When I listen, I hear plenty of decorative glass companies and fabricators talk about their decorative glass on all the social media platforms. They work hard at talking about successful projects and their latest new products. Overall, it’s mostly a game of show-and-tell. There’s nothing wrong with talking, but it’s a one-sided conversation.

When I listen I am hearing that decorative glass is not a subject that professional designers and homeowners discuss among themselves. You won’t hear one designer say to another “Ooh, don’t you just love that Master Carre pattern glass?” Why not? They talk about other materials that way. Is it because they already know the fine details about decorative glass? Is it because they have had a bad experience and now consider it taboo subject matter? Or perhaps, they don’t really understand what decorative glass is and don’t want to look uninformed. All of these possibilities just make me want to ask them, why?

So, I’ve started asking questions and listening. Here’s an example. During a weekly interior designer Twitter chat I asked a group of interior designers “what is the best way for a sales rep to get their foot in the door?” I listened and they told me that “food.” is the magic key to entry and oh, by the way, call them first! By asking and listening, I’ve learned that cutting the food allowance from the sales budget will make it more difficult to add new customers and that cold calling may not be the best approach. That information did not come from the sales or marketing department. It came straight from the source, your next new customer.

It is important to share your successes. It’s only natural to want to talk about them. It’s OK to do that, but talking about how successful our last project was or how great our new product is, isn’t going to get us into a designers conversation. Learning to listen and engage will get us there.

NeoCon will offer a variety of products for interior projects, including decorative glazing.

The event offers a comprehensive conference schedule including more than 120 CEU-accredited seminars, industry association forums and keynote presentations. Education tracks include environmental design; facilities construction and renovation; healthcare design; hospitality design; and more.

Show organizers expect more than 40,000 trade professionals to attend the conference, including architects, interior designers, facility managers, space planners, dealers/distributors, manufacturers/reps, corporate real estate executives, office managers, purchasing managers and project managers, among others.

Registration begins in March and additional information can be found on the event website.

Read the full article here.

James Bedell

Let’s show hands and take a count. Do you ever consider lighting when designing your decorative glass project? Hmm, I don’t see very many hands raised. If you didn’t raise your hand, don’t feel bad. I find that many decorative glass designers know that lighting is important, yet spend very little time planning for it. I recently met award winning lighting designer and author, James Bedell, and for a lack of a better way of putting it, James has shown me the light!

For the last 10 years, James Bedell has been a lighting designer based in NYC. He developed a love for the theater and theatrical lighting while attending Pace University. Nearly four years ago, James shifted focus from lighting in the entertainment world to lighting architectural spaces and joined Tirschwell & Company. From 2008 until mid 2011, he designed lighting for Abercrombie and Fitch, where he worked with the director of lighting design on A&F and Hollister chain stores, as well as flagship locations all over the world. This year, James founded his own company, JPB Lighting, which allows him to focus on his true passion, sustainable lighting.

I asked James to enlighten me (sorry, had to do it) on lighting glass.

Patricia: What are some of the most important considerations when lighting glass?

James: There are several key considerations when lighting glass. The most important consideration of course is the purpose the glass is serving within the overall design. Is it a shelf? A countertop? A decorative element? Once the purpose is determined then it’s time to think about the opacity, color and texture of the glass all of these are important factors.

Patricia: Is there a difference in the type of light and fixtures that should be used for glass?

James: Glass varies so much that I’m reluctant to say there are fixtures that should and shouldn’t be used. I think the focus needs to be on light sources rather than light fixtures. Glass can be remarkably forgiving of different light sources. In other words, sources that wouldn’t work when directly viewed can look amazing behind glass. The marriage of glass and LED can be excellent if the detail is well designed.

Patricia: Besides trade show displays, where else would professional lighting be a good investment?

James: What I tell people is that lighting is a quality multiplier. Glass used in architectural features MUST be professionally lit to fully realize its quality. If glass is poorly lit (hot spots, inconsistent color, streaks, etc.) then a high-quality piece of glass will look poor. If it’s lit expertly, then what is already a high-quality piece will appear priceless.

Patricia: Do you find that most artists, fabricators, manufacturers don’t consider lighting until after a project or product is completed?

James: When I talk about lighting most designers, artists, creatives in general always say “lighting is so important!” Yet, lighting doesn’t often get a seat at the table in the initial design process. Often it’s not until poor lighting ruins a desired effect that lighting designers are called in.

Patricia: The year 2011 was very successful for you. Do you have big plans for the New Year?

James: 2011 was a great year! I got to break free and start my own company. I also got to work on a wide variety of projects from architectural projects like private residents to theatrical projects and special events. I also took the time to write a book, Losing Edison: Beautiful, Sustainable Lighting at Home.

In the New Year, I’m looking to connect with architects and work on more architectural projects, but also focus on two or three personal projects. One project will be to create a small lighting design and photograph it every day for a month. I want to light people, art, furniture, and of course glass.

If you didn’t raise your hand for the question at the beginning of this blog I recommend collaborating with a lighting designer, like James Bedell, on your next project.

Leave me a comment if you have questions about lighting or want to tell me about your own experience collaborating with a lighting designer, I’d like to hear from you!

“The idea of creating an emotive marketing message for fabricated glass products was truly revolutionary to the industry,” Marxen says. “Just like the brand he created and championed, Huskey was honest, emotive, and left a lasting impression.”

Under Huskey’s direction, Gardner Glass Products introduced the Dreamwalls family of glass products in 1999.

“It’s important to remember that Tommy Huskey was the creator of the Dreamwalls vision for Gardner Glass Products, which is more than just an umbrella brand of value-added products,” Marxen says. “Dreamwalls is the very core of who we are and what we do. We wake up every day trying to find new products and new uses for our products on every surface of the living and working environment. And Tommy Huskey gave us that inspiration. The very idea to create an emotive marketing message for fabricated glass products was truly revolutionary to the industry then … and it still is today.”

Huskey was very creative and willing to work with people to develop solutions so everyone could benefit, says Pat Kelly, market segment manager of solar products at PPG Industries in Pittsburgh. “I have known Tommy since 2001,” he says. “I was the product manager of Starphire glass when Tommy came to PPG to talk about the use of Starphire glass. He was going to offer a marketing plan to Lowe’s. Tommy was an innovator. He was willing to push the limits to improve a product starting from PPG, to Gardner, all the way through the supply chain down to the consumer at Lowe’s. He was a breath of fresh air.”

Huskey was born in Wilkes County, N.C., to parents who were public school teachers. A young athlete, he was quarterback at North Wilkes High School and graduated from the Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.

Huskey’s career in the mirror business spanned more than 35 years. He began his profession in the glass industry in 1980 as a territory sales rep for Carolina Mirror Co. in North Wilkesboro. He moved up the ranks within the company to regional sales manager, vice president of sales and, ultimately, the president and CEO in the late 1990s at the age of 36.

“We lived in the same town and grew up in the same town,” says Drew Mayberry, president and CEO of Lenoir Mirror in Lenoir, N.C. “I hired him in 1979 in Carolina Mirror, and we worked together from 1979-1990. Each time I got a promotion, Tommy took the slot I vacated. He took my CEO position after I left. We were business competitors since then.

“Tommy was a hard worker, very focused, and I could always depend on him,” Mayberry adds. “He wasn’t one you had to follow behind. You could count on him to do the task you agreed to do. He was an awfully good employee. He was tenacious. When he set his site on an objective, he ground away at it until he was successful.”

Personally, “we had a lot of fun together,” Mayberry says. “He was a lovable guy, enjoyable in a social setting. We went to the same church. I’ve watched him and his family grow and mature. He was a class guy.”

In October of 1994, the Industrial Sales Force of Carolina Mirror established a scholarship in Huskey’s honor at Wilkes Community College.

In the fall of 1996, Huskey joined Gardner Glass Products as executive vice president of sales and marketing. He became president in 1998, and in February of 1999, he and his management team bought out the company. He served as chairman and CEO of the company.

Huskey was active in all the business sectors of the company, flat glass, retail, OEM and distribution, and traveled extensively all over the world in service of the company.

“I saw him last at GlassBuild last year,” says Scott Rickles, southeastern sales manager of Decorative Glass and USGlass magazines in Stafford, Va. “He was a great person to work with, and he treated you the same way as if he was your neighbor. You could talk to him about anything: family, friends or his golf game. He shot straight from the hips, and told you what was good and what was bad.” Rickles knew Huskey for 25 years.

“Huskey was a very big family man,” Kelly says. “Everything he did was for his family. When you called Tommy, the call would be first about how you were doing and how your family was doing. So, the first 10-15 minutes would be about your families. He had a never-dying spirit.”

Like Rickles, Lee Harrison, president of Walker Glass in Montreal, knew Huskey for a long time. “I have had the pleasure of knowing Tommy for close to 25 years,” Harrison says. “Throughout that time his commitment, not only to each of the companies he worked for, but to the industry as a whole, has been unwavering. He embodied the things that make the glass industry a great place to be. I will truly miss him.”

Marxen says, “Just like the brand he created and championed, Huskey was honest, emotive and left a definite impression.”

Huskey was an active member of the former National Association of Mirror Manufacturers, serving as director of the board in 1999-2000. He was a member of The Glass Association of North America.

In 2006, Huskey was instrumental in the efforts of bringing a community bank back to the local area. In July 2008, Great State Bank was chartered and opened. He served as vice-chairman of the board of directors and chairman of the Corporate Governance Committee from 2008 to 2011.

Huskey also was active in the local community with involvement in charities, athletic programs, and his church.

He is survived by wife Alison, teenage son Cole, and grown stepdaughter, Alaina; one brother, Ronnie; and his mother, Cleo. He also leaves behind a legacy of people to continue his work and vision at Gardner Glass Products. Randy Brooks, president, and Melissa Lackey, chief financial officer, will continue to manage day-to-day operations.

Visit Reins Sturdivant for full visitation and celebration of life details.

Located at 1122 and 1135 57th Avenue is David Ruth’s Glass Sculpture Studio. During the open gallery event Ruth and his associates will showcase glass sculpture, ceramics and photography, as well as a little painting.

Ruth is a long-time glass artist who has worked to create an array of cast glass creations, from sculptures to both public and private commissioned artwork around the world. One of his projects includes the Fairbanks International Airport where he created a stainless steel and cast glass wall designed to represent a contour map of a portion of the Yukon River at Tanana, Alaska, about 125 miles from Fairbanks.

Also part of the open studio event, the Macaroni Factory is located at 1250 57th Avenue and was originally founded by Peter Voulkos around 1965. Eight long-term artists will present their paintings, ceramics, collage and photography this weekend.

The galleries will be open to the public and will offer an opportunity for conversation about art. Refreshments will be provided as well as various pieces for sale.

Read more.

Dziewulski, designed the 20- x 8-foot multidimensional sculpture of an abstracted eye. Shan Shan Sheng, a Chinese-American painter and sculptor, created the watercolor imagery that gives the sculpture its magenta, purple and blue hues. Architectural Glass Art (AGA) fabricated the 44 panels of laminated glass for the sculpture to match the design exactly, and delicately installed each piece of art glass to the stainless steel framing.

The completed art is a dynamic composition of straight lines, vivid colors, complex angles and reflective surfaces. By day, the sun radiates light through the transparent panels allowing the sculpture to shine. When night falls, the static structure is illuminated, ensuring its glow is distinguished from the dark sky.

AGA’s installation team lead by John Sastre, who was assisted by Bob Cheever and Bart Herre, worked for roughly a week during install. After installation was completed and the team returned home, a dirt mound was piled around the base of the sculpture and covered with sod. This gives the illusion that the sculpture levitates slightly above the hill. The final touch, signage for the institute, was mounted to the curved brick wall that surrounds the hill and sculpture.

Thinking of gratitude reminded me of Christina Amri, founder and CEO of Amri Studios in Santa Rosa, Calif. Christina trained in a fourth-generation stained glass studio in Paris over 30 years ago and was able to participate in the restoration of the famed 12th century stained glass of Chartres cathedral!

She says, “We completely dismantled one whole façade of the cathedral’s glass. It was an amazing experience that has inspired all my work since, knowing that each carefully designed and carved piece of glass can be an act of devotion and service — an Act of Light illuminating other philanthropic and educational acts of light.”

Healthcare facilities, non-profit organizations, and schools regularly use honor walls to show appreciation to patrons for donating time and money. When I asked Christina about what it means to design and create these honor walls, she replied, “It means a great deal–not only our carefully conceived and crafted glowing luminescent transparent medium, but the acts of care, generosity, creation, philanthropy, education, research that are the spiritual ‘acts of light’ that caring humans do as part of our antidote to the darker, sharp edges of life, and that we highlight in our thoughtful RECOGNITION Tributes. It’s all about honoring.”

Amri continued, “I really like a very 3-d sculptural piece we did for Florida Hospital. Though it was meant to thank and recognize the man who gave $20 million dollars for their new Ginsburg medical tower, he did not want it to be all about him. A very nice circle of heart is formed – The hospital originally gifted him and his family with great compassionate care, he in turn gifted them with the ability to expand their care facility, which in turn gifts the entire community…. So then the hospital and community honored him and his gift with a beautiful and inspirational glowing architectural glass sculpture and gift to the space. Lovely.”

What design details make the piece special? “It is a spiral of life (DNA, a memorial grove of trees, our spiraling structure of our vascular system, etc.) that echoes the curves of their grand staircase, and the flow of the curving space. It is reflected beautifully in the polished black granite walls in that area. We all tend to reflect good deeds when we experience them! [The donor] requested that we carve a quotation about FAITH in the eight UN languages, to include the wide spectrum of the community it serves. It crosses all faiths.”

If I had an honor wall, I would have Christine Amri design and fabricate it. My wall would include each of you, dear readers, and all of the supportive people at Decorative Glass magazine and Key Communications. Many thanks to you. I am grateful.

A custom reception desk countertop was created by Glass Recycled For Thomas Interior Systems in Chicago.

The Dana Hotel and Spa is a new boutique establishment, featuring 216 rooms. Glass Recycled’s flooring material was installed in the spa and lobby area. Thomas Interior Systems, noted as the original dealer for Herman Miller office furniture, features a custom-designed, curved reception desk made with a combination of red, grey, black and mirrored materials.

“Top level firms have begun to use our products for a number of other notable projects including Nike, Whole Foods, PepsiCo and others,” says Tim Whaley, founder of Glass Recycled and developer of the company’s patented process. “We work with a number of architects and professional designers across the country who love specifying both our GlassSLAB kitchen countertop and GlassPLANK flooring material products because they are the only recycled glass choices that come in unlimited color combinations and at the same time add much-desired points to their LEED certification totals.”