AGG 2024 Conference - Grand Rapids, MI

For 2024, the AGG will be in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where we will all "Raise our Glass" towards education, excellence, and community. We'll be at the historic and elegant Amway Grand Plaza hotel, which features several on-site restaurants and bars, boutique shopping, indoor pool and fitness center, and even duckpin bowling! Less than a block away is the Grand Rapids Art Museum, which will be hosting the 2024 American Glass Now juried exhibition, featuring artwork by American Glass Guild members. Your conference registration includes free admission to the museum during the duration of the conference.

Tentative Schedule at a Glance:

• Tuesday-Wednesday, July 9-10 - Preconference workshops (see individual workshop listings for times and location)
• Thursday, July 11 - Optional morning bus tour 8:30am-12:30pm and Meyer May home tours afternoon, welcome reception at Grand Rapids Art Museum 5-7pm
• Friday, July 12 - Breakfast on own, programming all day with provided lunch, cocktail reception, dinner on own
• Saturday, July 13 - Breakfast on own, programming all day with provided lunch, banquet dinner with silent and live auction
• Sunday, July 14 - Farewell breakfast, continued Meyer May home tours

Pre-conference workshops will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 9-10. Please check individual workshop listings for location. Delphi Glass, in Lansing, MI has generously opened its classroom spaces to the AGG for several classes. Kolenda Art Glass will also host workshops with additional workshops located in the hotel.

Add on to your registration and join us the morning of Thursday, July 11 for an optional bus tour of both historic and contemporary stained glass in metro Grand Rapids. We’ll see windows by Tiffany, Judson, Zettler, Peter Brandes and more. The tour will conclude at Founders Brewing Company featuring an installation by our local host studio, Kolenda Art Glass, where you’ll have the option to take the bus back to the hotel or hang for lunch and a beverage.

The Meyer May house by Frank Lloyd Wright will be available for free tours Thursday afternoon and Sunday morning on a ticketed, first come, first serve basis.

On Thursday evening, a welcome reception and exhibition viewing will be held at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, followed by dinner on your own.

Friday and Saturday, July 12-13, two full days of programming will feature live demonstrations, panel discussions, and an exciting lineup of presentations-

• Geoffrey Wallace - Life After Conservation
• Ted Sawyer - Engineering Fused Glass for Success in the Built Environment
• John Reyntiens - John Reyntiens, 52 Years of Glass and Graft
• Zydrunas Mirinavicius - Lithuanian Stained Glass
• Kerry Transtrum, Tom Holdman & Stephen Teuscher - When Studios Collide, the Art of Collaboration
• Rita Shimelfarb - To Jung or Not to Jung... Archetype Work in Action, Personal Story
• Sean Michael Felix - Gilding & Reverse Glass Painting
• Tyler Kimball - Creating Unique Glass with Unique Glass
• Mark Bleakley - Never Fight the Architecture: How Stained Glass can keep a Civil Tongue in Church
• Andrew Young - Civil Rights In Memphis Fused and Stained Glass Mural
• Kevin Elzinga & John Leegwater - Expand Your Scope: Sash/Frame Repairs How To & Other Tips
• Roberto Rosa - Case Study of the Conservation of a 123 Year Old Plated Window
• Zach Green - Putting the Pieces Back Together: The Conservation of Two Plated Opalescent Windows

Bidding on the silent auction will take place through the duration of the programming and conclude Saturday afternoon. There will be a wide variety of books, tools, and other glass-related items. AGG members will have the opportunity to vote for new and returning board members during the Saturday business lunch. On Saturday, evening the festivities will continue with a banquet dinner and a live auction featuring glass artwork and rare items.

The conference will wrap up with a farewell buffet breakfast on Sunday. We encourage attendees to take the rest of the day to visit local sites in Grand Rapids and to visit our sponsor Delphi Glass to shop in person.

To Register:

• Annual Dues must be current for the Member rate. Renew or Register for AGG Membership!
• Select the ticket and apply any appropriate coupon codes
• To add additional meals for a +1 or spouse, please select the appropriate ticket before checkout.
• To purchase a bus tour ticket, please select that ticket as well before checkout. 
• The Meyer May House has reserved specific tour times for AGG conference attendees. The tour is free but space is limited so please select ticket for a specific timeslot to reserve your tour space. If you aren't able to reserve a spot during registration you can visit during non-AGG times as well.
• If you are unable to complete payment online, please reach out to the Conference Chair Matt Kolenda: conference@americanglassguild.org for other accomodations. 

To Book Hotel:

• Don't forget to reserve your room today at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel to secure your exclusive discounted rate- Book your room here!

Travel Info:

• We've prepared a Grand Rapids travel guide should you wish to explore more of what our area has to offer. You'll find a variety of our favorite attractions, restaurants, bars, notable stained glass installations and a map of a free bus line that can get you around downtown. You can also check out what our friends at ExperienceGR have to say about Beer City, USA!
• Flying in and out of Grand Rapids is usually quick and easy, book your flight into Gerald Ford International Airport (GRR). Alternatively, you could fly into Detroit or Chicago which are both less than three hours drive.