I was all set to teach at the Glass Craft and Bead Expo in 2020 for the first time, but, well, things didn’t go as planned. I learned to use Zoom, offered some workshops virtually, and then I actually found myself booked solid with commissions ever since. By 2022, I was missing the in-person teaching experience, and felt ready to commit to my first live workshop in almost 4 years. I had heard from some of my colleagues in the glass industry that it was a fantastic show, taking place at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas for the past 27 years, so I was very curious.
I may have been a bit overeager because I decided to offer four full-day classes consecutively. My logic was that a student could choose to take all four classes and leave with a good foundation in stained glass mosaic. But it would also be possible to mix and match, and to take classes from other instructors as well. Here’s what I learned about that: I should have taught 2 full-day classes, or one 2-day class, or any less intense combination, really. Four consecutive classes was a bit brutal, especially after such a long hiatus!
To set the scene: I learned the morning of my flight that my box of class supplies shipped ahead of myself was registering by USPS as being Returned to Sender. But when I called, they didn’t know where it was. I kept my fingers crossed that it had actually been delivered and it was just a glitch in the tracking system. Alas, the box was not waiting for me as I hoped. Luckily, I had packed some extra supplies, just in case, and I placed an emergency order with Amazon to get enough of the other things I needed to make do. Now that I’ve returned, I am told the box is being delivered to the conference center.
The classes I taught were: Intro to Cutting Stained Glass by Hand, Next Level Cutting Stained Glass by Hand, Pattern and Flow in Stained Glass Mosaic, and Glass on Glass Mosaic. I had really wonderful students in every group. Here are a few pictures from the week of classes:
The Expo takes place in a Casino Hotel that is like a small city inside. I was a bit out of my element because I’m not interested in gambling and I’m sensitive to cigarette smoke. But it was an impressive building with a cinema, bowling alley, eleven restaurants and even a huge equestrian center. Almost every evening, I walked up the seven floors to the top of the parking garage to watch the sun set. This was my first time in Vegas and I honestly thought it was in the middle of flat desert. So it was a thrill to find that it’s ringed with beautiful mountains.
By Sunday, I was utterly exhausted and ready to go home, but I hadn’t had the chance to visit the actual Expo and it was going for one more day. I’m so glad I had this day free because the exhibition hall was filled with vendors and booths full of tools, supplies and fabulous art. The Gallery of Excellence is an exhibit full of beautiful glass art and I had the honor of finding a 3rd Place ribbon next to my submission: Manifesto! Another of my portable pieces, Mother of Exiles, was displayed in the Oceanside Glass booth, which also meant a lot to me. I helped with a fundraising auction for the KBW Foundation and met a lot of wonderful people; my students, the Expo organizers and the vendors. So, it was a very intense week and the missing supplies really threw me, but ultimately, it was a great experience and I’m very glad I went.
*My next scheduled live workshop is going to be at the SAMA/SGAA conference in Buffalo, NY in September. Find more info HERE.
