Hot Glass benefits Arts Commission of Toledo

More than 300 art lovers gathered Nov. 12 in the Edison Building lobby to vie for unique and exquisite creations at Hot Glass 2010 to benefit the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo.

As they meandered through the lobby, admiring and bidding on the nearly 100 silent auction items, smooth jazz filtered through the room. The intriguing pieces ranged in value from $150 to $17,500. It was quite an eclectic mix to match most art lovers' tastes. More than 90 regional, national, and international artists contributed to the collection.

Master of ceremony Chrys Peterson and auctioneer Jerry Anderson took the stage to auction off 10 items with the help of glass commentator Kelly Sheehan. "Glass Chain" by James Minson of Seattle, a multicolored flame-worked glass necklace valued at $1,250, sold for $1,900. Also up for auction were four Hot Glass tour packages. Glass enthusiasts bid on historic tours of the Libbey Glass Factory, the Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion, an architectural tour of the Glass Pavilion, and a private-collection tour in the homes of local glass collectors Scott and Margy Trumbull and Jerry and Diane Phillips.

Mrs. Phillips, Gail Zimmerman, and Robert Zollweg were chairman of the event along with Al Stroucken, honorary corporate chairman of the event and CEO of Owens-Illinois. Mary Wolfe served as community chairman, and Tom McGlauchlin was artistic chairman.

The ACGT hopes to raise $80,000 from this event to support its programs and activities including Young Artists at Work, Gallery Loops and Art Walks, Artomatic 419, Art in TARTA, and the Parkwood Gallery, said Jennifer Jarrett, deputy director.

Also seen at the event were Jack and Kay Schatzley, Kevin and Judy Kwiatkowski, Zale and Shirley Kohler, Mel and Sharon Beil, and Tom and Laura Baird.