2024 Symposium Presentations

Spotlighting trends beginning in the 1920s to create new glass colors utilizing rare earth oxides that varied when viewed in natural or artificial light, Amy will tract the evolution of these technological and artistic developments in Steuben Glass Works under Frederick Carder’s artistic leadership and other contemporary American and European glass companies that were racing to develop their own versions. In examining both the dynamic nature of the glass that changed colors in different light and the increased global speed at which ideas and technology were transmitted between American and Europe, this talk contextualizes the kinetic characteristic of rare earths glass within the larger Art Deco period’s focus on movement and animation. 

Amy J. Hughes, PhD, joined CMOG in October 2022.  She specializes in 19th and 20th-century and contemporary Central European glass, sculpture, photography and visual culture. She is the curator of the 2023 CMOG exhibition, Local Color: Secrets of Steuben Glass Works.  Prior to her move to Corning, Amy was based in Prague, Czech Republic for seven years while conducting archival research, in situ analysis and artist interviews for her dissertation. Amy has held positions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection and has also taught and lectured extensively on art and glass    history classes in the United States, France and the Czech Republic.

Lighting glass for photography requires an understanding of how this unique material transmits, refracts, reflects, and distorts light. With an understanding of these optical properties, we can reveal detail by exploiting the ways glass interacts optically with its surroundings in a carefully controlled lighting environment. In other words, photographing a glass object is really a process of capturing what it looks like as it interacts with its environment rather than merely lighting the object directly. In this talk, various photographic setups and approaches will be described and demonstrated, with an emphasis on lighting principles that can be put to use with a variety of equipment and materials, including DIY and inexpensive solutions.

Andrew Fortune joined the museum in 1996 as a Preparator and Photography Assistant and, after becoming hooked on the challenges of photographing glass, he subsequently held the positions of Assistant Photographer, Photographer, and Photographer/Digital Imaging Supervisor before assuming his current position in 2015.  Before coming to CMOG, Andy held positions at The Rockwell Museum and the Goldie Paley and Levy Galleries at Moore College of Art and Design. He holds a BA in Art History and Psychology from Swarthmore College.

In 1915 Dorflinger Glass Company launched its Reproduction line – pastel-colored glass inspired by Venetian designs – a departure from the firm’s traditional brilliant cut glass. In 1924, glass company H. Northwood Co. published “The Lure of Rainbow,” a promotional pamphlet devoted to his radiant colored glassware. Around the same time, Steuben glass also began promoting their modern designs in “cool colors and quaint contours.” This presentation will look at the marketing of the colorful tableware of the 1910s and 1920s, with a specific focus on Steuben’s colored advertising.

Amy McHugh joined the curatorial team in September 2023 as Curator of Modern Glass.  Amy previously held curatorial positions at the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement in St. Petersburg, FL and the Tiffany & Co. Archives in Parsippany, NJ. Her work centered on objects created by American Arts and Craft practitioners utilizing glass as well as Tiffany’s heritage including the designing, importing, and retailing of glass and silver-mounted glass.  She received her MA in History of Decorative Arts and Design from Parsons The New School and is a member of numerous professional glass organizations and contributed to various decorative arts publications.

The Studio at CMOG opened in 1996 with the vision of being a place for artists to create, learn, and share. For almost 30 years its programs have played a pivotal role in developing, supporting and shaping the international field of glass – from its intensive classes and leading-edge glass making equipment for artists to rent to its artists residency program.  In 2024, the Studio achieved another milestone by expanding its physical footprint and launching several new programs that will shape glassmaking into the future.  Richard will offer a deep dive into The Studio’s impact on glass and it’s new programing.  He will also share his work and his inspirations. A tour of The Studio will follow.

Richard Whiteley was part of the team supporting The Studio’s major program and facility expansion. He joined the staff at The Studio in 2019 after heading the prestigious Glass Workshop at the School of Art & Design, Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra for 17 years. He has worked in glass since the age of 16 when he commenced an apprenticeship in stained glass. He received a Bachelor of Visual Arts from the School of Art & Design, ANU, Canberra before earning an MFA from the University of Illinois, Urbana. Richard  is also an active practicing artist working in cast glass. He is  represented in numerous public collections and museums internationally.   

Using materials from contemporary newspapers, magazines, and trade publications, the presentation will share views of the founding, growth, and products of the Steuben Glass Works and of the life and accomplishments of Frederick Carder during the years from 1903 to the mid-1930’s. These publications reflected the public interest in the introduction of a company in Corning that produced innovative, high quality art glass and in the person most responsible for the creative ideas behind the work. Frederick Carder also played a prominent role in the civic life of Corning for many decades.

Sue Maynard attended Wellesley College and Case Western Reserve University, earning a B.A. and M.A. in History and a Certificate in Management from CWRU’s Weatherhead School of Management.  She taught history at the high school level, made the transition to IT and consulting, and worked as a systems project manager at a large regional bank corporation in Cleveland. Sue has volunteered and served as a board member at several non-profits and museums.  Her interest in Art Deco era glass and ceramics has led to collecting, scholarly research, writing, and presentations, focusing on both U.S. and British production.

The history of Loetz is an interesting story of a glasshouse with a curious name – Johann Loetz Witwe, (widow).  Loetz began as a family business which rose to become one of the greatest glass works in Bohemia and Central Europe. Karen will endeavor to describe the firm’s journey from its inception to its intersection with Tiffany which started its Art Nouveau glory days to its final closure after World War II.

Karen Beeman, along with her husband Cyrus have been avid glass   collectors for over 40 years. Along with collecting American and European glass, they were glass and porcelain Antique Dealers doing business as The Gilded Plate. Karen is retired from a career in maintenance, engineering and procurement in the oil industry as well as an antiques dealer.   Karen currently serves as the Carder Steuben Glass Association President. 

Steve’s long career included care and cleaning of thousands of glass objects, as well as repair and re-repair of broken objects. He introduced new materials and techniques for repairing and restoring broken objects and presented these developments to the conservation world through lectures, teaching and publications. The Conservation Department expanded both in size and in staff, with two new conservators added, including one specializing in contemporary glass.  This lecture highlights some of the many challenges in the care and conservation of glass and offers a behind-the-scenes look at CMOG’s fantastic collections.

Steve Koob received an MA (1976) in Classical Archaeology from Indiana University, and a BSc (1980) in Archaeological Conservation and Materials Science from the Institute of Archaeology, University of London.  From 1986-1998 he worked as conservator, specializing in ceramics and glass, at the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.  In 1998 he went to The Corning Museum of Glass, from where he has recently retired, as Chief Conservator Emeritus. He has recently published a book, “Conservation and Care of Glass Objects”. He is a Fellow of IIC (International Institute for Conservation) and a Fellow of AIC (American Institute for Conservation). In 2022 he received the Robert L. Feller Lifetime Achievement Award from AIC.

Association members and other collectors have contributed images of vintage lighting from an array of glassmakers and manufacturers, including Steuben, Tiffany, Quezal and others.  Now you will see how people use these lamps, shades, and fixtures in their homes and the decorative elements surrounding each fabulous piece. 

Cheryl Dartt, CSGA Secretary presents this wonderful compilation of images of members’ lighting and homes