Annual Missouri Bead Retreat
For the past several years, people from all over the midwest have come together to celebrate their common interest: melting glass! Artists make the trip from various states including: Illinois, Minnesota, Arkansas, Kentucky, Kansas and even Florida to spend time with other like-minded individuals for a weekend of fun and learning! The retreat is always scheduled the weekend BEFORE Memorial Day and goes from Friday through Monday.
The Missouri Bead Retreat is geared towards attracting new or seasoned artists who enjoy flameworking to make unique, handcrafted items. Flameworking (also called “lampworking”) differs from traditional glass blowing since a torch is used to melt the glass instead of a furnace. Items made through flameworking also tend to be smaller in scale and more intricate in design.
MBR History
In 2005, a couple of friends (from opposite sides of Missouri) decided to organize a get-together for other state-wide glassworkers. Interest in the event quickly increased and eventually outgrew the initial plans for a small camping trip. With so many people wanting to come, organizers were faced with finding a larger venue. The Alhonna Resort (conveniently located in the Lake of the Ozarks and central to most attendees) was eager to work with our group, and the first Missouri Bead Retreat was born! The first retreat was attended by 25 individuals, and in five short years the attendance has more than tripled!
About Flameworking
A flameworker’s set up typically involves a single-fuel or fuel+oxygen fed torch that melts various types of glass. The most popular type of glass used in flameworking is “soft” glass, which has a working temperature around 1400 degrees. Boroscillicate (or “hard” glass) is gaining popularity and requires a hotter torch due to a higher working temperature and lower coefficient of expansion.
Pieces made through flameworking are extremely hot, and must be slowly cooled down to prohibit thermal cracking and to increase the strength of the overall piece. As such, kilns are used to “soak” the glass at high temperature, which is slowly decreased to room temperature.
To create a basic bead, a rod of glass is heated by a torch until the end begins to glow and soften. The molten glass is then wrapped around a stainless steel mandrel that has been dipped in a releasing agent (which prevents the glass from permanently adhering to the metal). Using a variety of tools, other glass colors and gravity, the artist will shape and decorate the bead to their liking. Once complete, the bead will go into a programmed kiln until it’s cool. Once the bead can be handled, the artist will remove the bead from the mandrel, which is how the hole is created.
