March 11, 2020
Our day began with a trip to a glass-blowing studio called The Little Tomato. Located in a small complex of art studios among which there are many metal-workers, photographers, and other glass artists, this studio is used by two glassblowers and their assistant who often collaborated with other artists in the area. We saw examples of lamps made with both metal and glass that were only possible to create due to the two studios’ close proximity. Here, they create all their pieces without molds with the exception of surface texture, which can be created using brass cups with patterns layered on the inside. An artist named Roger demonstrated how these could be used to create cups reminiscent of the Roman styles with a sort of pineapple texture on the surface. Next, we visited another studio in the same complex called “OnGrade Studio” where we met an artist named Nathan Sandberg who taught us about the technique he developed to create special layered canes of glass using a kiln and a ceramic flower pot with a 1-inch hole drilled in the bottom. We had the opportunity to pull glass from the kiln using a pair of pliers in order to make long rods covered in beautiful color. Upstairs in his studio, he showed us some of the pieces he planned to sell and take to classes around the world in order to teach novice glass-blowers how to craft pieces using his unique style. For lunch, we visited the Pine Street Market, an eatery in a historic building in which many different businesses are located. There we had many food options, as there was a multitude of different types of food to choose from. After we finished our lunch, we visited a soft-serve dessert bar called Salt & Straw where we met the manager Lucy Jones, Class of 2007.
Our last portion of the day started by travelling to a house filled with art and glass owned by Dan Schwoerer, one of the three founders and president of Bullseye Glass. He was a student of Harvey Littleton, who is considered the grandfather of the Art-Glass movement in America. Mr. Schwoerer’s house is filled with a big variety and quantity of glass art. We recognized the different techniques that we have learned so far on this trip. The artworks included Frit, Fusing, Casting, Torch-work, and Furnace-made glass. It was very inspirational to see all of these beautiful pieces all over the house, and it was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Everywhere you looked, you saw art or some form of it. One of the most popular pieces in this house is the table in the dining room. This was the focal point of the dining room and showed just how beautiful a simple dining room table can actually be. This piece was called the Confluence Dining Table made by the Bullseye Factory. The Confluence Dining Table incorporates wood, glass, and metal and it was split down the middle to show one side being wood and the other side being glass. Our tour of the collection was icing on the cake for our deep dig into the world of modern glass techniques and artistry.
Click here to view all of the 2020 ECS blogs.
