2005 is the 100th anniversary of Fenton Art Glass - Make 2005 YOUR YEAR to visit Fenton!

Rated in USA Today as one of the TOP 10 tours in America, there is nothing like the Fenton Factory Tour. Watch raw materials become molten glass which is shaped by artisans in the age-old tradition. Furnaces glow, sparks fly, and from heat, noise and motion emerge works of art to captivate and delight.

The crafting experience showcases the talent of skilled artisans painstakingly handcrafting each piece, and ends in the Gift Shop where an artist handpaints glassware to customer specifications, while the Fenton Museum highlights glassware from 1880 to the present.

But there is so much more – special Centennial Events designed to make your visit a truly "once in a lifetime experience" – decorate your own Fenton Christmas ornament, observe firsthand the talents of skilled craftsmen Dave Fetty and Jim Ralston as they create special Fenton Centennial pieces...visit www.fentoncentennial.com for all the information you need to plan your Fenton Factory Experience.

For all of your Fenton needs shop online with an authorized Fenton dealer today, or click here to find a dealer near you.

Fenton Art Glass Company... handcrafted in America for 100 years...beckons...Step Right Up and Win a Prize!

With Fenton, you’re a winner every time! Carnival glass received its name because it was used as prizes at carnivals and manufacturers could still make it cheaply enough for this purpose. Rich with vivid iridescent hues, much like the look of oil on water, Carnival glass, an iridescent ware, is highly patterned pressed glass, prized by collectors and glass enthusiasts. For more than two decades Fenton letterhead proudly carried the phrase, "Originators of Iridescent Ware", known today as Carnival glass.

To see more Carnival Glass selections...

For all of your Fenton needs shop online with an authorized Fenton dealer today, or click here to find a dealer near you.

Fenton Art Glass, handcrafted in America for 100 years, suggests...Enjoy THREE Fabulous Hours of FENTON!

Mark your calendar, and plan to join George Fenton for some exciting Fenton moments. Two days, two shows, what fun!

Monday, June 20 10:00pm to midnight ET
Tuesday, June 21 5:00am to 6:00am ET

Celebrate 100 years of Fenton Art Glass and treat yourself to that special piece!

For a PREVIEW of the shows...

Remember, you can shop for Fenton exclusives on QVC ANYTIME by visiting www.qvc.com

For all of your Fenton needs shop online with an authorized Fenton dealer today, or click here to find a dealer near you.

Fenton Art Glass Company... handcrafted in America for a century, presents...An invitation to a Stargazer Butterfly on French Opalescent Wedding

Its wedding season - a handcrafted piece of Fenton is a thoughtful wedding gift. What a wonderful way to start a new life together and begin a Fenton collecting tradition! Celebrate with a Fenton moment to commemorate all the important milestones in life.

Enjoy entertaining with Fenton. A Fenton slipper filled with candy is the perfect shower gift or wedding favor! Don’t keep your collection in the curio cabinet, use it and enjoy it everyday or just for special occasions...share your Fenton with friends and family.

To see more of the Stargazer Butterfly on French Opalescent glass available from Fenton...

For all of your Fenton needs shop online with an authorized Fenton dealer today, or click here to find a dealer near you.

Sculptor turns plaster and clay into art for century-old business

by DEBBIE SCHWARZ SIMPSON
The Register-Herald Newspaper, Beckly, WV

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS - As the sculptor at the Fenton Art Glass Co., Suzi Whitaker is on the ground level of the century old business based in Williamstown.

"I create the shapes," maintains Whitaker, a native of Wellsburg. "It all starts here," she adds.

"I come up with the mold," Whitaker explains.

Whitaker is adept at sculpting with both plaster and clay.

"I love to work with the clay," she notes. "With the plaster, I'm carving with a knife and other sharp tools. With clay I can change the mold with a brush of the finger," she says.

"Clay is the basis for Fenton's new molds," continues Whitaker.

Whitaker gives a quick answer when queried about her favorite mold for Fenton.

"It was a mold that was lost in the 1940s," she says of "Dancing Ladies."

"I followed the design as closely as possible from old pieces of glass that were in the museum," said Whitaker, in discussing her adaptation of Frank L. Fenton's original motif for a new covered urn.

The mold was done in three phases, Whitaker said.

"I used plaster for the lid and base and did the ladies in clay," she explained.

The finished product is done in Favrene, an innovative Fenton color unveiled three decades ago. Dancing Ladies boasts the signatures of 10 members of the Fenton family.

Whitaker, a relative newcomer, to the Fenton family, joined the art glass company in 2003.

According to the sculptor, she was drawn to the family-owned business via a segment she saw on QVC which featured the Fenton Art Glass Co.

"I saw a (Fenton) sculptor. I liked the way the artist and his pieces were portrayed," said Whitaker.

Whitaker's flair as an artist came at an early age.

"I began doing oil paintings in grade school," she recalls.

After studying fine arts at West Virginia University, Whitaker went on to the Art Institute in Pittsburgh. She graduated from the prestigious art school in 1982. Whitaker's professional career took numerous paths before she joined Fenton.

Putting her expertise in graphics and design to good use, Whitaker has done freelance work for several advertising agencies and book publishing companies as well as for major department stores.

Prior to coming to Fenton, she was a designer and head sculptor for a giftware manufacturer in Pittsburgh. She and her husband, Bill, a mining engineer, reside in Glendale.

West Virginia brands come together in Greenbrier County

by DEBBIE SCHWARZ SIMPSON
The Register-Herald Newspaper, Beckly, WV

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS - Fenton Portfolio for The Greenbrier has opened its doors on Alabama Row at the world-famed resort.

Fenton is the 34th specialty shop at The Greenbrier, according to Steve Baldwin, the resort's director of retail operations.

"We're extremely happy to be able to share in the excitement of Fenton's 100th year," said Baldwin. "Any time we can partner with a West Virginia company, it is good for both of us," he stressed.

"It's two West Virginia 'brands' coming together," notes Nancy G. Fenton, design director for the Fenton Art Glass Co. based in Williamstown.

"Both have long histories and value artistry," she said in comparing Fenton and The Greenbrier.

Fenton Portfolio for The Greenbrier is located just a stone's throw from the President's Cottage Museum, which houses the resort's long and storied history.

"We are carrying some of everything," points out Fenton. She said the resort shop also will showcase exclusive pieces.

"We do more colors and more unique colors than any other glass factory," maintains Fenton. "We try to stay up on the color trends."

Fenton stressed that the family-owned business has attempted to save the art glass heritage. She explains Fenton's unique method of creating glass colors from pure gold and silver is the same as it was a century ago.

The diversity of the art glass which is turned out at the company's factory in Wood County is evident at the Fenton shop at the resort.

"They have a satin finish and are hand-painted," says Fenton of the blackart glass showcased in a white cupboard. "They are part of our regular 2005 line," she added.

A square vase in shimmering Marigold iridescence rests on a lighted column filled with crystal and amber glass and is part of the Generations Collection for the Centennial Year while another cabinet brims with cameo glass signed by Richard Delaney of Vienna and with one-of-a-kind blown glass created by Dave Fetty of Williamstown.

"We have a number of whimsical pieces," says Sonja Cole, manager of Fenton Portfolio for The Greenbrier.

She singles out the figurines, bells and trinket boxes which are right at home among the vases, baskets and rose bowls which are best sellers.

Exclusive to the resort is a designer hat in pink and green with a rhododendron design, notes Cole, a native of White Sulphur Springs.

"Each handpainted piece is signed by the artist. It has its own decorative touch that identifies it with the artist," Cole added.

Cole says that signings of the art glass at Fenton Portfolio for The Greenbrier already have been scheduled for July and October.

"A member of the Fenton family will be here to do the signings," she said.

According to Nancy Fenton, the Fenton Art Glass Co., a household name worldwide in the art glass industry has from 130-140 retail outlets in West Virginia as well as in numerous state parks.

For more information, call 800-933-6766 or visit www.fentonartglass.com.

Fenton Chocolate Glass Logo, the eighth eBay exclusive, is available for both bid and "Buy it Now"

Rich Chocolate glass ranges in color from a deep mocha to a milky cocoa shade and no two pieces are ever exactly alike. Chocolate glass is a collector favorite, specially reissued to celebrate our 100th anniversary. The 3 1/4” square Fenton Logo is crafted in heat-sensitive Chocolate glass; this results in swirls and striations of color throughout each piece. The Fenton Chocolate glass Logo is individually numbered, limited to just 300 pieces, and created especially for eBay.

Beginning Wednesday, June 15th, collectors have the opportunity to bid on pieces numbered 1 through 5. Then, the eBay community will have the opportunity to purchase pieces numbered 6 through 300 with the eBay "Buy It Now" option. To bid now, click here.

To see more of the Chocolate glass available from Fenton...

For all of your Fenton needs shop online with an authorized Fenton dealer today, or click here to find a dealer near you.

Celebrate, commemorate and recognize that special date!

Fenton Art Glass is known for color and distinctive style and we offer a wide variety of beautiful customized gifts, incentives, awards and collectibles at nearly every price point!

Wave the red, white and blue along with your organization's logo, creating a unique personalized gift, commemorative item, fundraiser piece or customized awards for your organization.

The American Flag is recreated on crystal art glass embellished by the painting and carving of the stars and stripes. The result is an exquisite artistic gift. Adding your sand carved logo to the surface creates a customized keepsake that will be displayed with pride.

To review the exciting array of Special Order options available...

For more information regarding these Patriotic paperweights and other Fenton Art Glass Paperweights, click here.

Fenton Art Glass opens kiosk in Polaris Fashion Place, Columbus, Ohio!

Williamstown, WV -- Fenton Art Glass, the largest manufacturer of handmade colored glass in the United States, is celebrating its 100th anniversary now through August 2005, and continues the celebration with the opening of a Fenton Art Glass kiosk in the Polaris Fashion Place in Columbus, Ohio.

The opening of the kiosk in Polaris Fashion Place was driven by the desire to share the Fenton “experience” with a broader audience who may not be familiar with the century-old, family-owned glass company. Shoppers will have an opportunity to touch and feel the glassware and see the rainbow of glass colors that Fenton is known for. Various events are planned after the kiosk opens, including artist and decorating demonstrations, glass identification seminars and glass history talks, as well as the chance to “make, bake, and take” a Fenton Christmas ornament.

The kiosk is open 7 days a week. For mall hours, click here. For a map and directions, click here.

Creating spectacular art glass for a century, Fenton Art Glass Company represents American handcrafted glass artistry. Located in Williamstown, WV, Fenton is known for its wide range of colors, handpainting and handcrafting. Three generations of Fenton family members remain active in the business and are proud to continue an American glassmaking tradition begun in 1905. For more information, call 800-933-6766 or visit www.fentonartglass.com.

Fenton Announces Contest Winners

Free Trip to Fenton
Winner: Tricia D. from California
Registered for trip at Main Street Antiques
Jamestown, CA

Tricia and her sister, Peggy, will be attending the 5-day Centennial Celebration courtesy of Fenton Art Glass. Trip includes airfare, hotel, car, glassmaking experience, riverboat cruise with the Fenton family and much more. Congratulations, Tricia, and we look forward to seeing you and Peggy in July at the Fenton factory!

Lamp Sweepstakes
Winner: Alvin C. from Mississippi
Auction winner from The Little Country Shoppe
Wiggins, MS

Alvin was the highest bidder of a one of a kind Fenton piece at an auction held at The Little Country Shoppe during Dealer Centennial Weekend. Alvin's winning bid entitled him to enter Fenton's National Lamp Sweepstakes for a one of a kind Burmese student lamp standing 21.5" tall. Congratulations, Alvin, and enjoy your beautiful new Fenton lamp!

Both winners were selected from entries collected around the country during the 3-day Dealer Centennial Weekend celebration held April 29-May 1.

Fenton Art Glass Company Presents...Art Glass Slag Christmas Trees, Begin a Collecting Tradition

(Williamstown, WV). These desirable Green Slag Trees revive an early art glass treatment, as swirls of color blend with pure white Milk Glass. Handcrafted in crisp shades of green and white, each Slag Tree is a unique, handcrafted work of art.

"Slag glass" is a collectors' term for opaque pressed glass with colored swirls, usually white and a dark color. The name derives from the belief that these colors were achieved by adding
"slag" from iron smelting works to the glass. When they were produced, these items were called by names such as "Marble glass" or "Brown malachite."

Slag glass is commonly found in purple, but is less common in blue, brown, or green. In the 1880s and 1890s a large amount of this kind of glass was made; it is still popular today.

Item 5556 S4 4" Green Slag Tree retails for $25.00
Item 5563 S4 7" Green Slag Tree retails for $39.50
Item 5535 S4 6-1/2" Green Slag Tree retails for $35.00

Creating spectacular art glass for a century, Fenton Art Glass Company represents American handcrafted glass artistry. Located in Williamstown, WV, Fenton is known for its wide range of colors, handpainting and handcrafting. Three generations of Fenton family members remain active in the business and are proud to continue an American glassmaking tradition begun in 1905. For more information, call 800-933-6766 or visit www.fentonartglass.com.