Great Convention, Great Future
Another ICGA convention has passed and a wonderful time was had by all. If you missed it, we had a lot of attendees (one of the largest conventions we’ve had in a while, much of which is due to the wonderful collection Joan Steskal had for the auction, one of the best of the year). We had some great presentations and the normal fun in the rooms with glass, people enjoying being together, and overall camaraderie between carnival glass collectors. Every year I give you a quick recap and then wonder what you would think if you had been there with the rest of us. I’m sure you would have had a big smile when it was all done (as many of us were smiling).
Next year, we have two big things going on at the convention. First of all, the convention kicks off the 50th Anniversary of ICGA, which is a huge deal. The second is that we are (finally) returning to Indiana (the “scene of the crime” fifty years ago, if you will) to kick off that celebration. We have several fun and new things planned for the convention next year as we kick off that year-long celebration. It’s amazing to think that a carnival glass association can be hitting its Golden Anniversary, but even more amazing to think about the tremendous history of the organization.
So for the year leading up to the convention, as well as for the year during the celebration, we are going to be focusing on ICGA and how it was formed, the now legendary stories and events that have occurred in the past five decades with the organization, and how we will face the next fifty years by embracing a new generation of carnival glass collectors. If you think about it, nostalgia is the primary source of carnival glass love, and now we have reached the age where nostalgia about ICGA is nearly as strong as it is for the glass and how it was a part of the everyday lives of our original founders.
Next year’s convention will be held at the Blue Gate Garden Inn in Shipshewana, Indiana. Where/what is Shipshewana (many of you are likely asking)? It’s an Amish community that has flea markets and auctions, plenty of top notch entertainment and concerts, and amazing food. Think of it as an Amish Branson with the same type of entertainment. It’s a bit of stepping outside the box for ICGA, but it will be a ton of fun.
Our display room next year is Chop Plates, and Carl & Eunice Booker will both be organizing the room as well as giving a great presentation on the glass found there. Bill and Kenda Jeske will be bringing their always-fun presentation to town, and we have the interesting fact that this year’s display room winners also won the opportunity to give the banquet presentation next year. Richard Thorne won both the display award and the banquet seminar, so next year he will be bringing his Pacific Northwest sense of calm, tranquility and also coffee to the convention! I can’t wait to see what he has planned, but I am positive that it will blow us away with its creativity. The Thornes amaze me every year that they travel from Seattle to ICGA, and now they will amaze me in an entirely new way.
So, get ready for the Golden Anniversary celebration. Whether you have been members from the very beginning or you just joined a few weeks ago, you should be very proud to belong to an organization that has shaped carnival glass collecting globally. And the party is only getting started…