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An American born artist dedicated to developing new techniques of glass working, Joshua Hershman combines optical physics with the fluidity of glass to make his contemporary sculpture. By harnessing light though hand-polished lenses, he employs unique methods of casting, coldworking, and photography in his boundary pushing work. Hershman states: “My work offers meditations on the complexities within the concept of photography and the repercussions of the camera's impact on culture. The incredibly creative and destructive nature of photography is both inspiring and alarming to me. It has helped bring our global society closer together but also driven us desperately apart. It can teach us or deceive us, show us the furthest reaches of space, or the closest representations of matter itself. It is these contrasting realities that exist within photography, which inspire my works of contemporary art.” Being born with no peripheral vision or depth perception, decades of vision therapy led Hershman to his lifelong fascination with the complex nature of the visual system and the science of light and optics. By using cameras themselves as frames for his experimental photographic processes, he asks us to look more closely into the simple act of taking a photograph. His work focuses on the significance that film and photography have played on the development of contemporary global culture. More recently Hershman's work has focused on the torus — the most common shape found in galaxy formations and human cellular biology. His series, Messier Objects, was named after the French astronomer Charles Messier, who famously catalogued anomalous objects that confused his search for comets in the night sky. Originally from Colorado, Hershman was born in 1981 and first began working with glass at the age of 17. In 2004, he graduated from the Craft and Design Program at Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada. In 2008, he went on to earn a BFA with Distinction from the California College of the Arts in Oakland, California. Most recently, he completed the Master's program at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in Sculptural/Dimensional Studies. In 2009, Hershman had his first solo exhibition at Pismo Glass in Denver and went on to participate in many group exhibitions and art fairs including Sofa Chicago, the Armory Show, Art Hamptons, SF Art Market, the Habatat Invitational, and many others. He loves to teach and has led workshops and lectures at California College of the Arts, Public Glass in San Francisco, Pittsburgh Glass Center, and at D&L Glass Supply in Denver. Hershman has received numerous awards, was included in the Bullseye Emerge international glass competition, Young Glass 2017, and can be found in numerous private collections. His work is included in the permanent collection of the Ebeltoft Museum in Denmark, The National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia, and Museum of Glass, Tacoma (MOG). In fact, MOG exhibited Hershman's sculpture in the nation's first LGBTQ+ glass exhibition titled Transparency. He has been invited to participate in several artist-in-residence programs including North Lands Creative Glass in Scotland, D&L Art Glass in Colorado, the Appalachian Center for Craft in Tennessee, and most recently completed a semester-long residency at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. The artist worked for Berengo studio in Murano, Italy, where he made work for the world's leading contemporary artists. Living and operating a private studio in Los Angeles, California, Hershman makes his personal work and also operates the Glass Foundry, which provides casting and coldworking services to other artists. Additionally, he is employed at Judson Studios, where he's currently working on a large-scale architectural glass project for James Jean. “Casting glass was something I could do in isolation in my studio which was a huge advantage during the pandemic. Without the need for a furnace or lots of facilities, this process allowed me to make a highly challenging sculpture without the need for a team of assistants or expensive equipment. I think what draws me most to lost wax casting is the constant challenge and problem solving that is required to get a high-quality casting.”
At the heart of Dylan Martinez's work lies the striking H2O/SiO2 series, inspired by the artistic tradition of Trompe L'œil—the technique that deceives the eye into perceiving three-dimensional objects on a flat surface. Each sculpture is meticulously hot-sculpted and hand-molded by Martinez, capturing the fluid movement of rising bubbles and the delicate form of what appears, at first glance, to be bags of water. These pieces transcend objecthood; they are immersive experiences that invite stillness, inspection, and recalibration of the senses. Martinez reflects, “Our vision has the greatest effect on our understanding of the world. Through my artwork, I create scenarios where viewers must question their ability to navigate between reality and illusion.” Blending classical craftsmanship with contemporary conceptual inquiry, Martinez uses glass as both material and metaphor. His work explores how perception constructs truth—how desire and expectation often override what is actually seen. In his latest series, Martinez introduces vibrant color for the first time in years, signaling a shift influenced by pop art. Sculpted forms inspired by Pac-Man ghosts and hyperrealistic water balloons appear light, buoyant, and playful, yet reveal an intense precision beneath their surface charm. Also central to this new body of work is a group of hard-edged, geometric sculptures rooted in optical art. These pieces employ sharp lines, layered transparency, and refraction to produce illusions of shifting depth, bending geometry, and visual vibration. As viewers move around them, the forms seem to flicker, realign, or dissolve—forcing perception into motion. These optical works expand Martinez's inquiry into the unstable boundary between what is there and what is seen. Born in Stillwater, Minnesota, Martinez earned his degree in science from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls in 2008. It was during his junior year, upon visiting the university's glassblowing studio, that he discovered a profound connection to glass—drawn to how the material responded to physical forces he had studied in physics, chemistry, and geology. He recalls, “I tried it out, and it really resonated with me—in the way you move the material and how it reacts to heat and physical forces.” He later earned his MFA from Ball State University in 2017. Martinez honed his craft through an apprenticeship with Sam Stang at Augusta Glass Studio (2010–2012), evolving from functional glassware and vases into sculptural and installation-based work. He currently lives and works in his studio in Bingen, Washington. Martinez's work has earned global acclaim, appearing in public and private collections worldwide. International publications such as Elle Decoration (UK, NL, Germany), American Craft Magazine, Interior Design Magazine, and Aesthetica have celebrated his contributions to contemporary glass. His accolades include the Enrico Bersellini Award (Miano Vetro, Milan, 2018), the Stanislav Libensky Award (Prague, 2017), full scholarships to Pilchuck Glass School and Pittsburgh Glass Center (2017), and numerous Best in Show and Juror Awards. In 2021, he received Best in Show, OP ART/Glass, from the Imagine Museum in St. Petersburg, FL. In 2025, Martinez's work will be featured in More Than Meets the Eye at Belger Arts, Kansas City, MO (June 6 – September 6), as well as in a solo exhibition titled, Glass Reimagined, at Square One Gallery, St. Louis, MO (June 6 – August 1). Through a fusion of light, form, and material truth, Martinez's sculptures prompt a quiet confrontation with the limits of perception. As he states of his waterbag series, “The trapped movement of rising bubbles and the gesture of the forms convince the eye that the sculptures are exactly as they appear. What fascinates me is how our desires often override our true perception, leading us to believe what we see as the absolute truth.”
Combining technical skill with a strong aesthetic, flameworking pioneer Sally Prasch is known for her work that places other-worldly figures in glowing globes filled with rare gasses. She has also constructed portraits from broken shards of glass and is well known for her goblets made with coiled stems that allow them to bounce when handled. Her latest work incorporates cast bronze with glass. But perhaps Prasch's greatest fulfillment has come from teaching. She has taught flameworking workshops at UrbanGlass, Brooklyn; the famous Niijima Glass School, Japan; Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA; Penland School of Craft, Penland, NC; Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pittsburgh, PA; Grove Gas & Light Co, University of CA, San Diego, CA; Ingalena Klenell's Studio, Sweden, and many more. States Prasch: “Teaching has always been a part of my life. My parents were teachers, and both my brother and sister have also been teachers. Lloyd Moore, my first teacher, found it very important not to have any secrets but to share your knowledge with others – share your love of glass and making things. He taught thousands of people, and I continue in his tradition. Lloyd started me teaching at age 15. It was scary for me to teach adults, but made me practice things over and over again. We started people on soft glass tubing and then worked them up to borosilicate.” Prasch began her career at age 13 with Moore working as a part-time apprentice at the University of Nebraska and then worked as a glassblowing instructor for the City of Lincoln Recreation Department. Later on, she took workshops from some of the best glassblowers of the time including William Bernstein, Ray Schultz, and Lino Tagliapietra. She attended the University of Kansas from 1977 to 1980 and received a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Art in Glass and Ceramics. After college, Prasch started her glass art business that is still active today. She soon began to receive recognition for her artistic work and was selected for the Corning Museum of Glass' New Glass Review in 1993. The artist has been attending Glass Art Society (GAS) Conferences since 1978 and continues to participate by giving demonstrations and lec-moes, serving on the GAS Advisory Board and working with the organization's History Committee. In 1985, Prasch received her Certificate in Scientific Glass Technology from Salem Community College (SCC), Carneys Point, New Jersey. Soon afterwards, she obtained a position with AT&T doing large quartz work for the semiconductor industry. Continuing with her studies, Prasch earned her degree in Applied Science from SCC in 1986. Later that year she got a job as a scientific glassblower and glass instructor at the University of Massachusetts. She has worked as a scientific glassblower at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass Amherst), Syracuse University, and the University of Vermont, Burlington. Currently, Prasch is the scientific glassblower and also teaches Scientific Glassblowing and the Properties of Glass to graduate students in Chemistry, Art and Physics at University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is a member of the American Scientific Glassblowers Society (ASGS) and the director of the Northeast section. Her ASGS experience includes participating in seminars on such subjects like vacuum technology, quartz technology, and glass sealing. She has instructed a neon class with David Wilson, presented a paper on her work with the discovery of the gravitational wave, and co-chaired symposiums. In 2025, Prasch will exhibit her work in Glass Lifeforms at the Pittsburgh Glass Center, opening February 7 and running through April 20. Her work will also be on view in Glasstastic at the Brattleboro Art Museum, Brattleboro, VT, March 22 through November 1. The artist will teach at the Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pittsburgh, PA, from July 28 – August 1. After curating the annual glass exhibit at Leverett Crafts and Arts in Leverett, MA for the month of November, Prasch will have a one-week fall residency with George Kennard at SCC, as well as a residency at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. In 2026, the Herter main gallery at UMass Amherst will host a solo exhibit of Prasch's work from January 29 through May 8. The opening will take place Friday, April 24, 2026, from 5 to 7 p.m. with an artist talk from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Her work will also be on display at the Science Library and at the Durfee Conservatory at UMass during the show. As Prasch develops new work, including pieces for Laura Donefer's 2026 Glass Fashion Show to be held at GAS, she continues to teach and fabricate scientific glassware at UMass. She says: “I have taught on average 25 students a month for my entire career, only taking a break during the pandemic. Obviously, teaching is a part of me, and I gain so much. It is not about teaching, not about glass, not about notoriety, not about pay – it is about the energy between people. It is about trust.” UPCOMING EVENT LINKS Spring and Fall semester classes and weekend workshops at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst https://www.umass.edu/natural-sciences/research/scientific-glassblowing-laboratory February 7 – April 20, 2025 – Glass Lifeforms Exhibit, Pittsburgh Glass Center https://www.pittsburghglasscenter.org/event/exhibition-lifeforms/ March 22 – November 1, 2025 – Glasstastic, Brattleboro Art Museum, Brattleboro VT https://www.brattleboromuseum.org/2024/09/06/glasstastic-2025/ March 21 – 23, 2025 – International Flameworking Conference, Salem Community College, Carneys Point, NJ https://www.salemcc.edu/glass/international-flameworking-conference April 5, 2025 – Northeast American Scientific Glassblowers Section Meeting, Cornell University https://northeast.asgs-glass.org/ May 14 – 17, 2025 –Glass Art Society Conference https://www.glassart.org/conference/texas-2025/ July 28 – August 1, 2025 – Teaching at the Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pittsburgh PA https://canvas.pittsburghglasscenter.org/classes/1632 Fall, 2025 – one week residency with George Kennard at Salem Community College, Carneys Point, NJ https://www.salemcc.edu/glass Fall, 2025 – one week residency at the University of Massachusetts https://www.umass.edu/natural-sciences/research/scientific-glassblowing-laboratory January 29 – May 8, 2026 – Exhibit at the Herter Gallery, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Opening April 24, 5 – 7 p.m. with artist talk 6:00 – 6:30pm https://www.umass.edu/herterartgallery/herter-art-gallery January 29 – May 8, 2026 Exhibit at the Science and Engineering Library and the Durfee Conservatory https://www.library.umass.edu/sel/ https://www.umass.edu/natural-sciences/research/greenhouses/durfee-conservatory
Amtrak is offering a new way for Pittsburghers to get out of town, our local zoo re-upped an important accreditation, and a bunch of Pittsburgh sports are ramping up! Plus, we're talking about the most recent Presidential candidate visits and ways to support our local Haitian community. We always cite our sources: Amtrak has a new temporary line that'll connect Pittsburgh to Miami and Chicago. The Pittsburgh Zoo got an accreditation from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. The Trump campaign has put Charleroi in the spotlight. City council members are wary about Mayor Gainey's commitment to spend $1 million of taxpayer money on the 2026 NFL Draft. The Oakmont Country Club's ready to host the 2025 U.S. Open. Pennsylvania officially sanctioned girls' flag football as a high school sport. Our city's welcoming a new women's soccer team, the Pittsburgh Riveters! Pitt's women's volleyball team is having a great season; they're currently undefeated and ranked No. 1. Pirates fans are side-eyeing owner Bob Nutting after he cut two players from the team, saving himself at least $200k. Pittsburgh City Council approved a $500,000 payment to the victims who were injured in the Fern Hollow bridge collapse. The U.S. Steel sale is one step closer to being finalized. Need to catch up on the steel deal? We've talked about it on previous shows. The Pittsburgh Glass Center finished its $15 million refresh and expansion. Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm. Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We're also on Instagram @CityCastPgh! Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The inspiration for Jonathan Capp's art comes from the experiences that shape his life. Whether hiking the Appalachian Trail, coaching Little League Baseball, becoming an archaeological illustrator halfway around the world, or competing on Blown Away, he channels those experiences into ideas and fully embraces life as a part of his art. Capps states: “I welcome new ideas and innovations in the studio, bringing fun, energy, and an inspiring enthusiasm into the hot shop.” Raised in Knoxville, TN, Capps spent much of his youth outdoors, camping, hiking, and playing baseball. After moving to Kentucky in 2001, he developed a passion for glassblowing during undergraduate school at Centre College in Danville, KY, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2005. For the following decade, he worked as a freelance glassblower, artist, and designer, traveling extensively to learn, teach, and pursue the mastery of his craft. During this time, he received several residencies and scholarships, including Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, The Pittsburgh Glass Center, Corning Museum of Glass, Penland School of Crafts, and an International Artist Residency at Lasikompannia in Nuutajärvi, Finland. After “thru-hiking” the Appalachian Trail in 2013, Capps attended graduate school at Ohio State University and, in 2016, earned a Master of Fine Arts degree. He received several awards and scholarships, most notably a travel grant and fellowship as an archaeological illustrator in the remote Oğlanqala region of the Autonomous Republic of Naxçivan, Azerbaijan. In 2018 and 2019, Capps was awarded a U.S. Fulbright Arts Grant to research Finnish glass and design for a year in Finland. In 2020, he was chosen to serve as an Alumni Ambassador to the U.S. Student Fulbright Program; today, he continues to engage in outreach and recruitment for the Fulbright Program and Finland's National Fulbright Foundation. His work is held in the permanent collection of the Finnish Glass Museum and the Prykäri Glass Museum in addition to private collections. Capps has taught and exhibited extensively in the United States and Internationally. Throughout his career, he has worked with many glass artists and master craftspeople, developing a diverse practice that fluently moves between traditional techniques and experimental methods, pushing the boundaries and seeking new applications of the glass medium. He says: “My studio practice is rooted in the multicultural traditions of the glass craft; significantly, the physical nature of glass blowing requires reliance on others to create art successfully. For me, learning and then mastering a variety of glass techniques is where the culture behind the craft comes alive. “My work in the visual arts is rooted in the hot glass studio. My research has developed, over time, into a global practice of interdisciplinary collaboration, social engagement, and cultural exchange. I have learned that there is something in my use of the glassmaking tradition that goes beyond form and function, and enters into the realm of experience, relationships, and communication.” Most recently, Capps competed in Season 4 of the hit Netflix series Blown Away. On Saturday, May 18 at the Glass Art Society convention in Berlin, Germany, Capps will demonstrate at Berlin Glassworks from 10 a.m. to 12 – an opportunity he won on the show. From June 10 – 14, he will teach a summer intensive at the Pittsburgh Glass Center, Lifting the Veil, and present a free lecture on June 11. He will also be the featured guest artist for this year's Gay Fad Studio's Festival hosted at the Ohio Glass Museum. https://www.gayfadstudios.com
Said Blown Away Season 4 winner, Morgan Peterson, “I'm not just the creepy weirdo lurking in the background anymore. I'm right up front.” As champion of Netflix's 2024 glassblowing competition series, the Seattle-based artist received a whopping cash prize of $100,000, a paid residency in Venice, Italy, with glass legend Adriano Berengo, and a residency at the world-renowned Corning Museum of Glass. Growing up in Boston, MA, Peterson's watched horror films and Unsolved Mysteries with her Godmother, introducing her to the unnerving and creepy style so associated with her unique work that uses metaphor and imagery to address themes of pop culture and addiction. On Blown Away 4, from her initial bathtub-toaster combo titled Best Friends to a knife thrower's impeccably made knives, black and white targets, and puddles of blood to her unforgettable monster mushroom, dark humor and twisted style set Peterson's work apart- not just from other artists on the show, but from other artists making work in glass today. Her final gallery, 6 Crime Scenes, included 80 glass objects and was described by guest evaluator Berengo as “fresh, new, and very contemporary.” The crime scene installation was based on six murders that occurred in Chicago during the 1920s and inspired by the artist's obsession with the musical Chicago. Peterson graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design with a dual degree in 2006. Upon completion of her degrees, she relocated to Seattle, WA, to pursue a career and continue her education and advancement in the arts. She has worked for many notable artists including Buster Simpson and Bruce Mau, and is a full-time team member for Dale Chihuly. Heavily involved with Pratt Fine Arts and Pilchuck Glass School, she is not only a member of the staff but also an instructor. Included in The Young Glass Exhibition, hosted by the Glasmuseet Ebeltoft, which is an international competition that only occurs once a decade, Peterson has also participated in multiple group shows in 2019, including Pittsburgh Glass Center, The Habatat Invitational, CHROMA (Nashville, TN), Traver Gallery (Seattle, WA), REFRACT (Seattle's Glass Art Fair), and the Irish Glass Biennale (Dublin also in 2023). In 2020 and 2022, the artist exhibited virtual solo shows through Habatat in Royal Oaks, MI. Her first in person solo exhibition was held at Method Gallery, Seattle, WA, in October 2021. Since winning Blown Away 4, Peterson says she has been “very busy in the best ways possible.” Her latest work will be on view in Once Upon a Crime In Hollywood, opening Saturday, April 13, 6 p.m. -10 p.m. at the new Nathie Katzoff Art Gallery, 8900 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood. PLEASE RSVP – info@nathiekatzoff.com. Her Corning residency takes place April 22 – 28, and she'll participate in a group show at Traver Gallery in Seattle this October.
Episode Sponsored by Alta-Robbins Blog: www.taminglightning.net Instagram @taminglightning Support on Ko-fi.com/taminglightning and Patreon.com/taminglightning In today's podcast, recorded June 1st, 2023, I'll be joined by Angela McHale aka Angie aka Rose featuring Patrick Gadzinski. We just finishing up the week teaching at the Pittsburgh Glass Center in a class called Under Vacuum a Flameworking and plasma Intensive. We'll get some insights into being an instructor or educator in the field of glass and plasma, nerd out about scientific glass, and discuss the challenges and learning opportunities found in workshops for professional practice. Music Credits: Preview - Retro by ONE The opening theme -Taming Lightning by Trav B. Ryan Sponsor - Good2Go by ONE Credits - Walking by Ras-Hop
In this episode of "Art & Cocktails," host Ekaterina Popova welcomes Margot Dermody, a talented artist from Pittsburgh, PA, to share her inspiring journey from selling hotels and resorts to becoming a painter and sculptor. Margot discusses her transition, her artistic evolution, and offers insights on embracing change, overcoming imposter syndrome, and the value of curiosity and collaboration. Discover how Margot's passion for art has led her to explore various mediums and artistic styles, from watercolors to glass. She emphasizes the importance of staying open to learning and finding fulfillment in creativity. Margot also shares her wisdom on a soft sales approach in the art world and the art of connecting with potential buyers. Explore Margot's artistic accomplishments, including her solo and group exhibitions, and learn about her continued growth as a studio artist at the Pittsburgh Glass Center. To delve deeper into her work, visit her website at www.margotdermody.com and connect with her on Instagram at instagram.com/margotdermody. For those seeking to grow their art career in a sustainable way, don't miss the opportunity to join the Navigation Course Waitlist. Margot Dermody's story serves as a testament to the power of following your creative dreams and embracing change on "Art & Cocktails."
Blog: www.taminglightning.net Instagram @taminglightning Support on Ko-fi.com/taminglightning and Patreon.com/taminglightning Hello Lightning Tamers! This is episode number 53. In today's podcast, recorded April 8th, 2023, I'll be joined by Ethan Samaha AGAIN and this time featuring Zach Layhew, where we talk about Ethan's most recent residency at the Pittsburgh Glass Center. Here we talk about the application process for residency, Pulling Tubing for Neon: its challenges, Navigation color palettes, and the importance of residency when trying new ideas. Welcome Back to the Podcast Ethan and Zach! Music Credits: Preview - Retro by ONE The opening theme -Taming Lightning by Trav B. Ryan Patreon Promo - Next Time by Hayku Credits - Walking by Ras-Hop
Art and technology share a symbiotic grace in the glass spacecraft, rockets, and scientific apparatus of Rik Allen. Most of his work is made primarily of glass and metal, which expresses a paradoxical symbiosis. The relationship between the rigid strength of metal with the inherent fragility of glass creates an alluring tension. While many of his pieces reference his curiosity about science, they also convey humor, simple narratives, and a lightheartedness that is embodied in much of science fiction's antiquated vision of the future. The theme of “futuristic antiquity” reflects Allen's interest in the literary fictional worlds of Jules Vern, H.G. Wells, Arthur C. Clark, and Isaac Asimov and their influence on the scientific community. His sculpture is also inspired by the accounts of early scientific pioneers of the 19 and 20th centuries, such as Nicola Tesla, Robert Goddard, Wernher von Braun, and other great scientific minds. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Allen earned a BA in Anthropology from Franklin Pierce University, New Hampshire. His earliest and formative glass studio experiences and education came as a studio assistant in Providence, working with a number of wonderful artists to include Daniel Clayman, James Watkins, and Michael Scheiner. Allen relocated to Washington in 1994, where he joined the William Morris team at the Pilchuck Glass School for 13 years, specializing in engraving, cutting, and finishing glass sculpture. Allen has had numerous solo exhibitions of his sculptures throughout the country, including at the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, the Museum of Northwest Art, Traver Gallery, Blue Rain Gallery, Schantz Gallery, and Duncan McClellan Gallery. His sculptures have been acquired for a number of public and private collections, including Glass Museum in Tacoma, Imagine Museum, Toyoma Institute of Glass, Blue Origin, Boeing, Amazon and SpaceX. In 2016, his work appeared in a feature cover story published by American Craft magazine and in 2018, he was awarded “Grand Artist of the future” by Imagine Museum. In 2005, Allen established a glass and sculpture studio with his wife, artist Shelley Muzylowski Allen at their property in Skagit County, Washington. In addition to being artists, the couple has taught internationally at the Toyama Institute of Glass in Toyama, Japan, and the International Glass Festival in Stourbridge, England. They have also taught nationally, including the Penland School of Craft, Pittsburgh Glass Center, and at Pilchuck Glass School. A lifelong Star Trek devotee – whose earliest memories of creation involved making scotch tape and cardboard phasers and communicators – Allen was contacted by Eugene (Rod) Roddenberry, son of Star Trekcreator Gene Roddenberry and current spokesman for Trekkies everywhere. Intrigued by Allen's work after seeing a piece one of his friends owned, Roddenberry commissioned a sculpture of the original series' Starship Enterprise. The sculpture was to reflect the basic design of the original Enterprise, but also incorporate Allen's personality into a sculpture that was of his own original design and overall interpretation. Allen, in collaboration with wife Shelley, has created and will install two large public sculptures, Sticken (the Orchard Octopus) in September, and Heronious One in November in Bellevue, Washington. He will have an exhibition of new work in spring 2024 at Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and will collaborate with Dave Walters this fall.
Blog: www.taminglightning.net Instagram @taminglightning Support on Ko-fi.com/taminglightning and Patreon.com/taminglightning Hello Lightning Tamers this is episode number 52. And in today's podcast, recorded Dec 2nd, 2021, I'll be joined by Light and Space Artist, Ethan Samaha. Ethan Samaha holds a BFA in Art + Design,a focus in Sculpture and Dimensional Studies, with minors in Performance Design and Technology and Dance, from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Ethan is visiting here in Pittsburgh for the week, and had reached out me to meet up and talk about neon and plasma. I was working in studio , and suggested we'd meet at the Pittsburgh Glass Center. After giving a tour of PGC, and about 2 hours of nerding out about plasma illumination, we decided to record a podcast. In the next episode, we have the pleasure of hearing from Ethan himself as he delves into his fascinating color choices and palette for pulling tubing using the furnace blown glass and color. Get ready for an insightful discussion you won't want to miss! Music Credits: Preview - Retro by ONE The opening theme -Taming Lightning by Trav B. Ryan Patreon Promo - Next Time by Hayku Credits - Walking by Ras-Hop
As a collaborative team, Dean Bensen and Demetra Theofanous create narrative pate de verre wall sculptures utilizing nature as a vehicle to communicate environmental challenges and metaphors for the human experience. Their work connects the viewer with the natural world and instills an appreciation for its interconnectedness to humanity and its inherent fragility. Says Bensen and Theofanous: “Our decaying leaf installations reflect on our impermanence and vulnerability. What we do has impact – often unforeseen and unmeasured. A pile of leaves hit by a gust of wind is a metaphor for this uncertainty in our future. It expresses that pivotal moment of change, when things we took for granted are suddenly gone. Existing peacefully with others and protecting our natural resources is a tenuous balance, highlighting our interdependence on others and the earth.” Bensen and Theofanous work both independently and as a collaborative team. Their work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is represented in numerous private and public collections. Recent exhibitions include participating 2018 at the Ming Shangde Glass Museum in China, where they received an award from the Chinese government. Another large-scale leaf installation was on view 2022-‘23 in an exhibition at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, curated by Brandy Culp. Attending The College of Idaho, Bensen graduated with a BA in art in 1990. His fascination in glass started a hunger for what he had been missing since his youth, an immersion into the exploration and development of his creative side. Upon receiving his degree, he moved to Ketchum/Sun Valley, Idaho, where he continued working in glass at a local studio. In 1997, the artist returned to California to pursue glassblowing as a full-time career. Immersing himself in the Bay Area glass scene, Bensen began working for many local artists and teaching at places such as San Jose State University, Palo Alto High School, Corning Glass School, Bay Area Glass Institute (BAGI), and Public Glass. In 2002, Bensen developed a body of work that would become the foundation for his ideas based on the existence of the old growth redwood forest. Using both clear glass and color, he focused initially on environmental concerns. As his concepts evolved, Bensen's work grew further, investigating the life cycles in nature, their significance, and the interplay between the earth and various species. Each slice of murrine served to highlight one of nature's footprints, marking the passage of time and a glimpse of history, the rings of life in a felled tree. Bensen has taught extensively, received a scholarship to attend Pilchuck glass school, and his first solo show, Nature's Footprints, received a full-page review in the San Francisco Chronicle. His work has been widely exhibited, including at the Imagine Museum, San Francisco Airport Museum, San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, the Oakland Airport Museum, and the Ming Shangde Glass Museum in China. He has also worked on a team creating several projects for renowned artist Dale Chihuly, including an enormous chandelier in Dubai. Theofanous was immersed in the arts from a very young age, but this thirst for expression was temporarily diverted when she received her business degree from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. She graduated and spent time working in San Francisco only to realize there was something missing in her work, and she needed to find a way to return to her creative roots. In 2004, Theofanous entered the medium of glass through flameworking and developed a method for weaving with glass that provides a continuing basis for narratives and investigation in her work. She also utilizes the ancient technique of pate de verre, which offers a detailed and painterly approach to casting that is well suited to creating hyper-realistic sculpture inspired by the natural world. Some of her sculptures now combine this cast glass technique with flameworked sculpture. Theofanous has been internationally recognized for her woven glass nest and flora sculptures, and is included in numerous private collections, as well as in the permanent collection of the Racine Art Museum. Notable awards include: a Juror's Choice Award from renowned collector Dorothy Saxe, a merit award from Paul Stankard, a NICHE Award, a Juror's Choice Award at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, the Leigh Weimers Emerging Artist Grant, two juror awards from Carol Sauvion, Executive Producer of Craft in America, and an Award of Excellence juried by the Detroit Institute of the Arts in Habatat Gallery's 50th International Exhibiton . She has exhibited internationally, including at the Triennial of the Silicate Arts in Hungary, San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design, National Liberty Museum, Alexandria Museum of Art, and twice in the Crocker Art Museum's prestigious Crocker-Kingsley Biennial. As an educator she has taught at top institutions such as Pratt Fine Arts Center and Pittsburgh Glass Center. She serves as Board President of the Glass Alliance of Northern California, was as a Board Member of the Glass Art Society, and is the President of the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass. Theofanous and Bensen met in 2004, and their friendship soon evolved into a partnership, both in and outside of the studio. In 2017, during an artist residency at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, they began to merge their sculptural works culminating with an exhibition of woven glass wall tapestries titled Intertwined. Their collaborative work is now represented by some of the country's finest galleries, has been exhibited at numerous museums, and is in the permanent collection of the Imagine Museum and the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation. Says Theofanous: “Technique merges with narratives in our work, to express metaphorical bridges between nature and human beings. Inspired by the storytelling tradition of woven tapestry and basketry, I see myself as weaving with glass to connect the viewer with the story of the natural world. Through the delicate leaves in each piece, I seek to depict the cycle of life: growth, discovery, change and renewal. I use the fluidity and fragility of glass to express the beauty and vulnerability inherent in the human experience.” Theofanous and Bensen will have a solo exhibition at Trifecta Gallery in Lexington, Kentucky, in fall of 2023.
Capitalizing on the ways glass can be arranged in and flows from a crucible, Nathan Sandberg creates reproducible decorative cane and murrine using the Vitrigraph Kiln. His work showcases these elements in a variety of artistic applications and furnishings. When not in his North Portland studio creating work or getting ready for an exhibition, Sandberg can be found presenting modern, innovative curriculum in kilnformed glass at a wide variety of studios and schools around the globe. In 2003, Sandberg received his BFA in glass and ceramics from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. After working at private glassblowing studios and independently furthering his education in kiln-glass, he joined Bullseye Glass Co. in 2005. As a member of the company's Research & Education team, he taught and developed courses and online educational videos as well as assisted visiting artists. Beginning at the Bullseye factory in 2009, the artist began exploring modern Vitrigraph methods that have become the primary techniques used in the creation of his work. Sandberg creates glass panes that are full of movement and repeated patterns that gently guide the viewer's eyes through the work. He states: “Our world is complex. And I realize that occasionally we simply need a pleasant view in order to escape some of the ugliness and take ourselves somewhere healthier, even if only for a moment.” In 2012, Sandberg founded Nathans LLC. This educational entrepreneurship helped establish him as one of the top kiln-glass educators in the world, sending him on teaching adventures from Santa Fe to Zurich and Australia to Norway. In 2015, Nathans LLC moved out of the basement and into a proper studio space in the Kenton neighborhood of North Portland. Today, Sandberg uses OnGrade Studio as his home base and can be found there relentlessly producing work for exhibitions and developing new curriculum to teach on the road and online. Using primarily glass, Sandberg's installations commonly make use of other materials such as wood, metal and concrete. His artwork can be found in private and public collections around the world and has received critical recognition through awards, exhibitions, and art fairs, including Glazen Huis in Lommel, Belgium, 2nd Place Non-Functional, Academic Award WG@BE3: E-merge, Bullseye Connection Gallery and SOFA Chicago. Sandberg worked with Gabriela Wilson as part of an Instructor Collaborative Residency at The Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass in September 2019. The duo explored the traditional hot shop methods of pulling cane to compare and contrast the process with Vitrigraph methods. Currently, Sandberg operates an 8' x 10' waterjet two days a week and says this equipment will revolutionize what is possible in kilnformed glass. The artist is also in the design phase of a glass shingle backsplash for a 30-foot-tall residential waterfall project. His artwork will be on view at Guardino Gallery in Portland in September 2023 and in October at the Pittsburgh Glass Center with Amanda Simmons, Nancy Callan, Mel Douglas and Corey Pemberton in an exhibition titled Pattern.
In today's interview, Jan sits down with Percy Echols II. Percy is a Pittsburgh-based Artist, Alchemist, and Educator who pioneers the development of Neon and Plasma Light Art at the Pittsburgh Glass Center and is the creator and host of the Podcast Taming Lightning.In this episode, Percy and Jan reminisce about where they were in their entrepreneurial journeys when they met four years ago and talk about some of the adventures they've been on over the past few years. From Percy traveling to Italy and Sweden to participate in amazing events centered around artisan glass and plasma art to Jan's escapades across the US and Africa - this episode is full of raw and vulnerable stories of what it really takes behind the scenes to build a personal brand around something you love.We both enjoyed the conversation so much, that we're for sure going to be doing a part 2!If you learned something from this episode or know of someone that needs to hear our message. Share it with them!If you're listening, and someone with an amazing story comes to mind, we'd love an introduction! Even if the person has never been on a podcast before, we would be honored to be their first interview. Please submit a “Guest Referral” form here.We pride ourselves on our relationships and our ever-growing network of professionals around the globe. If you have experience in consulting, search engine optimization, marketing, or sales - we'd love to hear from you. We regularly send out referrals to members of our network.Trying to start your own interview-style podcast? Jan created a template that he uses for every interview, and we want you to have it - download it here.Follow Us on Social: Jan Almasy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-almasy-57063b34RJ Holliday: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-j-holliday-jr-b470a6204/ James Warnken: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameswarnken --LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/51645349/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ApexCommunicationsNetworkWebsite: https://www.apexcommunicationsnetwork.com
Pittsburgh prides itself in our strong steel background, but before this city was the world leader in steel production, we were known for a much more delicate material: glass. Anne Madarasz, chief historian at the Heinz History Center, joins us to discuss Pittsburgh's legacy as “Glass City U.S.A.” You can learn more Pittsburgh glass history at the Heinz History Center exhibit Glass: Shattering Notions. And if you're a fan of Blown Away — the popular glassblowing competition on Netflix — there's a new exhibition featuring artwork from Season 3's top three finalists at the Pittsburgh Glass Center. It opens this Friday, and there's a free artist talk with the finalists at 6:30 p.m. More information is available here. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We're also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh! Not a fan of social? Then send us a text at 412-212-8893. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Pittsburgh Glass Center may be the hottest reccurring character on reality shows this year. The local institution has been renowned in the glass art community for years, but the average Pittsburgher might not have realized what a gem we had in our city. That changed with shows like Netflix's “Blown Away” and the Disney+ Christmas Special “Best in Snow,” which feature glass artists from the center. Heather McElwee, the executive director of Pittsburgh Glass Center, joins us to talk about what the exposure has meant for the art studio, what it was like to be a guest judge on "Blown Away," and how Pittsburghers can try their hands at glassmaking this holiday season. Our newsletter is fresh daily at 6 a.m. Sign up here. We're also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Support on Ko-fi.com/taminglightning and Patreon.com/taminglightning Hello Lightning Tamers! This is episode number 50. And in today's podcast, recorded July 16, 2021 on the closing night for the Exhibition LIT: Light in Transmission, I'll be joined by Vicky A Clark to talk about her background as an independent curator, writer, and critic, as well as insights on the exhibition. Thank you Vicky for your time on the podcast, your review, and your advice. I'd like to thank Pittsburgh Glass Center for supporting me as a place of research and inspiration, in addition to their support via the Advance Black Arts in Pittsburgh Grant that funded the exhibition LIT: Light in Transmission. Plasma Art Alliance and the Facebook group Neon and Plasma Art for Beginner, where I have access to the well of knowledge and connects me to some amazing and supportive people. Music Credits: Preview - Retro by ONE Patreon Promo - Next Time by Hayku The opening theme -Taming Lightning by Trav B. Ryan Credits - Walking by Ras-Hop Blog: www.taminglightning.net Instagram @taminglightning
This is episode 49 and in today's podcast I'll be reading a review on an exhibition I curated called LIT: Light in Transmission which was shown in Hodge Gallery at the Pittsburgh Glass Center last year in 2021 from February 5 and extended until July 28. This is the second exhibition I've curated the first being in 2017 an ISU Alumni exhibition from Glass Progam, and so I find this to be valuable to have documented thoughts and interpretations of what I've helped create. This goes double for the podcast and any of the video guides, and content, I produce. Your feedback is valuable. The following review is by Pittsburgh-based independent curator and critic Vicky A. Clark who is an art historian and author specializing in contemporary art and was written for Issue 163 of the Glass Quarterly Magazine, as a heads up, in the next episode I have a conversation with Vicky learn about her background and share insights about the exhibition. Preview - Retro by ONE Patreon Promo - Next Time by Hayku The opening theme -Taming Lightning by Trav B. Ryan Sponsor - Good2Go - ONE Credits - Walking by Ras-Hop
Born in Mirano, Italy, Emilio Santini comes from a family with centuries of tradition in glass. With skills in the areas of lampworking, glassblowing, casting and diamond point engraving, he has taught primarily torchworking at many of the major glass schools in the US including Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, Washington, Penland School of Craft, Bakersville, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh Glass Center, as well as at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia. Currently residing in Blacksburg, Virginia, Santini is dedicating more time to his first love – writing poetry and fiction, with a particular focus on the glass world, past and present. The product of over 500 years of glassblowing tradition, Santini's father was his first teacher. At the age of 11, Emilio was sent to work in Cenedese glass factory during the three-month summer break from school. His uncle, Giacinto Cadamuro, was his teacher during that year. For the next five years, the young Santini went back to work for three months in the same glass factory but with different masters, including “Petà” and “Mamaracio”. At 17, Emilio's father started teaching him lampworking, an activity that became the primary focus of his career as a glass educator. Santini spent nearly 10 years refining his skills before — after four summers of persistent courtship during her studies in Venice — he married Theresa Johansson and moved to her family home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Without the close family and workshop connections that helped him so much in Murano, Santini struggled to sell his work. He failed to grasp the much more demanding and decentralized nature of the sprawling American art glass market, and the couple returned to Murano. In 1988, Santini moved with his wife to Williamsburg, Virginia, where he established a small lampworking studio. He made his third and final attempt to immigrate to the US when his wife was hired at William and Mary. During this period, the artist received a call from Peninsula Glass Guild co-founder Ali Rogan, who tracked him down after stumbling across one of his impressive works in a small York County craft shop. With her encouragement, Santini entered the Guild's annual juried show, where he not only won top prize, but so impressed the juror — a nationally prominent Washington, D.C.-area gallery owner — that she bought his piece and gave him a solo show. Also during this time, Santini received his first invitation to conduct a demonstration before an audience of collectors, gallery owners and other glass artists at Penland School of Craft. That's when he knocked on the door of internationally known Studio Glass pioneer, Harvey Littleton, who was so impressed with his unexpected guest from Murano that he invited him in for an eye-opening 3-hour conversation. Santini says: “Up until then, I really had no idea of what to do with glass beside production and fine design. I didn't know about making art objects.” Over the past few years, Santini has concentrated primarily on sculpture and creating pieces that incorporate cast, blown and lampworked elements, along with metal and stone. These represent a major shift in his work, though many of these pieces had their genesis as sketches or models made throughout his creative life. Most recently, the artist has turned his focus to the written word, both prose and poetry, to which he dedicates considerable time and energy. Since venturing out on his own 34 years ago, Santini has combined his production and fine design work with one-of-kind art objects and sculpture to become widely recognized as one of the top lampworkers in the country. His work can be found in numerous private collections and museums such as the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York; The Ca' Pesaro Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Venice, Italy; the Sheffield Museum, England; the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia; and many others. He's blended his superlative technical expertise with his humor, imagination and friendliness to become a nationally known teacher at Virginia Commonwealth University as well as the workshop circuit. What has been the secret to Santini's success? He knows Venetian techniques so well, but instead of being secretive about them, he's generously shared his talents with students, collectors and glass lovers around the globe.
www.taminglightning.net ig:@taminglightning Harriet Schwarzrock @harryschwarzrock This is episode number 42. And in today's podcast, recorded June 5th, 2021, I'll be joined by Harriet Schwarzrock for Harry 2.0 - Lights, Glass, and Phosphors. We'll be taking this time to reflect on the recent virtual conference for the 2021 Glass Art Society, recent exhibitions, and projects, and overall plasma journey. Music credits to the following artists in order of appearance: Retro by ONE Taming Lightning by Trav B. Ryan brainstorm by ONE Next Time by Hayku Credits - Walking by Ras-Hop I hope you enjoyed the podcast. This is another favorite for me, to be able to reconnect to talk and see how much has changed since our previous recording. Harry has been very generous with showing her process, and sharing both her failures and successes, and she's not afraid to ask for help. And you can tell she loves what she does in spite of the added challenges and difficulties provided by working in plasma! Just like myself she learns from those in our growing community of plasma and neon artists and enthusiasts. These overlaps and discussions are what helps us grow! I recommend checking out the Facebook group, Neon and Plasma Art for Beginners, there are always a dozen hands to help, tons of books and video resources, and you may find some equipment for sale as well. Recommendations for your eyes and ears are the Light on the Horizon Video exhibition, the Intro the Plasma Series in collaboration with GEEX, and EP 20: Plasma Light Art from Sweden to Boston, and Beyond! Thank you again Harry for taking the time to record! I'd like to thank Pittsburgh Glass Center for supporting me as a place of research and inspiration. Plasma Art Alliance where I have access to the well of knowledge and connects me to some amazing and supportive people. Feel free to share, comment, and subscribe. As always Be Safe, Be Healthy, and Be Strong, and I'll See you next time!
www.taminglightning.net ig: @taminglightning Nikki Lau www.nikkilauart.com ig: @lau.nikki Hello Lightning Tamers! In today's podcast, I'll be joined by Ceramic Artist Nikki Lau to talk about her recent residency at the Pittsburgh Glass Center with Crash Course in Neon as a participant in the upcoming exhibition Full Spectrum: Visionaries Elevating Art Craft, and Design and will be opening February 4th, 2022. The exhibition showcases visionary makers of color from around the country who are producing extraordinary craft objects, while illustrating the vast number of pathways to a successful and meaningful career. Preview - Retro by ONE The opening theme - Taming Lightning by Trav B. Ryan Patreon - Next Time by Hayku PGC promo - Mixtape by Prod. Riddiman Credits - Walking by Ras-Hop I hope you enjoyed the podcast. This was one of my first experiences facilitating part of the residency. Though when I look back at it, it really isn't so very different than being an artist assistant or TA. But what was really new was facilitating neon which, from my recent conversations since this recording has led to me believing their much work ahead of me for a full in-studio experience. I would say Frustrating and Fun are the best way to describe working with glass, especially such skillful processes like neon bending. While I fell in love with plasma first, I'm starting to find a very strong interest in neon thanks to Nikki Lau nudge for Neon in her proposal and the well-appreciated guidance and teaching of Tim Tackacs. Speaking of Tim, you can learn about him is his journey in neon on the podcast in episode 28: American Classic Neons with Tim Takacs. ( links in the show notes above) Thank you Nikki Lau for the conversation and respect to your jumping hands first into the fires! I hope this experience has helped nudge you into the possibilities of using neon in your future works, even if your hand isn't the one bending. I'd like to thank Pittsburgh Glass Center for supporting me as a place of research and inspiration. Plasma Art Alliance where I have access to the well of knowledge and connects me to some amazing and supportive people. Feel free to share, comment, and subscribe. As always Be Safe, Be Healthy, and Be Strong, and I'll See you next time!
Susan Taylor Glasgow: The Way Things Never Were Susan Taylor Glasgow's work embraces feminine ideals of sensuality in a seductive but unforgiving material, offering conflicting messages of comfort and expectation. Some of her sculpture pays tribute to the era of June Cleaver and Betty Crocker via images appropriated from the world of ‘50s and ‘60s television and advertising. The bustier forms of Chandelier Dresses and the sensuous detailed perfection of lingerie sets present fantasies, reminding us of the way things never were. Sewing, cooking and arranging glass, Glasgow attempts to reconcile the conflict over work and home, feminist ideals and the Madonna complex, duty and fulfillment. She says: “In a way, my work is the result of homemaking skills gone awry. I have always embraced domesticity in spirit, but not in action. My life as an artist puts housekeeping last while instead I cook and sew glass. My internal domestic struggle has led me to examine the concept of domestic expectations and traditional roles of men and women. I am intrigued by 1950s imagery and the false perception of simpler times.” Born in Superior, Wisconsin, Taylor Glasgow grew up just across the tip of Lake Superior, in Duluth, Minnesota. She attended the University of Iowa, graduating in 1983 with a BFA in Design. After working in graphic design for a short period, the artist returned to the sewing skills passed on to her by her mother, opening a wildly successful dressmaking shop, On Pins & Needles, which she owned and ran from 1984 to1997 in Iowa City, Iowa, and Columbia, Missouri. In 1997, the artist sold the dressmaking shop to pursue her interest in art, focusing on glass. Utilizing her skills as a seamstress, Glasgow developed a unique approach to glass, stitching glass components together. Each sculpture starts out as a flat sheet of glass. To establish the three-dimensional shape and holes, sections of glass are kiln-fired several times. To create the imagery, text and figures are sandblasted into the glass and pigment is rubbed into the sandblasted area to create the black and gray photo. Then the glass is fired again to 1250 degrees to melt the pigment into the glass. Once cooled, the sections are coldworked, given a final sandblasting and then assembled. Redefining “woman's work” in non-traditional mediums, the artist creates complex forms and imagery while exploring the dichotomy of women and societal expectations. Glasgow received Pilchuck Glass School's emerging artist grant in 2002, a WheatonArts fellowship in 2003, and was a resident artist at the Pittsburgh Glass Center in 2008. Her work can be found in the collections of the Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR; the Alexander Tutsek Foundation, Münich, Germany; the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburg, PA; the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA; and the Museum of American Glass, Millville, NJ. Glasgow says: “I think viewers respond to my work on many levels – first to its initial form and visual appeal, and there's a secondary impact once the viewer gets a closer look. An example might be the corset series. The shape of the corset is appealing to both men and women for different reasons. Once the work is examined closer, a deeper understanding of the piece is revealed. Women respond to my work in the way the message is intended — exploring the dichotomy of women in the household and domestic expectations — while men respond to the work's sensual qualities. I think for the most part it is because not much has changed for women in the household. Most women are the main caregivers and housekeepers, while still trying to uphold the expected requirement of being glamorous and sexy.” Working from her new studio in Columbia, Missouri, Glasgow currently has work on view in a group show at Blue Rain Gallery, Santa Fe, and will participate in Habatat Galleries' 50th Anniversary Exhibition, opening September 17, 2021, while working towards securing a solo museum show in the future.
Elliot Walker: Winner of Blown Away 2 Sculpting and blowing molten glass, Elliot Walker creates still life sculpture inspired by the paintings of Dutch masters. Though exquisite to look at, it was the combination of refined glassblowing skill with the humor and satire of his work that resulted in Walker winning the Netflix series, Blown Away 2. For the moment, prized residencies at both the Corning Museum of Glass and the Pittsburgh Glass Center are on hold due to Covid. But the artist works feverishly on new commissioned works, facilitates a number of creations for several noted designers and artists, and carries out his new duties as champion of marblemedia’s glassblowing competition show. For Walker, getting to know his fellow contestants on Blown Away 2 and watching them work made his participation on the show worthwhile. “It showed me how welcoming and inspiring the global fraternity of furnace glass workers is.” Messums, London, hosted Walker’s inaugural solo show from January 28 through February13, 2021. Plenty, an irreverent look at the culture of excess, presented a new series of sculpture inspired by 17th– century Dutch Vanitas paintings. Employing almost every conceivable technique, the artist transformed classic still life painting objects into ethereal, sculptural cameos that speak both of bounty and its impermanence. Walker’s remarkable technical skills include complex and subtle coloring applications, along with cold processes like cutting and polishing, surface decoration and texturing, adding depth and dazzling intricacy to his forms. A show statement from Messums Fine Art Ltd, read: “Elliot is an exciting and talented artist bringing a conceptual edge to a traditional craft with all the hallmarks of a mould breaker…We have been watching the seam between craft and art break over the years, and Elliot’s work irreverently celebrates glass working whilst engaging with our contemporary concerns and pleasures.” Growing up in Wolverhampton, England, an academic at school, Walker took his A-Levels in science, chemistry and biology. As a boy, he describes himself, as ‘out-doorsy,’ always creating and making things, mostly with pebbles and sticks, inspired by British sculptor and environmentalist, Andy Goldsworthy. He never thought of being an artist when he was a kid because it wasn’t “sensible.” With a BA in psychology from Bangor University in North Wales, Walker discovered glass at university, taking night classes in stained glass windows. Following his MA in applied arts from Wolverhampton University, the artist established a studio in Camden. He now lives and works in Hertfordshire with his life partner, colleague and fellow glassblower Bethany Wood. She is the owner of the Blowfish art gallery, currently selling Walker’s works online. Touted as one of the United Kingdom’s finest rising glass stars, Walker has become one of the most active and inspiring artists of his generation. He developed his basic skills and necessary foundations as a creator by studying glass-making in the Stourbridge Glass Quarter, an historic place that has been associated with the glass industry for more than 400 years. He worked for glassblowing legend Peter Layton for about eight years as a part of his London studio team. The artist is also part of a group called Bandits of Glass, where the process of creation is given more importance than the final piece itself. Says Walker: “I am a dedicated experimenter with my chosen material and am constantly trying to challenge myself and the audiences of my work to abandon many preconceptions of the material.”
Donna Dzurilla graduated with a BA in Professional Writing (minors in art, philosophy, and English Literature) and received the Excellence in Professional Writing Award from Carlow University. Her sculpture has appeared at the Pittsburgh Glass Center, BoxHeart and Panza galleries, Pittsburgh Technology Council shows, and featured in Urbanic 2: Catalyzing a Regional Economic Renaissance at the Pittsburgh International Airport. She was commissioned to create a public art piece for the 2010 Three Rivers Arts Festival by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Donna's monologues are a mainstay in Carlow University Theater's Practice Monologamy series and have been performed at Yinz Like Plays?!10 Minute Play Festival. A staged reading of her play, SCRAP, was performed in 2017 at the Henry Heymann Theatre at the University of Pittsburgh. Her creative nonfiction pieces have appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Currently working towards her MFA in Carlow University's Creative Writing Program with a concentration in fiction, Donna's short stories have been published in the Voices from the Attic anthology series, Rune, The Penny, and other publications. She is working on a novel set during the demise of the steel industry.
In today's podcast, I have Rusty Russo, who has been working and developing his skills in the area of Illuminated Glass Tubing for over 30 years in which he’s acquired an expert level proficiency in glass fabrication, vacuum tube processing, system design, and construction, leak detection, technical support, packaging design, and technical writing. He’s also a Senior R+D Glass Blower for a Boston-based start-up specializing in energy-efficient inductively coupled soda-lime light bulbs. From his beginning as a neon bender, he’s worked as a technical consultant for The EGL Co., a columnist for Signs of the Times Magazine, demonstrating artist and technical assistant for The Glass Art Society, and assistant instructor/visiting artist for various education facilities such as the Pittsburgh Glass Center, Penland School of Craft and Urban Glass. Additionally A recognized industry authority on all phases of neon vacuum tube production. Having served as Co-Chairman of the ISA Research and Standards Committee on Neon Processing, where he co-created an internationally recognized standard for the processing of neon tubing. This provided a practical, teachable, repeatable solution to what had been a historically random intuitive process. He currently works as a freelance technical consultant, and glass artist, conceptualizing and creating 3-dimensional sculpture using glass, light, and mixed media. I met Mr. Russo in the summer of 2018 during the Pittsburgh Glass Center’s first Plasma Workshop taught by Wayne Strattman and Mundy Hepburn where he assisted alongside Ander Mikkelsen. In the chaos of that class, Rusty was a grounding tether to the complexities of plasma and neon, someone who was very comfortable with meeting you at your level. He’s been such a great source of information and support in regards to troubleshooting and identifying components in the manifold, and helped provided confidence and guidance in my career development in technical consultation on several jobs. Like many of the guests on this podcast, Rusty has a rich history and knowledge, and we barely scratch the surface of who Rusty is. Treat this as it is, an introduction, he’ll talk about the origins of his interest in neon, the influence of music and martial art on his practice and teaching philosophy, and his drive toward excellence through repetition, self-examination, and refinement. Episode Show Notes Music: Intro: Boost by Joakim Karud Intermission: Sunnyside by ONE Outro: The Process by Lakey Inspired www.Taminglightning.net
The De La Torre Brothers: Irreverence as a Tool for Reinvention Through their Ultra-Baroque polycultural work, Einar and Jamex De La Torre tackle topics of identity and contemporary consumerism. Influences range from religious iconography to German expressionism while also paying homage to Mexican vernacular arts and pre-Columbian art. They don’t consider themselves glass artists per se, but treat glass as one component in their three-dimensional collages, one that interacts with a multitude of chosen – not found – objects. Einar recalls their mother’s fondness for puns as a likely source for the brothers’ own interest in multiple layers of understanding. Collaborating since the 1990s, the De La Torres were born in Guadalajara, México, in 1963 and 1960. They moved to the United States in 1972, transitioning from a traditional catholic school to a small California beach Town. Both attended California State University at Long Beach. Jamex earned a BFA in Sculpture in 1983, while Einar decided against the utility of an art degree. Currently the brothers live and work on both sides of the border, The Guadalupe Valley in Baja California, México, and San Diego, California. The complexities of the immigrant experience and contradicting bicultural identities, as well as their current life and practice on both sides of border, inform their narrative and aesthetics. Gussie Fauntleroy wrote in the July 2009 issue of American Craft: “Similarly, in their art the brothers intentionally disregard conventional borders between dichotomous pairs such as high and low art and sacred and profane, and between deluxe objects and the detritus of everyday life. Virtually every assemblage and installation incorporates blown glass or cast-resin elements in sumptuous colors that shimmer, juxtaposed with an array of … objects, including plastic toys, snack food wrappers and old tires.” https://www.craftcouncil.org/magazine/article/de-la-torre-brothers-and-border-baroque The De La Torres have been honored with The USA Artists Fellowship award, The Louis Comfort Tiffany Award, The Joan Mitchell Foundation Award, and The San Diego Art Prize. They have had 18 solo museum exhibitions, completed eight major public art projects and participated in four biennales. Their work can be found in the permanent collections of Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York; Museum of American Glass, Millville, New Jersey; The Kanazu Museum, Kanazu, Japan; Frauenau Glass Museum, Frauenau, Bavaria, Germany; GlazenHuis Museum, Lommel, Belgium; and the Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington, to name a few. Private collectors include Alice Walton, Cheech Marin, Elton John, Irwin Jacobs, Terry McMillan, Sandra Cisneros and Quincy Troupe. Guest instructors at Penland, UrbanGlass, the Pittsburgh Glass Center and Pilchuck, the De La Torre brothers have shared their multifaceted knowledge of glass technique including blowing, bit work and flameworking with students worldwide. In the last 15 years they have been creating photomural installations using Lenticular printing as a major part of their repertoire. “If ever there were a case where materials and their masterful use provide a perfect match—and metaphor—for an artist’s concepts and themes, it’s in the art of Jamex and Einar de la Torre,” wrote Fontleroy. “How better to convey the rich complexity and alchemic intermingling of border cultures than through mixed media creations as multilayered, thought-provoking and engaging as the cultures themselves?”
In this interview episode, our former Podcast Producer, Alyssa Wroblewski, along with our former Technology and Innovative Content Manager, Grace Puckett, sat down with Heather McElwee, the Randi & L. Van V. Dauler, Jr. Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Glass Center. They discussed the user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design of the website, www.pittsburghglasscenter.org.
The jags were invited to make glass pumpkin gifts with Heather and Chris from the iconic Pittsburgh Glass Center while rubbing elbows, literally, with Monica, co-owner of love, Pittsburgh… who knows a thing or two about niche gifts. And don't forget about gifting biscotti and lasagna thanks to Sprezzatura owner Jen's sizzling cooking skills and antics. After all, it is the unofficial start to holiday shopping and we want to know how to gift! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This episode is sponsored by The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowment in reception of the Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh Grant, and residency is hosted by the Pittsburgh Glass Center. Intro Music: Boost by Joakim Karud www.joakimkarud.com https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud www.patreon.com/joakimkarud Outro Music: The Process by LAKEY INSPIRED WWW.LAKEYINSPIRED.COM https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired www.patreon.com/lakeyinspired Hello Lightning Tamers, this is episode number 30, and in today’s podcast, I’ll be reading the article “A Noble Quest: History of noble gases” by Mike Sutton, the story of William Ramsay’s Hunt for the noble gases! During the early 2 months of the covid-19 pandemic with the stay-at-home order here in Pittsburgh, I took advantage of that time to research. Among many things, I wanted to answer several questions I had for the noble gases: when were they discovered, who discovered them, and the naming convention behind the gases. (the last one being my slight obsession with word and meanings/definitions of). I ended up on the Chemistry World website where I found this article. Now it took a little more time than previous permission but Taming Lightning has been granted permission to read the following article from the Chemistry World Magazine by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Intro Music: Boost by Joakim Karud www.joakimkarud.com https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud www.patreon.com/joakimkarud Outro Music: The Process by LAKEY INSPIRED WWW.LAKEYINSPIRED.COM https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired www.patreon.com/lakeyinspired Hello Lightning Tamers, this is episode number 28! In today’s podcast, we have American Classic Neons with Tim Takacs! Just in case there may be any concern, this podcast was recorded in early March 2020, prior to COVID-19 Pandemic. Thank you.R Thank You for listening to the Taming Lightning Podcast. I’d like to thank Tim Takacs for letting me visit his Neon Studio and for the conversation. Hugh Elliot was also there working on some Neon for local bars and restaurants. I hope to work with him soon to have some new neon made and talk about future projects. I'd like to thank Pittsburgh Glass Center for supporting me as a place of research and inspiration, also Plasma Art Alliance where I have access to the well of knowledge and connects me to some amazing and supportive people.
Tali Grinshpan: Connecting Thoughts about Homeland and the Internal Landscape of Memory Bay Area artist Tali Grinshpan seeks to create intimate spaces of reflection where the past speaks to the transient present. In her 2019 solo show at Bullseye Bay Area Gallery titled Longing for the (Home)Land כיסופים למולדת, multi-generational stories of immigration were told via delicate pâte de verre forms that recall curling flower petals or silky folds of fabric. Grinshpan says: “I explore the fragility of nature and human existence by using organic materials to create forms that burn out in the kiln. Their remnants speak of the spirit and beauty of what once existed.” Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel, Grinshpan earned a B.A. and M.A. in Business and Psychology from Tel Aviv University. A variety of art mediums were a source of interest and exploration since childhood. Travels around the world with her family were also important in her development as an artist. In 2004, the artist moved to and currently resides in Walnut Creek, California, where she fell in love with glass and began to pursue it professionally. “The ever-changing life of the land, in particular that of Israel, where I was born, and that of my present home in Northern California, inspires me. As an immigrant, I search for connection between the land and my internal landscape of memory. These landscapes, simultaneously intimate and vast, come together in my work,” she explains. Grinshpan’s education and experience in glass includes a professional residency at Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington; serving as teaching assistant for both Saman Kalantari and Alicia Lomne, who were instructing at Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG) Studio in Corning, New York; summer sessions at CMOG’s Studio and the Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pennsylvania; and a professional residency and master class at North Lands Creative Glass, Scotland, UK. Grinshpan was selected as a finalist at The International Exhibition of Glass Kanazawa Japan in 2016; first prize winner of The Glass Prize 2017 international competition, UK; and published in CMOG’s survey of cutting-edge glass, New Glass Review 39. She achieves the paper-like qualities in her glass beginning with a model of the final artwork made out of clay, wax or other materials. A mold is made from the model using plaster and silica. After mixing finely crushed glass with a binding material, this paste is applied to the inner surface of a negative mold to form a coating. When the coated mold is fired, the glass fuses into an object whose walls depend on the thickness of the pâte de verre layers. After firing, the artist removes the mold material and cleans the piece. The amount of cold work on the fired piece varies, depending on artistic and aesthetic considerations. Over the past few years Grinshpan’s work has been exhibited in various national and international galleries and museums. Upcoming exhibitions include: Grand Rapids Art Museum, Michigan, A New State of Matter – Contemporary Glass, January 25 through April 26, 2020; Abrams Claghorn Gallery, Albany, California, Particles, Grinshpan’s first exhibition as curator, February 1 through 28, 2020; Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv, The Biennial for Art and Design, March 17 through November 30, 2020; and Pittsburgh Glass Center, The United, October 2, 2020 – January 24, 2021.
This episode is sponsored by the The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowment in reception of the Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh Grant, and residency is hosted by the Pittsburgh Glass Center. Intro Music: Boost by Joakim Karud www.joakimkarud.com https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud www.patreon.com/joakimkarud Outro Music: The Process by LAKEY INSPIRED www.lakeyinspired.com https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired www.patreon.com/lakeyinspired Hello Lightning Tamers, this is episode number 20. In today’s podcast we have Simone Traub our marketing Intern at the Pittsburgh Glass Center, who was tasked with interviewing myself in regards to teaching a plasma workshop in sweden with Ed Kirshenr and Jamie Guerrero, The Plasma Art Alliance conference in Boston,and my reception of the Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh Grant and Residency with the Pittsburgh Glass Center.
10 Moments … And Other Sculptural Works by Andrew Certo On September 23, 2019, Andrew Certo won the Bern Gallery’s prestigious Pipe Classic. Twelve artists worked for 12 hours, and Certo emerged victorious with his representation of a marble falling into water represented 10 times chronologically. Visually striking, his piece titled 10 Moments includes a sherlock, rig, spoon, and chillum on a sheet glass base. Certo says: “For me this piece is about a small event creating something big and how quickly things escalate. Thanks to Pipe Classic for putting together a killer event, to GTT for their generosity, and to all of the other competitors for pushing me to work my ass off to try to bring this idea to life. I’m excited to share this sculpture-rich work and the next ideas.” A thriving pipe maker based out of Denver, Colorado, Certo’s interest in using glass as a medium began in 2007 at the Pittsburgh Glass Center and continued at Tyler School of Art, where he earned his BFA. The artist credits art school education with his more open and experimental approach. The result of doing what he loves and trusting the process, Certo’s designs are inspired by motion, beginning in 2014 with his signature Spray Bottle rigs and evolving into his Butane Torch pipes. It took four years for the artist to develop and hone his unique patterning technique used in the creation of seamless bands of hexagonal or rectangular color. Though pipes are Certo’s mainstay, in 2017 he created a groundbreaking sculpture, a wall piece featuring a bubble of water being shot by a bullet. Working with The Junkyard Co. in California to produce wooden components, the artist endeavors to further explore sculptural work. Currently in an incubation period of developing new ideas and forms, Certo will exhibit his work and collaborate with Chris Ahalt at Piece of Mind, in Newport Beach, California, on December 14, 2019. The show includes all new work, collabs, and a live demo. VIP 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., public 7 p.m. to midnight. VIP on sale now. Anticipation builds to see what these two prolific artists create in concert as well as their solo work. In March 2020, Certo Glass exhibits in a group show focused on pattern with 2stroke, Disk and Takao at Stoked Connecticut, Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Intro Music: Boost by Joakim Karud www.joakimkarud.com https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud www.patreon.com/joakimkarud Outro Music: The Process by LAKEY INSPIRED WWW.LAKEYINSPIRED.COM https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired www.patreon.com/lakeyinspired In today’s podcast we have Leo Tecosky. With a BA in Fine Art from Alfred University and an MFA from The School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, Tecosky teaches at studios and schools in Brooklyn, nationally and internationally. Leo lives and works in Brooklyn, NY blowing glass and maintaining a studio practice. Tecosky creates sculpture and installation using found and constructed elements. He has a diverse range of glassmaking technique be it sharp and precise hot-sculpted arrows, crisp and clean collage of screen printed Islamic and architectural patterns, and light bending graffiti with neon. I was fortunate to record this episode with him at the end of teaching a summer Intensive at the Pittsburgh Glass Center. We had touch base on instagram prior to meeting, and I’ve been itching to seed the potential for exploration with plasma in his hot sculpted shapes. Recorded shortly after Ed Blow and Glow class we discuss what techniques we would employ to make his shape work for plasma.
Intro Music: Boost by Joakim Karud www.joakimkarud.com https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud www.patreon.com/joakimkarud Interlude Music: Flix and Chill by Joakim Karud Outro Music: The Process by LAKEY INSPIRED WWW.LAKEYINSPIRED.COM https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired www.patreon.com/lakeyinspired Hello Lightning Tamers, this is episode number 15, and In today’s podcast we have the Plasma Yoda, Ed Kirshner of Aurora Sculpture. He’s been working on in Plasma for roughly over 20+ years. Inspired the natural occurance of plasma, such as the aurora borealis, he’d creates air tight vessels using a glass solder technique with ready-made and productions glass object, or fabricated and collaborations with Skilled glassblowers at both the Torch and Furnace. Notably Bernd Weinmayer, Jaime Guerrero, and Mitch LaPlante in which the interplay of geometry of glass shape and volume are a big player in discovering various patterns and displays. We’ll talk about Kirshner’s background pre-glass, where he’s studied architecture and sculpture at Cornell University, the University of California, Berkely, and the Oskar Kokoschka School in Austria. Having work represented in the US and internationally we’ll talk about his current work and projects, Teaching and the Blow and Glow Class at Pittsburgh Glass Center, and his thoughts on the future of Plasma and the Plasma Art Alliance.
Hello Lightning Tamers, This is Episode number Ten! “ Light up your World with Plasma” Thank you for patience It’s been long 7 months, since our last podcast episode.A much needed hiatus after my Dad had passed away. I've been struggling to find my light, but I knew my Dad wanted me to keep going and to do something I love, and this podcast and exploring this medium is definitely part of that. In today’s episode I’ll be talking about the first plasma class offered at Pittsburgh Glass Center taught during the 2018 Summer intensive by wayne and Mundy. In which future episodes in the line up will about the Plasma Resources compiled for that class by Anders Mikkelsen who was one of our TAs. By the end of this podcast I hope to leave you with overview on that class, a few things I’ve learned leading up the class, and some fundamental guidelines for making Plasma Glass. Mind you the guidelines will continue to be modified and expanded upon as we have more people practicing and sharing their discoveries. Show Notes Intro Music: Boost by Joakim Karud www.joakimkarud.com https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud www.patreon.com/joakimkarud Outro Music: The Process by LAKEY INSPIRED WWW.LAKEYINSPIRED.COM https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired www.patreon.com/lakeyinspired 2:45 Episode Begins 15:35 Fundamental Guidelines 17:00 Vessel Crafting 22:05 Electrode Attachment Methods 24:38 Electrode Placement 26:00 Alchemy 26:45 Noble Gases 27:47 Inert Gas: Nitrogen 28:41 Halogens: Bromine and Iodine 30:18 Pumping & Filling Technique 31:34 Filling Recipe & Gas Mixture 32:10 Design Theory 33:31 Filling Pressure & Gas usage 34:48 Discharge Modes is Plasma 37:27 Technology: Plasma Drivers Check www.taminglightning.net for the full post!
It’s interesting to contemplate why Claire Kelly’s colorful and expertly patterned toy-like animals are so appealing, but perhaps more curious to imagine is what theywould see in us. Much of her recent work centers on elephants because of their unique role as a beloved childhood toy, a popular decorative figure with a strong history in glassmaking, and a perilously threatened species. In work that examines the connections humanity has with animals and our larger relationship to the world, the artist has created a series of fantastic microcosms that bring a consciousness to their decorative status. As a story about the fragility and conservation of these small worlds is told, their role in a grander scheme is revealed. “We live in a time when our smallest decisions can affect our environment in unpredictable ways. As a conscientious inhabitant, I am constantly weighing my choices and attempting to choose the lesser evil. My works are a gentle mirror allowing us to examine our contradictory world.” Graduating with a BFA from Alfred University in 1996, Kelly subsequently worked collaboratively with Anthony Schafermeyer from 2000 to 2008 as Schafermeyer/Kelly Glass. In 2008, she moved to Providence, Rhode Island, to assist glass artist Toots Zynsky with her work. During this time, Kelly developed her own sculptural series integrating traditional Venetian glassblowing and various cold working processes. Greatly influenced by the unconventional forms and patterning of mid-century Venetian Masters such as Napoleone Martinuzzi and Carlo Scarpa as well as contemporary masters Dick Marquis and Zynsky, Kelly works with cane and murrini techniques in a unique exploration of line, pattern, and color. In spring of 2017, Kelly worked as Artist in Residence at the Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York, where she created a new body of work using specialty 104 COE glass from Effetre, a glass company based in Murano, Italy. The artist has recently been awarded residencies at Salem Art Works Salem, New York,and at the Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington, to further her processes and designs. From October 12 through December 10 new work was exhibited, and Kelly presented a lecture and demonstration at Duncan McClellan Glass Gallery in St. Petersburg, Florida, in a show with friend and hot glass artist Jen Violette titled Vibrant Perspectives. Penland Gallery, Penland, North Carolina, Vetri gallery, Seattle, Washington, and Montague Gallery in San Francisco, California, also represent Kelly’s work. A self described “unexpected instructor,” Kelly has taught workshops at Penland School of Crafts, Pilchuck Glass School, the Pittsburgh Glass Center, The Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and the Centro Fundacion del Vidrio in Spain. Her 2019 teaching schedule includes March 4 – 8 at Espace Verre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and March 18 – 22 at the Glass Spot in Richmond, Virginia.
Kelly O’Dell’s hot glass sculpture speaks to the devastating impact of the human race on species in the wild and embodies the Latin phrase “memento mori,” meaning “remember death.” Using the fragility and translucency of glass to create ghost-like animals in an homage to all that have been lost never to return, the artist endeavors to inspire environmentally-mindful changes in our daily routines while providing hope for a different future. From October 5, 2018 through January 22, 2019, the Pittsburgh Glass Center’s Hodge Gallery presents All of a Suddens, an exhibition exploring existence and extinction, preservation and decay.The focal point of O’Dell’s solo show, “Critical Masse” features 13 endangered species mounted on the wall in clusters. Her “Ghost Animals” mimic hunting trophies displayed in a game room and highlight the 100 to 1,000 species that are lost per million per year primarily due to human-caused habitat destruction and climate change. “My upbringing in the Hawaiian Islands inspired my love of oceans. Coming from a place so diverse in culture, climate, and teeming with flora and fauna, I feel a servitude or responsibility to honor what is lost or extinct. It’s fascinating and devastating that our presence as one species has so much impact of the delicate balance of life.” Born in Seattle in 1973, O’Dell was raised in Hawai’i, the daughter of artists who used stained glass, furnace glass, and pressed flowers in their artwork. As a student at the University of Hawai’i, O’Dell fell in love with glass herself. The program offered many opportunities to study at Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, Washington, where she eventually relocated and became a member of the William Morris winter crew. From September 9 -14, 2018, O’Dell and husband Raven Skyriver will co-teach in Bornholm, Denmark, at the Royal Danish Academy of the Arts in an event open to the general public, followed by a demo at Glasmuseet Ebeltoft,Ebeltoft, Denmark.From October 4 – 7, Skyriver will demo at the International Glass Symposium in Novy Bor, Czech Republic, while O’Dell heads to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for the opening of All of the Suddens. In 2019, O’Dell and Skyriver will be working hard to move into their new home and studio on Lopez Island, made possible by a recent successful Kickstarter campaign.
Hello Lightning Tamers, This is Episode number Nine! Thank you for patience as there was a lot going on in may especially with my trip to Venice, Italy, where I was attending the Glass Art Society Conference in Murano. While I wasn’t able to get any on-site interviews(I mean come on, it’s Venice), I was able to connect with many of the participants in the Light, Neon, and plasma exhibition called Vetro Illuminato, which was curated by Pat Collentine from Episode number one, and Ed Kirshner, which directly ties into our guest for the today’s Podcast, Bernd Weinmayer. Now unlike previous episodes, I will be reading a transcript of our email conversation, this was done to remove any language barriers between us, as well as to provide a convenient I was able to see Bernd’s work in person during the exhibition, and it’s even more amazing in person. It’s been quite a pleasure being able to communicate and connect with him for the podcast. Now as much as I’ve been following him, there’s not a lot about him. Besides his website, he kind of keeps to himself, so I would consider him a “Hidden Master” in terms of someone with tremendous technical skills as a Master Scientific Glass Blower, but also as someone who could take that and free themselves as an artist. We’ll learn about who he is, his exploration in glass through plasma, his relationship with Ed Kirshner, and how he grows from his technical and artistic practice. Show Notes Intro Music: Boost by Joakim Karud www.joakimkarud.com https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud www.patreon.com/joakimkarud Outro Music: The Process by LAKEY INSPIRED WWW.LAKEYINSPIRED.COM https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired www.patreon.com/lakeyinspired Check www.taminglightning.net for the full post! Thank You for listening to the Taming Lightning Podcast. I'd like to thank Bernd Weinmayer for taking time away from his work and projects for the email interview, and for sharing with us about himself and his work. Also, I'd like to thank Pittsburgh Glass Center for supporting me as a place of research and inspiration, as well as encouraging me to pursue this project, and the Plasma Art Alliance where I have access to the well of knowledge and connects me to some amazing people. Keep an eye out for more classes at Pittsburgh Glass Center as we work to provide a space for learning neon and plasma. Check it out on the web at www.pittsburghglasscenter.org or call our studio at 412-365-2145 If you like to support this, simply go to percyechols.com and look for the tab "Taming Lighting" or by typing in taminglightning.net, and click subscribe, other options for support is donations through either Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee, links are provided on the website. Feel free to share, comment, and subscribe. See you next time
In Today's Podcast, we'll be talking with Harriet Swarzrock an Australian glass artist who has recently finished a residency at Canberra Glassworks where she explored the use of both plasma and neon in her work. I invited her to the podcast after seeing her posts on Facebook and Instagram. Initially hesitant to the invitation, but she was happy to share her experience as a glassblower at the beginning of a new process. Here we’ll be illuminating the struggles of learning Plasma, the issues she had to overcome, as well as the role that the residency for an artist developing new work, and importance of mentorship and support. Without further ado, onto the podcast! Show Notes Intro Music: Boost by Joakim Karud www.joakimkarud.com https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud www.patreon.com/joakimkarud Outro Music: The Process by LAKEY INSPIRED WWW.LAKEYINSPIRED.COM https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired www.patreon.com/lakeyinspired Check www.taminglightning.net for the full post! Thank You for listening to the Taming Lightning Podcast. I'd like to thank Harry for taking the time to be on the podcast, especially between residencies. And for being open to talk about her experience in working with a new and difficult medium. Also, I'd like to thank Pittsburgh Glass Center for supporting me as a place of research and inspiration, as well as encouraging me to pursue this project, and the Plasma Art Alliance where I have access to the well of knowledge and connects me to some amazing people. Keep an eye out for more classes at Pittsburgh Glass Center as we work to provide a space for learning neon and plasma. Check us out at www.pittsburghglasscenter.org or call our studio at 412-365-2145. See you next time! Percy Echols II Taming Lightning⚡
In Today's Podcast, we'll be talking with Mundy Hepburn a luminous glass artist who has been making lights since 1976 with over 30 years of experience working in Plasma. In his work, he embraces his inner mad scientist and alchemist with his studio containing several different tanks of noble gases, tubing, valves, gauges, and other dodads. His approach is especially unique in that he uses soft glass, such that seen in furnace glassblowing, to create life-sized plasma lamps and vessels, as well his use of neon torches for shaping hand pulled glass tubing, creating distinct forms and gestures. Mundy has been a great source of wisdom, knowledge, encouragement, as well as having a personality of seemingly boundless energy. I appreciate all he's done as a friend and mentor, and very excited to have him as an instructor at Pittsburgh Glass Center this summer. Without further ado, onto the podcast! Show Notes Intro Music: Boost by Jakim Karudwww.joakimkarud.com https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud www.patreon.com/joakimkarud Outro Music: Re-Entry by Lapse https://soundcloud.com/lapse Check www.taminglightning.net for the full post! Thank You for listening to the Taming Lightning Podcast. I'd like to thank Mundy for taking the time to be on the podcast, being very generous with his knowledge and continuous support! Also, I'd like to thank Pittsburgh Glass Center for supporting me as a place of research and inspiration, as well as encouraging me to pursue this project, and the Plasma Art Alliance where I have access to the well of knowledge and connects me to some amazing people. Keep an eye out for more classes at Pittsburgh Glass Center as we work to provide a space for learning neon and plasma. For more information on the 2- Night Neon and Plasma Globe workshop and Summer Intensive with Wayne Strattman and Mundy Hepburn, please check it out on the web at www.pittsburghglasscenter.org or call our studio at 412-365-2145. See you next time! Percy Echols II Taming Lightning
In Today’s Podcast we’ll be talking with Dylan Neuwirth an artist and sculptor working with light, space and interactive technologies which includes neon and virtual reality. his work is autobiographical,with light being embedded in his Personal Narrative, a custom-made neon sign with his mothers name in red cursive letter, Blade Runner, and David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” are a part of his origin. Like many artists, light is a beacon, a place to return to, or something to reveal the darkness we can cannot bear look at. His work expands on themes that include early memories of alienation, subconscious violence, and systemic addiction through the use of digital culture motifs. Dylan is the Creative Director at Western Neon, and the Western Neon School of Art, which just opened this year. Offering classes to the public to explore the process of neon for artists, hobbyist, and students. Dylan will talk about his role at Western Neon, Challenges that come with Neon, Classes and future of Western Neon School of Art. Dylan and I were introduced through Dani Kaes, who is a Neon Apprentice at Western Neon. Though we officially connected through Instagram, we have briefly crossed paths while she was staff and I was a student during Summer workshop at Pilchuck Glass School, the origin of my interest in Plasma and Neon. So I’d like to thank Dani for connecting us, and perhaps we’ll have her on a future podcast. Intro Music: Boost by Jakim Karud www.joakimkarud.com https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Outro Music: Re-Entry by Lapse https://soundcloud.com/lapse Check www.taminglightning.net for the full post! Thank You for listening to the Taming Lightning Podcast. I’d like to thank Dani Kaes for connecting me with Dylan Neuwirth and Western Neon, and Dylan for taking the time to be on the podcast. While we did touch up on his work, I highly recommend going to his website and looking through his work and writings. I hope to have him on the podcast again to discuss a few things that I’ve been thinking about since the initial recording. Also, I’d like to thank Pittsburgh Glass Center for supporting me as a place of research and inspiration, as well as encouraging me to pursue this project, and the Plasma Art Alliance where I have access to the well of knowledge, and connects me to some amazing people. Keep an eye out for more classes at Pittsburgh Glass Center as we work to provide a space for learning neon and plasma. See you Next Time! Percy Echols II Taming Lightning ⚡
In today’s Podcast we’ll be talking with Kiki Jewell. Kiki is a software engineer who has been captivated by light since she was a young girl and yet found herself creating as a metal sculptor and 3D graphic artist while making light sculptures through the use of EL wire, fire, and of course Neon and Plasma. Introduced to Neon in 1992, she’s educated herself through classes she’s taken at Crucible in Oakland, California, Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, as well as learning from prominent artists such as Bruce Suba and Ed Kirshner. She is one of the founding members of BANG! Studio the Bay Area Neon Group which a small studio for those interested in learning and working in neon. After starting a family, Kiki is just getting back into making her plasma work, and will be sharing with us about what she does, and how she found herself working in Neon. I’ve enjoyed talking with her as she is rich with energy and knowledge, and I’m excited to talk with her again about her future projects and ideas. Intro Music: Boost by Jakim Karud www.joakimkarud.com https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Outro Music: Re-Entry by Lapse https://soundcloud.com/lapse Check www.taminglightning.net for the full post! Thank You for listening to the Taming Lightning Podcast. I’d like to thank Kiki Jewell for taking the time to talk with us after a long day, scheduling these podcast can be challenging, especially when we are several time zones away, and I’m excited to continue talking about her ideas and new projects. Also, I’d like to thank Pittsburgh Glass Center for supporting me as a place of research and inspiration, as well as encouraging me to pursue this project, as well as the Plasma Art Alliance where I have access to the well of knowledge and connects me to some amazing people. Keep an eye out for more classes at Pittsburgh Glass Center as we work to provide a space for learning neon and plasma. See you Next Time! Percy Echols II Taming Lightning ⚡
In today’s podcast, I’d like to introduce a new segement called Speakable. Think of speakable as Audiobook for content be it articles or blog posts that relate to the Art, Science, or History of Neon and Plasma. This was largely inspired by my love for audio books, and the podcast Optimal Living Daily Podcast that is centered around narration of articles and blog posts, with given permissions. So I thought I’d give it a shot to help fill in the gaps when interviews and discussions are being scheduled. To be able to give life to content that I can bring to you. Let me know in the comments or by email your thoughts on continuing this, suggested material are welcome. In our first Speakable I’ll be reading “A Blaze of Crimson Light: The Story of Neon” by Jane E. Boyd and Joseph Rucker. An article relating to a brief history and science of neon in terms of it’s discovery, uses, and it’s associations with Sign making and advertising. Before I begin I want to talk about the organization behind the source material, The Chemical Heritage Foundation, which is a library, a center for scholars, a museum, and archive. They focus on matter and materials and their effects on our modern world. They collect, preserve, and exhibit historical artifacts; engage communities of scientists and engineers; and tell the stories of the people behind breakthroughs and innovations. Distillations is a blog, podcast, and magazine, centered around Science, Culture, and History, where you’ll find a diverse range of subjects such as science, Business, Technology, and Pop Culture. Please check it out at chemheritage.org in the link listed in the blog post. Intro Music: Boost by Joakim Karud www.joakimkarud.com https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Outro Music: Re-Entry by Lapse https://soundcloud.com/lapse Check www.taminglightning.net for the full post! Thank You for listening to the Taming Lightning Podcast. I hope you enjoyed the first segment of Speakable. If you find something interesting that you would like to have narrated, please send me an email or fb message at Taming Lightning. I’d like to thank Michal Meyer, the Editor in Chief of Distillations at Chemical Heritage Foundation for permission to narrate their article from their Magazine. Also I’d like to thank Pittsburgh Glass Center for supporting me as well as encouraging me to pursue this project, as well as the Plasma Art Alliance where I have access to the well of knowledge, and connects to some amazing people. Keep an eye out for next summer’s classes at Pittsburgh Glass Center as we work to provide a space for learning neon and plasma. If you like to support this, simply go to percyechols.com and look for the tab “Taming Lighting” or by typing in taminglightning.net, and click subscribe, later there will probably be other options in the future, but for now like, share, comment, and subscribe. See you next time
In today’s podcast we’ll be talking with James Akers a Neon Sculptor and self-proclaimed Waver and Hacker Artist. James is an artist, educator, and mad scientist who has a explosive approach to making. Graduating from Alfred University with a BFA in 2015, he is constantly thriving for change, and fascinated by waves of all kinds: sound, light, electricity, he is synthesizing a new mindset: The “Hacker Artist.” James Akers has shown his work internationally, been the recipient of public art commissions and has received numerous awards and grants for his practice. Up until his recent move to Arlington, Texas with his lady Ali Feeney who is pursuing her MFA at UTA, he was teaching neon at the Chrysler Museum of Art, and head processor at Riehl Deal Neon. Currently, pursuing new work and new possibilities in Neon and Plasma. Known for packaging ideas on art and life by creating a series of highly exhibitable electric sculptures. We’ll look into his transition from ceramics, to glass, and by extension Neon, his unique approach to using neon tube bending with found objects and video installations, and defining what a waver and hacker artist is. Image: Emoticon Hieroglyphs by James Akers', who will be one of our future guest on the podcast. Intro Music: Boost by Jakim Karud www.joakimkarud.com https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Outro Music: Re-Entry by Lapse https://soundcloud.com/lapse Check www.taminglightning.net for the full post! Thank You for listening to the Taming Lightning Podcast. We have many more guest to come, with future guests returning to expand on questions, practices, and a variety of subjects. I’d like to thank Pittsburgh Glass Center for supporting me as well as encouraging me to pursue this project, and The Plasma Art Alliance, whom many of my guests are connected through. Keep an eye out for next summer’s classes at Pittsburgh Glass Center as we work to provide a space for learning neon and plasma. Also, I’d like to thank James for taking the time to be a guest on the podcast, especially in the midst of his travels, and seltting in at Arlington, Texax. I wish him the best in his job search, and excited for what he makes next! Feel free to send your questions to this email, share, and comment! Thank you, Percy Echols II Sorcerer Apprentice ⚡
By suspending creatures in moments of tension and recalling the myths and legends with which they are associated, Shelley Muzylowski Allen reminds us that nature is precious and in many ways fleeting. From the red gazelle to Asian and African elephants, some of her subjects face extinction or have been forever lost in the tides of time, taking with them some of humanity’s finest qualities. Relying upon her background as a painter and an understanding of anatomy, Muzylowski Allen creates impressionistic or contemplative expressions and vignettes. In combination with sumptuous coloring and the acid etched surfaces of glass, her forms inspire a remarkable and powerful influence on human feeling. Born in Manitoba, Canada, Muzylowski Allen never considered working with glass until a co-worker remarked that her paintings would translate well to three dimensions. After taking a course at Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, Washington, it quickly became evident that the artist had found in hot glass the perfect material for her painterly approach. Her textures, patterns, and gesture of brushwork enrich strong, three-dimensional forms. Muzylowski Allen worked with the William Morris sculpture team in Washington State as a glass sculpting assistant from 1998 through 2004. In 2005, she established a glass and sculpture studio with her husband, artist Rik Allen, at their property in Skagit County, Washington. The couple has taught internationally at the Toyama Institute of Glass in Japan; Nuutajarvii Lasikyla, Finland; and the International Glass Festival in Stourbridge, England, as well as in the US at the Penland School of Craft; Pittsburgh Glass Center; and at Pilchuck. Muzylowski Allen has been awarded Provincial and Canada Council grants. Her work is held nationally and internationally in public institutions and private collections. In 2008, she had a solo exhibition at the Museum of Northwest Art in La Conner, Washington, Modern Menagerie. Other selected shows include The San Juan Museum of Art, northwest Washington; Blue Rain Gallery, Santa Fe and Scottsdale; Habatat Galleries, Michigan; Traver Gallery, Seattle; and Schantz Galleries, Massachusetts. In 2012, Muzylowski Allen was a guest artist at Studio Salvadore in Murano, Italy, where she collaborated with artist Davide Salvadore on a series of large-scale sculptures. Whether living things such as the beloved and revered horse or creatures associated with magic and mythology such as the unicorn, Muzylowski Allen renders her menagerie in states of grace, repose, or movement. They are transitory, by their choice or by ours. These archetypal symbols reflect not only the artist’s insights and experiences but inspire a deeply emotional connection for the viewer.
In today's podcast, we’ll be talking with Ashlin Williamson of Fourth State Glass. We'll hear about his journey in plasma, how he got into using neon gases, latest projects, and his involvement in The Plasma Art Alliance, an emerging organization of artist using plasma in their light sculptures. Ash and I met in 2014 when we took a plasma workshop with Pat Collentine at Pilchuck Glass School. Since then we've kept contact sharing and exchanging ideas and latest projects. Image: Emoticon Hieroglyphs by James Akers', who will be one of our future guest on the podcast. Intro Music: Boost by Jakim Karud www.joakimkarud.com https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Outro Music: Re-Entry by Lapse https://soundcloud.com/lapse Check www.taminglightning.net for the full post! Thank You for listening to the Taming Lightning Podcast. We have many more guests to come, with future guests returning to expand on questions, practices, and a variety of subjects. I’d like to thank Pittsburgh Glass Center for supporting me as well as encouraging me to pursue this project, and The Plasma Art Alliance, whom many of my guests are connected through.Keep an eye out for next summer’s classes at Pittsburgh Glass Center as we work to provide a space for learning neon and plasma.Also, I’d like to thank Ash for being a big part of my first steps in my plasma journey. As it was his help that allowed me to apply plasma light to my graduating exhibition at Illinois State University. Feel free to send your questions to this email, share, and comment! Thank you, Percy Echols II Sorcerer Apprentice ⚡
Finally, It's here, the first podcast episode of Taming Lightning! Thank You for your patience and your support. It was a lot of figuring out how I would like to the podcast to run, as well as recording, editing, and publishing! Image: Emoticon Hieroglyphs by James Akers' , who will be one of our future guest on the podcast. Intro Music: Boost by Jakim Karud www.joakimkarud.com https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud Outro Music: Re-Entry by Lapse https://soundcloud.com/lapse The intro is Boost by Jaokim Karud, selected by your votes and participation in the Intro music poll for Taming Lightning. Jaokim Swedish artist that love to produce chill and happy music, and does so for copyright free use. Be sure to support his music by crediting his use, subscribing, and or by donation. If you like what you hear, you can find him on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Spotify. In today’s podcast, we’ll be talking with Pat Collentine about the differences between traditional neon and plasma, as it relates to both art and lighting. Unfortunately, due to software issues we were not able to record the entire conversation, but today’s topic will be covered in full. Pat Collentine is a Glassblower and sign maker of Tesla Neon Studios in Chico, California, as well as an is an artist and educator experimenting in Plasma Neon. We met back in 2014 at Pilchuck Glass School, where I took his class called Interactive Light. It was my first introduction in what plasma is, and it spurned my interest in neon and doing it myself. In that process, he’s been a great friend and mentor. Check www.taminglightning.net for the full post! Thank you for listening to the first episode of Taming Lightening Podcast, we have many more guest to come, and some returning to expand on questions and practices of variety of subjects. I like to thank Pittsburgh Glass Center for supporting me as well as encouraging me to pursue this project. We have just begun, but have already gathered interest in hosting instructors for the next summer classes. Also, I’d like to thank Pat Collentine for his time and his mentorship, as well as the Plasma Art Alliance whom many of my guests are connected through. Feel free to send your questions to this email, share, and comment! Thank you, Percy Echols II Sorcerer Apprentice Sign Up below for Updates and Notifications! * indicates required Email Address * Full Name
Robert Mickelsen’s second act in glass not only pays homage to his early career in flameworking, but couldn’t have happened without it. The artist gracefully transitioned from sculptural to functional glass, promoting his artwork to an entirely new fan base and resulting in the most successful years of his career. Born in 1951 in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Mickelsen apprenticed with a professional lampworker for two years in the mid ‘70s, then sold his own designs at outdoor craft fairs for 10 years. In 1987 he took a class from Paul Stankard that opened his eyes to the possibilities of his medium. Mickelsen stopped doing craft shows in 1989 and began marketing his work through fine galleries and exhibitions in high profile shows nationwide. His work can be found in many prominent collections including the Renwick Gallery of American Crafts at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.; the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning New York; and The Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo Ohio. Beginning in the mid 1990s, Mickelsen taught flameworking at major glass schools including the Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood Washington; Penland School of Crafts, Bakersville, North Carolina; and The Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York. He has published numerous technical and historical articles on flameworked glass and served for six years on the board of directors of the Glass Art Society as treasurer and vice-president. June 19 - 23, 2017, Mickelsen will co teach with Jared Betty the first flameworking workshop at Pratt Fine Arts in Seattle, Washington, to include pipe making as part of the curriculum. From July 17 – 21, 2017 Mickelsen returns for his ninth year in a row to Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to teach the creation of organic forms made from bubbles of borosilicate glass. He also teaches private workshops at his home studio in Ocala, Florida.
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