A Day at Mecca

Today's activities began at 7:15 when I left the house bound for Louisville, KY for the annual ISGB Gathering.  This is the national convention of glass beadmakers, with a smattering of bead weavers, silversmiths, clay bead artists and vendors. This convention is held at different corners of the country every year and it's been 5 years since it was this close to Indy.

Getting there was fairly simple - just a 2 hour drive.  I hadn't been to Louisville in a long time and was amazed at how easy it was to get around.  The downtown area has a festive atmosphere with lots of green areas and Fourth Street Live, which is a pedestrian only area for dining, shopping and entertainment.  The bead show was held in the Kentucky Intl. Convention Center.

 In all the years I've been making beads, I've read books about the 'superstars of glass'.  Today, I got to see them for real.  And what a nice group of people they were! They were so cordial and approachable - something you don't always see when there's a mass of talent gathered in one place.  They were more than happy to share little secrets on how to get a certain result with a certain type of glass, or interject amusing anecdotes about their experiences along the way.  The beads I saw were beyond amazing and I came away from the convention center with a mind brimming with ideas.  It made the drive home a little easier as I was planning my next projects while I drove!
Most of my friends from ISLAGA were there today and it was fun chatting with them.  It was neat seeing the inspiration for some of their beads from the original artists. This is a photo of Leah Fairbanks, who has been a great inspiration to me.  I took one of her classes in raised florals last spring and thoroughly enjoyed it.

When I got home, I put all the business cards and post cards collected at the show in a photo album.  These will serve as inspiration for future beads, and as reminder of a special day.