Adam Thomas, visiting artist, demonstrates his glass blowing technique on Saturday morning at the Art Annex. The Glass Blowout raised $7,500 during the auction. Yiqing Fu/The Bulletin
The Glass Guild hosted their annual Glass Blow Out Saturday, featuring a guest artist, an art auction and barbecue.
For most of the day, visiting artist Jeff Mack gave a live glass blowing demonstration. Mack is originally from Toledo, Ohio, and taught intermediate and advanced glass blowing classes at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Mich. for three years, and is currently employed as the manager of the Glass Studio and Pavilion at Toledo Museum of Art.
“The Glass Blow Out auction has been going on for a long time,” said April Lemon, sophomore glass major. “It’s a great way to expand our craft, and it brings in money for the glass department.”
Christa Westbrook, senior glass major, said people come from all over the state for the event and that it draws a bigger crowd every year.
The Glass Guild received donations from Mack and other visiting artists such as Jason Johnsen, Rollin and Patti Karg of Karg Art Glass, Jenny Pohlman, Sabrina Knowles and Jason Fork. Faculty members Patrick Martin and Roberta Eichenberg also made pieces to donate to the auction.
“We get a lot of donations every year from a lot of artists,” Lemon said. “We get donations from students, alumni, faculty, local glass artists and visiting artists we’ve had in the past.”
ESU Glass Guild members are required to donate at least one piece to the Glass Blow Out every year. Westbrook said upper-classmen usually donate two or three.
“Most of the glass at the auction was donated by visiting artists,” Westbrook said, “but we have many donations from students.”
The proceeds from the glass auction will be used for maintenance of current equipment and to purchase a new furnace for the glass department.
“A furnace is the most expensive item the glass department could purchase,” Westbrook said.
Martin said about 100 people attended the Glass Blowout and the event raised about $7,500 in the auction, $800 more than last year.
Joe Sircoulomb, junior glass major, donated three pieces to the auction, two of which were made using a classical technique.
“I made all three of those pieces for this auction within the last three weeks,” Sircoulomb said. “The ‘Bumpy Goblet’ was inspired by glass artist Dave Walters. The other two were made using a classical Italian glass making technique.”
Steve Edwards