<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1479" name="GENERATOR">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
<br>
<br>
-------- Original Message --------
<table class="moz-email-headers-table" border="0" cellpadding="0"
cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">Subject: </th>
<td>ArtsQuest News Release: ArtsQuest Announces GlassWorks Staff</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">Date: </th>
<td>Mon, 23 Oct 2006 13:03:24 -0400</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">From: </th>
<td>Mark Demko <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:mdemko@fest.org"><mdemko@fest.org></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">To: </th>
<td>Kim Plyler <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:kplyler@fest.org"><kplyler@fest.org></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br>
<br>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1479" name="GENERATOR">
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><font
face="Times New Roman"><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span
class="812485615-23102006"> </span>NEWS
RELEASE</span></strong><br>
<font size="3"><b style=""><span class="812485615-23102006">
</span>DATE:</b> <span style=""> </span>Oct. 23,
2006</font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><font
face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><b style=""><span
class="812485615-23102006"> </span>CONTACT:</b> <span
style=""> </span>Kim I. Plyler (610) 332-1300, Ext. 333</font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font
face="Times New Roman"><font size="3"><span style=""> </span><span
style=""> <span
class="812485615-23102006"> </span></span>(<a
href="mailto:kplyler@fest.org">kplyler@fest.org</a></font></font><font
face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">)</font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span
style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p><font
face="Times New Roman"> </font></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"
align="center"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><font
face="Times New Roman">ARTSQUEST ANNOUNCES GLASSWORKS STAFF<br>
<o:p></o:p></font></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><font
size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">BETHLEHEM</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">PA</st1:State></st1:place><b
style="">—</b>ArtsQuest, the Bethlehem, Pa.-based nonprofit arts
organization that presents Musikfest,<b style=""> </b>Christkindlmarkt
Bethlehem and the Banana Factory visual arts center, is pleased to
announce the staff of its new GlassWorks glass studio at the Banana
Factory.<br>
<br>
</font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><font
size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><b><span style=""><span style="">
</span>James Harmon</span></b><span style="">, </span>an esteemed
artist with more than 30 years’ experience blowing glass and teaching
at some of the nation’s most prominent glass studios<span style="">, is
GlassWorks’ Creative Director. <o:p></o:p></span></font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><font
size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="">Harmon, who began
glass blowing when he was a student at the Rhode Island School of
Design in the early 1970s, has taught glass art at</span> Pilchuck
Glass School, Stanwood, Wash.; The Studio at the Corning Museum of
Glass; Corning, N.Y.; Wheaton Arts & Cultural Center, Millville,
N.J.; University of the Arts; Philadelphia, Pa.; and the University of
Hawaii, Manoa, Hawaii<span style="">. In the late 1980s and early ’90s,
he was integral in the design, construction and opening of the New York
Experimental Glass Workshop, a prestigious academic and working
artists’ glass facility in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Brooklyn</st1:City>,
<st1:State w:st="on">N.Y.</st1:State></st1:place> that is now known as
UrbanGlass.<o:p></o:p></span></font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin: 0in -0.5in 0pt 0in; line-height: 150%;"><font size="3"><font
face="Times New Roman"><span style=""> </span>During his
career, Harmon has <span style="">worked with world renowned glass
artist Dale Chihuly and </span>been honored with many outstanding
artistic awards for his visionary work. He is the recipient of a Young
Americans Clay/Glass Award from the American Craft Council, a National
Endowment for the Arts Master Craftsman Award and two fellowships from
the Creative Glass Center of America in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Millville</st1:place></st1:City>.</font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin: 0in -0.5in 0pt 0in; line-height: 150%;"><font size="3"><font
face="Times New Roman"><span style=""> </span>Harmon’s
work has been shown around the world and is found in many fine art
museums and corporate and private collections, including the
Smithsonian’s <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">American</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Museum</st1:PlaceType> of Art in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Washington</st1:City> <st1:State w:st="on">D.C.</st1:State></st1:place>
In addition, his pieces can be seen in art books and publications, and
he has produced hundreds of architectural glass details, awards and
lighting pieces for many renowned clients.</font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><font
size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style=""> </span>As
Creative Director of GlassWorks, Harmon is in charge of establishing
the curriculum for classes and the after-school enrichment program for
at-risk youth. He also teaches classes, oversees development of the
glass artist-in-residence program and is responsible for developing and
ensuring the protocols for the safe and efficient operation of
GlassWorks.<br>
<br>
</font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><font
size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style=""> </span><b
style="">John Choi</b> <span style="">has been named the Studio
Manager for GlassWorks. A<b> </b></span><span style="">graduate of
University of the Arts, where he earned a degree in industrial design,
Choi has </span>more than 10 years of experience in glass art and
sculpting. He has exhibited in numerous galleries and his work is found
in private collections nationwide.</font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: 150%;"><font
size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style=""> </span>The
recipient of a Creative Glass Center of America Fellowship, Choi has
experience in Venetian glass, Swedish glass and hot glass sculpting. He
<span style="">has </span>taught glass blowing and sculpting with
renowned artists such as Jose Cardiet, Jamex and Einer de la Torre and
Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen, and has served as an instructor at <span
style="">Hot Soup Glass Studio in <st1:City w:st="on">Philadelphia</st1:City>;
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Pilchuck</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Glass</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">School</st1:PlaceType>
and the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Pittsburgh</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Glass</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.</span></font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span
style=""><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">As Studio Manager
of GlassWorks, Choi is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day
operations of the studio, class scheduling and serving as an instructor
for classes in glassblowing and flameworking.<b><o:p></o:p></b></font></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><font
face="Times New Roman" size="3">ArtsQuest is a community-focused,
nonprofit arts organization located in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Bethlehem</st1:City></st1:place>. The organization, founded
in 1984, presents the 10-day music festival Musikfest each August and
the 15-day holiday marketplace Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem each
December. It also owns and operates the Banana Factory visual arts
center and gallery in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Bethlehem</st1:City></st1:place>.
ArtsQuest’s mission is “to celebrate arts and culture.” </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><font
face="Times New Roman" size="3">For more information, visit <a
href="http://www.fest.org">www.fest.org</a></font><font
face="Times New Roman" size="3">.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"
align="center"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><br>
</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style=""><o:p><font
face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></o:p></b></p>
</font></div>
</body>
</html>