ISGA is a non-profit organiz is a non-profit organization positively supporting sea and beach glass collectors and the beachcombing community through festivals, information, educational opportunities, membership, and more.
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.
2014 Shard of the Year Contest – Photo Gallery Credit: Gary de Blois
President Richard LaMotte offers expert guidance during judging along side judge, Lisa Hall.
Christeena Hockin-Minopetros shows off the red piece that would eventually win the Shard of the Year grand prize, as Richard LaMotte and Rex Nockengust look on.
Careful examination during the judging for the Shard of the Year 2014 judging.
Over 700 entries for the 2014 Shard of the Year contest .
The entries were amazing and made judging a hard task.
The judges discussing potential winners.
Colors of the rainbow were on display.
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
The 2014 Shard of the Year grand prize winner, Lou Marcotte, submitted a beautiful red piece found in the Dominican Republic.
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
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
2014 Shard of the Year Grande Prize Winner Contest – Gallery Photo Credit: Gary de Blois
2014 Runner-Up
2014 Most Unusual
2014 Toy/Whimsical
2014 Marble
2014 Historical
2014 Figural
2014 Button
2014 Bottle Stopper
2014 Art Glass
2014 Pottery/Ceramic
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.
Sea glass collectors and aficionados from throughout North America will gather in Cape May, New Jersey this fall to share their treasures from the sea and learn more about this increasingly popular pastime. The 9th annual North American Sea Glass Festival will be held September 27-28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cape May Convention Hall, 714 Beach Avenue in beautiful Cape May. Admission is $5 daily at the door, and the public is invited.
NASGA President, Richard LaMotte showing a young sea glass enthusiast how to distinguish real sea glass from fake tumbled glass.
New to this year’s festival will be the Open Sea Glass Forum, an interactive general question and answer discussion moderated by members of the North American Sea Glass Association. In addition, festival attendees will enjoy presentations from sea glass experts regarding the history and origins of sea glass as well as stunning displays of rare and collectible sea glass.
Beautiful sea glass jewelry, art and home decor can be found at the North American Sea Glass Festival with artisans from all over the United States in attendance at the Cape May festival this year. Festival photo credits: Gary du Blois
Over fifty exhibits by sea glass collectors, artisans, and authors will feature only genuine sea glass combed from beaches around the world. Please see the Participating Exhibitors tab for a complete list.
the highly anticipated Shard of the Year contest brings a lot of Ooohs and Ahhhs… and a chance to win $1,000.00 – Festival photo credits: Gary du Blois
The annual “Shard of the Year”contest awards $1,000 to the grand prize winner as well as additional cash prizes in numerous categories. Please see details at the SOTY Contest tab on the left.
The North American Sea Glass Association is proud to announce that a portion of the festival proceeds will benefit two New Jersey non-profit entities: Clean Ocean Action and the Wetlands Institute. You can read more about these groups on the NASGA Blog
The beautiful new Cape May Conventional Hall is located directly on the beach facing the Atlantic Ocean. The historic City of Cape May, New Jersey, is rolling out the red carpet for the Sea Glass Festival and is a fantastic seaside community to bring the entire family.
The Cape May-Lewes Ferry is offering a 30% off discount to festival goers. Please click here for information on the ferry discount, be sure to book your reservations early! You’ll also find directions to the Convention Hall and the festival, a partial hotel listing for properties close to the Convention Hall, and much more local information.
2014 Festival Poster
This year’s beautiful poster photography using the Cape May lighthouse as a backdrop is by Anita Roth, Anita Roth Photography. The graphic artist was Francine Mueller, Sea Goddess Treasures. Both are commercial members of NASGA. The poster can be purchased for $10 plus $6 postage by clicking this link: 2014 Poster
All of this information and more can be found on the North American Sea Glass Festival website. Be sure to share this important information with your fellow sea glass enthusiasts. See you in September!
Red heart sea glass specimen found by Lynn Vigue of Connecticut
Every sea glass collector seeks their “Holy Grail” of sea glass. For many it’s finding a multi-colored frosted marble, to others it’s finding a perfectly shaped heart, of any color, but to find a red shaped heart? Amazing!
Lynn Vigue of Connecticut did just that!
We saw this photo of Lynn’s special red heart sea glass treasure and wanted to know more about her special find, and in her own words she answered some of our questions.
1. When did you start collecting sea glass and where did you get the “bug”?
I started collecting sea glass in autumn, 2008. I had retired in 2006, so it was the perfect time to discover sea glass! The ironic thing is that, a year or so earlier, I had decided to visit a Maine island, and was told that Monhegan was the best, if you could only visit one. There were two little girls selling sea glass on the island for 10 cents a shard that day, and I took a picture of them. I looked at the glass and couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to buy it! Anyway… My mom (who lives in Maine) had a friend whose daughter was born the same day and year as I, and so the friend wanted me to meet her. We took a trip to the Maine coast, where the friend lived, and I discovered she was an avid sea glass collector. She had several containers on display in her home, and they all looked so attractive! She offered to take me to her beach, where I found about five small pieces. I was hooked! I live in Connecticut, so I decided to get to the CT coast as soon as I returned home. I went to perhaps CT’s most popular beach, and I spent about three hours combing the beach there. I found about three very rough pieces, but I wasn’t about to give up! I decided that the best place to find glass would probably be near large coastal cities, so that’s where I looked next. It was a bonanza! Lots of sea glass. I have learned over the years NOT to pick up every piece that isn’t sharp. I still find lots of glass on my favorite beaches, though it seems to have diminished in the five years I’ve been hunting it.
2. Where did you find the red heart piece? What do you think it was in it’s first life?
I found the red heart on a beach near Bridgeport, CT. I have found four or five gems of different types on this beach (blue, emerald, and round red), and a friend found another when we were hunting together. When I found the emerald, I wondered if it was real…but I was told by another collector that precious gems don’t frost like glass does, so I figure that all the little gems I’ve found there are glass rather than precious stones. So, my guess is that this was a faux gem of some type. I don’t know if it would have been used for jewelry or perhaps on a jeweled piece of clothing. I keep thinking “sweater,” because I remember that jeweled sweaters were popular when I was young. The pic actually shows what I believe is the backside…the side that would have been glued to the bezel. The other side is more faceted, like a gem. It sits better this way for a photo, though!
3. What did you do when you found it?
I remember the day I found it…I was on my way to Maine to visit my mom, but low tide was early that day, so I went to the beach first (even though it was 30 miles in the OPPOSITE direction from Maine!). I, of course, was delighted when I found the heart, and couldn’t believe my good fortune, as I had ALMOST quit a few minutes before. But I decided to go a little further up the beach, in an area where I usually didn’t find much sea glass. The first thing I did when I arrived in Maine was pull the little heart out to show my mom and her friend, who was visiting. To be honest, they didn’t seem that impressed! It is quite tiny, of course, and they probably didn’t appreciate what a truly rare find it was!
4. What do you plan on doing with it?
I keep this little heart in a seashell on display with other tiny treasures. I love beachcombing in any season…it never fails to lift my spirits! A treasure hunt in a beautiful setting that is warmer in winter and cooler in summer than inland…what could be better?! And, it’s an inexpensive way to decorate your home in a unique way! I now have a room filled with my favorite sea glass finds, plus several suncatchers and other things I’ve made with my glass.
So, now we ask you, What has been your favorite sea glass find?
The Sea Glass Center, a traveling sea glass museum
The Sea Glass Center, a traveling sea glass museum, is taking the love of sea glass on the road, and they need your help! The Sea Glass Center has started a KickStarter campaign to jump start their fundraising to make their idea become a reality. This will be the first of its kind and NASGA is behind the idea of a traveling sea glass museum. We decided to ask the creators of The Sea Glass Center a few questions to learn a bit more about their idea, fundraising and future.
The Sea Glass Center, NASGA Blog interview via email danielle@theseaglasscenter.org and katherineshine@gmail.com
1.Can you tell us about your ideal reader for this blog article?
It is our hope that this blog would be read by everyone who has an interest in sea glass, from the occasional beachcomber to the professional who makes a living doing something related to sea glass.
Red bottle Before and After, Photo credit Michael Wilson
Danielle Perreault and Aimee Thorman, sisters and co-founders of The Sea Glass Center have been picking up glass since they were little girls. As adults, they both make livings running businesses they own related to sea glass. Over the years they have observed that not only is there a growing number sea glassers out there combing the beaches, but there is less old and rare sea glass to be found. Even so, there isn’t a day that goes by in Danielle’s shop that a customer doesn’t come in and asks what sea glass is. Being so very curious themselves, Danielle and Aimee are always researching their own finds to uncover the mystery and the history of each piece. After many trips to the NASGA sea glass festivals over the years and seeing all the treasured pieces, they had this idea to create a permanent collection, owned by the public, and put on display for the whole world to enjoy in their home town.
Antique gun handle piece, Photo credit Michael Wilson
3.What do you want your potential donors for The Sea Glass Center KickStarter campaign to know?
We started this venture as a nonprofit because it is our hope and dream to leave a legacy behind for future generations; a legacy of education and preservation – documenting the history of our favorite pastime. It is not our goal to travel the world at the expense of the public and amass this collection ourselves. Rather, we want this to be a community of kindred spirits each giving a small piece of their treasure to this public collection for everyone to see, learn about, and explore. By making this a nonprofit, the sea glass donated will forever remain in the hands of a nonprofit and not part of a private collection.
Bottle and sea glass pieces, Photo credit Michael Wilson
4. What are three implications if your KickStarter campaign does not reach its goal? What would be the next step for The Sea Glass Center?
We have a pretty lofty goal of $60,000. The average museum exhibit costs $250 a square foot to build so that it will withstand all the rigors of traveling from place to place. We are talking about needing close to $750,000 to complete this project and do it on the grand scale that we have imagined. We are not waiting to see how we do on Kickstarter to trigger next steps. We are taking those steps now. Aimee has a very successful background as a professional grant writer and she is seeking out grants from private foundations and federal agencies now and applying for the funds that are out there. Senator Collins, from Maine, where The Sea Glass Center is based, works hard to help nonprofits in Maine to find and successfully apply for grants, and we are taking advantage of this. We are working hard to partner with museums and corporate sponsors. We will have a presence at many events here in the United States that are focused on sea glass so that we can get the word out and garner support. Whether or not Kickstarter is successful will not hinder our business plan. We are here to stay and will see our dream come to life.
Green bottle Before and After, Photo credit by Michael Wilson
5. Can you describe The Sea Glass Center as if I knew nothing about it or the market?
The Sea Glass Center is a nonprofit organization that exists to preserve and present the historical, artistic and cultural significance of sea glass through education. Our mission is to educate the world about all aspects of sea glass and to preserve a world-class collection for the public to explore and enjoy. We are embarking on a journey of collecting, cataloging and preserving some of the most beautiful and unexpected treasures that have washed up on shores of oceans, lakes and rivers, all over the world! We will create a world class traveling exhibit that explores and presents the world of sea glass and all its beauty, history and wonder! This exhibit will be available to all museums, science centers, aquariums and other educational outlets so everyone can learn about this wonderful part of history!
Pipe, Photo credit Michael Wilson
6.What do you feel is the single most important takeaway from this interview?
We are humbled by the love and support that this community has shown us. We are so very thankful for the opportunity to share our mission with you and your readers. This project will create demand in the marketplace by raising awareness on a national level, which will grow the consumer base of people who want to know more about sea glass and its historical significance.
Sea Glass Museum- Kickstarter
7.What action do you want the reader to take?
We ask that your readers will take the time to check out our project on Kickstarter and make a pledge. If everyone who loves sea glass gives one dollar and one special piece, it would surpass our wildest dreams. We are going to give this everything we have! Help us make this dream a reality!
UPDATE: March 3, 2014. There are 8 days left of the the KickStarter Campaign. They have plans to continue forward on starting The Sea Glass Center. With the help of you, the sea glass collector, they will succeed. Check out this very special letter received from the former First Lady Barbara Bush.
You know the quote from Casablanca, “Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”? Well, it seems a fitting statement for the start of the first North American Sea Glass Association (NASGA) blog. We do hope it’s the beginning of a long and beautiful friendship with you, the sea glass enthusiast. The blog will follow the direction of the NASGA mission (see below), and be an extension of the NASGA website and NING, the NASGA social media site. The mission for this blog is to teach, engage and excite.
The NASGA blog will be a place to learn about sea glass history, sea glass collecting all around the world, and, of course, beautiful sea glass stories and photos. Periodically, there will be guest bloggers, whom are commercial members of NASGA, telling their unique stories of collecting.
This blog is here for you, so if you want to know more about something, let us know, you might just give us a wonderful new blog idea! Send us an email nasgaseaglassblog@gmail.com
The NASGA Mission:
Educate the collector, consumer and retailer as to the properties and benefits of genuine, pure, natural beach sea glass.
Maintain the value of genuine beach sea glass, through education.
Provide a forum and knowledge base for sea glass enthusiasts to communicate with other individuals who share their passion for genuine beach sea glass.
Publish a biannual newsletter for our retail, and artisan members as well as the community of sea glass enthusiasts.
Sponsor sea glass festivals that will benefit both sea glass collectors, retailers, and artisans.
Establish a standard by which to grade and appraise sea glass.
Assist the work of protecting and restoring waterways and coastlines around the world, by mobilizing members, making donations and educating the public.
Commercial Members agree that they will leave sea glass in its natural state and not create imitation sea glass; meaning that their pieces are not altered by acid etching, sand blasting or tumbling.
The beautiful new Cape May Conventional Hall is located directly on the beach facing the Atlantic Ocean. The historic City of Cape May, New Jersey, is rolling out the red carpet for the Sea Glass Festival and is a fantastic seaside community to bring the entire family.
