Interns start work at national centre for art glass in Whanganui

Published on 05 March 2024

Two emerging glass artists will have the chance to take their careers to the next level when they embark on a Creative New Zealand-funded internship programme at Whanganui’s Te Whare Tūhua O Te Ao New Zealand Glassworks.

Whanganui District Council’s libraries and community manager Pete Gray, says he’s pleased to announce Nathan Moore and Bindi Nimmo are New Zealand Glassworks’ interns for 2024.

“New Zealand Glassworks in Whanganui is nationally recognised as the centre for art glass and is committed to encouraging innovation and growing the next generation of glass artists. During the course of this internship programme, which is funded by Creative New Zealand, five professional glass artists will be on hand to share their knowledge from March to December this year.”

The two interns, Nathan Moore and Bindi Nimmo, say hearing the names of the mentors for the programme was really exciting as they’re some of the biggest names in New Zealand glass and will bring a huge diversity of knowledge.

Mentors on the 2024 programme are George Agius, Katie Brown, Elizabeth McClure, Madeline Prowd and David Traub.

The hands-on aspect will be supplemented with a capability building programme delivered by Whanganui & Partners. Dr Emma Bugden, strategic lead creative industries, and Ben Blain, business growth advisor, will work with the interns over the year, supporting their development in business planning, marketing and funding.

Both interns say the programme comes at a really good time for them.

Nathan Moore says he finished studying in 2023 and was looking to enter the art glass industry and get himself established.

“Right out of school I went into trades as a welder, and did that for quite a few years before quite a nasty car crash put me out of work for a while. It was during that time that I decided to go into the creative sphere. When I started studying for a Bachelor of Design and Art at UCOL I took glass as an elective and got hooked.”

He says he enjoys art glass because it’s a unique and challenging medium with liquid and solid elements and you have to learn the technical skills to make the material do what you want.

“In one recent work – titled Cubes: glass doesn’t like to be square – I put blown glass and cast glass together and it was quite exciting to see how they interacted with each other. The trick was to get the cast glass up to a heat where blowing fresh glass into it didn’t cause it to crack or explode.”

Bindi Nimmo says she submitted the application for the New Zealand Glassworks internship on her way back to New Zealand from an overseas internship and was hugely relieved it was successful, giving her the opportunity to continue in the art glass field and work towards making it a career.

“When I initially started at UCOL I was looking for a creative outlet and never imagined I’d end up doing glass – but in the first few days senior lecturer Dr Kathryn Wightman took me in and got me started on the art glass path.

She says since then it’s been a “beautiful flow” with opportunities opening up for her.

“After graduation I didn’t have the time or money for art glass but Katie Brown, director of Brown & Co. lighting and design store, scooped me up and hired me to work in the hot shop so I could still have access to the medium.”

Bindi Nimmo completed a six-month internship in North Carolina in 2023 before applying for the New Zealand Glassworks internship.

She says her work is fuelled by colour and how it harmonises to imply emotions.

“One of the techniques I enjoy is creating murrine for my work. By layering glass colour and pulling this into long canes it can then be cut into smaller pieces when the glass is cooled. This is a way to create playful detail within layers, I use these in blown work and fusing. In a recent exhibition I fused colourful murrine pieces to make 2D works, these reflected cellular emotion.

“I’ve also made blown glass vessels cut in two in the final stages to create double neck forms – I’ve called these Glizzard Vessels.”

The two interns say art glass involves a lot of teamwork and the connections they make on the internship programme will stand them in good stead in their future careers.

ENDS

New Zealand Glassworks

Te Whare Tūhua O Te Ao New Zealand Glassworks, located in Whanganui New Zealand, is nationally recognised as the centre for art glass. Established in 2015 by Whanganui District Council, New Zealand Glassworks offers a fully operational and high-standard hot glass facility, retail shop and gallery in addition to supporting glass education at a tertiary level. New Zealand Glassworks plays a vital role in promoting and advocating for the art glass sector in New Zealand.

George Agius

George Agius started her glass journey in Whanganui before being accepted in the world-renowned JamFactory Glass programme in Adelaide. George's work is entrenched in sculptural practices using hot and cast glass processes to create artworks that form a personal narrative. She has exhibited in China, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Germany and is keen to pass on her glass art expertise to the next generation of glass artists.

Katie Brown

Katie Brown is the director of Brown & Co. lighting and design store on Drews Avenue in Whanganui. She has 27 years’ experience as a glass artist as well as a long history of teaching glassmaking. She has an international following for her work which includes homeware, sculptural objects and bespoke lighting commissions.

Elizabeth McClure

Since her initial studies in glass at the Edinburgh College of Art, Elizabeth McClure has had a lengthy career as an exhibiting and commissioned studio glass artist and has a highly acclaimed reputation for her art and for teaching and guiding emerging makers and artists. Now a New Zealander, she has previously lived, worked, and taught in Scotland, England, Ireland, the USA, Japan, Iceland and Australia.

Madeline Prowd

Madeline Prowd is an Australian glass artist now based in New Zealand. She has travelled extensively for glass; undertaking residencies in Australia, Germany and Sweden, and has been an instructor and gaffer at Pilchuck Glass School in the USA. Madeline’s work utilises traditional cane techniques to explore pattern and optics unique to glass. 

David Traub

David Traub grew up in New York and has worked in glass for 50 years. Self-taught as a glass blower his work is featured in public and private collections both here and abroad. For over 20 years he has taught glass at the tertiary level and in 1995 moved to Whanganui to lead the glass programme at the polytechnic. His work can be found in dealer galleries around the North Island and at his studio in Whanganui. He has over the years received numerous awards and his work has been featured in major exhibitions and publications.