A couple weeks ago, we asked the community for their favorite moments from the Berlin 2024 Conference and we received so many wonderful responses that centered on meeting new people and reuniting with old friends. The community is one of the best aspects of the conference! Without further ado, here are just a few of your favorite Berlin memories:
GAS Staff:
“Having Willow (Conference + Events Manager Jennifer Hand’s daughter) at her very first GAS Conference was so special!”
Katie Huskie:
“Catching up with old friends!”
Nağme Başaran:
“Meeting new people!”
Tracey Howard:
“My friend Julie and I participating in the Flame Off. Never did we think that we would be flameworking in another country. It was fast-paced and exciting. I made a leaf and Julie made a heart.”
Evan Burnette:
“Watching the reactions of the Berlin Glass crew as RIT poured honey and glass confetti all over their tools and hotshop.”
Lothar Böttcher:
“I spent most of the time in the cold shop. It was a conference after all, and so many delegates came by to ask question and wanting to know more about cold work and the Lathe Riders. Just outside our cold shop, I met Frederik Rombach and Jeff (from Rero Glass in Antwerp) who were setting up the Green Pavilion. I really enjoyed chatting with them and learning more about up-cycling and recycling glass, especially in the context of the mobile setup they had at the GAS conference. I also met Ivan Bestari Minar Pradipta from Indonesia who makes these amazingly fine lampworked sculptures from bottle glass. The action and diversity of the Green Pavilion really blew me away and hope to see more of this trend in the future (plus more cold work ;)”
Sebnem Kurtel:
“One of the most memorable moments I had at GAS Berlin was with Jennifer, who had notified me via email about earning the scholarship and whom I met in person for the first time in Berlin. We talked about how significant it was for GAS to open such a big path for a self-taught glass designer like me, how many people I met, and how lucky I felt. When our eyes met, we were both in tears. It was then that I realized GAS Berlin made me feel at home since there were glass artists everywhere, greeting each other without hesitation.”