Women's International Glass Workshop Records

The idea for the Women's International Glass Workshop formed in 1988, when a group of female artists working in stained glass met in Germany at the opening of the exhibition "36 Women from 12 Countries." The energy kindled by this show led several of these artists to desire a reunion to work and exhibit in Iceland the following year. Following that meeting, the members decided to continue the tradition, meeting every two years, in one member's host country. During these workshops, members immerse themselves in a culture different from their own, letting those experiences influence their later work, and deepening their bonds with one another.

Workshops are as follows:
1988: Bremen, Germany (original meeting)

1989: Reykjavik, Iceland, hosted by Sigridur (Systa) Asgeirsdottir, titled "Ice in Our Luggage"

1991: Swansea, Wales, hosted by Amber Hiscott and Catrin Jones, also titled "Ice in Our Luggage"

1993: Baden/Wien, Austria, hosted by Cornelia König, titled "Wales Tales"

1995: Tokyo, Japan, hosted by Yoshi Yamauchi and Sachiko Yamamoto, titled "Layers of Experience"

1997: Cork, Ireland, hosted by Mary Mackey, titled "Traces of Travel"

1999: New York City and Colorado, USA, hosted by Marie-Pascale Foucault-Phipps

2000: Colorado, USA--exhibition only

2002: Auckland, New Zealand, hosted by Holly Sanford, titled "Glass with Altitude"

2004: Toronto, Canada, hosted by Doreen Balabanoff and Mimi Gellman, titled "A Sense of Place"

2006: Sydney, Australia, hosted by Cedar Prest, titled "Spirit Journeys"

2008: Liverpool, UK--exhibition only

2008: Chartres, France--exhibition only, titled "Capter la Lumiere"

2008: Baden/Wein, Germany, hosted by Helga Reay-Young

2009: Swansea, Wales--exhibition only, titled "Gathering Light"

2010: Reykjavik, Iceland--exhibition only

2011: Reykjavik, Iceland, hosted by Sigridur Asgeirsdottir

2013: Swansea, Wales--exhibition only

2014: Auckland, France, hosted by Marie-Pascale Foucault-Phipps and Jean Mauret

2016: Saint-Hilaire, France--exhibition only, titled "Lumiere Visible"

2018: Tokyo, Japan, hosted by Sachiko Yamamoto, titled "SoL: Sisters of Light"


Membership in the Women's International Glass Workshop has fluctuated over the years, and not all members are able to attend each Workshop. The group began with eight members: Linda Lichtman, Ellen Mandelbaum, Walraud Hackenberg, Sigridur (Systa) Asgeirsdotter, Catrin Jones, Maude Cotter, Helga Reay-Young, and Amber Hiscott. By the mid-1990s, the group decided to limit their number to around twenty, chiefly due to the complexities the host had to manage in organizing a larger gathering.

As of 2019, members include:
Sigridur (Systa) Asgeirsdottir, Iceland

Doreen Balabanoff, Canada

Chris Bird-Jones, Wales

Ginger Ferrell, USA/UK

Marie-Pascale Foucault-Phipps, France

Mimi Gellman, Canada

Chinks Vere Grylls, UK

Amber Hiscott, Wales

Catrin Jones, UK

Cornelia König, Austria

Linda Lichtman, USA

Mary Mackey, Ireland

Ellen Mandelbaum, USA

Cedar Prest, Australia

Helga Reay-Young, Germany

Holly Sanford, New Zealand

Christine Triebsch, Germany

Sachiko Yamamoto, Japan

Yoshi Yamauchi, Japan/Germany