Saturday, September 03, 2011

Well, I’m beginning to think towards the week after next week and my trip to Corning for the Symposium. Being a quiet Labor Day weekend it gives me some time to pause and reflect on those things that have particularly moved me to understand and love the art of Frederick Carder.

It began in 1999 when I bought a Gold Aurene bowl; a piece that turns me on to this day. Those were the days when eBay was young and exciting and I bought a reasonable amount on eBay and began going to some antique shows. However, the real turn on happened in late July of 2000. That’s when an article appeared in Traditional Home magazine (Sept. issue)with Carder glass used for the pictures and background information supplied by Tom Dimitroff. See attached. The many pages of pictures, I think, is the finest photography I’ve seen in art glass. This article “ginned” up my appreciation for Carder glass. Yes, I did realize then that “Jade glass has a coy, seductive personality.”

One thing leads to another, of course. Some dealer or someone on the internet told me that the Rockwell Museum was closing their magnificent gallery at the end of August and moving their collection to CMoG. Best get there while you can. So, with my wife out of town in early August I bought a plane ticket on Priceline and headed east to Corning. Well, I started with the Reifschlager gallery. A jewel in the crown of Carder glass. They had the equivalent of jewelry cases, showing the best of the best. Brilliant lighting, story boards and a glistening of art. I was enthralled. Fortunately for me, the gallery was empty so my jumping around in excitement didn’t affect anyone else. It was my moving experience. Then, I viewed the remainder of the 2,500 piece collection in the Rotary gallery. Just gem after gem. What I learned from this experience was the use of good display and light adds great drama to viewing art glass. It comes alive and speaks to you. I was forever captured.

After calming down I returned to my hotel room and picked up the phone book and found Tom Dimitroff’s name and number and gingerly dialed the phone. Tom, as experienced glass collectors know, is most gracious and he invited me over to his home, first to sit on his front porch so he can share a glass of lemonade and then find out what your interests are and talk Carder glass. This was then the third dimension of the experience. With a Symposium coming up then about a month later Tom made sure I was aware of it. Of course, when I returned home and reported to my wife on this experience she knew we were on our way to our first Symposium of many Symposium experiences.

Actually, I should tell a little more. My wife, Susan, had been on a trip to Eastern Europe and I had arranged to meet her in Chicago on her return. We met after her 10 day jaunt. She was bubbling with excitement about her trip and what she had seen and experienced. Much to her surprise and dismay, all I could talk about was Corning and Carder glass. Susan could barely sneak in a word about her travels. They paled in comparison. Alan Shovers

Anyhow, even if you’ve seen this article before, it is well worth viewing and reading again; and again and again.

www.cardersteubenclub.org

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2011 Carder Steuben Club annual Symposium will be held at The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY from September 15-17, 2011.