China’s first glass museum celebrates the contribution of Wolverhampton glass

The new Shanghai Museum of Glass features creations by three current and former members of staff and two graduates from the School of Art & Design.

The Director of the Shanghai Museum of Glass, Professor Zhuang Xiaowei, is a Masters graduate in Glass from the University, and selected the artwork for inclusion in the collection due to the impact studying at Wolverhampton had on his career.

Glasswork by current staff members Professor Keith Cummings and Stuart Garfoot, along with former Dean of the School of Art & Design Professor Andrew Brewerton, was acquired as part of the permanent collection, as well as art by successful graduates David Reekie and Colin Reid.

The grand opening of the Museum was attended by the Dean of the School of Art & Design, Dr Bryony Conway, Senior Lecturer in Glass Stuart Garfoot and Head of the University’s China Regional Office, Jeffery Gao. Dr Conway facilitated the acquisition and shipping of the artwork, along with that of renowned London glass artist Max Jacquard, on behalf of the Museum.

Dr Conway said: “It is an honour for us to play such a prominent role in the new Shanghai Museum of Glass, the first glass museum in China.

“The Director of the Shanghai Museum of Glass, Professor Zhuang Xiaowei, found that his time studying with us had an enormous impact on him and he attributes his artistic and professional success to his time in Wolverhampton.

“The University’s glass course, its staff and alumni have been influential internationally, and the active collaboration of the School of Art & Design with art schools in China has led to the development of specialist glass departments at Shanghai University and Tsinghua University in Beijing.”

The glass course at Wolverhampton was set up in 1854 as the first glass design course in the UK and has been in continuous operation since then.

Over the last 40 years, distinguished alumni have successfully established educational glass and professional practice all over the world, including in North and South America, Australasia and China.

As educators and researchers, academic staff have developed new techniques and methods in glass, which have been disseminated internationally through books and research publications.

ENDS

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