Millville NJ (May 1, 2021) – WheatonArts is delighted to announce that thanks to generous event sponsorships for Virtual Paperweight Fest 2021, ticket prices will be able to remain at the early bird price of $45. WheatonArts thanks the following event sponsors for their support: L.H. Selman Ltd., Fine Glass Paperweights; Jere Gibber & J.G. Harrington; Eric Jump, The Paperweight Collection; and The Paperweight Collectors Association, Inc. All glass enthusiasts are invited to the Virtual Paperweight Fest 2021 on May 14, 15, and 16. This event is a celebration of WheatonArts 50+1 Anniversary and the 46th Anniversary of the Paperweight Fest, also known for many years as “Paperweight Weekend.” 

During this all-in-one experience, attendees can submerse themselves in paperweight histories and techniques with presentations by Gay LeCleire Taylor, Angela Bowey, Marek Kordasiewicz, and Andy Dohan. Live demonstrations by Don Friel, David Graeber, and Skitch Manion will be streamed as they attempt to create the World’s Largest Millville Rose Paperweight! Loren Stump will engage with the audience as he demonstrates the making of a Millville Rose Murrini (with slices of the Murrini sold to support WheatonArts). Pick and choose different “Meet the Artist” break-out rooms to enter with Paul Stankard, Damon MacNaught, Cathy Richardson, Clinton Smith, Mayauel Ward, Chris Sherwin, Alison Ruzsa, or Melissa Ayotte, as well as a 50th Anniversary Exhibit Tour with Kristin Qualls. And for those wanting to connect and add to their collections, many artists and dealers will have private rooms available, including Tad McKeon’s Paperweights for Collectors, Cathy Richardson, Alison Ruzsa, Ken Rosenfeld, William Pitt Paperweights, and the A.G. Paperweight Shop. 

Hosted on the virtual platform known as HOPIN, attendees can stay for each presentation or come and go based on time and interests with ease throughout the weekend. Registrants will receive a private link to the recordings from several of the presentations and demonstrations a week later. For a full schedule of the weekend’s events and a link for registration, visit wheatonarts.org. 

WheatonArts strives to ensure the accessibility of its exhibitions, events, and programs to all persons with disabilities. Please provide two weeks’ notice of additional needs. Patrons with hearing and speech disabilities may contact WheatonArts through the New Jersey Relay Service (TRS) 800-852-7899 or by dialing 711.

Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New Jersey Cultural Trust. WheatonArts receives general operating support from the New Jersey Historical Commission, Division of Cultural Affairs in the New Jersey Department of State, and is supported in part by the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism. 

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About WheatonArts: WheatonArts and Cultural Center, founded as Wheaton Village in 1968, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to engage artists and audiences in an evolving exploration of creativity. The mission is advanced by the interpretation of collections and exhibitions, education initiatives, and culturally diverse public programs, residencies, and other opportunities for artists. With a history spanning five decades, WheatonArts has earned regional, national and international recognition for its unique collections and programs. The Museum of American Glass is at the heart of the Center, housing the most comprehensive collection of glass produced in America – from the first glass bottles made in America to celebrated works by Dale Chihuly, Paul Stankard, and other contemporary artists who work in glass. Visitors experience the art of glassmaking, ceramics, and flamework in the Artist Studios. From April through December, the Museum of American Glass and Down Jersey Folklife Center presents special exhibitions. WheatonArts also offers traditional and multi-cultural programs, classes, workshops, performances, and weekend festivals. The award-winning Museum Stores offer traditional and contemporary art and craft in all mediums. 

Gold Sponsor: L. H. Selman Ltd. is a name that has been synonymous with the finest antique and contemporary paperweights for over 40 years. As the country’s premier dealer in fine art glass paperweights, their mission is to promote the very best by exhibiting and selling through gallery and auction, the finest examples made in centuries past, and by nurturing new talent emerging from contemporary independent studios. L. H. Selman Ltd. has a sterling reputation, forged through years of working together with clients to help them build discriminating and sophisticated collections.

Bronze Sponsor: Eric Jump, owner and curator of The Paperweight Collection, is based in Los Angeles, California. He has been a dealer of fine antique and contemporary glass art paperweights since 2011 – specializing in the art of millefiori and miniature flamework and torchwork glass sculpture encapsulated in solid clear crystal.

Bronze Sponsor: The Paperweight Collectors Association, Inc. (PCA), a non-profit organization started in 1953, has championed the study and collecting of antique, vintage, and contemporary glass paperweights. Their mission is to promote education: to increase knowledge about paperweights, their creators, and the astounding glass medium from which they are created.

Bronze Sponsor: Jere Gibber & J.G. Harrington are long-time collectors, inspired by Jere’s passion for paperweights since she was a child. Jere and J.G. also collect contemporary glass and have supported numerous non-profits, including WheatonArts. Jere Gibber serves as executive director of the National Preservation Institute. J.G., an attorney with Cooley LLP, currently serves as Treasurer of the WheatonArts board and as President of the James Renwick Alliance for Craft. 

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