In early June, hundreds of international leaders in the contemporary glass community descended upon Norfolk, Virginia for an exciting weekend of demonstrations, lectures, exhibitions and special events as a part of the 46^th Annual Glass Art Society Conference. The theme of this year’s event, Reflections from the Edge: Glass, Art, and Performance, was an invitation for attendees to immerse themselves in groundbreaking theatrical glass performances and explore technical processes and topics.

Representing Pilchuck at the event were Tina Aufiero, Justin Parisi-Smith and Abram Deslauriers. The team enjoyed a whirlwind—but enriching—experience where they had the opportunity to share information about Pilchuck’s Summer and Fall Programs, and immerse themselves in a rich learning environment alongside their peers.

Here are a few of our favorite moments from the conference:

Pilchuck staff member and artist Justin Parisi-Smith greets conference attendees at the Pilchuck booth.

DJABC (aka Pilchuck staff member Abram Deslauriers) of Flock the Optic gets ready to go on stage for a Friday night performance.

Collaborative trio, Flock the Optic, featuring Abram Deslauriers (DJABC), Liesl Schubel (Stitch) and David King (MC Mummmmbles) performed at the Three Ring Circus venue. Their show was such a hit that GAS extended their set which progressed into a full street party, drawing a large crowd of conference attendees.

The Pilchuck Prints vitreography exhibition at the Chrysler Museum of Art served as a backdrop to this year’s conference. On view until September 17, 2017, this exhibition demonstrates the innovative use of glass for printmaking at Pilchuck over the last three decades. The exhibition features work by Mona Hatoum, Judy Chicago, Italo Scanga, Hank Murta Adams, Tina Aufiero, Cappy Thompson, Ann Wolff, and others who came to the school from around the world as students, instructors, and visiting artists.