The year 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the birth of the Studio Glass Movement. The Toe River Valley, home to the father of studio glass, Harvey Littleton, and over 50 other glass artists, is celebrating by hosting a weekend of events September 20-23, happening in and around Burnsville, Spruce Pine, Bakersville, Micaville, and Penland, North Carolina.

It’s a great weekend to learn about the glass community that has settled around Penland School and enjoy the beauty of the Toe River Valley. The weekend will include studio tours, glass blowing demonstrations, a gallery hop of glass exhibitions, including A History of Glass in the Toe Valley at the Toe River Arts Council in Spruce Pine, and gala evening featuring a lecture and book signing of A Life in Glass by author Joan Falconer Byrd at the Burnsville Town Center. The Penland Gallery will be featuring works in glass by local and national artists associated with Penland School.

You can click here for more information about Glass in the Mountains.

And you can click here to download a tour map for the weekend (PDF – 1.4MB).