Kilncasting

JEANNE MARIE FERRARO

The Fine Art of Sculpture in Glass, Solid or Light
Using kilns and coldworking equipment, the artists can manipulate glass to design, construct, and form a multitude of sculptural approaches to their work, their art. In the beginning of glass history and fine arts, there is casting. Many of the first glass objects found in the areas of Mesopotamia, the Phoenician coast, and Crete used the technique, pate de verre, "paste of glass". One of the oldest sculptures found in Egypt was cast in glass. Cast glass can have the appearance of granite or the light of a gem. If a mold form can be made, almost any shape, with patience and knowledge, can be created. The possibilities and variety of techniques in cast glass are as wide as the artistic voices of the individual creator. This workshop will cover the technical information needed for the artist to understand and choose the type of mold and casting technique that will enable their ideas to come to fruition. Participants in the class will make small sculptures using various techniques focusing on the technical information provided. We will cover the use of coldworking and adhesives that can be used to complete sculptures. The information in the class will be presented through demonstrations, slide lectures, and many photocopied handouts. Class discussions on concepts and aesthetics will be on going as we explore the possibilities of pate de verre, lost wax, slumping, and frit casting in kilns. Sculptors and artists with no glass experience as well as those artists who have worked in glass are encouraged to enroll as we investigate the many visual qualities of this material.

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Jeanne Marie Ferraro

For over twenty-five years Jeanne Marie Ferraro has been working with glass, painting, and sculpture as a student, teacher, professional and, most importantly, as an artist. She holds an M.F.A. from the Rochester Institute of Technology, School of American Crafts in New York and a B.F.A. from Kent State University in Ohio, as well as studies in painting in the Post Baccalaureate program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She was a two-time scholarship winner from Pilchuck Glass School. Jeanne Marie has worked for Chihuly Inc., and for glass artists Boyd Sugiki, Jenny Polhman & Sabrina Knowles, Martin Blank and others. Ms Ferraro has taught at The Bezalel Academy of Art in Jerusalem, the Art Institute of Chicago, Corning Museum of Glass, and Renton Technology College in Washington State, and Urban Glass in New York City, Akron University in Ohio, and for eight years at Pratt Fine Art Center in Seattle, Washington. From September of 2003 to May of 2005, Jeanne was head of the Glass program at Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada. Presently, she is an independent Artist-in-Resident at the Worcester Center for Crafts in Massachusetts. Jeanne is a member of the Glass Art Society. Her personal work in blown, cast glass and the pate de verre technique has been exhibited internationally. The subject of her work is directed towards a better understanding of humanity and human experience through art. Jeanne has been a long-term volunteer to organizations supporting people with AIDS, women suffering from abuse, and youth in need of guidance. www.jeanneferraro.com

* An additional US$20 registration fee is charged during application

** The amount of deposit to be paid is US$320