Please excuse Josh Simpson if he momentarily sneaks away from the "The Art of Fire" festival at the Peabody Essex Museum next weekend. The world-renowned glass maker often hides small, glass spheres whenever he travels from his Shelburne studio, and he's likely to do the same somewhere in Salem on Saturday afternoon.
"Wherever I go, I usually hide planets," Simpson said of his hand-made orbs that depict imaginary worlds.
Early in Simpson's career — long before his glass Megaplanets were installed at such museums as the American Art Gallery and PEM — he decided, "I should just take the long view on this and hide my work so it will be found by archaeologists thousands of years from now."
Simpson will be the featured speaker at "The Art of Fire," a full weekend of demonstrations from New England glass artists, as well as drop-in art activities, performances and story times for children, all centered around glass making.
"The Art of Fire isn't just for adults; it's for people of all ages," said Kate Luchini, senior program specialist at PEM. "Visitors can learn about glass making, hear stories, listen to musical performances, play games and more."
"The Art of Fire" will open next Saturday when artists demonstrate how to melt rods of glass with small torches to create detailed pieces, according to PEM. After the glass is fired in a kiln, it will be finished with paint, etching and other techniques.
Activities will include Marble Madness, at which participants will try classic marble games, marble runs and cut glass puzzles; drop-in activities on kaleidoscopes and faux stained glass; a reading of "Star Seeker: A Journey to Outer Space"; and a performance from Vera Mayer, who plays the glass harmonica, an instrument invented by Benjamin Franklin.
Lee Woodburn and Kate Fowle Meleney, artists inspired by PEM's Indian and American decorative art collections, respectively, will give gallery talks.
On Saturday afternoon, Simpson will give a lecture, "Glass: A Fascinating (and Frustrating) Material," which he said will address how glass making techniques have changed very little in history.
"Glass has been actively worked for about 2,000 years," Simpson said. "During that time, some amazing, clever people have worked with this material, but with that there are still some amazing things that you can make."
Simpson said he will also talk about a current project: He's attempting to recreate a lost ninth-century Italian glass formula for chalchidonia from the island of Morano.
And he'll discuss his inspiration for his Planets, small and large, which developed from his love of nature and a fascination with space (his wife, Cady Coleman, is an astronaut).
Most likely, he'll find time to add to an international cache of mini-planets that number into the thousands, through a 30-year-old initiative called the Infinity Project, which he oversees with the help of friends and supporters who conceal his work around the world.
"It's a project to leave anonymous gifts for the future," Simpson said of the Infinity Project. "I try to bring fun into everything I do."
If you go
What: "The Art of Fire"
When: Nov. 14 and 15, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Peabody Essex Museum, 1 Museum Place, Salem
How much: Free with museum admission (some activities require reservations; call ahead).
Information: www.pem.org
