Sculptors/ recycled glass southern African artists Thato Kokwana and Kgomotso Mtsweni are here on the West Coast, USA to share their skills, perspectives, and cultural presentations! Please help support their time here!

Last summer (2024), Katrina Hude, distinquished glass artist and I, Mary White, participated in a two week cultural exchange last summer at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in Pretoria, South Africa and Eswatini. We worked with TUT students, Southern African artists and community members on sustainable recycled glass projects, as part of their first "Glass Safari". It was a magical event for visiting artists, students and the Southern Africa arts community.

The first Glass Safari milestone has brought together a dynamic network of artists into the new non profit MOYA African Glass Network, focused on sustainable glass practice, including major contributions from recycled glass studios Nywenga Glass in Eswatini and Kitengela Glass in Kenya.

In January Katrina proposed an exchange, but we had to lay down the project due to visa problems. Mid August the final visa was approved and it became clear that Kgomotso and Thato could come!

Now, it's our turn to host two TUT graduates to come to the US this September.

Mary is hosting them Sept. 7-18 in Berkeley, CA for multiple cultural experiences including visits to Public Glass, Bay Area Glass Institute -BAGI, San Jose State University-SJSU, other studios and museums, in collaboration with Women Eco Artists Dialog. (Mary is chair of WEAD Board.)

Katrina will host them Sept. 19-30 in her studio on Whidbey Island, Washington for a residency, in collaboration with the Whidbey Island Arts Council.

Sustainable glass art is SmART for the environment. These Africans are using super-smart & sustainable methods including solar and bio-oils for heat, and recycled glass for zero-waste work -- more sustainable than any studio in the US. Many countries around the world have limited capacity for recycling or waste disposal, but transforming used glass into a creative material for functional objects and artworks changes the game!

Please help support this project with the travel expenses: air tickets, ground transportation, glass materials, stipends. Any donation welcomed!

- Mary Bayard White
Chair of WEAD, Women Eco Artists Dialog
Recycled Glass artist/educator weadartists.org

https://marywhiteglass.com/about-the-artist

- Katrina Hude
Board member, Whidbey Island Arts Council
Sculptor/glass artist https://www.katrinahude.com/history.html

This EVENT is endorsed by

WEAD - Women Eco Artists Dialog:
https://www.weadartists.org/
WEAD is a network of feminist ecoartists, educators, curators, and writers working toward the goal of a just and healthy world.
We focus on women’s unique perspective in ecological art and social justice art.

Whidbey Island Arts Council (WIAC)

https://www.islandartscouncil.org/

Whidbey Island Arts Council (WIAC) fosters local artists and arts organizations through grants, fiscal management and sponsorship to provide outreach and awareness of the arts and culture on Whidbey Island.

Who is Kgomotso Mtsweni?

Who is Thato Kokwana?

Thato Kokwana (at work in the cover image) graduated Cum Laude from Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in Pretoria, South Africa, in 2019. He has shown his work around the globe, including the Chrysler Museum, Virginia, USA; SculptX (the largest Exhibition of Sculpture in Africa); and the United Nations 2022 Year of Glass exhibit in South Africa. Thatos is an active member of the Moya African Glass Network.

FIND OUT MORE and JOIN THE EVENTS:
Everyone is welcome to meet the artists!
Learn more and contact: mwhiteglass@gmail.com

South Africa/ West Coast USA Glass Exchange 2025

ITINERARY

give butter.com/3G2W21

SEPT 6 Saturday

Thato and Kgmotso flew out of Johannesburg

SEPT 7 Sunday

Arrival in SF0. Took BART from SF0-North Berkeley

Thato United 1:54 1 pm P7WHXV

Kgomotso United 16.19 7KKGNU

Tried to go to Lee’s party but all too tired.

7- 10 pm Lee Meltier Full moon party 3975 La Cresenta, El Sobrante

SEPT 8 Monday Leave at 9:00 am

10:30 am Public Glass, SF. Tour with Marti Gorski, Director and prepared for blowing Tuesday

3 pm Berkeley Bowl and stocked up.

Stopped at Bill Birch’s studio and visited with Bill and Patty Garret who were blowing

Best Buy to get Thato a charger for laptop. Mateo gave us a recycled one that they were tossing out!

5:30 pm dinner Ethiopian restaurant on San Pablo: Cafe Colluchi with William/Lisa from Estwatini Mary Ann Galleger, Rijul Soan, Thato, Kgsomoto, me

SEPT 9 Tuesday

8:20 am Morning Tour of UC Berkeley Optics lab and Rijul’s office and great view of campus. Took campus tour including bear sculptures, buildings and students.

https://www.berkeley.edu/

Left at 10 am for Public Glass in SF to the glass studio.

https://www.publicglass.org/

Blew with wonderful Megan and Matt

Finished around 6 pm.

7 pm Golden Gate Bridge and Costco

9 pm home

SEPT 10 Wednesday

11 am Alex Abajian Glow Glass Studio in Oakland to see a demo with collaborator Rafi and accordion wood molds. Met Rafi’s father from NY. Tried really good Taco truck.

alexander-abajian.squarespace.com

2 pm visit Michael Cohn Cohn Stone Studio, Richmond. Michael gave us a great tour of his new work, and his whole studio

http://cohnstone.com/

3:30 pm Visit to East Bay Batch and met owner Jim Meyers, Liz Strickland, Lance and Lance’s new puppy Learned Lance will be going to the Glass Safari next summer.

Jim gifted beautiful Thato and Kgmotso color rods they can use with Katrina.

East Bay Batch and Color

https://ebbatchcolor.com

169 S 1st St, Richmond, CA 94804

(800) 322-6567

SEPT 11 Thursday

Leave at 9:45 am for Public Glass to look at work blown on Tuesday

https://www.publicglass.org/

Watched David Patchen blow with Adrian assisting.

davidpatchen.com

https://www.davidpatchen.com

11 am. Talked to Marti, Megan and Matt. The piece cracked at the mid line where opaque yellow stopped.

1 pm Bruce Pizzichillo studio tour: interested in photo transfer techniques

Pizzichillo - dari gordon art glass studio

quepasaglass.com

https://www.quepasaglass.com

2680 Union Street Oakland CA 94607

2:30 Crucible tour with Caroline Landau? We did not meet new interim director Doug

Saw studios: glass, ceramic, black smithing, foundry, jewelery, enamels, artists studios

https://www.thecrucible.org/

1260 7th St, Oakland, CA 94607

7 pm Literature professor Edda Brunner’s house. Thato and Kgmotso practiced their two presentations and timed them. Goal to make them 15 minute presentations fpr BAGI and SJSU.

Chocolates and cookies

SEPT 12 Friday

Morning worked on presentations and social media

Left around 12:45pm for San Jose

San Jose Museum of Art

https://sjmusart.org/about-us

110 South Market Street

San José, CA 95113

5 pm Arrived at BAGI

https://bagi.org/

635 Phelan Ave,

San Jose, CA 95112

Phone: (408) 993-2244

6-8 pm presentation. Delicious Vietnamese or Thai dumplings and rolls

Audience included Steven and Allison Aldrich and Director Sarah Cornielle and Ryan. Met Sam Drumgoole and his partner Laryen sp? from Auburn and Moze and his health practicioner partner from Santa Cruz. Sam gave Thato a brand new pair of Jason’s jacks. Gas cap taken from the Element (a surprise)/

11 pm home

SEPT 13 Saturday

Morning Segora T Land Trust https://sogoreate-landtrust.org/ visit was canceled so worked at home on presentations and TUT school work. Kgmotso is finishing her first graduate year in Nov. 2025 and had to do assignments while she was in US.

1 pm left for Golden Gate Park and DeYoung Museum SF.

Attended lecture by Rose Simpson from Santa Fe area and saw painted cars that reminded us of Ester from SA. Got photo with Rose.

Checked out the food trucks in Golden Gate Park and baseball game in the park.

6 pm Public Glass HOt glass, cold beer, demo with Alex Abajian of Glow Glass Studio in the Hot Shop and Elias Hansen in the flameshop.

Met up with Lee Meilter and Nadja?, Herb, Liz Strickland, Marti Gorsky, Oben Albright http://obenabright.com/ and Maud, 89 year old Public Glass accountant and inspiration from Sweden. We learned Dreg -Andree is going to be the tech at the Jam Factory in Australia., assistant to David Patchen and Alex Abajian

SEPT 14 Sunday

9-2 pmGas at Costco

Thato and Kgmotso worked on photos and transparencies and films. Mary went to Strawberry Creek Meeting

3 pm leave for Steven and Allison Aldridge in Los Altos

Fantastic tour of their collection including Harvey LIttleton, Joel Phillip Meyers, Jay Musler, Jaime Guerrero

7 pm home

SEPT 15 Monday

6:45 am left

9 am San Jose State University SJSU

https://www.sjsu.edu/art/

Cassandra Straubling’s Glass class presentation. 15 minute presentations for each: Thato and Kgmotso

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/artist-cassandra-straubling-habatat-galleries--442900944580374296/

11am Walked thru SJSU Art Department ceramics building. Met ceramics head https://www.adamshiverdecker.com/

Talked to Tim, Cassandra’s husband who is the glass and ceramics shop tech

Walked thru art building Talked to lydia black who runs wood shop and

Jewelry professor

Saw the Design Department Materials lab and the student galleries that can be scheduled for one week with Tuesday night opening.

Walked thru campus, thru Cesar Chavez arch of glass mosaics, talked to latinex girls and bought their cookies.

Went to Super Taco on 10th for burritos and tacos and flautas

2:30 pm T and K gave their lectures to another class. 15 min each artist.

3-4 watched Cassandra and James blow organic pieces, using beach log as mold.

Talked to a young mathematician in glass class. Many majors.

5 pm Walmart to look for items

Called Thermon Statom for advice on applying to go to Pilchuck next summer

SEPT 16 Tuesday

Morning worked at house Cut glass, printed decals, prepared for firing.

12 noon Best Buy for flash drive

1 pm left for Elin Christopherson‘s on 98th and Pearmain.

https://elinchristopherson.com › about

Visited her studio and lamp, lighting project and special glow light lights

She walked us over to John Lewis‘s studio, now www.christisonlewis.com and we met the new director Kevin Christison..

and got a wonderful tour by? Met Juan 2 is smart young man who is extraordinary with glass casting and his father who basically runs the furnace. Then went to Best Buy to get splitter for me and stick drives for Ko Otto and Thato

4 pm Design Within Reach https://www.dwr.com › Modern › Design

and Vernon showed us around and we got to sit in an Ames chair and other designer seating. Many Italian designers.

Then back to Best Buy to return over charged item

Then home

Mary biked

All of us picked a huge bowl of cherry tomatoes

K and Mary fired two decals using hair images

SEPT 17 Wednesday

Morning at house. School work.

1 pm-3 pm Recorded a Public Glass Presentation with Marti on zoom.

She is going to post it on the Public Glass website.

Worked on photos and prepared drawings for pieces to blow at BAGI Thursday

Made homemade pizza.

Early evening

SEPT 18 Thursday

Mary out 6:45 am-10am delivering donuts to homeless shelter

K worked on TUT class work, T did press package for a client

12 noon left for the Oakland Museum https://museumca.org › visit

and David Ruth’s studio https://www.davidruth.com/

but did not have time because of traffic and got to San Jose just in time. Stopped in Little Saigon for M and T Vietnamese coffee and K ice cream to energize us

3-9 pm BAGI blow. Met Treg Silkwood, saw his amazing glass barnacles and reconnected with former student and bat maker: Valerie Pohorsky

Sam Drumgoold, his partner and daughter drove down from Aubourn. Sam gaffed a black glass crown with black braids for Kgmotso and a large urn or basket piece for Thato. Sam gave K a brand new fruit wood paddle. We all went to a Korean BBQ for dinner and left for Berkeley around 9:30 pm arriving around 10:30 pm. Got to bed around 12 midnight but woke up everyone to check in for flights at 1 am.

SEPT 19 Friday

Left for SF airport about 3:30 am

6 am SFO flight to Seattle

MXPPH6 receipt number 0164325457298 two standard checked bags paid with marys credit card

Paine Field Express Shuttle/ DKs taxi

Dennis Nichols 360 941-8864

Ferry to Whidbey.

SEPT 20 Whidbey Island Katrina lite up the furnace in preparation.

SEPT 21

SEPT 23

SEPT 24

SEPT 25

SEPT 26

SEPT 27

SEPT 28 Potluck and Whidbey Island Arts Council presentation

SEPT 29

SEPT 30-Oct 1. 6 am Seattle-Johannesburg

Draft Budget Sept. 6-Sept.30

Note: Currently all funds are donated by Katrina and Mary. We could use some help to cover air fares, ground travel and studio costs! TUT has paid for one ticket and we still need funds to cover one more ticket Johannesburg-SFO Seattle-Johannesburg and the SFO-Seattle flight.

Some itemized expenses

Sept. 6 Johannesburg-SFO return $1540

Sept. 19 SFO-Seattle 2@ $175 $350

Sept. 30 Seattle-Johanesburg

Travel Insurance with no deductible $100 coveramerica-gold.com

Bay Area Expenses

Honorarium for presentations at

BAGI, Public Glass, SJSU, The Crucible stipends $400

Meals $350

Tickets to

SFMOMA, DeYoung, SJMA, @$35 $140

Ground transportation, gas, $120

ferries, airports, et al $50 $100

Whidbey Island, WA Expenses

Public transporation/ Ferries $110 $220

Meals $250 $500

Tickets to museums ? $70 $140

Studio costs Studio costs provided by

Katrina Hude equal to $100 per day,

per person, 10 days, = $2000

WEAD International Exchange Program: South African Sustainable-Glass Artists

African Artists bring Sustainable, Zero-waste Glass Art skills to the West Coast, USA