About 5000 people defied unexpected thunderstorms to enjoy the 2017 Festival of Glass Expo at Drysdale’s Christian College.
The expo showcased the glass art of 50 artists and businesses and encouraged visitors to become glass artists for a day.
They could learn about mosaics with Montage Mosaics, create mosaic pavers with experts from Bunnings, or create leadlighting with RuMa Leadlighting. They could string beads with the Bead Society of Victoria, weave glass beads into patterns with Dax Bead Art and create glass jewellery and sculptures with Klassay Glass Art and bead maker Pauline Delaney.
“The weather doesn’t seem to bother glass lovers”, festival convenor Doug Carson said. “Thousands of people attended each of the first six festival expos despite the weather. “
Two especially popular features of the expo were the annual Glass Art Awards, which attracted more than 30 entries and the draw for the 2017 Treasure Hunt.
“Well over 100 hopeful hunters entered the draw,” treasure hunt organiser Diane Schofield said. “It was a happy event, because almost all of them went away with a prize.”
The 2017 Treasure Hunt was launched in early January, supported by 28 local businesses.
Also igniting the imaginations of the crowds was the glass blowing demonstrations by glass master Davide Penso, from Murano, Venice, a place renowned for centuries for its glass art.
Davide is Artist in Residence at the 2017 festival and he starred in the sell-out “Twilight Flames” at Leura Park Estate winery, where he blew and sculpted glass and talked about life on Murano,
Following the expo Davide continued to run classes for beginning and experienced glass artists.
