Following the Symposium last year, Scott Hansen circulated an evaluation form to
solicit comments and suggestions. Over 60% of the attendees (an amazing high
response rate to a survey) returned the evaluation form and the comments and
suggestions were circulated to all of you. We have used those comments and
suggestions to plan and improve this year’s Symposium. Scott, who is co-chairman of this year’s Symposium thought that he would try to describe for you some of the things that have been done in response to the comments that were made (we weren’t able to implement
everything this year but we will keep the suggestions for future years). We will
be sending an evaluation form to everyone again this year. So here are some of
the things that have been done in response to the evaluation form:

1. We are again doing the Hot Glass Participation Program at Rodi Rovner’s.
Sign up on your registration form if you are interested. Because Mr. Carder’s
birthday falls on Thursday this year, those in attendance will have the
opportunity to share in the Annual Birthday Gala presented by Peetie & Tom
Dimitroff at the Corning Country Club.

2. Of course, we will be repeating the Pizza, Wine and Fellowship Gathering at
Hillcrest Manor, Dick Bright and Kyle Goodman’s B & B. (Friday evening though
this year) This was the highest rated event at last year’s Symposium.

3. We will have a staffed registration table to greet Symposium attendees and
pass out materials.

4. The welcome and opening comment period has been shortened.

5. The Rakow Library Public Services Staff will make a short introductory
presentation about a sampling of Carder design drawings and other materials and
then the balance of the time will be used for everyone to review and inspect
more than four tables full of materials. The Rakow staff will be available to
answer questions, facilitate review of the materials (we hope to have magnifying
glasses available to review drawings, signatures, etc.) and to turn pages of
journals for us as we read (we can look but not touch).

6. The food tables at lunch will be accessible from both sides to speed serving.
Note that we will have tables so members can share their ephemera and Dick
Bright will moderate a luncheon discussion of the ephemera findings. Also, the
CMoG market will have a display of bases to display glass and relevant books
available.

7. An agenda and specific proposals for the business meeting have been
prepared and circulated in email to focus the business meeting discussion. Paper
copies will be mailed to members and available at the meeting.

8. The Wine and Dessert Reception Friday night (following the pizza dinner) will
again be held at the Carder Gallery. Tom Dimitroff will be making a short
presentation on the Reifschlager glass bequests to the CMoG.

9. Collector’s Choice will be presented again. Dwight & Jeanette Little and
Brent Wedding will share their collections with us.

10. Many felt the auction Saturday night banquet and auction was too long.
We will try to keep the length of time devoted to the auction more manageable
without sacrificing the “fun” aspect of the evening. We are trying to add a
silent auction feature for some of the glass as well as other steps to keep the
evening moving.

11. An oral history panel of those who knew Frederick Carder has been added to
the program. Hopefully, this will be a very touching program. Since Mr. Carder
died in 1963, the recollections of those who knew him is a memorable and not
likely to be repeated experience. Tom Dimitroff will be the moderator and it will
be recorded and preserved for the Rakow Library collection.

12. A presentation will be made by David Donaldson comparing and contrasting
Frederick Carder’s glass making with that of his contemporaries.

13. Jane Spillman and Tina Oldknow from CMoG will make a presentation and
answer questions about how CMoG acquires glass and other materials (gifts or
purchases) as well as how it disposes of glass and other materials.

First, some may not have received their Symposium brochure or the invitation to
the Carder birthday Gala on Thursday September 18. If you haven’t and you’d
like a copy please let me know by replying and asking.

Next, from the publication of February 17, 1921 from “The Man Who Saw” in
The Pottery, Glass & Brass Salesman. They report on the introduction of “Cintra” and “Or Verre” “a powder effect”. “Nothing like them has ever been produced in glassware.” “The ‘Or Verre’ has about it a slight suggestion of the beautiful Sung glaze, though in design it is more regular than this high type of pottery product, running rather to line effects which suggest the art nouveau to a degree yet are parallel
—– Original Message —–
From: Alan Shovers
Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 11:40 AM
Subject: Carder Steuben Club Gazelle Gazette 8/15/08 Harvey Littleton
Let me recount my day yesterday. My office manager has a love of art glass
and announced, to my surprise, that she had just ordered a small glass furnace.
From that she talked about the recent opening of a glass studio in our art
district. Well, all this then caused me to wax poetically and discuss the
resurgence of the colored art glass movement starting in the early 60s started
by Harvey Littleton. Prior to that time it was widely believed that glass
objects could only be mass-produced.
Out of this discussion the next step was my focusing on the influence of
Frederick Carder in my discussion with my office manager. (Sorry, I just
couldn’t help myself.) Of the several current influential and prominent art
glass schools, one is the Studio at CMoG. I talked about the doorway between
the Studio and the Carder Gallery. How not only are they next door to one
another, but through this doorway are two long cabinets which contain a
representative sampling of much of Mr. Carder’s works. Organized specifically
as an influence to this budding and in training artists. While I’ve heard that
explained to me, I know from talking to Debbie Tarsitano, a glass artist of
growing importance who studied at the Studio that, in fact, the students do
look not only at the Carder Gallery as a whole, but this exhibit at their
doorway serves instructive to them and Mr. Carder’s influence is strongly in
play.
Well the next thing that happened is that I talked to Tom Dimitroff to see
how things are going as he prepares for his part of the programming at our
upcoming Symposium. He reports that he and Jane Spillman of CMoG have
selected pieces from the Reifschlager bequests for an exhibit to be shared at
the Friday evening wine and dessert reception at the Carder Gallery. Also, Tom
talked about his excitement about arranging panelists to discuss their “war
stories” about Mr. Carder based on their personal experiences with Mr.
Carder. It’s been 45 years since his death in 1963, and there are few people
still around who knew and dealt with him. However, Tom thought there is still
enough that this could be a fascinating recounting of this history.
Somehow, from this I mentioned Harvey Littleton and the beginning of the
current colored art glass modern experience. To my surprise Tom recounted to
me that Harvey Littleton was born in Corning and lived just a few doors away
from Mr. Carder. One can only wonder what influence that Frederick Carder
and Steuben Glass must have had on Harvey Littleton considering those
connections. Maybe someone knows some of that history and can relay it. This
only suggests to me that the influence of Frederick Carder on the art glass
movement of not only the early part of the century, but now the current
emergence of colored art glass is much deeper than most realize. Sometimes
we overlook the enormous influence of Mr. Carder.
Now, also yesterday saw me scrambling to get brochures for the Symposium in
the mail. Most brochures went out shortly after the beginning of the month.
However, through several glitches beyond our control and knowledge, we
learned that about 45 members of the Carder Steuben Club didn’t get theirs
mailed out. So, if you didn’t get one yet, our profound apologies. As they say
the brochure is in the mail. Anyone who doesn’t have one and would like me to
send one electronically, just e-mail me back.