A light pink Fenton Art Glass elephant emits a green glow in spots as Fenton Historian James Measell, left, shines a black light on it during the second day of the 48th Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America Convention Wednesday in Marietta, while Fenton glassmaker David Fetty, center, watches, and Fenton President George Fenton explains the glass figure may be glowing due to trace amounts of uranium from being made with the same equipment as a batch of Fenton uranium glass. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

MARIETTA — Glass collectors gathered in Marietta to admire Fenton Art Glass this week.

The Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America (FAGCA) Inc., who are based in Williamstown, hosted the first two days of its annual convention at the Marietta Shrine Club Tuesday and Wednesday.

According to its website, FAGCA is a nonprofit for people who are interested in Fenton Art Glass and it was founded in 1976 in Wisconsin.

The third day of the convention is today and it is in its 48th year, according to FAGCA Vice President and Convention Co-Chair Miriam Boyles, and its theme is Blast into the Future.

Boyles said the club is looking to the future, at where they were and where they are going.

Glass enthusiasts mingle with each other and admire the many pieces of Fenton Art Glass on display during the second day of the 2024 Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America Convention Wednesday. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

Fenton Art Glass was manufactured in the Mid-Ohio Valley for more than 100 years.

According to its website, Fenton Art Glass was founded in 1905 by brothers Frank and John Fenton in Martins Ferry, Ohio, and the company opened a factory in Williamstown that started producing glass pieces in 1907. The website said the factory stopped operating in 2011 and the final auction of its office supplies and glass working equipment was completed in 2017. Williamstown Elementary sits on the site of the former factory.

The website said glass is still being made with Fenton molds with the Fenton logo at another glass factory in Ohio and then are shipped to the Fenton Gift Shop where three designers make the limited edition and one-of-a-kind pieces. The gift shop is located at 2242 Williams Hwy, Williamstown, and is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

According to Boyles, the reason people love Fenton Art Glass so much is the variety in sizes, shapes and colors of the pieces and their prices.

“It runs through everything from clear, to milk glass, to colors only Fenton ever made,” she said.

A display of Fenton Art Glass pitchers glasses and other items is displayed on a table during the 48th Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America Convention Wednesday in Marietta. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

She gave an example, saying Fenton made about 50 shades of blue for example.

According to Boyles, the most common pieces of Fenton Art Glass cost around $10-$15 and the more rare pieces can run in the five figures.

“Even the poorest person can afford (the common pieces) … the variety is so great and I think that is what draws collectors,” she said.

Those at the convention had a chance to see some of the variety of Fenton Art Glass.

There were tables displaying Fenton pieces including plates, animal figurines, bowls, drinking glasses, picture frames, clocks, vases, pitchers, decorative objects and more that ranged in color from clear and white, to pale green, deep red, various shades of yellow, blue, green, and orange and even some with painted designs.

Fenton Art Glass comes in several colors and prints, including the shade of green on the elephant pictured at the Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America Convention Wednesday morning. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

According to FAGCA member Peggy Whiteneck most of the tables were from individual members’ collections but there was also a group table.

Whiteneck, who is from Vermont, is a collector of Fenton Art Glass and has been doing so for 20 years.

“My parents got me into collecting, ” she said.

“I just like the variety of glass that Fenton did and the artistic nature of the painted glass and the shapes of glass, the total variety,” Whiteneck said. ” It’s spectacular. I love it.”

Convention attendees had a chance to buy some of the famous variety of Fenton pieces. There was a consignment auction that was open to the public at 6 p.m. Tuesday and it had 200 lots, according to the FAGCA website.

Fenton Art Glass made many glass items at its Williamstown factory from 1907-2011, some of which were hand painted like the Fenton art glass animals pictured at the Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America Convention Wednesday morning. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

According to Boyles, there were 10 to 15 lots in the consignment auction where the proceeds went to the group’s effort to start a Fenton Art Glass museum. She said the proceeds made from the convention itself go to supporting FAGCA.

FAGCA purchased a former Williamstown church last year to serve as the location of the museum near its office.

According to its website, the first day of the convention included events such as a seminar, Painting with CC Hardam and other Fenton artists, a museum merchandise sale fundraiser, an exclusive glass sale for FAGCA members and more.

The second day included events such as a review of the display tables, a seminar 50 Years of Stretch Glass with Cal Hackerman, a former Fenton artist roundtable discussion and an ice cream and pie social.

One of the events Wednesday was the glass identification seminar during which collectors could have an item from the glass collection reviewed by Fenton Art Glass President George Fenton, Fenton Historian James Measell and Fenton glassmaker David Fetty and learn about the history of the item, whether it was made by Fenton or another glass maker.

One glass piece looked at during the glass identification was a small light pink elephant. Fenton, Measell and Fetty shined a black light on the item and it glowed green. Fenton guessed that the item was made in equipment that had also been used for a batch of glass that uses uranium. The Fenton Art Glass website said glass colors – like yellow or green – containing uranium will fluoresce under black light.There was also a blue candlestick with a dolphin on it that Measell said was probably from the late 1890s and other items.

Today will feature several activities set for the last day of the convention, including two seminars, one from 8:30-10:30 a.m., with Fetty and his Coworkers Round Table Discussion, and one from 10:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m., on the Harry Rosenthal Legacy.

There will also be a lunch at 11:45 a.m., the annual FAGCA meeting at 12:45 p.m., a banquet at 5:30 p.m. and a banquet auction open only to FAGCA members at 7 p.m.

Whiteneck said that FAGCA is working on getting younger people to join the group and members can come from any state. Anyone interested in joining FAGCA can visit https://www.fagcainc.com/joinus.html to lear more.

Michelle Dillon can be reached at mdillon@newsandsentinel.com