Biography
The National Glass Centre (Sunderland Culture) is a museum and gallery, built of glass and steel, situated on the north banks of the River Wear, on the former site of J. L. Thompson and Sons shipyard. It is also the home of the University of Sunderland's Glass and Ceramics Department and Institute for International Research in Glass. Its collection celebrates the origins, growth and history of glassmaking in Sunderland, an international centre for Studio Glass, created after 1945. It has an international arts programme, which exhibits the work of leading contemporary artists in glass and ceramics, a number of whom work on site; commissions new art work; supports world leading experts to develop and share their practice and expertise in glass; encourages emerging artists and creates opportunities for visual artists to explore the potential of glass. The public are encouraged to take part in Glass Blowing Experiences, watch demonstrations in front of hot furnaces and attend jewellery or craft classes. Since 2015 National Glass Centre' s collection now includes work by over sixty international artists including Erwin Eisch, a founder of the international Studio Glass movement from Bavaria and works by Silvia Levenson (Argentina/Italy), The De La Torre Brothers (Mexico/USA), Petr Stanicky (Czech Republic), Richard Meitner (The Netherlands / USA) and Xiaowei Zhuang (China). In 2022 NGC also received a gift of 363 works from the private collection of Bernard Lloyd.
