Glassworks is pleased to announce the next show in the VONFIRE Gallery, “Ordered Chaos”, running August 1-30. The show features drawings by Skylar Smith and new works in response to Skylar’s drawings by Glassworks Artists: Chad Balster, Casey Hyland, Clair Raabe, and Jonathan Swanz.
A Louisville native, Skylar Smith received her Bachelor’s of Fine Art from Maryland Institute College of Art and earned her Masters in Fine Art from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. She has exhibited her work in Louisville, Chicago, and abroad, including shows in Delhi and Rajasthan, India. Smith has curated group and solo shows in Louisville and Chicago.
Says Smith of her latest collection, ‘This series explores the 'dance' of opposite poles- order/chaos, expansion/contraction, microscopic/macroscopic, etc. It is through this dialogue that dual forces can find a holistic rhythm; one that permeates and perpetuates all life.’
Accompanying Skylar’s new works will be works by Glassworks Artists:
Chad Balster: Chad was originally trained in Minneapolis in a small production studio while studying painting. He continued his studies in glasworking at the University of Wisconsin. He then helped construct White Pine Studio, a hot shop near Battle Lake, Minnesota under the tutelage of John Olesen. Chad moved to Louisville in 2003 to work at Glassworks, a collective hot shop with other artists and opportunities to blow glass. He is a demonstrating artist and an instructor for community classes at Glassworks. Most recently he headed up the engineering process of building a mobile glassblowing studio, (Juicy Lucy) for Glassworks, which runs on vegetable oil.
Casey Hyland: While earning his degree in architecture at Washington University in St. Louis, Casey studied glassblowing at the Pilchuck Institute in Seattle; The Appalachian Center for Craft in Tennessee; Penland in North Carolina; Corning in New York and Urban Glass in New York City. Additionally, he served as a teaching assistant for glass artist, David Levy.
Casey Hyland returned to Louisville in 2001 and opened his own studio, Hyland Glass, LLC. Hyland Glass, LLC now resides in Glassworks, Casey is co-owner and shop manger for the Glassworks/Hyland Glass hot shop at Glassworks.
Hyland specializes in contemporary hand blown glass, lighting design, corporate awards and architectural tiles. His work can be found in art galleries across the country, including Coral Gables, FL., San Diego, CA., San Francisco, CA. and New Orleans, LA. Additionally, he works with design companies in California, New York, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Clair Raabe
Clair Raabe is a self-taught glass carver and flame worker. Clair says of her work “my images are friends from my world of imagination. I am inspired by the ancient stories filled with larger-than-life heroes, mysteries and the challenges of following your dreams. I identify with the character that takes the “other” road and finds personal fulfillment. Glass is my medium, it is also my passion. I have followed the road of the creative soul and have found my heart’s song. It is reflected in every piece.”
Clair Raabe’s work is in the permanent collection of the Corning Museum of Glass, the White House collection, American craftsman and Queen Beatrice of the Netherlands, a gift from the people of Aruba.
Jonathan Swanz resides in Louisville, KY and is an influential member of the Louisville glass movement. He began working with glass at Centre College where he studied with international acclaimed glass artist, Stephen Powell. Since graduating in 2001, he has studied and worked in New York, Colorado, and throughout Europe. In Murano, Italy he apprenticed with Philip Baldwin and Monica Guggisburg. Jonathan returned to Louisville in 2005 with a commitment to maintaining his own studio and pursuing his own work, He is represented by the Hewett Gallery in Cincinnati, OH, the Riley Gallery in Cleveland, OH, and the Sandra Ainsley Gallery in Toronto, Canada. He has pieces in permanent collections of the Headley-Whitney Museum of Lexington, KY, and Jewish Hospital and Hilliard Lyons, both of Louisville, KY.
