Tag: seaglass festival

North American Sea Glass Association donates to Chesapeake Bay Trust and The Ocean Foundation

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NASGA-2015 poster-FINAL printedEvery year the North American Sea Glass Association (NASGA) holds it’s annual North American Sea Glass Festival, and every year, the festival donates to a charitable organizations that focus on environmental concerns, shoreline protection and clean-ups, which are part of NASGA mission.

This year, the NASGA Sea Glass Festival will be held August 29th and 30th at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland.   The NASGA Board of Directors chose two organizations to donate to this year, one regional, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, and one national,  The Ocean Foundation.

Chesapeake Bay trust logoThe Chesapeake Bay Trust is a nonprofit grant-making organization dedicated to improving the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers through environmental education, community outreach, and local watershed restoration. Since its inception in 1985, the Trust has awarded $70 million in grants and engaged hundreds of thousands of citizen stewards in projects that have a measurable impact on the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

 

The Chesapeake Bay Trust partners to promote environmental stewardship through restoration, education, and community engagement.  These resemble closely to the North American Sea Glass Association’s mission, to assist the work of protecting and restoring waterways and coastlines around the world, by mobilizing members, making donations and educating the public.

ocean foundationThe Ocean Foundation is a global foundation with a mission to support, strengthen, and promote organizations dedicated to reversing the trend of destruction of ocean environments around the world.

In its first ten years, The Ocean Foundation has awarded more than $21 million on marine conservation for various programs and protection of sea life and coastlines. The Ocean Foundation is unique in that it combines resources with those of other individuals that have similar goals, increasing the philanthropic impact.

We’re excited to have the opportunity to donate to these two environmental organizations to expand the North American Sea Glass Association’s mission around the world.

Richard LaMotte moves on…

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Richard during the 2014 NASGA festival in Cape May, his last festival as President
Richard during the 2014 NASGA festival in Cape May, his last festival as President

The NASGA community would like to express our sincere appreciation for our former president, Richard LaMotte, whose inspiration and determination have benefited the organization in many ways. Along with Charles Peden and a handful of other key sea glass enthusiasts, Richard was instrumental in the establishment of the association and has served tirelessly on the executive board of NASGA for many terms. The humble, accomplished author’s knowledge of sea glass, coupled with his professional experience and common-sense approach to budgeting have significantly contributed to the continued success of NASGA.

 

Richard LaMotte’s final President’s Letter

In 2015 the North American Sea Glass Association will begin its 10th year—now under new leadership. Terms have been completed by all the founding board members with the only one exception, our stalwart Lisa Hall of Maine. Please welcome Val Weston as our new president and continue to lend a hand whenever possible so we can keep NASGA moving forward.

The annual festival remains a primary task for the board and our members who wish to see it continue. At our first national sea glass festival in October of 2006, nobody knew what to expect. Only one board member had visited the site and when the rest of us drove into Santa Cruz we could only hope our efforts to promote the show, without funding, would allow us enough revenue to host future events. The attendance of just over 1,000 was barely enough to cover expenses, but the enthusiasm led us to try again and a similar attendance figure was achieved in 2007. Then we came east in 2008 and hosted the festival in Lewes that attracted over 4,000 visitors to the small Virden Center. Other venues were tried with variable results then two events in Virginia drew attendance figures of only 2,000 each. The decision to host the event in Cape May was not easy but the board was faced with limited options. That experiment left a bitter taste for masses who tried to enter on Saturday morning. The board looked hard at expanding that venue but in the end an ideal weekend at a larger venue recently opened up in Ocean City, Maryland. This is where the 2015 sea glass festival will be held on August 29-30. More space, plenty of on-site parking and nearby lodging options.

We regret that the Cape May venue was too small to accommodate the unexpected surplus of attendees. The facility at the Ocean City Convention Center will certainly be a more wide-open and welcoming experience for all.

Sincerely,
Richard

NASGA News – February 2015

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NASGA NEWS – February 19, 2015
by Valerie Weston, President, NASGA

With the new year, NASGA has transitioned to a new board of directors, and the board has taken some time to reflect on what the association has been able to accomplish for the sea glass community; what we have learned from the successes as well as those efforts that may not have gone as planned.  Along with the support of the commercial members, the board takes its stewardship of the sea glass community seriously.  We continue to foster the same passion for genuine sea glass and are proud that we have created a fun and civilized space to share that enthusiasm with each other on many different levels.  Please take a minute to “meet” the NASGA Board of Directors on the NASGA website.

The NASGA social network, NING, is always free of charge and is a “non-commercial” space open to all collectors of genuine sea glass to associate with one another.  The membership has risen to over 3,000.  The NASGA Facebook is growing in popularity as well.  In 2014, we began a blog and have big plans to expand that avenue of communication going forward.  The NASGA website continues to draw interest from around the globe as the premier site for genuine sea glass enthusiasts.  All of these channels of sea glass community outreach are now being coordinated by a newly created Communications Committee as we continue to explore ways to keep our message fresh, relevant, and consistent.

The NASGA website homepage contains links to join in all of these ways to share with the sea glass community.

2015 NASGA Sea Glass Festival logoAs we kick into high gear on the planning of the 2015 North American Sea Glass Festival, we are keeping in mind that it will be the tenth festival, the first being held in 2006.  Plans are under way to make it memorable – for only positive reasons.  It will be held at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland on August 29 & 30.  The festival will take place in the 24,000 square foot Bayfront Ballroom on the second level, plus additional space for lectures.  The entire east side of the Ballroom is a glass wall that overlooks the Isle of Wight Bay.  We can assure you that there is ample space for attendees, ample free parking, food and beverages on site, excellent educational presentations, and the most talented sea glass artisans and authors on the planet whose commitment to NASGA’s mission is supported through membership.

Please make plans to join us for our tenth sea glass festival celebration in Ocean City.  We will keep you updated with all the latest news on the festival planning through our website festival page, and through the NASGA Festival Facebook page.

We would like to close by thanking all of the NASGA board members who have worked so hard on behalf of the genuine sea glass community from the association’s inception in 2007.  We thank Christeena Minopetros and Suegray Fitspatrick whose board terms ended in 2014 but whose commitment continues on the committee level.  Founding member and President Richard LaMotte’s board term also ended in 2014.  He had served on the board since its inception, and we express heartfelt appreciation for his leadership, commitment, and passion for the sea glass community for so many years.

Valerie Weston, President
On behalf of the NASGA Board of Directors

NASGA Shard of the Year, a collectors dream come true

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Each year during the North American Sea Glass Festival, the Shard of the Year (“SOTY”) contest, is held in memory of Joanne Schrieber, founder of the 2004 North East Sea Glass Festival.  Private collectors are given an opportunity to show off some of their special pieces.  The 2014 contest showcased nearly 800 entries, and was truly an amazing display of treasured finds.

All shards of genuine sea glass from around the world are eligible for entry into the Shard of the Year contest, not just shards from “North America”.   Every beachcomber treasure found has a little bit of history within it, but during the Shard of the Year contest, it’s a time to showcase the rare finds. 

It is a beauty contest, where the most unusual pristine piece is awarded the grand prize, $1,000 dollars, and is named winner of the Overall Beauty category, and bragging rights to it’s owner for years to come!  

Grand Prize winner, Lou Marcotte, with NASGA President Richard LaMotte
Grand Prize winner, Lou Marcotte, with NASGA President Richard LaMotte

The 2014 Shard of the Year grand prize winner, Lou Marcotte, submitted a beautiful red piece found in the Dominican Republic.

Overall Winner-Marcotte shard
Photo Credit: Gary de Blois

The piece was from a glass candlestick, made by Westmoreland Glass Company sometime in the late 1940’s, early 1950’s.   The pattern of this particular candlestick is Doric, and as shown in the photo below, the original was a beauty as well.

History photo credit: Janice Pierce
History photo credit: Janice Pierce

The remaining categories were runner-up, pottery/ceramics, whimsical/toys, bottle stopper, most unusual, historical, art glass, buttons, figural and marbles.

2014 Shard of the Year Winners. Photo Credit Gary de Blois

 

A huge thank you to Gary de Blois, who photographed the 2014 Shard of the Year contest.  To find out more about the Shard of the Year contest and NASGA, please visit the North American Sea Glass Festival website.

2014 Festival Schedule Announced

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The NASGA website has been updated to include the schedule for the 2014 Sea Glass Festival.  http://seaglassassociation.org/FestivalSchedule2014.html

On Saturday, the schedule includes two not-to-be-missed presentations as well as a chance to ask sea glass experts the things you’ve always wanted to know about sea glass:

  • Presentation:  Shipwrecks of New Jersey by Margaret Buchholz, noted author and expert on Atlantic coastal history, takes us on a gripping 350-year voyage through the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” — a name bestowed upon the state’s treacherous shoals and inlets.
  • Open Forum:  The Mystery and History of Genuine Sea Glass  Panel discussion with sea glass experts and serious collectors Mary Beth Beuke, Jeanie Hood, Jenna Perfetti, Maryann Wadiak, and moderated by Cape May’s own Darlene Eldridge.  Bring all of your sea glass questions for the panel.
  • Presentation: The Sea Glass Center and Traveling Sea Glass Museum  by Danielle Perrault.  Join Danielle Perreault, Executive Director of The Sea Glass Center Kennebunkport, Maine as she reveals images of natural and man-made sea glass taken from a scanning electron microscope at The University of Southern Maine.

On Sunday, the Festival’s premiere event, the Shard of the Year Contest, awards up to $2,000 in cash prizes for the most pristine and unusual shards of genuine sea glass and other found objects.

See the web site page for details on how to enter the contest and your chance to win the top prize of $1,000.  http://seaglassassociation.org/Festival_SOTY.html

As well, NASGA has made arrangements for free remote parking and a free short trolley ride to shuttle you back and forth to the Cape May Convention Hall.  Details and a map are now on the Cape May Information page:  http://seaglassassociation.org/CapeMayInfo2014.html

The festival is six short weeks away – see you then!2014ColorAd1