IWU News

Untitled #19, glass, by Klaus Moje, 1991

Illinois Wesleyan University and Bullseye Glass Co. Join to Bring Kiln Glass to the Midwest

December 14, 2004

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.— Illinois Wesleyan University’s School of Art is in the forefront of a new movement helping to revive an ancient process known as kiln glass formation. The University has been working closely with Bullseye Glass Company in Portland, Ore., for the last two years and added an introductory course in kiln glass to its curriculum in 2003. In January, the School of Art will host a major exhibit featuring the art form.

“Contemporary Kiln-Glass: A Survey of Works from the Bullseye Glass Co. collection and the Bullseye Connection Gallery,” will be on display from Jan. 12 through Feb. 10 in the Merwin Gallery, 6 Ames Plaza West, Bloomington. The exhibition will feature 70 pieces of artwork by 40 artists and has been organized and sponsored by the Bullseye Glass Company and Bullseye Connection Gallery. It will be held in conjunction with Carol Ann Carter’s Skins and Wrappers exhibition in the Wakeley Gallery.

Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 12:00-4:00 p.m., Tuesday evening 7:00-9:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 1:00-4:00 p.m. The kiln glass exhibit and related events are free and open to the public.

An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Thursday, Jan. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m. In addition, there will be a “Glass Roll-Ups” demonstration on Friday, Jan. 28, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Illinois State University Glass House, located at Willow and Rte. 51 (at the base of the water tower) in Normal/

The demonstration will be presented jointly by John Miller, chair of the glass program at ISU, and Kevin Strandberg, associate professor of art at IWU. The public is invited to watch as the artists use hot glass techniques to create vessels from colorful sheets of glass prepared using kiln-fusion technology, a unique process that combines both “cold” and “hot” glass forming techniques. In addition, Strandberg and Miller will display their own glass art.

The public is also invited to view art produced in a workshop for invited guests that will be hosted by IWU’s School of Art . The workshop will explore kiln-working techniques, and the art produced will be on display in the IWU sculpture studio in the Ames Art Building Feb. 4 through Feb. 6. To conclude the events, Ted Sawyer, director of research and education at Bullseye Co., will present a lecture entitled, “The Bullseye Factory-Artist Exchange Program,” on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 4 p.m. in Room 218 of Ames Art Building.

Tower #26 (panel C), kilnformed glass, by Jun Kaneko, 2002

Strandberg brought the art of kiln glass formation to Illinois Wesleyan after attending a workshop two summers ago with the Bullseye Glass Company, the main glass contributor. He soon set up a kiln glass program at Illinois Wesleyan with the help of the Bullseye Glass Company, which donated a three-year glass sponsorship to kick off the program. The University then bought computer-controlled kilns to facilitate Strandberg’s class in which he teaches the basics of fusing glass.

Kiln glass is a more solid structure of glass formation than the traditional blown glass. The artist starts the process by cutting small pieces of glass into the colors and shapes of their selection. Sold in sheets, bricks, and even as long strands or granular-sized pieces, called stringers and frit, the glass is placed together and manipulated into the pattern, shape and size the artist chooses.

Once the artist has constructed a piece, it is placed in a glass kiln where it is heated until each piece of individual glass fuses to the other. Even after being exposed to temperatures as high as 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit, the proper glass will not crack because it is “tested compatible,” meaning all the glass will expand and contract at the same rate, reducing the chances for cracks. Made with an assortment of minerals, including gold, the specialized glass will also never fade in brilliance.

After about ten minutes, the glass is usually fused and ready to cool. To avoid cooling the glass too quickly, which may cause breakage or weakness in the piece, the kiln is “vented” to drop its internal temperature to 960 degrees Fahrenheit. This begins the process of “annealing,” the slow cooling of the glass. After the glass has adequately cooled, which may take several hours, the piece is finished.

The Romans first invented the process of kiln glass formation in Mesopotamia as early as 2000 B.C. Potters fused sand and minerals into multicolored glass bowls, jewelry, and decorative wall tiles while firing their clay. Today, examples of that ancient work is found in museums around the world. Once the art of glass-blowing grew popular, kiln glass became almost non-existent until about 1935, when artists revived the technique.

With new technology, including computer-controlled kilns and tested compatible glass, glass fusing is much more accessible than in Roman times. Glass is available in all colors, shapes, and sizes and with a blending of old processes and new innovations, it has experienced a major resurgence and its popularity continues to grow.

For additional information, contact Jennifer Lapham, director of Merwin and Wakeley Galleries, at (309) 556-3391.