The fall PCA TX meeting began Friday, October 18 in La Grange, Texas where 30
members gathered at Las Fuentas Mexican Restaurant for dinner. Members enjoyed
a festive meal and Astro fans kept their eyes on the playoff game.
Saturday morning, 35 members and two guests convened in Best Western’s meeting room where
they began browsing weights and visiting with Guest Artist Chris Sherwin and Guest Dealer
Eric Jump.
At 10 AM, President Allen Boyd called the meeting to order.
Treasurer and Membership Chair Jan Whitley reported gave the Treasurer and Scholarship Fund
Reports.
Ruth Glover announced that Anissa and Chris Cooke are the new administrators of the PCA TX
Facebook Group. Members thanked Ruth for her successful efforts to increase the site’s
content and viewers.
Website Chair Sam Terry announced that he has added new links and has also updated the
list of materials available from the PCA TX Library.
Art Elder served as auctioneer for two glass art pieces. The first was a large vase made by
glass artist Pearl Dick and the participants in Project FIRE, the artist development
program for youth injured by violence in Chicago. The proceeds will be returned to Project
FIRE. The second item was one of the paperweights donated by artist Alison Ruzsa in
gratitude for her 2019 PCA TX scholarship. The proceeds will benefit the Scholarship Fund.
We then had our usual large group of door prize winners drawn.
Chris Sherwin’s afternoon presentation, “Series of Fortunate Events,” was the story of his
journey in glass. His first glass experience began in a glass blowing class during his
“second” senior year at Southern Connecticut State. Two years later he became an apprentice
in the shop facility at Simon Pearce glassworks in Vermont. There he learned the value of
“repetitions and consistency” in the making of crystal pieces. After moving to California
in 1997, he worked at Orient & Flume Art Glass where he made his first torchwork
designs—almond blossoms. Seven years later he returned to Bellows Falls, Vermont and in
2005 built a studio in an old mill building. His paperweights, made in the “painting on
glass” California style, and his fruit and animal sculptures keep him busy, but he also
enjoys playing guitar in a band, brewing beer, Frisbee golf, snowboarding and fishing.
Sherwin’s explanation of how he makes the dimples in his dimpled fruit sculptures was a
meeting highlight!
Eric Jump presented “Harold James Hacker–A California Master.” Born in 1908, at age 13
Hacker began working at Western Glass Company as a “carry boy”—putting the finished pieces
in the kiln. Later he worked at West Virginia Specialty Glass where he learned glass
blowing and experimented with lampwork. Hacker moved to California in 1936 to work at
Technical Glass and, after his WWII service, he demonstrated and taught glass blowing for
over 20 years in a studio at Knott’s Berry Farm. During the 1960s he began making lampwork
weights—flowers, grapes, lizards and turtles. Jump is working with the Estate of Harold
Hacker to preserve his legacy.
To end a perfect day, members dined at the Sealand Seafood & Steak Restaurant, which had
a pleasant rustic ambiance. Those who had to leave right after the meeting really missed
a treat!
