Connections
I’ve always admired spiders. A web is a complex piece of architecture, and they are born knowing how to make, maintain, and dine from one. They sense every movement on every strand, and can distinguish the fluttering of a frantic fly from the trembling of a steady breeze.
To build and maintain a web of connections is central to growing the studio. Although sometimes it’s hard to distinguish nourishment from distractions, I follow the many tugs on my web because they usually lead to something good.
The urge to grow this network began with my first visit to the studio, the first time I met Charlie, in June 2018. When he told me that he probably would not use the studio again, I asked what he wanted the studio to become.
He said that maybe the studio could be shared by glass artists, like members of the Atlanta Glass Art Guild. Maybe the studio could use a cooperative model, like Mudfire Pottery and Atlanta Hot Glass next door.
So I began working on those connections, and each one led to another.
The owners of Atlanta Hot Glass made the time to talk to me even when they were closing down, and gave me tips on the ins and outs of the business. They referred Nell Ruby to me.
Nell is the chair of the art department at Agnes Scott College, and was looking for a way to make glass houses for an art installation. I’ve been working with her ever since. The connections and rewards from knowing Nell are so myriad and far-reaching that they will need a whole newsletter to tell you about them. (Anna Carnes, the Agnes Scott Curatorial & Collections Fellow who created the catalog of Charlie’s art in December, took the wonderful photo at the top of this newsletter; Nell took the photo above of my landscape piece, “Uncharted Territory.”)
I joined the Atlanta Glass Art Guild, as well as the Women’s Caucus for Art / Georgia. Through them I have found instructors and ideas for workshops, avid students, places to exhibit glass, and most importantly, personal support. The guild will hold its May meeting at the studio, and WCAGA members will get a special tour this summer or fall.
(The piece below, “Entering the Glacier” is made of salvaged tabletops that I cut up and cast. It’s part of a WCAGA show that runs through March 30 at GSU Perimeter in Clarkston, “One Earth, One Chance” – 100+ artists show their work on global warming.)
One of the first professional glass artists I met in Atlanta was Lori Schinelli, a long-time member of the Guild. She knew Charlie a little, and helped me with studio set-up and the Open House last October. She introduced me to two other professional glass artists, and after several months, they came for a visit. Now they’re both planning to do workshops at the studio.
Back in November, on referral from the Guild, I introduced myself to Nate Nardi at Decatur Glassblowing. Two weeks ago, he referred a construction company to me – they needed a glass sconce to replace one they had broken. I got an order and a new connection.
When I needed to test a variety of molds to make the sconce, I asked Kelly Thames. She was my first glass instructor, at Spruill Center for the Arts in Dunwoody. Kelly has been an enthusiastic studio supporter, referring her students to our workshops, and she promptly loaned me a nice big mold. We’re planning a workshop especially for Spruill students in May.
This list is just a small sample. Family, friends, and co-workers – mine and Charlie’s – continue to support the studio with their ideas, contacts, and contributions. Together we are building what Charlie imagined.
His artwork, like the two pieces below, reminds me of these natural connections.
