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“Glass as a teller of stories has been used for millennia,” says Joel Berman, founder and president of Joel Berman Glass Studios. “Stained glass windows have been used in cathedrals as storyboards and have withstood the test of time for centuries. Berman Graphics: Print is a modern version of the ancient technique of permanently coloring the surface of glass to tell stories. With design that is relevant to the community, to the surrounding architecture, and to the users of the space, stories told in glass can sustain indefinitely. We are pleased to be partnering with DSG Custom Glass to bring this exciting technology to the design world.”

The cell phone again. Another 800 number? Oh well, it’ got to be one of the credit card companies, or lease companies. Maybe it’s a utility company warning me of an interruption in service, or maybe, hopefully, it’s just a wrong number. I don’t think I have the strength to answer and find out, lest I be distracted from …. From what? Did I just fall asleep? There are so many quotes to follow up. Maybe they’ll all convert to real business. I hope all the checks that should have been here last week get here today so I can cover what I wrote on Friday. Gosh my help is in a bad mood. I wish the contractor had not been so emphatic about us gearing our Monday morning toward finishing up just so we could show up (now how long till we finish and get that big check still owed us?) only to find the sub before us hadn’t done his job so the site was not ready for us. What a crappy way to start the week.

Another 800 number. Is there no end to this? The mortgage. When will they learn I pay in arrears? I don’t have the cash flow at the start of the month because there are too many commitments for business obligations. Hope they don’t report my curt but polite style of responding to them to the credit bureau; my fico score has dropped too far from all the personal guarantees I’ve made for the company anyway. What am I going to do about all the personal loans people have made me? Everybody is hurting and wants to be paid back. I’ve never stiffed anyone. There haven’t been any commitments made for obligations that were inconsistent with our needs or how we were growing. It’s not like I’m going to declare chapter whatever and someone is there with a check already written so we can start over clean and move on. We’re no car company, that’s for sure.

Nope, definitely not too big to fail. But I won’t. What, with all this business I’ve been promised and we’ve been specified for and with what I’m quoting everyday, this is going to work out, it’s just got to. I know it will. Gosh this makes me tired. Glad I started the day at the gym. Maybe if I rest my eyes for just a second …

This pseudo sci-fi blog is patterned after the Twilight Zone episode about the sick girl who thinks she’s going to fry because the earth’s been knocked out of orbit and is headed toward the sun. She wakes from a dream to find that the earth is moving away and she’s freezing instead. The big difference between that girl and me is that neither of her realities was borne of any optimism, and both of my vignettes end on the up-beat. It is said that “he who is always waiting for things to turn up has his eyes focused on the ground.” Work with optimism. Whether you subscribe to the philosophy of Oscar Wilde, who said “The basis of optimism is sheer terror” or Lucille Ball, who said “One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself,” I’ve read and believe that life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it. I’ve been a character in both vignettes, and here I am, writing to tell about it, and still smiling.

The sculptures are part of the new treatment facility’s goal to blend in aesthetically to its prominent location in one of Blaine’s most popular parks. It was approved by Blaine City Council earlier this year, following the recommendations of the city’s art advisory committee.

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Alfonso transformed an existing 10,000-square-foot concrete shell into 12 individual environments that respond directly to the theory and basis of Chihuly’s art. These “dreams,” first realized in delicate watercolors by Alfonso, are transitioned by a series of deep portals. As the announcement states, “Chihuly’s glass and works on paper exist on a pathway of apertures, anticipatory views, kaleidoscopic reflections of fluid light and undulating curves.”

It continues, “The sensuous folds of the Chandelier Room trace an Alvar Aalto vase turned upside down. Brilliant Mille Fiori are displayed on an elevated oval plinth, with Romanesque beams above to herald a contemplative chapel. The Float Boat drifts on an ink black Venetian canal, a buoyant celebration of Carnevale. 100-year-old heart of pine salvaged from the Suwannee River tops metal armatures, a detailed triumvirate of steel, wood and glass. There are no barriers to the art, recessed steel troughs delineate a boundary, more intuitive than physical. The senses are engaged with aromatic cypress and the humming tips of the Blue Neon Tumbleweed. Travertine tile multiplies reflections, Macchia shadows dance on cypress walls, matte steel absorbs radiant color in soft focus.”

“The opening of the Chihuly Collection is truly one of the proudest moments of my career,” says Chihuly. “The Chihuly Collection would not be the spectacular space that it is today without the hard work, vision and dedication of my dear friend and architect Alberto Alfonso who transformed the space into a spectacular architectural environment to showcase my work.” The Seattle-based artist is credited with leading the development of complex glass sculptures and environmental art, as well as transforming the contemporary art glass movement.

Meltdown Glass Art & Design LLC has also installed new equipment in the new studio for the production of large scale architectural kiln cast glass. Two new kilns have been built specifically for the company and the studio is outfitted with an overhead crane system for moving glass, along with an Italian glass washer and an automatic laser double-headed drilling machine.

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McLeod, 31, is the executive producer of Floating World Projects, a cross-cultural collaboration between Turkish and American artists working in several mediums, including video, audio and glass.

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Tick, who designed a collection of glass for Skyline Design, began by taking the audience through her artistic approach to developing decorative glass. When developing the collection for Skyline, she said, at one point she was in Seattle, where there are numerous showcases of decorative glass. Clarity, she said, seemed to be a predominant theme in many displays.

Another inspiration, she said, was the icon for Apple products.

“It’s all about the look of technology in glass and that was also inspiring,” Tick said, explaining that she found herself going back and forth between a technological and organic approach to the design.

She said she also found inspiration through many of her travels, which took her to India, Japan and the Middle East.

“You can tap into inspiration from anywhere and not be afraid to apply it to a material [such as glass],” she said.

Leonard spoke next and talked about some of the considerations architects and designers should take when working with decorative glass. For starters, he stressed the importance of staying within budget.

“Once the project is designed and developed, does it fit within budget?” asked Leonard. “Next, you have to address its availability [i.e., does it have to be imported or is it readily available here] and does it meet the job schedule? All of this has to be addressed once you pick out the product.”

Whether the application will require safety glazing also needs to be considered.

“Some decorative glass products cannot be tempered or laminated,” said Leonard. “This means they can only be used in places where safety glass is not required.”

He also pointed out that when such products are used, the required safety glazing label can be a hindrance to the design, particularly when the glass is used in small quantities.

“When you do use [decorative] safety glass, get verification in writing from the manufacturer so you don’t have to have the labels on the glass,” he advised.

Other considerations when designing with decorative glass can include the type of system in which it’s going to be installed. Leonard pointed out that, depending on the height of the glass, certain sizes or thicknesses may be required.

“We’re a big promoter of glass,” he added. “We’re proud of the projects we’ve been involved with over the years and we have a good handle on what’s needed to do the job.”

Rizzo spoke last, and talked about the history of glass and also environmental attributes of glass.

In looking at the history of glass, he showed project examples–some of which were thousands of years old–to show how durable glass is. He also talked about the technologies that were developed to manufacture glass (i.e., the float glass process).

In looking at the environmental features, Rizzo noted, “Glass is inherently green.”

He explained that it can be used in architecture in many applications; allows for easy space planning and changes; and provides daylight, which helps make people feel good.

Likewise, he added that glass products can also help a project earn LEED points. Some of the environmental features that glass can offer a project include the fact that it can be energy-efficient and durable; once it’s installed it stays in for the length of the building’s lifespan, “which reduces the need for landfills,” Rizzo said.

“Few can imagine a world without glass; it’s ubiquitous,” Rizzo said. “As architects and designers [you have a] decision to supply aesthetic beauty as well as function and financial feasibility, but also to the environment. Make sure the materials you use are recyclable and can be re-used.”

He added, “We believe in the relationship between the glass craftspeople and the design community. We can help you with your concerns and we can help you through the process.”

“We have worked on this project for the better part of a year, and the results are fantastic,” said Cathie Saroka of Goldray Industries Ltd. and chair of the division’s website committee. “The purpose of this site was to offer information in a dynamic way, so that architects and designers could draw inspiration from other projects, learn the terminology we in the industry use, and maybe even learn new ways to use the product by seeing some of the amazing things that have been done with decorative glass.”

The site features company profiles for each of the division’s members, segmented into manufacturer, supplier and glazing contractor. “Our goal is to offer the architect and designer a quick way to learn about specific types of decorative glass, see examples, then learn where they can purchase those products for their projects, as well as who may be able to bring forth the experience in installing the product,” explained Saroka.

The site also has a technical section and a green section. “Green technologies have become a way of life in the glass industry,” said Saroka. “We offer our LEED® white paper illustrating the ways decorative glazing products may help earn LEED® certification points, and soon architects will be able to view our Introduction to Decorative Glazing AIA-accredited presentation on the site for even more easy-approach education and learning units.”

CLICK HERE to view the site.