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Arts & Communication Contemporary Portuguese glass art

academies, thus making it more available to students, glass techniques. After the retirement of Professor Antunes in
has become a fine art material very recently. 2009, Teresa Almeida became responsible for teaching
glass. New approaches were explored, more equipment was
2. Glass in the art academies acquired and kiln forming techniques were now possible

In the 1960s, the studio glass movement emerged in the to be made at the faculty. In Lisbon (FBAUL), Professor
United States of America (USA) and a new era of glass Fernando Quintas introduced fusing technique to the
art arose. The famous Toledo workshop in 1962 initiated students and exposed them to the world of glass art in
this event. In 1971, the Glass Art Society was created VICARTE, a research unit – “Glass and Ceramics for the
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by Fritz Dreisbach, Mark Peiser, and William Bernstein, Arts” – located in the campus of the Faculty of Science and
aiming to foster the growth of art glass enthusiasts, while Technology Nova University (FCT/UNL), in an attempt to
striking international collaboration with the Pilchuck heighten students’ interests in glass art.
Glass School, a school that specializes in the education of Entering the 21 century, new courses are launched.
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st
glass art. In the School of Arts and Design in Caldas da Raínha
Despite the emergence, the studio glass movement (ESAD.CR), there is an undergraduate program entitled
did not spread throughout the world. According to Noris “Product Design: Ceramics and Glass.” Here, tradition
(1995) in Australia, studio glass appeared in the 80s and and modernity, Portuguese culture, community, and
took almost a decade to achieve popularity worldwide. surroundings are merged. Students in this program would
One of the reasons that made its appearance impossible learn from glass blowers and glass experts at CRISFORM
at the same time as in North America was the economic (a glass training institution in Marinha Grande).
factor. However, the historian Susanne Frantz considers CENCAL (an institution for teaching ceramics) took
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that when the studio glass movement emerged in the USA,
the study of the art of glass already existed in European over the facilities of CRISFORM in 2011 and carried on
educational establishments. 8 with glass art programs with universities also organizing
glass art workshops for students and the public who want
Europe has a great tradition linked to stained glass to learn about glass. The existing protocol with universities
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and combined with this technique, other glass techniques, provides an excellent opportunity for students to develop
glass blowing, engraving, and cold working had already their work outside of the university environment. The
been taught in academies, namely in the Czech Republic, curriculum of this program is vast, making CENCAL
in Prague, at the Academy of Fine Arts (now known as the only institution of its kind in Portugal that offers an
Academy of Art, Architecture and Design). It was here extensive range of courses.
that in 1926, glass engraving began and in 1946, a separate
glass department was created. Later, in 1965, at the The VICARTE aspires to be a multidisciplinary hub for
Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava, Václav Cígler created research and development focused on the study of glass
the department of glass in architecture, whereas in the and ceramics. It has evolved from a close collaboration
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Baltic countries, the Academy of Latvia (the Art Academy between artists and scientists and is a joint effort between
of Latvia) started teaching glass art in 1963. The course FCT/UNL and FBAUL. The primary goal of VICARTE is to
included engraving, cutting, and stained glass, and in the bring together experts in art, science, technology, history,
90s, kiln casting was introduced into the curriculum. archeology, and conservation related to glass and ceramics.
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In the Estonian Academy of Arts, the glass department This unique convergence of expertise from diverse fields is
was established much earlier, in 1936. In Lithuania, for of global interest to both artists and scientists worldwide.
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example, at the Kaunas Art Faculty, the glass department VICARTE develops scientific projects funded by the
was established in 1979. 12 Portuguese National Science Foundation. It also organizes

In Portugal, stained glass has been taught at the workshops and conferences, such as GLASSAC – “Glass
University of Fine Arts in Porto (FBAUP) and Lisbon Science in Art and Conservation.” Twenty years after this
(FBAUL) since 1957 after the appointment of João Aquino research unit was established, its research has consolidated
Antunes as a professor in 1973 at FBAUP, which was the a group of specialists that study the intricacies of glass
time point when glass art started to flourish; before this, and ceramics, while fostering an extensive national and
the students were more concerned with the drawing and international institutional network over time. In 2009,
composition than with painting on glass. The first kiln a Master’s degree program for science and art students
was acquired for FBAUP by Professor Antunes, thus entitled “Glass Art and Science for the Arts” – now named
allowing the students to make grisaille paintings, and “Glass and Ceramics and Science for the Arts” – was
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later, to practice painting with enamels, fusing, and other created.

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2024) 2 doi: 10.36922/ac.2777