Summer 2024 Mary was invited to be a Visiting Artist for the two week Glass Safari 2024, hosted by Tswana University of Technology, TUT, Glass Area, Pretoria, South Africa, Ngwenya Glass, Eswatini and Kitengilia Glass, Kenya. Ngwenya Glass is a 50+ person glass factory melting clear bottles powered by cooking oil and solar.
https://shop.ngwenyaglass.co.sz/about
Kitengela Glass, Kenya
Several months after the first 2024 Glass Safari, a new organization was formed, MOYA, https://moyaglass.africa/.
Their mission
We strive to build a thriving Pan-African glass art community by connecting artists, collectors, and enthusiasts while promoting education, sustainability, and resource sharing. Through youth development and international collaborations, we aim to position Africa as a leading glass art destination, upholding UNESCO standards and securing support for the growth of the network.
Summer 2025 West Coast USA Glass Residency for two TUT glass artists
Mary and Katrina Hude, another Glass Safari Visiting Artist, co-organized and fundraised for the first West Coast Glass/Southern African Glass Residency. TUT alumni Thato Kokwana and TUT graduate student Kgmotso Neo Mtsweni were selected. They spent 10 days with Mary, exploring and presenting at Bay Area glass venues including San Jose State University Glass, Public Glass and Bay Area Art Glass Studio and 10 private studios. They spent 10 days with Katrina in the North West, blowing glass in Katrina’s Whidbey Island studio and visiting local studios.