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International Courses

ARCHITECTRUAL GLASS AND DESIGN in Barcelona.

Dates: JULY 15 TO JULY 25 2009

The course will focus on the use of glass as seen in Catalan Modernist and Contemporary architecture through hands-on experience in glass forming. The course will be complemented with visits to sites of particular architectural/glass interest in and around Barcelona.

Instructors: Rene Culler and Philippa Beveridge

Purpose: The exploration of architectural sites will utilize the city of Barcelona as an open classroom. Students will begin the day working in the studio having been inspired by site excursions. The instructors are hoping to aid each student in the creation of individualized work in glass. Glass techniques that will demonstrated and explored as the means to create glass that can be used in an architectural setting will focus on form; casting, and slumping. The focus on color or imagery with or without text will be accomplished through fusing and enameling.

Location: Hands on glass work will be accomplished at the private studio of Philippa Beveridge. La Ventana de Indiscreta is centrally located in the Poble Sec neighborhood of Barcelona, and is within walking distance of many major landmarks: the National Museum of Catalan Art, with its unique holdings of Romanesque frescos, the Miró Foundation, and the contemporary collection of the Caixa Forum, among others. Participation in this course is a rare opportunity to travel and work in a well- equipped glass studio within Barcelona. The studio is easily reached by either walking or a short metro trip.

Goals: The student who completes the course will have much inspiration from beautiful Barcelona as well as much technical knowledge, and the confidence to continue working in glass on their own. Hand-outs and firing/annealing schedules will be provided. Students will learn how to determine firing and annealing schedules for future work.

Students will learn warm glass-working methods including:
1. mold making-pate de verre
2. fusing
3. slumping
4. resins

Excursions: The course will seek to foster an imaginative approach to the use of glass in architecture within Barcelona as the class meets for an intensive session with a full day split between studio work and excursions.

The City of Barcelona as a Classroom: Visits to museums of the three major Spanish artists of Catalan Barcelona; the Picasso Museum, the Miro Foundation, and the Tapies Foundation. The cultural sites of the Montjuic area near Poble Sec. And some fun...a cable car ride to the top of the mountain!

Architectural sites to be visited for study and inspiration: Antoni Gaudi Sites: Palau Guell, Parc Guell, The Church of the Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera, Casa Batllo, Placa Reial, the crypt at Colonia Guell, Domenech i Montaner Sites: Palau de la Musica, Hospital de Sant Pau, Manzanade la Discordia, Tapies Foundation Building.

Other sites in Barcelona: Ramblas walking tour, Santa Maria del Mar, The Cathedral of Barcelona, additional sites of interest and studio visits as time permits.

One of the highlights of the course is a day long excursion to the medieval beachfront town of Sitges. Everyone will share a Paella feast as well as visit the museums of Sitges; the Romantic Museum, the Cau Ferrat, and the Casa Rusinol. Sun worshippers may enjoy the beach; there will be time to visit the shops of Sitges as well.

Intended Students: While the focus of the course is on the medium of glass, there will be much discussion and observation on the use of glass as seen in the architecture of Barcelona. Advanced students are welcome, although no experience is necessary. It would be helpful for beginning students to practice with a glass cutter at home before joining the course. Students may later apply learned techniques to create mixed media works of their personal vocabulary. Artists from all mediums including sculpture, painting, fiber, metals, mosaics and ceramics have enjoyed previous courses, and found the information very valuable.

Requirements for enrollment: The instructors are welcoming former students by special invitation. The class size is limited, and enrollment is first come, first serve. Other students who apply must be recommended by a former student of the instructors or have 2 letters of recommendation by other artists or instructors ( not necessarily in glass) to be eligible to sign up for the course. These letters can be sent via e-mail to glass@reneculler.com.

Course Fee: to be determined. The instructors are assessing costs and will notify interested students by e-mail. The cost of the course will be in US dollars. The Course Fee includes all mid-day 3 course meals, transportation to sites and Sitges, admissions to all museums and sites. All materials are included. Students will be provided with a packing box for their completed work.

Deposit: A non-refundable deposit of $500.00 is needed to insure a student's place on the course. A second nonrefundable installment of $500.00 is needed before June 1st 2008. The balance of the payment is due in Barcelona on the first day of the course.

Accommodations: A list of accommodation possibilities ranging from individual/shared rooms in flats to hotels will be available on request. Many students have stayed in traditional flats and have enjoyed the experience. Nearby Hotels can be recommended.

Flights and Arrivals; Participants must make their own travel arrangements, but the instructors will need to know arrival times. It is recommended that participants plan to arrive so that they have one full day to recover from travel before the course begins. Ideally, arrival would be on July 13th or before late afternoon on July 14th.

Instructor: Philippa Beveridge currently works in her Barcelona studio, 'La Ventana Indiscreta' ('Rear Window'), on architectural commissions, installations and sculpture in glass. She holds a degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Greenwich and studied sculpture, painting and glass at the fine arts school, the Escola Massana, Barcelona.Beveridge graduated with Honors in a Master's program at the University of East London. Beveridge is currently working on her one person show at the National Glass Museum of Spain. She actively exhibits in Europe and her exhibitions include a two-person show at the Barcelona Archaeological Museum, solo shows sponsored by the British Council and the Spanish Embassy in Barcelona and Bruges and has participated in the Barcelona Contemporary Art Festival mulitiple times. She was awarded supporting prize for the Jutta-Cuny Franz Memorial Award for sculpture in glass. She was awared first prize in 2006 for ARTFAD - Association for Art and Design in Barcelona. Beveridge has just co-authored a book on kilnforming techniques. Website: www.axisweb.org www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk

Instructor: Rene Culler works in a fully equipped hot glass studio in Cleveland, Ohio, where she has produced her sculpture and architectural commissions for libraries and institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic and Robert Woods Johnson hospitals. Culler holds degrees in glass: BFA, the Cleveland Institute of Art, '92 and MFA, summa cum laude from Kent State Univ., '94. Her teaching experience: Cleveland Institute of Art, Pilchuck Glass School, The Studio at Corning, Urban Glass, Kent State U, where she ran the department from 1998-200, and The Glass Furnace - Turkey. Culler has taught work shops in various schools and locations throughout the USA. Her work is included in the permanent collection of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Sculpture is on permanent display at the Luce Center in the American Museum of Art, Washington, DC. Culler is currently authoring a book on "Glass Art from the Kiln," Website: www.reneculler.com www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk

Both instructors are eager to share our research in glass. We look forward to an exchange of ideas on the course. Both of us have taught in Europe and the States, teaching more than five classes together and are looking forward to another course experience this year in 2009.