FOREWORD

In the ‘GlassRoutes’ Exhibition at Bilston Craft Gallery Stuart Garfoot, and Emma Daker document an international community of artists and designers who have benefitted from a relationship with the University of Wolverhampton School of Art and Design and its highly respected Professor of Glass, Keith Cummings. This catalogue and its articles and images provide us with an opportunity to examine and celebrate forty years of international level studio-glass research, development and teaching in the West Midlands. It is worth considering the strategies that emerged as the academic environment responded to changes in economy, culture and industry. Where industry intends to capture and control design, technique and technology to retain control over its market share; universities must teach, experiment and disseminate. There is no better indication of a successful and sustained academic programme than the studio-glass students that have graduated from the School of Art and Design; and their subsequent roles in helping to establish glass programmes in Ireland, South Africa and China. Today it is Keith and Stuart’s ongoing relationships with colleagues like Professor Guan Donghai, Tsinghua University Beijing; and Professor Xiao Wei Zhuang, College of Fine Arts Shanghai University which provide our glass programme with its most meaningful and sustaining exchange.

The University of Wolverhampton glass programme as we know it today emerged in a turbulent era of global change marked by job loss and industrial decline. From industrial roots, a studio-glass movement emerged focused upon material research to enable new levels of individual creativity and expression. In his article to follow Professor Keith Cummings discusses “...education through glass, rather than education in glass.” This is a concept which defines the value and importance of an arts education today. An art and design education develops a passion for learning, and an understanding of the historical, aesthetic, and economic milieu in which the creative contribution is made. It develops tacit knowledge, a sense that one embodies the potential for success while translating ideas into material form. Ultimately it is about developing confidence in an ability to manage demanding (and changing) technologies to achieve specific intellectual/creative aims through a mix of personal expression and design brief. It is this process of social-economic positioning and the eloquent promotion of one’s ideas, coupled with an ability to organize and manage complex technical production which is the hallmark of the artist/designer entrepreneur.

Dr Bryony Conway, Dean of the School of Art and Design is the sustaining force behind the University of Wolverhampton and a great advocate of the studio-glass programme. She builds upon the foundation of the former Dean, Professor Andrew Brewerton. This exhibition was developed at Dr Conway’s request after her conversations with Stuart Garfoot and Corinne Miller, Head of Wolverhampton Arts and Museums. This project is the result of the knowledge and vision of Stuart Garfoot and the curatorial expertise of Emma Daker, Curator at Bilston Craft Gallery. They worked closely with Professor of Glass Keith Cummings, and PhD candidate in glass Xue Lu to develop the proposal and design of this international exhibition and catalogue.

This project would not be possible without the support of Jackie Lee, Crafts Officer and David Drake, Head of Visual Arts who provided advice on the bid to Arts Council England West Midlands. We are grateful for their recognition and the Arts Council’s support for this exhibition.


Professor Tim Collins,
Associate Dean of Research and Development.
Director of the Centre for Art, Design,
Research and Experimentation.
School of Art and Design,
University of Wolverhampton.

Foreword pdf

FOREWORD
Professor Tim Collins: Foreword

ESSAYS
Professor Andrew Brewerton: Glass Routes
Professor Keith Cummings: Continuity and Change in Glass History
Stuart Garfoot: The Glass Baton, A Personal Overview
Susanne Frantz: Glass Tiger
Associate Professor Xiaowei Zhuang: The Development of Studio Glass at Shanghai University
Associate Professor Guan Donghai: Creating With Glass
Dr Kristina Niedderer: Developing Glass Practice Through Creative Research
Xue Lu (Shelly): Growing With the Soil of China

Stuart Garfoot: Introduction to Creative Pathway
David Reekie: Creative Pathway 1
Katy Holford: Creative Pathway 2