“Welcome to The Glass Ages” Celebrating the United Nations International Year of Glass. This it the title of the new book edited by Alicia Durán and John M. Parker, published by CSIC, 2022. The book celebrates the technological, scientific, artistic, and economic role of glass as an enabling material crucial to many technologies and cultures.

Before we can celebrate the International Year of Glass, an appreciation of the long and challenging journey of the application process to the UN is essential. It all started back to 2015, when we celebrated the International Year of Light, and the Society of Glass Technology hosted the annual conference Glass Reflections, and the idea of an International Year of Glass was formed. During the application process, the application committee had to engage with the glass community from all sectors, and the application was based on the UN 2030 humanitarian and sustainability aspirations. Amazingly, over the next few years they generated support from more than 2000 Universities and research centres, societies and associations, museums, artists, educators, manufacturers, and companies from 89 countries spanning all five continents.

Finally, the year is here, and the book is out. This book examines each of the UN goals considered in the original application and looks in greater depth at what glassy products can contribute. It is a book packed with information and knowledge covering all topics of glass. 

In chapter 9 “Social, Cultural and Environmental Sustainability within the International Art Glass Movement” the author Jessamy Kelly reflects upon the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) and how the international Art Glass movement is contributing to these goals. It is a call to action for a collective, universal and an end-of-poverty; to protect the environment; to achieve gender equality; to ensure health and well-being; and to ensure peace and prosperity for all. Jessamy is defining the far-reaching effects of the international Art Glass movement and illustrates a wide range of glass artists who is celebrating and contributing to what art glass brings to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

I am immensely proud to say that as a former academic and current glass artist, designer and innovator with published papers at annual conferences hosted by the Society of Glass Technology in both 2015 and 2021, that my work is contributing to this international glass art movement. I hope that with my work I can inspire more people to think long-term, sustainably and collaborative.

The book is free to download click here to get it.