The National Glass Centre in Sunderland has announced its final exhibition, titled Conclusion, offering visitors a last chance to experience the venue before it closes permanently at the end of July. The free show, presented by the university's final MA glass and ceramics students, will run alongside the current exhibition The Graduates, which features works from 52 artists across the degree programme's 44-year history.
Conclusion Exhibition Details
Conclusion is described by the university as 'a major passing of the torch, celebrating the future of contemporary-making even as the physical chapter of this vital national institution draws to a close'. The glass and ceramics on display cover themes including identity, memory, and displacement. A spokesperson for the exhibition said: 'Exhibiting during the National Glass Centre's final week is a profoundly bittersweet privilege. Our work represents the culmination of intense research and physical mastery, developed within a space that has inspired some of the world's greatest glass artists.'
Closure Timeline and Reduced Hours
The centre will have reduced opening hours of 9am to 3pm for its last two days. The Graduates exhibition will close at 3pm on July 30, allowing artists to remove their work. Conclusion will end the following day, with the building closing for good at 3pm on July 31. The closure follows years of uncertainty, with the University of Sunderland, the building's owner, planning demolition due to structural damage. Campaign group Save the National Glass Centre continues to fight to keep it open.
Heritage Status and Campaign Efforts
Earlier this month, the building was added to Britain's Heritage buildings at risk register. The university previously stated that required repairs would cost between £14m and £45m. Despite the impending closure, campaigners remain hopeful that the building can be saved from demolition. The National Glass Centre has been described as a cornerstone of British studio glass and contemporary craft for nearly 30 years.
