Some of the old pros are still at it, amazing as always, like Art Seymour and Tom and Sage Holland. There are new artists as well, and the landscape has changed as in all areas of the bead community. But the Sonoran Glass School in Tucson hosts their own glass art show, holds a "Flame-Off" each year during the Tucson show season, and also hosted the "Bead Symposium" for the second year. You can watch the Symposium on FaceBook, pretty easy to find on the Sonoran Glass School page.
And the ISGB Gathering is coming up in Vegas, April 2-7.
I always loved your beads, nice to see you here again! :)
Here are two photos I took at the African Village at Tucson, three weeks ago.
The first shows "new muraqad" beads that copy old specimens. They have considerably less fidelity than the beads they imitate, compared to the lovely beads you show. But they are made one-by-one..., and, over time, the output might become more proficient, in terms of care and detail.
The second photo, also from an African inventory, shows new/recent beads from Java, that also intend to "copy" muraqad beads from Mauritania. These are admittedly torchworked, and so are grossly inauthentic. Nevertheless, that issue aside, many beads are remarkably small and detailed, and are thus impressive. I have specimens of this output dating back to the 1990s, and more recently.
Of course, if you meant one-off beads that are more-or-less unique, then Joyce's comments about the work of many contemporary beadmakers is very apt. The international interest in making great glass beads persists.
JDA.
I'll stop when they drag my dead cold body from the glass shop.
Art your name couldn't be more fitting
Ah what a pleasure to gaze upon
300 years from now around the neck,
of a future admirer
the gift of Art
