BE Con report

[Carol Craiglow]

Well, I haven't seen too much posted about BE Con. So thought I'd toss out my 2 cents.

I thought it was fantastic! Bullseye, based on their usual high standards, put together an extremely informative conference with a wide range of artists that do various types of glass and a wide range of teachers who teach glass. Every session was jam packed with information. I found it to be extremely informative. From setting up a teaching studio, to invaluable tips from Richard Whiteley, Dan Clayman, Henry Halem, Mary White etc etc on how to motivate students and teach artistic concepts. Dan Clayman's talk on how he makes his work was incredible. Richard Whiteley's info on how they teach students at Canberra was very enlightening.

It was top notch from concept to execution. Dan Schwoerer's talk on annealing and viscosity relationships was the best explanation I've heard...extremely informative. Really, everything was great. I can't even remember it all. I have to go back and check my notes to refresh my memory because there was so much info.

And, of course, meeting lots of glass folks from all over was an added bonus. The Bullseye staff were fantastic...Mary Kay did a great job leading her panel discussion. Ted Sawyer was a wealth of info and Jim Jones also did a great job. And, of course, Lani was great!

I also took the pre-conference Pate de Verre demo from Mel George which was excellent and learned lots from Mel and her husband Jeremy about cold-working thru a cold-working demo class.

I'm sure Brad's Warmglass conference will be great as well...but just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the BECon. And I guess they will be publishing the notes from the conference...so that should be great to have.

Carol

[Lani McGregor]

. And I guess they will be publishing the notes from the conference...so that should be great to have.

Carol

Carol,

Yes, there will be a conference journal… I’m working on it right now…but it will probably take 5-6 months to complete. Figuring out how to document the expressions on the audience faces during the Monona Rossol lecture could take a lifetime!

My only regret was that due to the size of the conference (over 150 people) and my own commitments (to TRY to give an inoffensive Future of Kilnforming presentation, among others), I missed having much time to spend with old friends.

Nevertheless it was wonderful to see you, Catharine, Delores, Dr Steve (& family!), Marty (& Mrs Marty!), Wisconsin Amy, Doug, Barbara B, Barbara M (with cadaver!), Brock, Avery, Steve K (aka Esteban after his Spanish teaching gig), Judith C & Kevin O’T, Nancy W, Marcia (w/ Emily Brock, wow!), Geri, Pam H (giving me moral support from the front row! bless you!), Nancy D-W, …who’d I forget?

I hope that everyone got home safely and isn’t cringing under their workbenches worrying whether they’re going to be killed by a fume, a mist, a gas or a vapor.

A huge Thank You to everyone who took part!

And an even bigger pre-conference Go, Guy! to Brad for the next Big Event on the horizon: WGW/East!

-Lani

[Dani]

Monona is worth listening to more often! She might be overly cautious and a bit "strong" in her communication, but it doesn't hurt to have a Mother Naggy in the studio with the lax attitudes most of us have regarding our personal health (especially when we're young and nothing, oh nothing, can harm us). I wish she would jump in on the discussions here a bit more often. I miss her input from the bungi and Common Ground:Glass days.

[Carol Craiglow]

How could I have forgotten to mention Monona?? I told you there was just TOO MUCH going on.

If you guys ever get a chance to hear her you should definitely go. I've known about her for years in cyberspace, but never heard her speak. And, yes Dani, I agree she may be a bit too strident in some areas, but the message is good....

The thing about her is she is so FUNNY! You can't help but laugh when she says that the disposable dust masks are good for "bugs, bunnies and boulders" or something to that effect....letting you know they are no good at the fine particles. She interweaves humor in a way that communicates the risks involved. I now call her the standup industrial hygienist.

Her big push is to get people to use exhaust systems rather than half face respirators....which is exactly what I'd been planning for the new cold working room I'm building, so her talk, was very timely.

Carol