Glass Routes was a major international exhibition showing the work of Professor Keith Cummings and his students.
The exhibition was a collaboration between the School of Art & Design at the University of Wolverhampton and Wolverhampton Arts + Museums (Bilston Craft Gallery) and was supported by the Arts Council England and Renaissance in the Regions from MLA West Midlands.
The exhibition examined the role and impact of the teaching of Professor Keith Cummings on glass education in the UK, and internationally, over the last 40 years.
To celebrate an exchange and highlight links with the universities in Beijing and Shanghai the exhibition examined the effect of the University of Wolverhampton glass programme upon newly established university programmes in studio glass in Shanghai and Beijing.
This illustrated the strong dynamic dialogue between the contemporary glass culture in the UK and the developing glass art culture in China in the universities and also with their rapidly developing industrial and commercial partners.
Among the international glass artists and designers are: Professor Guan Donghai, Tsinghua University Beijing; Professor Zhuang Xiaowei, College of Fine Arts Shanghai University.
The exhibition recently secured bronze in the Best Exhibition Large Budget category in the 2009 Renaissance West Midlands’ Best of the West Awards.
* Top right artwork photographed by Simon Bruntnell.