'Bittersweet to be in final glass centre show'

2 days ago

Jason Arunn MurugesuNorth East and Cumbria

News image — The final exhibition is under way at the National Glass Centre before its closure in July

Dr Laura Johnston Two technicians, a man and a woman, on a red hydraulic platform in a white museum room. They are putting the final pieces to a glass artwork which hangs from the ceiling. It is a series of glass triangles in different colours which reflect on to the white walls. — The final exhibition is under way at the National Glass Centre before its closure in July

Artists whose work is being showcased in an exhibition celebrating them and the degree programmes they were a part of have spoken out against a university's plans to end the courses.

Two years ago the University of Sunderland announced that, as well as closing the National Glass Centre (NGC), it would be ending its glass and ceramics degrees in 2026.

The centre is now holding its final exhibition which highlights 52 artists made up of the university's graduates and staff over the degree programme's 44-year history.

One of the artists, Dr Laura Johnston, described taking part in the exhibition as "profoundly bittersweet". The university said it could no longer afford to run the courses.

Johnston, who completed a PhD in glassmaking at the university, created a permanent installation for the NGC's opening in 1998.

The work consisted of suspended glass triangles, part of which has been reinstalled for the centre's The Graduates exhibition.

She said the original commission led to several other opportunities to create large-scale public works across the UK.

"It was my first opportunity to realise my research into dichroic glass at an architectural scale," she said.

But she fears the university's cuts will cause job losses that will break apart a "unique community" in Sunderland and ultimately cause an "enormous cultural loss for the region".

David Williams Four black bottles with sculpted tops depicting animal heads reminiscent of ancient Egypt. The main part of the bottles have glowing images of plants etched into them. Each glowing image is of a different colour: red, black, purple and green. — Sean Barnes said glassmaking could not be learned from books alone

Artist Sean Barnes said the university had been one of the few places in the UK where people could learn hot glass blowing.

"Glass isn't learned through time reading books, it's learned through time in the bench, gathering from the furnace and many burns and cuts," he said.

"When courses like this disappear, you don't just lose a university programme you risk losing the pathway that trains the next generation of glass makers and researchers."

Hannah Masi Three candelabras made from pipes and attached to various glass cylinders. On the first candelabra are drinking glasses and bowls. One of the glasses has a pile of cocktail sticks, while a bowl contains olives. The middle candelabra holds five white candles. The right candelabra holds an empty glass, perhaps for wine, without a stem. — Hannah Masi said expertise and equipment would be lost to Sunderland

Hannah Masi said the loss of the degrees would have a "profound impact on the field of glass".

"The NGC houses specialist equipment and is supported by highly trained and dedicated tutors," she said.

"All of this expertise risks being lost when the courses are terminated.

"Closing both the course and the building will bring many artists' daily practices to a halt."

Simon Bruntnell Four glass cylinders which are slightly twisted and deformed in the middle. All four cylinders are different shades of pink/purple on the top half, but clear at the bottom. — Emma Baker said the closure risks "destroying access" to skills

Glassmaker Emma Baker said she was "gutted" by the loss of the degree programme.

"Surely we should be investing in our industry and skills rather than destroying access to them," she said.

The university said it had explored options to relocate its glass and ceramics programme following the closure of the NGC but the costs, which it claimed were almost £10m, were too high.

"The university's board of governors concluded the course was no longer financially viable," a spokesperson said.

The Graduates is on show until 31 July when the NGC is due to shut.

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