Who's going to the GAS conference in Corning NY this summer?

[RamblezMarblez]

.....

[Icarus]

You make me laugh.

[Mecha]

I am curious about this as well. I am not a member of Gas, so that would have to be factored into the price. So attendance for me would be around $300-330. I was checking out the schedule, and it seems that there is two four hour flameworking demos (one on each day). Is it worth it to go? Will I learn enough to justify the cost? Is this conference mostly attended by hotshop artists? Anyone from the board going? I only live around an hour away, so travel is not an issue.

[hwcglass]

GO TO GAS!!!!!!!!!

It's not all about flameworking and it's not intended to be. It's about glass. All types of glass.

The IFC (at Salem Community College) and AGI (the Pipestock of yore in PA) are basically flameworking events. If you are looking for a pure lampworking experience these are the events to attend.

GAS moves around, a different city each year (many outside the US). This year and every ten years, GAS is held in Corning, NY; considered by many to be the glass capital of the US.

It's expensive. Sure. And yes, lampworkers are the redheaded step child at this event. But it's worth it.

I will see you there.

[Abe Fleishman]

I will be there.
Abe

[menty666]

I want to go, but I think my wife would kill me if I were gone for a week leaving her alone with the kids :)

awww man, she just said go ahead and go......Higuchis, Mickelson, Simpson, Toso.... Ugh, tough decision.

[Braden Hammond]

I went to GAS in Portland last year.... changed my life!! go to the GAS conference in Corning.... I'm hoping to go but it might be a little $$$ to get there from Vancouver BC.....I want to go soooo bad.... the demo's alone were worth it.... never mind the parties and the amazing event planning............. I'm thinking I need to sell some glass.

[Robert Mickelsen]

There are many reasons to attend GAS. The fact that it is in Corning is even more compelling. If you have never been to the museum you are in for a real treat. There is little question that it is a good value and something to try to do if you can afford it.

And that is the rub. GAS is not worth going into debt for if you are already having financial difficulties. You should have a priority list for personal and business expenses. Groceries, rent/mortgage, clothes, materials, etc. come first. GAS would be down the list a ways.

But if you can afford it you will not regret it. Flameworkers have not been the "red-headed stepchild" for a long time. We are front and center of the community and well respected by all but the most curmudgeonly old-timers. If you can really do GAS for under $500 you should really try to come. Costs for me would be more like $1500 including conference fee, hotels, rental car, meals, etc. Good thing I am demonstrating and get a little honorarium that helps defray costs.

- RAM

[Mecha]

I have been to the museum several times (last time in October) and I have taken two ten week hotshop classes there just to see "how the other half lives". I was just curious if it was worth it strictly from the flameworkers perspective. I know there will be tons of artists there and probably some good times, I just was curious about it strictly from an educational perspective. Meet and greets and parties are fun and all, but I would really like to learn a few things in relation to boro lampworking.

I could definitely do it for under $500 as I can easily commute each day, or if it came down to it, I am not averse to camping out in one of the nearby state parks.

[Islandglass Man]

What Robin said is so true the museum and gift shop are probably the best examples of glass art you can see in one building.

I'll be at GAS that part of NY is where I grew up. Can't wait to visit old friends.

See Ya

Bear

[hwcglass]

I was just curious if it was worth it strictly from the flameworkers perspective. I know there will be tons of artists there and probably some good times, I just was curious about it strictly from an educational perspective. Meet and greets and parties are fun and all, but I would really like to learn a few things in relation to boro lampworking.

i think it is worth it.

the staff at GAS, in my opinion, tries like hell to make it worth it.

the real deal is perspective. that is mainly what GAS provides as far as i am concerned. And i will acknowledge that, no, you can not use perspective directly to make anything.

When GAS was in Holland i sat with this old dude in a wheel chair, he was a feeble looking old timer who said he was 90+ years old, still working five days a week as a flame worker for the government in the UK. he and i talked for several hours about his life and the struggles that he went through in his 70+ years of flame working. and this guy was on a mission, really very determined to show me that he had 'done it', that he had 'made it' and he really, really wanted me to understand that if he could make it through to the end than so could I. after my talk with him i was on top of the world.

a few hours later that same day, i saw that old dude giving another flameworker the same talk. and then i saw that flameworker walking around on his own cloud nine.

GAS is the cloud nine express.

[J Howard]

i'm going.. corning's a great spot for GAS. 2001 conf. was tons o fun

[Granger's Glass]

I'm going!

I think it will be a good opportunity for me to see whats out there in the glass world.

[vetropod]

Sure wish I was going :bummed: Corning sure would be a killer place to see it!

And if you're only in it for the flameworking, you'll still get to see Vittorio Costantini, Gianni Toso, and Cesare Toffolo just to name a few. Worth going just for that!!!

[RamblezMarblez]

...

[bc]

I do plan on going and would rather get a hotel room than commute 2 hrs one way. Any hippy girls want to split a 2 bedroom room with me to save on cost. I have a pet skunk and there may be a funky smell coming from the room....Slick


lmao. you get character of the year bro. 2 bedroom, haha.

[jr23]

Hell any body I have ever met that attended a gas con comes back stoked and with loads of samples and story's of good times and friends met. Stick that in your pipe!

[matte eskuche]

GAS rulz, def the cloud nine express. many good friends and fun to be had.

just from my perspective, when i first started going to GAS i was all about the demos, then i started to gravitate more to the tech display, student exhibition, and lectures. these days i go mostly for the lectures. of course, the more you go the more friends you make and see repeatedly, as well as the connections you make for teaching , demonstrating, and exhibiting if your into that sort of thing.

i don't want to poo-poo the demos, but it seems most demos are too short to really pick up a life changing tech. some demos are seemingly prep work and some are the most exciting 1.5 hours of a 20 hour piece from that person. some are performance oriented, some are conceptual, some are plain drab. in fact, many are done by people who were drinking until 5 am the last three mornings..

regardless, you get a ton out of it in the interstices.

[dirtyglass]

If anyone attending wants to hang out in Rochester for a couple days before or after the confrence you can come up and blow glass at our shop. Got a bunch of torches and a hotshop.

[Kevin Bumble]

woot woot i just sent my check out. Yo dirty glass I'm down for a session I'll be out there for a couple of weeks it would be cool to kick it. go GAS!!!

[dirtyglass]

sounds good, pm me for a #