Venues
NZG was the principal site for most of the conference demonstrations and lecmos. It's a great glass facility that is open to the entire community. Priority access will be given to delegates for the period of the conference but at all other times NZG offers a public access studio for glass artists, runs workshops for all abilities and presents and promotes the work of leading New Zealand glass artists through its retail gallery. NZG is a major attraction for local visitors and tourists and for the uninitiated visitor a great place to see first-hand, the incredible processes of glass art.
The Whanganui campus of UCOL (Universal College of Learning) delivers a Diploma in Arts and Design which is built around the vibrant glass arts industry that envelops Whanganui and the region. The Diploma brings forward our next generation of artists, with studies that focus particularly on furnace and kiln-based glass.
The Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui was established in 1912 “as a means of inspiration for ourselves and those who come after us”. It is recognised as one of New Zealand's most important heritage buildings and houses a collection of over 8500 works of New Zealand and international art, spanning 400 years. The Sarjeant Collection includes one of New Zealand’s best photographic collections, which includes the Denton Collection and a large holding of Edith Collier’s work. The gallery is the site for at least one of conference satellite exhibitions.
The Whanganui War Memorial Centre is one of the finest examples of New Zealand modernist architecture, rating in the top 1,000 modernist buildings in the world. It has had a major influence on architectural development in New Zealand and is registered as a Category 1 Historic Building. It provides modern conference facilities and served as a great backdrop to the conference program of lectures.