If you’ve been weighing whether to add a piece of decorative glass to your art collection, the Paperweight Collectors Association (PCA) may have the event for you. PCA, one of the largest organizations dedicated to the collection and appreciation of glass paperweights, will bring its biennial convention to Toledo. This year’s event, “Midwest Weights-Their History and Charm” will be hosted at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, May 20-23.

“We chose to bring our convention to Toledo because of the city’s rich history as an epicenter for glass production. Our goal is to locate the event in a place where there is a very good collection, as the main attraction, but our members also like to go to places where there are other features to make an extended vacation of. Costs are always a high agenda, so hotels, etc. and adequate facilities enter into the equation. It is also necessary to obtain solid speakers to attract members, and that entails a lot of advance planning. We have speakers from other parts of the world frequently, who are experts on related paperweight topics,” said Dr. Edward Sheldon, regional director of convention publicity.

Founded in 1953 as a not-for-profit organization, PCA has hundreds members from all around the world. This year’s convention will offer a registered dealers fair, as well as educational sessions on the theme of Midwest glass, talks by experts in the field of glass paperweights and break-out luncheon sessions, which will provide an opportunity for smaller groups to interact intimately with artists as they discuss their latest work and trends in contemporary paperweight design and execution. Area residents are invited to visit the Dealer’s Fair Saturday afternoon from noon to 5 p.m. for a nominal $ 5.00 admission fee. Multiple free awards of paperweight gift/prizes will be drawn, with one prize being valued at $400.

“I’ve heard it said, that there are as many as 10,000 paperweight collectors worldwide, and our aim with this convention is bring as many of those people together as we can,” Sheldon said. “My wife and I have been collecting for about 25 years now. Being a member of the PCA, Inc. has afforded us the opportunity to get acquainted with many very accomplished artists and their work.”

The Crowne Plaza Hotel is located at 444 N. Summit Street. For more information, visit www.paperweight.org or call the hotel at (419) 241-1411.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 15th, 2009 at 12:00 am and is filed under Arts and Life, Exhibits.
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