Message from the President December 2015

Pump it Up!

In the past few months, it seems like it always comes up. I will be getting coffee, handling a piece of carnival glass at an auction, or relaxing in a hospitality room and I will inevitably hear someone say it. “So and so has the best newsletter in carnival glass, hands down.” Now I use the phrase “so and so” there because sometimes what they are really saying is NOT “ICGA.”

What?? Seriously?? Did I just hear that??

Now I know I don’t need to sell this to you as you are the one reading this, but it must be said that the ICGA Carnival Pump is the best carnival glass newsletter in the entire world (and most of the known galaxy at least.) Each quarter we bring you beautiful color pictures, great education, some fun, a calendar of events, occasional editorial and so much more. Many people don’t realize the effort that goes into the Pump: it starts with those of you who write amazing articles and posts for the Pump. You put time and effort into it, and you also provide us some great photography.

Once we have that, our editor Barb Chamberlain takes all the information and massages it into the best layout possible. We have a very strict policy here at ICGA in that color on our pages is reserved only for photographs. By leaving white space and having color photos, your eyes are always drawn to the glass first. It was the glass that got you interested in the first place, and it’s the glass you really want to see. We work each issue to provide that to you in spades.

We do this because we have a history of excellence. Barb took over the Secretary’s seat a few years back from Carl Booker. Carl held the position for decades and helped establish the standard of excellence. And Barb (as well as Carl) are both educators by trade, so they come at each article with an eye for the points that teach, one of the foundation stones of the association. They have a way of highlighting information that will embed itself in your noggin and stay there until that time you are in an antique mall or a room at a convention and pop up as needed.

So how can you join this “party” that is the ICGA Carnival Pump? It’s very simple. Send Barb your articles, pictures, ideas and more. We want to introduce what you have (glass, articles, jokes, editorial) to the rest of us. The Carnival Glass world only gets better with more contributions. We have some amazing writers and contributors in the Pump, and we really want to have you join that group. Even if you have a great picture of a piece you find intriguing, beautiful or even controversial, send it to Barb and her amazing find will find a way to highlight that in a way that our membership will find fascinating and will be very appreciative to you for sharing.

This holiday season, I wish you the best. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year and let’s make 2016 the best yet for ICGA, starring you!

Brian