BRATTLEBORO, VT. — Imaginary creatures dreamed up by children are brought to sparkling, three-dimensional life by professional glass artists in GLASSTASTIC, a beloved biennial celebration of youthful creativity and artistic ingenuity at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC).

BMAC seeks imaginary creatures for GLASSTASTIC

BMAC invites children in grades K-6 to submit drawings of fabulous imaginary creatures, a selection of which will be turned into sculptures by glass artists for the museum’s exhibition, GLASSTASTIC 2025.

Click here to download and print the guidelines and entry form to submit your imaginary creature

Glass artists from around New England pore over the submissions and choose the drawings that will be rendered in glass. About 20 glass sculptures and many of the children’s drawings will be exhibited at BMAC from March 22 to Nov. 1, 2025.

About GLASSTASTIC

Launched by BMAC in 2011, GLASSTASTIC reflects and celebrates the creativity and imagination of the children who participate and the ingenuity of the artists who faithfully render each creature’s distinguishing features in glass.

The most recent exhibition, in 2023, featured delightful creatures such as a lollipop-loving watermelon walrus named Seed, a green slime blob named Squish who changes colors by winking three times, glue creatures who love to swim and dance, a mermaid unicorn called Sally, the red-shoed and armless Eggman, and Snuggs, a green and blue monster who is playful and kind.

Josh and Marta Bernbaum of JMB Glass in Brattleboro, Vt., are among the artists who have participated in past exhibitions and will return for GLASSTASTIC 2025.

Marta Bernbaum, who has worked in many glass process types and has shared them in classes at craft schools around New England over the past 20 years, said, “I enjoy GLASSTASTIC because I love the opportunity to collaborate with young artists!”

Josh Bernbaum works in blown glass and considers the pieces he creates to be documents of a lifelong journey in refining necessary skills and developing the patience needed to work with the molten material of his craft.

“I enjoy seeing these young designers’ imaginative creatures come to life, and I like that it usually forces us as glassworkers out of our comfort zones in order to realize these designs in glass. And so that hopefully becomes a learning and growth experience for us makers as well,” he said.

Each child may submit up to four imaginary creatures for GLASSTASTIC 2025. Submissions are due Dec. 16, 2024. Guidelines and submission forms can be found at brattleboromuseum.org or picked up in person at BMAC.

“A gallery filled with wonderful, quirky, bizarre, hilarious creatures dreamt up by kids from Vermont and all around the world–what a joyful reprieve from the stresses of daily life,” said BMAC Director Danny Lichtenfeld. “Add in the extraordinary ingenuity and craftsmanship of the talented artists who ‘bring the creatures to life’, and you’ve got something really magical to behold.”

View selections from previous GLASSTASTIC exhibitions at brattleboromuseum.org.

Brattleboro Museum & Art Center

Founded in 1972, the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center presents rotating exhibits of contemporary art, complemented by lectures, artist talks, film screenings, and other public programs. BMAC is open Wednesday-Sunday, 10-4. Admission is “pay as you wish.” Located in historic Union Station in downtown Brattleboro, at the intersection of Main Street and Routes 119 and 142, the museum is wheelchair accessible. For more information and accessibility requests, visit brattleboromuseum.org, call 802-257-0124, or email office@brattleboromuseum.org.

BMAC is supported in part by the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support is provided by Brattleboro Savings & Loan, C&S Wholesale Grocers, and Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters.