Started working in glass in 1964 in Boston, MA.  Has been working in glass in California for 44 years.
www.petermollica.com

I was born in Newton, MA in 1941. In 1964, I apprenticed to Chris Rufo in Somerville, MA to learn all aspects of stained glass craft. We made windows , mostly for churches in traditional Gothic style. We occasionally made “modern” windows which meant in Mondrian style. Bored with cutting and glazing these styles, I started looking around for more interesting possibilities. In 1965, I found a book by Robert Sowers which opened my eyes to windows made in Germany since the end of the war. I knew then that I had to learn to design. In 1968 I left Massachusetts and moved to Berkeley where I opened a studio to make windows for homes and free-hanging panels for myself.

In 1979, I moved my studio to my garage in Oakland. In 1988, I was commissioned to fabricate two large clerestory windows, designed by Rowan LeCompte for the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.. I needed a bigger studio so I moved to the studio I still have in Oakland where I continue to make windows for libraries, churches, a synagogue, homes and free-hanging panels for myself and a handful of faithful collectors.

“Catherine of Siena Chapel”
Peter Mollica”
2000
Traditional stained glass techniques using hand-blown glass from Fremont Antique Glass Co.
H 8′-6″ x W 2′-9″

“Untitled 1”
Peter Mollica
1993
Traditional stained glass techniques using hand-blown “Antique” glass & machine made “fluted” glass
H 19″ x W 26″

Started working in glass in Los Angeles in 1979.
www.nicholsonblownglass.com

Rick and Janet Nickolson have worked together as a successful team since 1979.  Rick first studied glass with Don Hartman and the University of Southern California and was a TA at Pilchuck Glass School for Dale Chihuly and Fritz Dreisbach in 1981.  He has continued to study with such notables as Therman Statom, Richard Marquis, Dino Rosin, Lucartha Kohler, Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen and Jasen Johnsen.

“Shorebird”
Janet and Jack Nickolson
2012
freehand blown and hot sculpted glass, hand forged steel
12″x5″x8″

“Red Rock Point”
Janet and Jack Nicholson
2012
freehand blown glass wall installation
61″x8″x48″

Started working in glass in 2011 in Oakland, CA.
www.danielstauber.com 

I’m a newcomer to glass. My first casting and fusing classes began in January 2011. I studied with Warren, Janet Hiebert, and Mary White. They showed me a range of possibilities of working with glass. Glass is an amazing media. The potential seems limitless.

Art was not a part of my youth. Music was my first art form that I began exploring when I was 20. My mentors were anonymous and I decided to adopt their Theory of Obscurity whose primary axiom is that art is done for oneself with a minimum of external input. The artist reaches deeper inside their self for inspiration rather than look outward. I remained anonymous. It worked. But I wanted more.

After a stint in academia, I approached computer art but soon felt disassociated from it. It is virtual and not tactile enough. I began taking basic art classes at local community colleges and settled in on painting for a while. My West Oakland environment presented me with other media and my continual desire for something new resulted in creating metal sculpture. This led me to The Crucible. Finding metal somewhat burdensome, I began taking glass casting and fusing classes in January 2011. Despite the long history of glass, I am amazed by the incredible artwork of today’s glass artists. However, I now spend an equal amount of time with clay. What comes next?

“Cell #1”
Daniel Stauber
2011
glass, fusing & slumping; metal
Glass 11.5” X 11.5” X 1”, w/ stand 13” X 23” X 7” (w X h X d)

“Flow Fuse #3”
Daniel Stauber
2012
glass, pattern bar flow fusing
7” X 7”

Started working in glass in 1983 in the San Francisco Bay Area.
www.lightspann.com 

Christina Spann graduated with Fine Arts Degrees in painting/printmaking but turned in a new direction, toward the glass arts, in the early 80’s while still painting. “After producing architectural glass for arts and health care projects, I became interested in 3-dimensional glass and turned toward lighting.” Her company, “Lightspann” became her passion for the next 22 years. She has spoken, traveled, and designed for communities nationwide. Lightspann has showrooms and representatives all around the country.  Christina is the artist/designer, designing and producing hundreds of fixtures. With her team of glass and metal artisans, she provides lighting solutions to commercial, hospitality and residential clients. Her fixtures are created using blown glass, fused glass, and artisan crafted metal resulting in unique pieces of luminous art.

“Bamboo Wall Sconce”
Christina Spann
2010
German Shott Glass,flame torched with tooled metal
30” h x 4” w”

“Clark Chandelier/New York”
Christina Spann
2011
Slumped and Fused Art Glass with blown glass accents
30” x 10” x 42”

Started working in glass in 1979 at Milligan Art Glass.  Bruce has been working in glass in California for 33 years.
www.subaneon.com

Started in 1979 doing stained glass. Then I worked with David Ruth making hand rolled sheets of stained glass. While there, I learned off hand glassblowing.  Met John Rossier who taught me the art of neon signs. Took glasses from him for one year.  Ended up buying all of his neon equipment and set it up at Bonny Doon Art Glass studio owned by John Forbes. Worked with John Forbes till 2010. My neon shop is now at my house and I have all the toys to make neon, scientific glass work, plasma lamps, crackle tubes & wireless neon art. I also worked for Zephyr Studios, Kim Newcomb’s & Lundberg Studios. Got into scientific glass blowing in my early times. Made lasers, cathode ray tubes, quartz laser flash lamps, quartz metal halide lamps & x-ray tubes. I have been the chairman for the Pacific Northwest chapter of the American Scientific Glassblowers Society for 16 years, organizing meetings at fellow glassblowers’ shops to share the art of scientific glassblowing. Check my web site www.subaneon.com & look me up on Facebook.

“Blue Dot”
Bruce Suba
2010
Cobalt Blue Tubing and Neon Gas with Walnut Base
10x10x32

Complete Artist Bio and artwork images coming soon…

Has worked in glass for over 40 years.

www.lightandglass.us

Penelope has completed over 165 glass commissions placed in corporate, institutional, public and private spaces.  She atarted out in stained glass and switched to 3-D work after Pilchuck course in 1986.  From slumping,  she moved to creating landscapes incorporating non-glass materials and lighting as well as glass. She is now casting glass. She was an Artist-in Residence at Sanitary Fill (now Recology) (1995), panelist on Use of Recycled Glass at GAS Conference in Seto, JP (1998),  recieved a Cash Award from California EPA for Kiln Processes Using Recycled Glass (2006), and was a finalist: Raphael Founder’s Prize (Glass), Society for Contemporary  Craft, Pittsburgh, PA 2007.

“The World Beneath My Feet”
Penelope Starr
2012

“Elegy for a Silent Mill”
Penelope Starr
2011

Started working in glass in 1978 in  Albinas Elskus Studio , New York, NY.  Has worked in glass in California for 34 years.
www.reddylieb.com

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”  Thomas Merton

My work is part of a process that articulates a connection to something greater than myself and through various materials brings that into consciousness. I am a San Francisco based artist who has been working with glass, in its myriad forms, for over 30 years. I have also created installations using glass, grass and earth. Many of my pieces express a strong connection to the earth and the need to be mindful of that. I have been working with recycled materials for many years. In 2000, I was awarded a residency at the Sanitary Fill Company, aka the garbage dump. There I put together a body of work that allowed me to go to graduate school to continue my explorations in glass. I received my MFA from CCA in 2004.  In 2005, I was awarded a commission, in collaboration with Linda Raynsford for the Glen Park Public Library. Together, we created a glass and metal sculpture on an 8.5’ x 24’ entry wall. This sculptural wall relief told the story of the park and the people that helped shape it. Since then I have worked on several other public art commissions for hospitals throughout California and continue to create autonomous pieces as well. I teach glass classes in my studio and love inspiring the creative process in people.

“Renovation”
Reddy Lieb
2011
Fused glass with photographic imagery and enamels
20” X 20”

“Demolition”
Reddy Lieb
2011
Fused glass with photographic imagery and enamels
24” X 20”X 1.5”

Complete Artist Bio and artwork images coming soon…