This may be old news to some of you, but BAGI now has online hot-shop rental booking. Artists can book online at their convenience, using a credit card, debit card or PayPal account. Click here to check it out. A wonderful side benefit is an up-to-the-second accurate online rental calendar for all to view.


Online booking will help to streamline operations at BAGI, as well as making booking more convenient for the artists. Look for online class booking in the near future!

Check out our latest press! Seasoned collector: Upcoming shows include St. Christopher, Glass Auction, Hillsborough

If you're on the BAGI email list, you have started to receive emails that explain a auction artist's background and show the work that is in this year's event. We've sent out emails about Michael Janis and Ethan Stern so far with more to come.  We also announce upcoming events, provide updates (like the Auction Catalog being available on-line), and classes.

If you're not on the email list please visit the homepage and sign-up in the upper right corner.  We don't sell or rent our list to anyone.

On Friday night there was a buzz at the Community School of Music and Art.  Nearly 100 people came to enjoy wine, appetizers, conversation and a talk by Micaela Van Zwoll.  Collectors, artists and students spent the hour before the talk in the lobby with art-related discussions ranging from how they became interested in art to what they are working on now.  (Click here to see photos from the event.)

The audience moved into the auditorium just after 7:00 and were greeted by a slide show highlighting Bay Area art collections that include glass sculpture as well a range of artists that Micaela choose to highlight.  There were many artists, ranging from emerging to mid-career to established, and collections included in the talk.  I was excited to see images of works from the Saxe Collection and the Hess Collection as well as Stig Persson, a wonderfully clean thinking Danish artist; San Francisco Bay Area pioneer Marvin Lipofsky, who was shown by Micaela at Art Basel Miami Beach; educators and artists Susan Longini and Carol Lawton (who were also in the audience). 

An insightful observation that Micaela made about buying art was that all of us have collected something (in her case it started with Matchbox cars many years ago) and that we should use that same sense of wonder and excitement when deciding what art to collect.  Another takeaway from Micaela was that the difference between an established artist and all others on the path to becoming an established is the ability for a piece to be sold in the secondary market.  Why is that important?  Becuase it means there is enough understanding and representation of an artist to be able to set a price for a work in the open market.

The evening wrapped up shortly after 8:00 with an appeal to attend the BAGI Great Glass Auction on February 6th.  We plan on putting an interview of Micaela with slides on the BAGI website soon.

On Friday, January 6, Micaela Van Zwoll (read her blog here) from the Micaela Gallery in San Francisco will lead an interactive session on collecting contemporary glass art.  She is an entertaining and knowledgable speaker and you should attend whether you are a new or experienced collector.  The event is being sponsored by BAGI with help from the Community School of Music and Art (CSMA).  This event is at the CSMA, a great venue located in Mountain View and one of the first of what we hope will be many collaborations to bring the arts to more people in the Bay Area.

Please find out more and RSVP.