Yann Greinenberger proved an engaging speaker at the Glass City Symoposium.
The experience of honouring and reviving the glass making industry in Meisenthal, in the Lorraine region of eastern France, was among the highlights of the recently held Glass Symposium at WIT.
The meeting was told by Yann Grienenberger that this small town of 5000 people was once home to a factory which employed 900, an altogether more disproportionate figure to those who were employed at the height of Waterford Crystal’s operation in Kilbarry.
The factory closed in 1980 but is now home to a thriving glass arts centre (a working glass studio and shop), which, within the old factory’s 30,000 square footprint, also houses a gallery, an exhibition area, a community arts centre, and also hosts concerts. And Mr Greinenberger, as Director of the Centre, filled in the WIT audience on its success.
Various stakeholders from the local municipal council, along with educational providers, artists and national authorities, came together to get this plan off the ground.
And while it took 20 years to fully flesh out the concept, the effort was clearly warranted and deserved, to ensure the legacy established by previous generations remains intact and vibrant.
A total of 17 people are now employed there, and while it’s welcome that the House of Waterford Crystal is proving such a success in Waterford city centre (as well as the Kyte Studio), a consensus is clearly emerging that there is more than we can do at home to ensure the survival of glass cutting and blowing.
The well-known Billy Kehoe, the former owner of Knox’s gift store, has visited the area, as has a deputation from Waterford City & County Council.
“There’s a great glass heritage in the area,” he told The Munster Express. “There are other famous brands in the region, such as Lalique and St Louis and the famous Baccarat Factory is also nearby, all of which I can testify to having travelled there.”
Mr Greinenberger said the path he and his colleagues took for several years in creating the centre was, “at times, a lonely one,” but once momentum gathered and once locals realised the significance of their glass making heritage, the pain of closure somewhat subsided.
“A new vision had to be created, so the creation of a museum was among our initial priorities, and this was followed by giving consideration to the development of our workshops.”
He added: “The goal was to promote glass skills and then re-transmit them to a new generation of glass artists, and I am pleased to say we have, on the whole, succeeded on that front, but we are not inclined to rest on our laurels and while we honour the past, we do so firmly with an eye on the future and the opportunities which it may bring for our centre.”
Twelve years after the plant closed, in 1992, Mr Greinenberger founded the Centre International D’Art Verrier (CIAV), and while faring well, is still in receipt of state subsidies from both educational and local government sources.
“In the context of what may be achieved here in Waterford, I would be pleased to offer my assistance given the experience which we garnered in developing the concept at Meisenthal. We have already received a delegation from your local authority, along with the Irish Crafts Council and I believe they found their visit most worthwhile and informative.”
Saving old moulds and creating and cataloguing a mould library was essential he said, reflecting on his own experiences. “We then later created new moulds, moving forward with new design concepts from new artists as we set about creating something new while honouring the glass making skills of the past. Creating a new enthusiasm about glass is essential…but I acknowledge that creating a new mindset and developing such a proud production and skills history can and will take time to evolve and expand.”
A bigger furnace and exhibition hall is already in planning in Meisenthal, with Mr Greinenberger advocating a ‘start small but think big’ approach to creating a legacy and practical project here in Waterford.
“There is great potential for Waterford’s future with respect to its great tradition of glass making, and if I can offer any assistance, I would be most pleased to do so.” he said.
Training and development, developing in tandem with a commercial and employment element, is well within the Crystal City’s gamut.
