WarmGlass.com

Was a pleasure to meet some other WG posters at the BMAC in Philly this past weekend. We're working hard to raise the awareness of warm glass in the American Craft community, and I think we are making inroads. The buying public is looking at kiln work with increased respect, and greater understanding, now if only they'd stop asking if it's really glass!

So did you have any new buyers signing up for that non-glass?? How was the show? Any newcomers and how did they do? Did anything in particular stand out in this show? Any trends you could spot? Attitudes

If a buyer thinks it can't be glass, but must be plastic, I offer them this : Purchase my work, and then drop it from a height of 4 feet onto a concrete floor. If the item does not break I will cheerfully refund the purchase price. So far, no takers on my offer. Compared to last year, the stores and galleries I talked to were less nervous about the economy, and were placing larger orders. I did not talk to many newbies, but among the exhibitors I heard the extremes of it being a good show, to the opposite. Strangely, there were not many saying it was mediocre. Guess I would call it the bi polar show. Can't say I spotted any trends as I was too busy in my booth to get out much.

Tony,
Congratulations on your Niche Award!! What an honor to be recognized in this manner. Your work is beautiful.
Carol Silrum

Good for you, Tony! Both for the award and the busy show.
I've been hearing grumbles.

What does BMAC stand for?

Thanks, and yes, I heard the grumbles too. I sense a kind of shake down happening in the field, and suspect we will see some changes in the number and type of exhibitor in the next few years. BMAC stands for the Buyers Market of American Craft. It is a trade show for people like me to market their work to stores and galleries that specialize in items hand made in the US and Canada. Unlike a retail craft show, where you are selling items from your booth, at a wholesale show you display your work, and take orders for later shipment, and do not sell anything from your booth.

Tony!

It was great going to dinner with you during tear down and visiting with you and your beautiful family once again. Congratulations on the Niche Award, you've been taking kiln-formed work to a new level.

As for the show and a recap of our dinner conversation. . . it certainly seems there were less buyers than in past years. Our sales pattern shifted mightily and where we usually had strong Fridays we realized buyers were doing much more on Saturday and Sunday. We had a good show, not a great one. Of course being bone tired from doing a long show the weekend before didn't help my energy levels and I'm pleased that next year we'll have a 9 day ‘hiatus’ between Tucson and BMAC.

Of course there has been much speculation as to a reason attendance and numbers were down. Everything from over saturation in the market, poor economy, uncertainty, to an aging group of gallery owners with seemingly no youngers wanting to pick up the baton. Interesting conversations and speculations. We can play pundit all we want, bottom line is that each of us hit the number we need to continue, which most I talked with did. Of course, since I rarely walk the show I only talked to friends over dinner or to people in close proximity to my booth which does give a skewed view.

It will be interesting to add the ACC experience to this mix.


Sara

Hi Tony:

Congrats on your Niche award!

I had a really good show. Since this was my second winter BMAC show, I was happy to pick up many new galleries and get some re-orders. For me, I know that adding a middle price point line was a smart move. Previously having only high-end I saw a big difference AND don'tcha know I got lots of orders for the high-end items as well as picking up many new fine craft galleries with the newer lower price point line.

Was great meeting you in person (and your son and daughter too)! Are you going to do the summer show?

RobinE

Really enjoyed catching up with you Sara, and meeting you Robin. The quality of work that you both offer is helping put warm glass on a par with the other techniques, among them blowing. When I started doing the shows in '85 kiln work was a barely acknowledged field. Blowers held the top position in the glass hierarchy, and we were in the sub basement. Today, though a lot of the work is still not clearly understood, we are much closer to being seen as equals. We don't have the cache of being half naked and spinning dangerous gobs of molten glass on the end of a punty while sweating profusely to pounding rock music, but we've got our own magic. A vigorous session of kiln shelf washing to be bop jazz, with the PSI turned up to a comatose 25, with a recalcitrant sprayer can hold it's own fascination, at least to my 18 month old. We may be the geeks of the glass world, but we're having a good time! And yes, I will be doing the summer show.