As Louisville, Kentucky prepares to host the 40th Annual International Glass Art Society Conference, the entire region around Louisville from Cincinnati to Berea to Lexington to Owensboro to Danville to Southern Indiana has joined Louisville, Kentucky, Kentucky in celebrating glass used in art and as craft for GLASS30: Four Weeks of Fire. This second annual Louisville Visual Arts Festival starts with the opening Day of Glass on June 9, 2010, a public display of hot glass that will be at several locations throughout that day and open to the public. The International Glass Art Society starts artists' demos Thursday morning, June 10 at 8 AM in Flame Run Studio & Gallery, U of L's Cressman Center and Hyland/Glassworks Studio. The ingenious possibilities of glass will be on display, demonstrated, taught and shared.

Many thanks to the University of Louisville, Metro Louisville Government, the Kentucky Governor's office, Louisville Convention and Visitor's Bureau, Kentucky Tourism Cabinet, Fund for the Arts, local and regional artists, gallery owners, educators, museum staff, collectors and art enthusiasts who are all working together to make this a regional celebration of glass.

From the opening night party at the Speed Museum to the closing night party at the Muhammad Ali Center, this event promises to be an exciting one for all who come to Louisville during the conference and before and after to share in the widening array of exhibits throughout the region.