Fenton Art Glass Newsletter

This may be one of the most important emails you’ve ever received . . . and we’re certain that it’s one of the most exciting we’ve ever sent to our collectors!

As President of Fenton Art Glass, I am writing to you about a once-in-a-lifetime collecting opportunity. Never before have we created a piece of Fenton glass this magnificent . . . with artistry and craftsmanship of the highest level . . .
now offered to select Fenton collectors . . . you won’t want to miss this opportunity!

It’s no secret that times are tough for many of us in today’s economy. Nonetheless, the talented and skilled people at Fenton Art Glass continue to create innovative art glass items especially for collectors like you. This is your chance to add a fantastic Fenton item to your collection. Just a few collectors and Fenton dealers have previewed this piece, and their enthusiasm confirms what we thought when we first saw it: no Fenton collection will be complete without this splendid cameo art glass creation.

Designed by renowned cameo artists Kelsey Murphy and Robert Bomkamp, the Artistry vase is handcrafted in rich Ruby glass covered with pure Milk glass, using demanding techniques applied by Fenton's skilled glassworkers.

The history of cameo glass dates back more than 2000 years to the era of Roman cameo
glass vessels depicting human figures. The art of cameo carving was quickly lost, and the few surviving examples known today are priceless and can be seen only in museums.
One of these, the Barberini Vase of Roman times (shown at right, ©Marie-Lan Nguyen, Wikimedia Commons), was acquired by the wealthy Duke of Portland and loaned to the British Museum in 1810. Decades later, English and French artisans began to recapture cameo carved glass with different techniques, and their colorful and intricate products were quite expensive. However, these efforts were also short lived.

For the past several months, cameo artists Kelsey Murphy and Robert Bomkamp have been striving diligently to design and create a very special cameo art glass vase. We call this vase Artistry, and we’re sure that the remarkable cameo carving captures the very essence of Fenton Art Glass.

Once you see this magnificent glass masterpiece, you won’t want to live without it. Quite frankly, the Artistry vase is probably the most amazing piece we have ever undertaken.

The details are just marvelous. When I see this vase,
it’s like I’m right in the factory with the glassworkers
and decorators …and Frank and Bill are my
tour guides!
— Fenton company historian James Measell

Oh, my! It’s simply wonderful.
— Fenton collector Louella B.

Everything is just so vivid. It makes me think of my days working in the factory, and seeing Frank and Bill brings tears to my eyes.
— Fenton employee Jackie Hamrick, who worked in Hot Metal for a decade and is now the assistant to director of design Nancy Fenton

I’m really proud to be part of this.
— master glass artisan Dave Fetty, who has been associated with Fenton nearly 50 years.

The stately Artistry vase stands 10-1/2” tall.

The Fenton Artistry vase is sure to take its place in the history of cameo art glass, a history that spans more than
2000 years. You can be part of this wonderful history when you acquire an Artistry vase. Almost all the surviving cameo glass examples from Roman times and from nineteenth century England and France are in closed cases and scattered among museums across the world . . . but the Artistry vase can be yours . . . to display with pride in your Fenton collection!

Over the past two decades, cameo artists Kelsey Murphy and Robert Bomkamp have succeeded in reviving and improving the techniques of cameo carving. Their cameo creations have sold for as much as $35,000, and many
of their pieces are valued at $5000 or more. Like the rare cameo glass of the Roman era and the English and French masterpieces of the late nineteenth century, the cameo carved Artistry vase from Fenton Art Glass will thrill you with its rich color and intricate details.

As this project developed and we saw Kelsey’s and Robert’s preliminary cameo carved designs depicting
today’s Fenton glassworkers and decorators, we realized that the Fenton story would be incomplete without Frank M. Fenton and Bill Fenton as well as Louise Piper on the Artistry vase. As a collector of Fenton glass,
you know what the fond memories of those people mean to you and your fellow collectors.

The Artistry vase depicts traditional glassmaking—gathering, pressing, blowing, and finishing—as well as the art of the decorator and the cameo carver. These are the people whose skills and talents have made Fenton Art Glass famous worldwide . . . and they can be yours forever with the purchase of the Artistry vase. In addition to Frank and Bill Fenton, the people depicted on this vase are longtime Fenton employees, including Dave Fetty and
Frank Workman. Each time you look upon your Artistry vase, you’ll discover dramatic details and subtle shading. You’ll marvel at the perspective and depth inherent in cameo carved art glass. Click here to see the brochure that describes this extraordinary piece.

The Fenton Artistry vase is strictly limited to just 250 individually numbered pieces, and this special invitation to you for ordering the Artistry vase will expire on December 31, 2010 (or sooner if all 250 Artistry vases have been subscribed). No additional discounts apply. Those who order Artistry vases by December 1, 2010, will be placed in a drawing to determine who will receive the Artistry vases numbered 1 through 50. Don’t delay placing your order! Those dedicated Fenton Art Glass collectors who purchase the Artistry vase will receive a personalized ID card entitling them to these special privileges:

1. first access to special email offers of interesting samples, whimsy items and other great Fenton glass from the
factory in Williamstown, West Virginia.

2. email participation in “Designing Fenton,“ an interactive group involved in creating future Fenton pieces
(during 2011-2012, this group will be involved in designing a piece to be made exclusively for their purchase).

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to add the cameo carved Artistry vase to your Fenton Art Glass collection.
For an order form, click here. Print and complete the order form and either fax (304-375-6459) or mail it to
the attention of Mary Ann Dotson at the address on the form.

Sincerely,

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The sender of this email is the Fenton Art Glass Co., 700 Elizabeth St., Williamstown, WV, 26187