Glass - Craft or Art

Yesterday I received a phone call from the director of the continuing education program at the college I teach at. Seems NY state has reclassified some of the courses. The course I teach was under Professional Development/Vocational Pursuits but is now being reclassified as a Personal Enrichment course. Bottom line, it's a craft and there is a big drop in the pay scale for instructors in that area. They are even sub listing it under CREATIVE PROJECTS. At least they could have put it under ARTISTIC EXPRESSION but no. Of course Floral Design is still under Vocational Pursuits. What really ticks me off is that part of the course requirement is to take all the students to a professional glass studio and demonstrate for them how to setup and run a glass business. I have a meeting with the director today to talk about wither or not I will teach this semester.

More than the pay cut involved with this has me ticked off. For whatever stupid reason, glass is seen as more of a craft than art by many galleries, museums and people in general and that doesn't seem to be improving. I was once approach to join a large local art league here on the island. When they asked about the medium I worked in, I proudly said glass and they promptly said no thank you. They were a group of "artists" after all and weren't looking for craft people. I tried to politely explain that I did indeed paint and sculpt, I just use glass instead of paints or clays. Well bottom line....I'm not a member of that league. By the way they did have a fabric artist in the group as well as some pottery artists and wood workers so it wasn't just painters.

I went into a gallery with some of my best pieces once only to be told they only represent artist. Didn't bother replying to that. She asked if I painted as well and although I do I told her that glass was my main medium of choice. The owner did buy two of my peices for herself. She loved them and has been to a few of my open houses over the years and bought several other pieces. Again...FTF"!

This whole craft crap has me crazed this morning. Glass is not a hobby for me. I make my living creating with glass. I stopped doing shows a few years ago because number one, the island is inundated with a ton of them and the juring processes is a joke anymore. Pay your fee and you have a booth. The last one I did had a woman selling the same imported stained glass sun catchers all shrink wrapped on cards that I periodically get the catalog for in the mail. Another was selling the imported glass flowers I saw that morning in the local dollar store and yet another was selling tube socks. Between vendors like that and people coming into my booth saying things like, "Is this glass?" (no it's concrete) "Who makes this" (Little elves) "Oh I used to make stuff like that. You bake it in the oven" (really....darn I wasted all those days cutting glass and working in the heat of the kiln for nothing) I couldn't take it any more. Mark, bless his soul, actually threw one nasty vendor out of my booth who had the nerve to come in with her friend and take picture of some of my pieces and discuss how they were going to make some for their next show. He needn't have bothered. I saw their work and they wouldn't have been able to replicate mine. It was sweet of him though.

I am not trying to say that I am a master artist in glass but I am striving to get my work to the highest level I can. The picture above is not one of my best but the only one I have on the computer right now. I have been fortunate enough to study with some of those I feel are and it just unnerves me to no end that these extremely talented people are creating such wonderful pieces in a medium that has to fight to be seen as art.

Some in the glass world say that by teaching my art to people who do just want to do it as a hobby is part of the problem. Do people painting pictures as a hobby down grade all those paintings in museums every where to craft projects? I don't think so. There will always be so called "crafters" in every medium. Why can't we also recognize that there are also artist in every medium as well?

Ok I am done ranting for now and need another cup of coffee before I go take on the director.

Why My Husband & Kids Are Not Allowed To Go Shopping Together Without Me

I have been driving a truck for the last year and Katie has been using my Endeavor. Now this truck came about when my son James needed a dependable vehicle to get back and forth to work. I had some money put away and my husband and I thought we would loan him money for something. Mind you, I was thinking something around a few thousand. Well Mark went with James "just to look" and the next thing I knew I was getting a phone call from Mark about this "great truck" they found and it really is a "fantastic deal." Long story short and $25K later a huge truck came to our drive way. Now this gas guzzler was costing my son a small fortune to drive the 40 miles to and from work. Another long story short... the truck has been mine for the last year.

Friday, we turned in the Endeavor we had been leasing for the last four years. With everything that has been going on we didn't get a chance to look around for a new vehicle. Sunday Mark, Katie and I went to "just look" for a replacement car. Ya right. Mark drove first to the Nissan dealership that the truck came from. Once again we were just going to start looking there and I had a list and ads from other places we were to look at. The whole idea was to find a cheap used car for Katie to use for work and school until she can afford to buy her own car.






Well the first car we saw on the lot was a brand new Nissan Sentra with all the bells and whistles. Mark was hooked right away. Jimmy the young salesman took them for a test drive while I refused to go and stayed behind and had a smoke. When they got back they were both in love with it and I knew we would not be going any where else or even looking at another car there. Mark was ready to sign the lease then and there. I put on my best "NO WAY" face and glared at Jimmy. Jimmy went in to work up some numbers while I talked to Mark and Katie. Yes it's a great car. Yes It has lots of cool techno stuff like Bluetooth built in and you don't even have to take your key out of your purse to get in it or drive it. This is just the first car we have seen and we were "just looking" guys! I don't think either one of them heard a word I said.

Jimmy invites us into his office and shows us the numbers. I say absolutely not. Mark and Katie both looking at me like I have just killed the dog. I know there is no way we are going to leave with out this car but at least I am going to only pay what I want. I tell Mark and Katie in front of Jimmy that we are leaving now and going down the road to see what Mitsu has to offer since we would be returning customers and get a far better deal. I also make sure that Jimmy sees that I have the auto section of the paper in my hand as I once again tell Mark and Katie that this was just our first stop of the day and we had a bunch more cars to look at. Sweet Jimmy goes into closing mode and asks me what it would take for me to even consider this car. I low ball the numbers and shorten the lease time. Of course he doesn't think the manager will go for it but I say sorry but we will have to go then. Katie almost faints and Mark looks shocked. He has never seen me in action in the corporate world. I used to work at an ad agency where car dealerships were or bread and butter accounts. Jimmy relents and goes off to find his manager. After some time he comes back with a counter offer which unknown to Jimmy or Mark is what I had planned on accepting. I figure that was way too easy and counter his counter. Jimmy looks down and shakes his head and says the boss will never go for it. Sorry Jim but go find the manager again. Darn if he didn't come back after sometime with $20 more taken off the monthly payment. Mark and Katie are both looking at me with pleading eyes and telling me it's a good deal and only $6 more than we asked for. Katie even offers to pay the difference. It must be old age but I have been having fun playing the meanie lately. I know it's wrong but darn, sometimes it is so much fun. I asked Jimmy to show us the car again and then ask him to let me drive it. I even scared the crap out of him when he told me about how you can't feel it shifting gears so I floored it to see for myself. He was right. It handles real smooth and has a set. When we got back to the lot I kinda felt bad that this poor kid has spent almost 2 hours with us so I told him if he threw in all the mats and total roadside assistance for the entire duration of the lease, he had a deal.

We went to lunch while they prepped the car and got all the paper work together. We started out at around 11am and by 2:30 we had the car in our driveway. I just hate that we took the first car we saw but I guess if the first one you see is the right one, I should be feeling lucky. I hate shopping as much as Mark does but at least I think I got us a good deal. If I hadn't been there he would have taken it for what they originally offered or put way too much money down on it. It will take forever to figure out how to work everything in it. Jimmy linked up my cell phone to the bluetooth in the car and now I have to figure out how to do Katie's. The booklet for that alone is about 1/2" thick.

Katie and Mark are happy as can be and I have to admit I like the car too. It gets great gas mileage and should be very comfortable to take on trips. Now the only problem will be getting Katie to let me have it now and then.

Indiana 911

Why is it that I only seem to get back home for 911 calls? I really need to do something about that.

As some of you may know, my sister Penney Michas passed away on July 31. She was a loving person and left us way too soon. The picture above was one that was displayed at her memorial service. I love it since it shows her so full of life. We will all miss you Penny. My brother-in law Sal has a very touching post on his blog at Sal Scribblings: Loss

I received the news from my brother Coy and high tailed it out to Indiana. Now my family can't seem to let me deal with just one event at a time so my brother Richard decided it was a good time to have a heart attack as well. I had planned on staying out there for a week and it was a good thing I did. I was able to help Rich and his wife while he under went angioplasty and settled him back in at his home afterwards. He has some major lifestyle changing to do but will be fine. Thank the powers that be my childhood best friend is the head of the cath lab at the hospital my brother was sent to. He had the best room in the place complete with a flat panel TV. I can't say enough about the doctors, nurses and staff at Dyer hospital (I know that isn't it's real name but it will always be called that to me.)

Of course Northwest Indiana was experiencing a heat wave combined with some of the nastiest thunder storms the majority of the time I was there. The county fair was going on but I never made it there. Darn, no tracker pulls or pig races for me.

The one big bright spot was that I finally got to see Coy and Sal. With all the sorrow and worry I was dealing with they were a godsend. I already loved them both but now after spending just that short time with them they are etched in my heart forever. Poor Sal had to put up with all our mid-west quirks but hey the biscuits and gravy and country ham are darn good aren't they Sal? I have a funny feeling we could get into a lot of trouble together if I ever get my tail out to California.

Any way I am back home now and life goes on. Katie is in Florida visiting her friend Vinny who just moved there with his family. Happy birthday Kate and stay out of trouble. Oh and no, I haven't feed Maddy to the snake......yet......... Time for bed so take care all and hug your loved ones. Time is too short on this earth and hugs are too few.