Invitation to Prospective Presenters

Knowledgeable professionals with expertise in the varied disciplines as they relate to stained, leaded, fused, architectural and decorative glass, and with prior experience giving presentations are invited to submit proposals for lectures, round-table presentations, live demonstrations, or hands-on workshops at the AGG 2024 Conference to be held in Grand Rapids, MI during July 10-14, 2024. Applicants may submit proposals for more than one type of presentation or workshop.

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The American Glass Guild

The American Glass Guild (AGG) is an organization dedicated to the open and widespread dissemination of accurate information and intelligent, informed opinions about stained, leaded, fused, architectural, and decorative glass. We are an inclusive organization and we actively seek the participation of all people with an interest in these diverse arts. The 2024 Conference will be a venue for artists, craftsmen, historians, and all those interested in glass to come together and benefit from the free exchange of ideas and opinions about our glorious glass art. The AGG is fully committed to providing the best information delivered by the most knowledgeable practitioners. 

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Suggested Topics

History and Research of Stained Glass

Painting on Stained Glass

Business Practices for Glass Artists

Bench Techniques

Design

Conservation theory and technique

Fused Glass

Kilnforming

Architectural Glass

Etc.

 

Conference Workshops

Workshops, lectures, and round table discussions will be presented towards building an environment within the craft that both cultivates novices and facilitates experienced craftsmen and artists to attain higher levels of expertise.

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Speaker Benefits

• Visibility as a leader in the craft

• Complimentary registration to the Conference main session

• Promotional coverage on our website, social media pages, and in our printed Conference program that will be distributed to all attendees.

• Networking opportunities within the craft

• A discretionary budget has been established to offer travel stipends for speakers, based on need. 

 

Speaker Requirements

Presenters are required to:

• Complete the Presenter Proposal Form and include all required attachments (Note: incomplete proposals may be disqualified)

• Make no substantive changes in content, or in presenters, without prior written approval from the AGG Conference Chairperson

• Submit all slide presentations in PowerPoint or PDF format at least 3 weeks prior to the conference  

 

Submission Guidelines and Evaluation of Proposals

The submitting presenter is designated as the main contact for conference information and is required to notify all co-speakers in the proposed presentation of the outcome of the selection process. The Conference Committee will determine the date and time of your presentation. For this reason, all prospective presenters must be available to speak on any day of the conference until the presentation date/time is confirmed.

 

Presentations should make significant contributions to professional development in our craft. Presentations that focus on single or specific projects must indicate how the presentation can be translated to apply from the specific to the general and should discuss design theories, innovations, or approaches. Presenters must refrain from marketing specific products or services. If selected, presenters are required to adhere to all submission deadlines that will be outlined in their acceptance email or letter. This is an interdisciplinary event attracting attendees from many professions at various stages of their careers. All of these individuals bring different experiences and perspectives to the learning environment. Therefore, priority will be given to presentations that encourage and support substantial interaction among participants.

 

The AGG may ask you to be a participant in a round table discussion that covers one of the topics at the Conference. The AGG reserves the right to assign a Moderator to the round table discussions and/or to the individual presentations.

 

Evaluation Process

Proposals will be evaluated by the Conference Education Committee against the following criteria:

• Well-defined focus and clarity of proposal

• Overall quality and potential to contribute to a well-balanced conference program

• Relevance to the various professions represented

• Practical applications of materials or ideas

• Timeliness and scope of topic

• Speaker’s experience
   

PRESENTATION FORMATS

Presentation formats for the main session can include slide lectures, panel discussions, and live technical demonstrations. If submitting a panel or multi-speaker presentation, all contributors must be confirmed in advance. 

Main session programming will be open to all conference attendees. Slide lectures and panel discussions will be presented once for the full group of attendees. Time slots for lectures are 25 or 50 minutes. Time slots for panel discussions are recommended at 45-60 minutes. 

 

Live demonstrations will allow the presenter to show a hands-on process to attendees. Demonstrations are different from workshops in that:

• Attendees will observe the demonstrations but they should have minimal to no hands-on participation in the process. 

• Demonstrations should be a more narrowly focused topic that can be covered during a much shorter time slot than a workshop

 

Time slots for live demonstrations are 15 minutes. In order to allow for smaller audience groups, multiple demonstrations by different presenters may be held concurrently in separate spaces, and demonstrators should be prepared to give 2 or 3 repeats of their presentation.

 

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS

Experienced Instructors in all areas of the craft are invited to submit workshop proposals. Workshops allow a hands-on opportunity for students to work in small groups alongside expert practitioners in a studio or classroom setting.   Workshops will be held on the days preceding the main session of the conference, Tuesday-Thursday July 9-11, 2024.  All workshops will conclude prior to the main session, so applicants may submit proposals for both a workshop and a presentation if desired.

Suggested Topics:

Traditional Glass Painting

Fused Glass and Kilnworking

Design (digital and traditional)

Conservation techniques

Specialty tools and techniques

Etc.

 

Instructors may opt for a half day (3-4 hour) session, one full day (7-8 hour) session, or two full days. A lunch break will be included during full day sessions, with students paying for their own lunches. 

The Conference Committee will make every effort to provide a properly equipped workspace for classes. As such, some classes may be held in the hotel, and others may be held at an outside location. Instructors and students are responsible for arranging their own transportation, but the AGG will help to facilitate carpooling if needed.  

The tuition for each class is split 50/50 between the instructor and the AGG. Suggested minimum pricing is shown on the application form, but applicants may set their own tuition.  Instructors may set a minimum and maximum enrollment number of students. Please note that the maximum may be limited depending on the size of the workshop space. If enrollment does not reach the minimum number of students, the instructor may opt to cancel the workshop. 

Evaluation Process

Proposals will be evaluated by the Conference Education Committee against the following criteria:

• Well-defined focus and clarity of proposal

• Overall quality and potential to contribute to a well-balanced conference program

• Relevance to the various professions represented

• Practical applications of materials or ideas

• Timeliness and scope of topic

• Speaker’s experience