an after-party on Thursday, September 2 that’s open to the public. The event will include glass blowing demonstrations, artists’ showings and a collaboration with Graphite Design. Gathered Glassblowing Studio is located at 23 N. Huron St. For information, visit www.gatheredglass.com.. Adam Goldberg sitting at the bench helping a customer make a glass teaching glass working techniques. “They really started the American studio glass movement and made it accessible for people like me. Things started to explode in the ‘80s and ‘90s, when a lot of people like Dale Chihuly came into it. He made glass approachable for the common person, and made it not just a functional material. You think of light bulbs and beer bottles, but it also has an artistic value to it. I think because of Chihuly’s success we were able to start a studio and be successful,” Stevens said. It was watching Chihuly videos that enticed Stevens into the art at age 17. “I saw artists and teams working together, slinging big glass around…it was incredible to watch,” Stevens said. So he signed up for a class at a community arts center in Indiana. Goldberg wasn’t really interested in art until began taking classes with Robin Schultes at TMA. “Robin was an incredible teacher. She used to tell us to just pretend like we knew what we were doing,” Goldberg said. “That advice has stuck with me and it’s really how our studiocame about.” The two artists met at Bowling Green State University, where they were taking glass classes. They became blow partners immediately and spent the next four years working together. “I really got to know and love the medium of glass while I was in BGSU from 20072011,” Goldberg said. “I received my BFA, and during my senior year my grandfather, Fred Okun, offered to lend my good friends (Eli Lipman and Mike Stevens) and me a space on Huron Street to have a gallery and studio during the 2012 Glass Art Society InternationSten Neuber holding her glass piece up for the woman and her daughter to see. Page11 al Conference. One thing led to another, and the three of us decided to just keep the studio going. We’ve been ‘pretending like we know what we’re doing’ ever since.” While Eli moved away, Stevens and Goldberg remained and have seen the transformation of not just the studio, but of downtown. Back then, the area was just the MudHens, a few restaurants and some residents who kept to them-selves. “I felt like I could walk down the middle of the street. As the years have gone by it feels like a little community around us. Businesses are sticking around,” Stevens said. “And when ProMedica came down here, they brought more people down here.” As the downtown began thriving, so did Gathered Glass, adding a gallery space upstairs for shows, increasing the number of demonstrations and reach-ing out globally for commission work and installations. During Mud Hens games and other major events, the studio remains open for crowds to visit the gallery and hot shop, which is easily notable because of its bright blue façade. The next show is in August and September for the Solheim Cup, including
12 Publizr Home