Kathy Filipovic Ashby

kathyashby@surenet.net

Born 1953 Thunder Bay, Ontario

74. attended Sheridan College, School of Design, Mississauga, Ontario Canada

--GLASS MAJOR in final year.

GLASS EXPERIENCE:

* Employed by Sheridan College, Brampton campus to teach adult craft courses, including Stained Glass--1975.

* Head of Glass Department at Harbourfront Studios, Toronto--inaugural year 1974

Demonstrated glass blowing at Santa's Village Theme Park, Bracebridge--1984-88

and Barbados University and Bequia Anglican High School, West Indies--1986

* Directed and co-ordinated all aspects of glassblowing workshop for 'Here Today Where Tomorrow?' programme, Georgian College, Barrie, Ontario--1990

* Commissions for special designs including a contract by the Royal Ontario Museum to reproduce glass bird 'whimsies' originally produced in early Canadian Glass Houses, circa 1800, Toronto--1991

* Courtyard Gallery, solo-featured artist, Gravenhurst, Ontario--1983

* Participated in group shows and gallery exhibitions including

Ort Show, Casa Loma, Toronto, and Potter's Guild Gallery, Toronto 1973

Oise Gallery, Toronto, and York Quay Art Gallery, Toronto--1974,

Orangeville Art Coliseum, 1976

Scottís Art Gallery Bracebridge Ont. 1985

Holetown Festival, Barbados W. I. ñ1986

Branksome Hall, Toronto, 1988-1991

MAC Chapel Gallery Bracebridge 1998 (25th year retrospective)

Eclipse Gallery, Huntsville Ont. 2003

Big Art Thing Show, Muskoka, 1999-2005

Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour 1983-2006

Received several awards:

1st-prize Award for Original Design, Canadian Lakehead Exhibition, 1970

1st- prize Award for Outdoor Painting, Thunder Bay Merchants 1973

OCC Northern Ontario Regional Conference, Honourable Mention ñ1980

Muskoka Arts and Crafts, Honourable Mention, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1993

People Choice Award- Muskoka Arts and Crafts Spring Members Show 1985

'Glass Slipper' chosen for Ontario Craft Council Design Exhibition, Toronto 2003

Award of Excellence at M.A.C. Spring Member's Show 2004

Nominated for Woman of Distinction, Arts Category, YWCA, Muskoka, 2004

ARTIST STATEMENT:

"Working with glass is an emotional experience you will come to understand when you can imagine the medium at approximately 3,000∞F. It is the most fluid three-dimensional medium an artist can work closely with. The sensual flow holds your attention in a kind of magic spell. The glass is only cold, hard, brittle and fragile when it comes back down to room temperature. For the artist the process is a hot ballet of whirling and twirling. At a precise spontaneous moment they decide to stop and freeze the shape in time by taking it out of the fire where it becomes quickly rigid. Try to imagine the latest miniature sculptures created from intense heat with the flames licking the sides of the shapes transforming them towards timeless suspension."

For an in-depth article on the early years of the hot glass art in Canada you can read Adventure Years ISSN 0847-3277 July 2004 Artichoke Magazine Vol 6 No.2.