Author: North American Sea Glass Association

The North American Sea Glass Association (NASGA) was formed by a group of professional sea glass collectors, authors, artisans, and retailers. The primary goal of NASGA, and this blog, is to establish a community of informed collectors and sellers of sea glass that are educated on the characteristics and significance of genuine sea glass. NASGA establishes guidelines to differentiate genuine from fake sea glass, and offer NASGA commercial members and collectors educational materials via newsletters, this blog, lectures, workshops, festivals, and links to websites.

Parting thoughts from Kim Hannon

North American Sea Glass Association

In 2009, I opened up my shop, Ophiuroidea, and in 2010 started a sea glass festival in St. Michaels, Maryland. Soon after that, I learned of the North American Sea Glass Association and knew I wanted to be a member to support the mission of the organization. After that, I was approached by a few board members to throw my hat in the ring to be on the board. I knew I had wanted to volunteer somehow, and being a part of the board seemed the best way to help. Over the years I have worked with so many amazing artists, authors, and founding members of the organization, and feel blessed to have been a part of such an amazing sea glass family.

I’ve learned so much over the past 8 years being on the board, many years as NASGA/ISGA President. The organization has seen growth, a name change from the North American Sea Glass Association to the International Sea Glass Association, and most recently, we added a new Community Membership, which will expand our sea glass community and mission even further. It’s all very exciting!

Ever since I said yes to being on the board, I have worked tirelessly to spread sea glass love, and to cultivate an appreciation for what we represent and our mission. I will miss the monthly board meetings and organizing the festivals, but it’s time to step down and retire as President. It will be an empty feeling for a while, after being on the board such a long time, but I feel good knowing that ISGA is in the very capable hands of the ISGA Board of Directors. I am very excited about our new incoming President Cesar Williams-Padin, Vice President Denise Troy, Treasurer Suzanne Hunter, and Secretary Kirsti Scott. Dottie Gilbo, Holly L’Hommedieu, and Kaya Alexandria Worthington are returning and we are welcoming Tammy Thatcher to the board of directors next year.

I absolutely loved working with Roxann, Steve, and the dozens of festival volunteers through the years, and will continue to be an active supporter of our organization and the sea glass community. I look forward to attending the ISGA festivals, including the highly anticipated one this summer in Mystic! Can’t wait!

I am forever grateful for the friends I’ve made along the way and feel good knowing that the International Sea Glass Association will continue to grow and be around for fellow sea glass artisans, authors, and collectors around the globe.

Thank you for your continued support and friendship over the years!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Cheers 🙂 Kim Hannon

2023 International Sea Glass Festival

North American Sea Glass Association

17th Annual Festival

The International Sea Glass Association is pleased to announce its return to New England by hosting the 17th Annual Festival July 29-30, 2023, on the Village Green of the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut. 

A summer visit to the nation’s #1 maritime museum, talented artists and craftspeople, knowledgeable speakers, the sea glass contest, and an opportunity to connect with fellow sea glass enthusiasts will make for an unforgettable weekend. Admission to the Museum covers admission to the Festival, and a one-day ticket can be validated to enter a second day to enjoy the Museum and the Festival to its fullest.

Learn more

Check out the museum here: www.mysticseaport.org

Check out Mystic here: www.mystic.org

Shoreline and Waterway Conservation

North American Sea Glass Association

Living Lands & Waters

LIVING LANDS AND WATERS

Living Lands and Waters, a non-profit organization strives to aid in the protection, preservation and restoration of the natural environments of our nation’s major rivers and their watersheds. To expand awareness of environmental issues and responsibility encompassing the rivers. To create a desire and an opportunity for stewardship and responsibility for a cleaner environment within our streams and rivers.

ASBPA, The American Shore & Beach Preservation Association

AMERICAN SHORE AND BEACH ASSOCIATION

The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association recognizes that the shores, beaches and other coastal resources of America provide important quality-of-life assets within the reach of the largest possible number of people in accordance with the ideals of a democratic nation. This Association is dedicated to preserving, protecting and enhancing the beaches, shores and other coastal resources of America.

SurfRider Foundation

SURFRIDER FOUNDATION

The SurfRider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education.

Clean Ocean Action

CLEAN OCEAN ACCESS

Clean Ocean Action (COA) is a broad-based coalition of 125 active boating, business, community, conservation, diving, environmental, fishing, religious, service, student, surfing, and women’s groups. These “Ocean Wavemakers” work to clean up and protect the waters of the New York Bight. The groups came together in 1984 to investigate sources, effects, and solutions of ocean pollution.

Please note: These pages contain links to other websites. NASGA is not responsible for the content, accuracy or opinions expressed in such websites, and such websites are not routinely investigated, monitored or checked for accuracy or completeness by us. Inclusion of any linked website on our site does not imply approval or endorsement of the linked website by NASGA. If you decide to leave our site and access these third-party sites, you do so at your own risk.

Antique Bottle Collector’s Haven

North American Sea Glass Association

ANTIQUE BOTTLE COLLECTORS HAVEN

Antique Bottle Collector’s Haven

This is one of the leading educational internet sites for finding, buying, selling and learning about antique bottles. If you want to learn more about a particular category of bottle, or simply find out “how much is my old bottle worth?”, then this is the right place to go.

This site is very helpful for identifying sea glass shards which have distinguishable features on them such as pontil scars, rolled lips, etc.

Society for Historical Archeology websites for antique bottle identification: https://sha.org/bottle/

Sea Glass Match Made in Heaven

North American Sea Glass Association4 Comments

By Mary McCarthy, NASGA Education Chair

It’s always fun to find a match of a sea glass find with a fellow beachcomber in another part of the world, and of course to discover the history of our finds.

I often have many beachcombed finds on my phone; there are up to 10,000 photos stored there at any given time “for sometime.” One day on Instagram I saw a post from Jody in California that she found a beautiful sun-purple figural bust:

It immediately reminded me of something I found that I had taken a photo of, but hadn’t posted yet because I hadn’t identified what it could have been. It had an odd block shape at the corner that had confused me, the seeming headless perfect companion to hers:

I recognized Jody’s as a powder jar lid, “Wendy” by Fenton and sent her a photo of the original:

So, I did what I always do in a case like this, I consulted the “man upstairs,” from whom I have learned all things sea glass identification and apprenticed for years.  I texted the photo to Richard LaMotte, founder of the North American Sea Glass Association and author of Pure Sea Glass, who doesn’t live far from me and in fact once tried to rescue a wayward kayak paddle off a shoreline for me!

Richard said he thought my find was a Victorian glass bookend, something that hadn’t occurred to me and something I had never seen before. Now I had an answer and could post the headless find.

Jody and I are hoping to unite the headless sea glass couple at an upcoming sea glass festival in California to get a photo and unite their coast to coast matchup!