Complete Artist Bio and artwork images coming soon…

Started working in glass in 1969 at the California College of Arts and Crafts (now CCA) in Oakland, CA.
www.rstrong.com

Randy Strong – artist and designer in hot glass for 40 years, has worked continuously throughout his career producing innovative designs in glass that continually influence the ever changing and growing community of studio glass artists.

Randy is one of a handful of the early pioneering American Glass Artists to help define American Studio Art Glass.  Before he was to enter the world of glass however, he began his broad education in the arts by working in and collecting photography.  In the late 60’s he was working as an events photographer for the Oakland Tribune, and for a brief period, was privileged to work with and learn from photographer Ansel Adams.  His first taste of working in glass came in 1969 at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California where he began by studying ceramics and was fortunate to have as his mentor, the renowned ceramicist, Peter Voulkos.  Upon graduation in 1970 he received one of the first scholarships to the University of Art in Osaka, Japan as one of the first exchange students between the Universities of Calif., Calif. College of Arts and Crafts, and Osaka, Japan.  That grounding in ceramics led him into the largely unknown frontier of studio art glass.  In 1970, he was with Dale Chihuly when Dale and the Haubergs selected the location for the now renowned Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle, Washington – and the journey into that frontier was well underway.

Many of today’s successful working glass artists are either former students, or have worked with or for him at one time.  His work, ranging from his distinctive crystal and gold goblets and his ground-breaking work with dichroic glass, to his imposing cast sculptures, and now his seemingly gravity defying, color saturated, multi-piece sculptures, have been acquired by collectors internationally and are a part of collections ranging from The Corning Museum in New York, to the Louvre in Paris.

Randy’s work through the last four decades has been characterized by the use of difficult, defining techniques, materials, colors and forms. His newest sculptural work again breaks new ground by challenging the concept of solid form in glass by further expressing its personality in lightness and movement.

It is said that the artist’s heart and passion is reflected in their work.  His new work does just that.

In 1970, he established his own studio and gallery in Northern California, where he continues to create, design and teach.

“Desert Cactus”
Randy Strong
2012
Glass
17.5″ x 18″ x 29″

“Blue Orchid’
Randy Strong
2012
Glass
12″ x 12″ x 25″

Ruth Tamura graduated with a MA from CCAC (now CCA) in 1969.  She was the first person at CCA to receive a MA in glass. In 1971, Ruth with Dale Chihuly, co-founded the Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington. She taught at the summer programs there in 1971 and 1972.  Ruth received a Rockefeller Fellowship from the de Young Museum 1974. The program trained professionals in the field of museum work who have either curatorial or community-bases interests.  After this fellowship, Ruth worked at the SF Airport Museum.  This began her move from art studio work to museum and community programming.

While pursuing her MA from CCAC 1967-68, Ruth worked as a technical Teaching Assistant (TA) in the CCAC glass studio, teaching first time students.  When Marvin Lipofsky went on sabbatical, Ruth Tamura was the acting head of the Glass Program, teaching all the CCAC glass classes while he was away.  During that period, Ruth developed and proposed the CCA graduate glass degree curriculum that was later adopted.  A version of this curriculum is still used today.  Ruth Left CCA upon Marvin Lipofsky’s return.

For more information about the founding of Pilchuck, see the following publication:
American Studio Glass: 1960-1990
Martha Drexler Lynn (Aug 12, 2004)
Hudson Hills,  2004
ISBN-10: 1555952399
ASIN: B005M4S0B0

Started working in glass in 1983 in San Francisco, CA.
www.danazed.com
www.bikingacrosstheusa.com
www.betweenstops.wordpress.com

Dana Zed has been exhibiting her art nationally and internationally for 3 decades. Zed is in the permanent collections of The Corning Museum of Glass in NY and The Oakland Museum. She has recently been an artist in residence at The de Young Museum and  has completed a permanent San Francisco Arts Commission for the SF Public Library. In addition, Zed has designed and fabricated numerous  private architectural glass commissions and owns and operates studios in both Oakland and San Francisco. Dana teaches Ceramics to youth in Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco and teaches workshops at The Esalen Institute in Big Sur.  Zed also maintains two blogs, both of which are under consideration for publication.

“Porthole to another Place”
Dana Zed
2011
Copper infused glass
16″ x 12″ x 7″

“Secret”
Dana Zed
2011
Copper fused glass with mixed media
8″ x 6″ x 6″

Started working in glass in 2001 in Oakland, CA.
www.jplongart.com

JP Long’s sculpture elaborates the dynamic fluidity and rigidity of the opposing materials, glass and steel. Form, mass, and implied movement are the three fundamental themes inhabiting his work. Based upon natural tensions between opposing harmonies, Long elegantly contemplates the capacities of steel and glass, both technically and conceptually.

“Edge 10”
JP Long
2007
Blown Glass and Steel
81” x 31” x 16”

“Angle 2”
JP Long
2008
Lamp worked glass and steel
30” x 20” x 9”

Started working in glass in 2004 in San Francisco, CA.
www.sculpturebydemetra.com

Demetra first entered glass through lampworking, creating glass beads.  She was immediately fascinated, and began working in furnace glass with Dean Bensen as well.  That gave rise to the desire to create large scale sculpture on the torch.  In the fall of 2006, she had the opportunity to explore this, through a short lampworking apprenticeship.  In doing so, she was introduced to borosilicate glass as a material well suited to creating glass sculpture behind the torch.

In 2007, she could see a convergence between the things Dean was teaching her about traditional blown glass, and the techniques she could utilize while flameworking.   As a result, she switched focus from beadmaking to flameworked glass sculpture.  She built upon her foundation in glass, and is self-taught in developing the techniques needed to create her nests, flowers, and branches.   In 2010 she was juried into the prestigious Higuchi class at Corning, learning the ancient technique of Pate de Verre.  She has since pioneered an approach for casting pate de verre components and attaching them to flameworked sculpture.  In addition, she took two classes with Michael Janis on bas relief casting and the sgraffito technique.  She has received national recognition for her glass nest and flora sculpture and is included in many private collections.  She has also exhibited nationally, including at the S.F. Museum of Craft + Design, a solo exhibition at Vetri in Seattle, and at the 2012 National Liberty Museum “Liberty in Bloom” show.  Her diverse background is now reflected in her work, which is no longer just flameworking, but encorporates other disciplines in glass as well.

She operates a private flameworking studio in San Francisco, CA where she continues to develop her signature work.   She is also an educator, and Board Member of the Glass Alliance of Northern California.

“Yesterday’s Reflection”
Demetra Theofanous
2010
Flameworked Glass, Blown, Hot Sculpted, Sandblasted
10 ¾” x 7 ½” x 13 ¼”

“Intertwined II”
Demetra Theofanous
2012
Flameworked, Blown, Hot Sculpted, Sandblasted
18” x 18” x 5”

www.adamschittenden.com

We started-up in West Berkeley as Adams & Chittenden Scientific Glass in the fall of 1993. In the winter of 1997 we moved to our new, expanded facility. Our location in the San Francisco Bay Area has brought us into contact with a wide variety of glass users and we’ve benefited from the diversity of work being done here. We have been accumulating glassblowers and equipment, and are constantly learning about new applications for glass and better ways to serve our customers.

Tom Adams (on the left) graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in Physics. Tom began scientific glassblowing in 1971 at R & D Glass in Berkeley, eventually becoming production manager. He has long experience in design and fabrication of all varieties of scientific and laboratory glassware. He lives with his two kids, a dog, and sea kayaks in Richmond. He enjoys folk dancing and paddles his kayak on the San Francisco Bay and environs (check out Bay Area Sea Kayakers).

George Chittenden (on the right) graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Art, specializing in ceramics and glass. He apprenticed in scientific glassblowing for four years with Willy Van Bragt at Selectro Scientific Glass in Sunnyvale. In 1984 he moved to R & D Glass, where he worked until mid-1993 as a primary glassblower in all facets of custom and production glass fabrication. He combines his love of glass with a lifelong pursuit of music. He is also responsible for most of the photography on this site.
EEFC Eastern European Folklife Center
Edessa high-energy music from the Balkans
Ziyia traditional Greek music ensemble
Ashkenaz world music community center in Berkeley,
Lise Liepman shameless plug for my wife!

We are proud to appear in “Made in Berkeley”, a short film about industry and vision. Action footage includes bread makers, welders, and harpsichord building, in addition to ~6 seconds of (exciting!) scientific glassblowing; and that is just from our block!! Bravo to the filmmakers for a well made film, and making the important argument for diversity in an urban environment.

We are supporting members and participants in WEBAIC, the West Berkeley Artisans and Industrial Companies, who continue the effort to maintain a sustainable urban environment in West Berkeley – a place for all of us to thrive.

We were recently featured in Scientific America’s blog “Symbiartic -The art of science and the science of art.”

And for a historical perspective, an article from the 1918 New York Times is fun to note.

We are also proud to be re-certified as participants in the Bay Area Green Business Program.

Have been working in glass since 1975 in Oakland, CA.
www.kerseyglass.com

Kerseys have been creating glass commissions for 38 years. They are best known for Steve’s deep detailed carving, which includes glue chipping, polishing and other cold working techniques.  Mary creates large fused and slumped glass works such as her 3″ thick, 900 lb. coffee table and 48″ dia. light chandeliers, as well as a 1500lb sculpture for Aleah Kouri, an internationally known water color and metal artist.

Like many glass artists, their clients have been celebrities, including a President of the United States and the Royal Family of England, as well as National Parks such as Yellowstone, one of their favorite commissions.  Producing commissions and exploring the glass medium has become a six and a half day week passion for both. They have produced their own art work successfully yet keep getting drawn back into doing commission work, as they seem to also be chronic problem solvers.

“Gilroy House”
Stephen and Mary Kersery
2005
Sandcarved, glue chipped and polished glass for entryway
56″ x 84″

“Sarah’s Eyes”
Mary Kersery
2010
Fused glass with iron oxide imagery and colored powders
10 1/2″ h x 7 3/4″ w x 1 1/4″ thick