibit of contemporary glass beadmaking at The Bead Museum in Prescott, Arizona. Although glass beadmaking is an artform dating back almost

Lisa St. Martin
“Because of my background in furnace blowing, my beads tend to be quite large and sculptural. Glass allows me to play with color and light to build depth and capture it all in glorious abundance.”

thirty-five hundred years, at the time of the exhibit there was little in the way of resources that served to catalyze the American glass beadmaking community. Recognizing this void, the small group of glass enthusiasts that had gathered in the Museum formed The Society of Glass Beadmakers (SGB). United by their love of glass works, the founders of the non-profit SGB sought to open the doors of communication and mentoring between members, thereby promoting growth and recognition of the intrinsic value of glass beads, both amongst artists and the public alike. Eventually SGB expanded to also include artists working internationally, and changed its name to The International Society of Glass Beadmakers (ISGB).

In contrast to early beadmakers––many of whom worked in isolation ––ISGB brought a new collaborative approach to glass beadmaking in an effort to resurrect ancient traditions. Members share techniques and knowledge about tools, design, new innovations, and business concerns in an annual national conference and can also find support from local subgroups that have sprung up around the country.

	Carter Seibels
	“Glass has a mind of its own and constantly reminds me that I am the student, it the teacher.”

It seems only fitting then that today’s much larger ISBG membership will reconvene at The Bead Museum once more, (now located in Glendale, Arizona), in celebration of both the Museum’s twentieth anniversary and the progress glass bead arts have made in the years since that first meeting. The jointly organized Trajectories: An Exhibition Exploring Contemporary Glass Bead Making, serves as a testament to the technological and creative advances made in the movement in the last decade and a half.

The exhibition presents the work of sixty-seven artists, fifty of whom are from the United States, thirteen from Japan, one from Australia, and one from Murano, Italy––where this artform has its more recent roots, stemming from artisans in the sixteenth century. Trajectories artists create beads using both soft and hard glass, and all methods–– lampwork, sculptural lampwork, kiln formed and furnace work, lending a diversity of form, color and detail. Add to this each artist’s individual style, inspiration and technique and you have a collection of beads each unique in their own way.

Inara Knight	Terri Caspary Schmidt	Nancy Tobey
“I look to the universe, to the smallest grain of sand, to sights and sounds, hoping to find inspiration. We have amazing tools and glass at our disposal and a wealth of information at our fingertips, so it feels like a waste if originality isn’t part of the goal.”	“Repeating patterns and symmetrical forms in nature inspire me. Caterpillars, egg casings, seed pods, and starfish —all these things interest me and I find stylized elements of these forms emerging in my beads.”	“Since 1996 I have been creating art glass beads using borosilicate glass. By applying multiple layers of color I am able to create a sensation of movement that is hidden under a smooth exterior.”

The ISGB is a group that has worked hard to both spread interest in glass beadmaking, as well as promote higher standards for this artform, integrating well into the active community of studio glass artists worldwide.

Trajectories runs through March 16, 2007, after which the collection will travel to select locations across the United States. Trajectories, progressions in contemporary art glass beads, a forty-eight page catalog of images from each artist featured in the show, is available for sale through the Museum.

Published in Ornament Magazine, Volume 30, No. 2, 2006.
—Author Jill DeDominicis is Editorial Assistant of Ornament.
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