LUCENT | A SHARED DECADE
NZ Glassworks Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Exhibition and children's design competition invite the community to join the celebrations
Ten years after opening as New Zealand Glassworks, Te Whare Tūhua o Te Ao (NZG), the facility is celebrating a milestone that began with community determination to keep hot glass alive in Whanganui.
There is a rich history of contemporary glass practice in Whanganui. Before the now Whanganui District Council owned New Zealand Glassworks officially opened its doors in 2016, 2 Rutland Street was known as Chronicle Glass Studio, established by the late Lyndsay Patterson, the late Karen Ellett and local Katie Brown, cementing Whanganui as a destination for hot-glass practice within Aotearoa. For the last decade, NZG has expanded on this legacy, creating a community facility with national significance as the only open-access glass studio within the country.
Known as New Zealand's national centre for contemporary glass, visitors are invited to to discover all aspects of glassmaking through a vibrant gallery and retail space, all while overlooking artists at work in the hotshop below. It is one of the few places in the country where beginners are able to try their hand at glassblowing through a variety of workshop offerings. NZG plays a pivotal role in Whanganui’s creative identity and is an essential part of the UNESCO City of Design designation.
New Zealand Glassworks has dedicated the decade to lifting up and supporting the wider glass and craft community. NZG has hosted major events, including the 2019 CoLab conference, a joint conference of the New Zealand Society of Artists in Glass (NZSAG) and Australia's Ausglass; welcomed nationally and internationally renowned glassmakers to deliver masterclasses; presented a diverse exhibitions programme; established a professional Artist in Residence programme (the only glass specific residency opportunity for artists in NZ) and created an emerging artist Internship Programme which fosters continued training, education, and career pathways into the field of glassmaking.
August marks the month of celebration with events for all ages. For the duration of the month the exhibition Lucent: A Shared Decade will be on display, showcasing the works of 10 contemporary glass artists who have shaped NZG over the decade. Visiting Australian artist Annette Blair, notably the recent winner of the FUSE Glass Prize will present a public demonstration at NZG on Saturday August 15, 10am-12pm followed by a professional masterclass August 16-20 with a public artist talk to be held at Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery on Tuesday August 18 - all welcome.
On Saturday 15 August, the skilled team at NZG will bring a children's creation to life in the hot shop. The ever popular Kid’s Design Competition invites young artists (13 years and under) to submit an original design, with the winning entry brought to life in hot glass by the NZG team during a live demonstration from 12.30pm to 2.30pm. Look out for a special visit by the Ice Queen dessert truck due on-site from 1pm.
NZG Manager Madeline Prowd says the anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate everyone who has shaped the organisation over the decade.
"This anniversary is about recognising the community who have built the glassworks into what it is today," she says. "Lucent: A Shared Decade celebrates the artists who have shaped our story, while the Kids Design Competition reminds us that inspiring the next generation has always been part of what we do."
Entries for the Kids Design Competition close at 4pm on Sunday 9 August. Entry forms are available from NZ Glassworks or can be downloaded from the NZG website. Completed designs can be delivered to the gallery, posted to 2 Rutland Street, Whanganui 4500, or emailed to info@nzglassworks.com.
As NZ Glassworks enters its second decade, the celebrations acknowledge not only the artists, staff, volunteers and supporters who have contributed to its success, but also the wider community that helped ensure Whanganui continues to be a hotbed for glass within Aotearoa.