Glass Art Society

07/30/2026

Last call for Sweden 2027 proposals! 🔥

Presenter proposals are OPEN for GAS 2027 — ReKindle: Glass, Sustainability, and the Future of Making — June 2–5 in Kosta, Sweden.

All career levels welcome. Non-members too.

Selected presenters receive a complimentary conference pass + honorarium. See our proposal guidelines + submit your proposal at https://buff.ly/SSc7bsg.

Deadline: July 31 at 5pm EST.

07/17/2026

The British Glass Biennale at the International Festival of Glass has been a flagship exhibition within the glass art world for over 20 years, and is the largest selling event of contemporary glass art in the UK. Showcasing over 80 artists from across the country, it attracts an international audience looking to discover contemporary developments within glass art, both in technique and subject matter.

Complementing the Biennale, the International GAS Member Exhibition and the International Bead and Jewellery Exhibition show the full range of styles, methods, and concepts employed by leading glass artists working today.

£23,500 in cash and material prizes are awarded to artists as part of the exhibition, sponsored by The British Society of Master Glass Painters and The Worshipful Company of Glaziers; The Glass Sellers Charity, associated with The Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers; Bullseye UK; Warm Glass UK; The Guild of Glass Engravers; The Glass Society; and Barbara Beadman.

Exhibitions are on view 28 August through 1 November, with the festival weekend itself (27–31 August) the best time to meet artists in person. Check out the full list of selected artists, available here: https://buff.ly/6jtf0Y5.

Image credit: Jeff Zimmer, You Shall Know Them by Their Deeds, 2026, Laser-engraved, sandblasted, and painted glass, 47H x 106W x 9D cm. Photo: Jeff Zimmer.

07/15/2026

07/14/2026

Why St. Helens?

Local Innovation | Global Inspiration is the theme for this year’s International Festival of Glass, bringing the global glass art community to a town with deep glass roots.

For the first time this year, the event is being held in St. Helens, a town where glass has played an important part in local history. In 1887, William Windle Pilkington perfected the regenerative process and continuous glass making at the Tank House. There, they made plate glass using the cylinder technique before Sir Alastair Pilkington invented the float glass process in 1952.

The biennial International Festival of Glass brings together artists, collectors, and the glass curious public to celebrate the creativity and innovation of contemporary glass art, while highlighting the history, and future, of glass in the UK.

The Festival includes a series of Masterclasses taught by leading glass artists from around the world; three contemporary glass exhibitions, including the prestigious British Glass Biennale; demonstrations, lectures, and hands-on activities designed to introduce local communities to the magic of glass as an art form.

Most activities are free to attend, 27–31 August. The full schedule will be published soon at buff.ly/SnmBNkb.

07/13/2026

Happy Summertime!

The Glass Art Society office will be operating on limited hours from July 13–24. During this time, general inquiries will receive a slower response, and we appreciate your patience.

While we are away, we will be monitoring our inboxes for messages related to the International Festival of Glass (IFoG 2026) and the 2027 Sweden Conference proposal process and will respond to them as quickly as possible.

We'll be back to full speed on July 27 and will follow up on all other messages then.

We hope you are able to take a little time to enjoy the summertime too.

07/09/2026

For over two decades, the International Festival of Glass has brought makers, collectors, and curious visitors together to celebrate the best of contemporary glass in the UK. This year, Glass Art Society is honoured to steward the festival for the first time.

There is an outstanding selection of work included in this year’s British Glass Biennale and International Bead and Jewellery Biennale, and we are proud to introduce a new exhibition in 2026: the International GAS Member Exhibition. An impressive selection of masterclasses, demonstrations, and activities are planned for this year as well. (Keep an eye out for the full schedule, which will be announced in the coming weeks.)

IFoG 2026 runs 28–31 August, with exhibitions open through 1 November at The World of Glass in St Helens. We hope to see you there!

More details: https://buff.ly/t2WAQMj

06/26/2026

Not sure where to start when developing your Sweden conference presenter proposal? Join us this Saturday, June 27 at 10am EST for a Proposal Information Session — our team will walk you through the process and answer your questions live. 👉 Sign up here: https://buff.ly/OtpGVks

If you can't make it Saturday, another session will happen on Thursday, July 23, 3pm EST.

(Proposals are due July 31, 2026 at 5pm EST. Questions? Email [email protected].)

06/24/2026

Glass knows no borders.

The International GAS Member Exhibition brings together artists from Norway to Uruguay, Japan to Mexico, Australia to Ireland — united by a shared obsession with one of the world's most demanding and magical materials.

On display at IFoG North West England 2026 beginning 27 August.

🔗 Link in bio.


Photo: Jeanne-Sophie Aas (.glass), Norway, Origin, Entities I & II, 2023, Hot-shaped, ground, polished, and sandblasted glass, Each: 9 x 15 x 17cm. (Detail) Photo: Courtesy of the artist.

06/24/2026

Small scale. Big impact.

The International Bead and Jewellery Biennale brings together artists from around the world working at the exquisite intersection of glass, adornment, and craft. This is wearable art at its most inventive.

On display at IFoG North West England 2026 beginning 27 August.

🔗 Details at the link in bio.


Image: Xiaozhe Huang (), Italy, Particles of Freedom, 2005, lampworked and lost-wax cast Murano glass and sterling silver, 4 x 3 x 2 cm. (Detail) Photo: Courtesy of the artist.

06/24/2026

The British Glass Biennale opens 27 August.

This year’s exhibition will highlight an incredible roster of over 80 talented artists at the International Festival of Glass, North West England 2026.

🔗 Link in bio for more.



Image: Heike Brachlow (), Lagoon, 2025 Kiln-cast glass, ground and hand-finished, 7 x 25 x 39 cm. (Detail) Photo: Chris Blade.