Fire & Light Soirée Art Auction Items

Offspring IV

2009
cast bronze
8.5" x 5" x 5"

$3,500

BRUCE BEASLEY is one of the foremost sculptors on the West Coast. His interests in natural science and tec hnology inspire him to construct dynamic sculptures that simultaneously expand into and envelop space. He achieves this through the repetitive use of planar crystalline forms acting as building blocks for the complex structures. Bruce studied sculpture at the University of California at Berkeley. Throughout his career, he has experimented with and continues to explore various sculptural mediums ranging from cast aluminum to Lucite to bronze to granite to wood. He has had numerous solo exhibitions, participated in group shows, and is represented in museum collections throughout the United States and Europe. In 2005, the first retrospective exhibition of his work was held at the Oakland Museum of California.

brucebeasley.com

Neon Table

2010
wood, neon, acrylic
42" x 33" x 18"

$1,500

BENJAMIN NOAH BENET studies art and architecture at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. His passion for neon came about earlier this year when he discovered The Crucible. He finds that neon is a the perfect vehicle for his work in illuminated artwork. Also a musician, Benjamin tries to incorporate visual symphonies in his pieces.  He currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Stripe Vase

2010
glass

$550

JEFF BENROTH formed his Jeff Benroth Studio in 2002 after nine years as a glass blower and production manager for other glass studios in the Bay Area. His thorough knowledge of the custom glass production environment and experience in reconciling clients’ ideas with the material have made the studio a valuable resource for the design community in the Bay Area and nationally. Jeff’s interests in architecture and industrial design have honed his eye for integrating glass into larger systems and designs. Jeff received his BFA in Glass from the California College of the Arts; he has also attended workshops at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and the Pilchuck Glass School.

benroth.com

Fire Montage

2010
glass, steel, stering silver
19" length

$420

JAY BRIDGLAND was born in London and moved to the United States in 1983. In addition to owning Bridgland Studios, Jay teaches and heads the Glass Flameworking Department at The Crucible. His drive for perfection of technique and development of style takes him on an annual trek to the mecca of Italian art glass, the Venetian island of Murano, to work with classical Italian glass maestros. Jay’s passion for painting met his passion for glass in 1993 when he started flameworking borosilicate glass. The fusion between his love of color and the need to create form has driven him to expand the limits of glass flameworking over the past 15 years.

bridglandstudios.com

Steady Diet

2006
steel
45" x 12" x 4"

$1,000

BENJAMIN CARPENTERgrew up in New England building cardboard forts and various other contraptions with tools smuggled from his grandfather’s garage. He now spends most of his time metalsmithing and pursuing his other creative interests. Earning a BFA from the Maine College of Art in Jewelry Making led Ben to explore the possibilities of larger scale metalwork and sculpture. He has gained experience working with artists and craftspeople on both coasts of the United States. He now lives in San Francisco where he exhibits his work nationally, runs Backbone Metals, and teaches at
The Crucible.

backbonemetals.com

Six-Inch Bell

2010
cast bronze

$1,000

NICK DIPHILLIPO has channeled his interest in burning and melting things into relatively non-destructive activities. For almost 30 years he has worked as a professional metal caster in the areas of sandcasting and lost wax casting, with a focus on designing and building equipment used in the casting process. Nick also teaches and heads the Foundry Department at The Crucible.

Fire Flower

copper, fire

$300

CHARLES GADEKEN creates beautiful sculptures incorporating mixed metals and fire. His art is uniquely organic, using fire to enhance and complete the sculpture and engage his audience in a physical way. Charles is a founding member of the Flaming Lotus Girls and has helped the group create fiery art for the past eight years. He founded the Illumination Project, creating monumental kinetic sculptures for the opening of Treasure Island SF, The Santa Rosa Museum of Visual Art, Reno Art Town, and Burning Man. His art has been displayed at Burning Man, Robodock in Amsterdam, and the Big Day Out Festival in Australia. For the past six years he has designed and built custom fire art for individual collections. Recently he created a series of large-scale fire pits for the National Park Service that are now on display on Ocean Beach in San Francisco.

burningart.com

Solar Powered Flower

copper, glass, solar cells, electronics

$500

KEVIN GAUNA started Sunbrothers Studio in 1995 with a desire to create solar powered art. A young, newly graduated engineer, he was fascinated by solar cell technology and inspired by the marvels of a simple backyard garden. His subject matter includes analogs of sunflowers, vining sweet peas, roses, tulips, giant carrots, lilies...this list goes on. He is a self-taught sculptor and lists metalwork, glasswork, electronics design, and solar engineering among the many skills that his artwork and engineering endeavors have led him to develop.

sunbrothers.com

Vaso

2010
cast iron
5" x 4" x 5"

$300

CYNTHIA HANDEL is a sculptor who has been teaching cast metal for the past 20 years. She was assistant professor at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where she developed a full casting program including iron casting. She has taught at Sonoma State University, San Jose State University, and other colleges in the Bay Area. Currently she teaches at The Crucible and Contra Costa College. Her work combines cast elements with steel, wood, and other materials such as silk and beeswax. Her abstract forms are minimal, and each form is distilled down to the barest essentials. Her work is included in private collections and museums in the United States as well as Europe. Cynthia received her MFA from San Jose State University. She just returned from directing and dancing in a performance blending fire and cast iron at the 6th International Conference on Cast Iron Art in the United Kingdom.

A Collection of Candlesticks

2010
copper (hammered)

$1,400

A Wisconsinite by birth, metalsmith GREGG HESSEL works his magic on hammer forged copper in the San Rafael-based Hessel Studios, which produces over 60 different hammer forged copper candlestick designs. Each design has its own distinctive personality, and each is given a mythical or romantic name, like Callisto or Flirtation, which is engraved on the underside of the base. The polished surface can be maintained, though some prefer to keep the surface un-polished, so that over time it develops a rich warm color, reminiscent of a fine antique.

hesselstudios.com

Flamer

2009
recycled steel
18" x 18" x 8"

$400

KRISTEN HOARD'S journey with metal sculpture began in 1999, when she enrolled in her first class at The Crucible; she has been hooked ever since. Kristen regularly participates in art festivals throughout Northern California, and her work is often featured at local galleries. Recently inspired by her trips to Burning Man, Kristen has begun to explore sculptures that incorporate fire, flames, and neon lighting. She has also completed several large corporate sculpture pieces in metal that can be seen in office lobbies throughout the Bay Area.

kristenhoard.com

Untitled

2010
stainless steel, copper
4' x 6" x 6"

$1,200

RUSTY HOWSON is a San Francisco native. He has always had a strong interest and natural talent in the arts, which contrasts with his scientific acumen, with which he earned a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of California, San Francisco. This balance of art and science is a central element in Rusty’s life. After taking a welding class in 2003 at The Crucible, he was immediately captivated by the creative possibilities available in metalwork. His sculptures seek to capture the organic forms of nature with the permanence of metal. In addition to fine art pieces, Rusty also builds custom bicycle frames in titanium and steel, and teaches at The Crucible.

redoxdesign.com

Feast in Flames II

2010
fused and slumped glass

$550

After working in clay for a number of years, GABRIELLE KUZSEL discovered the bright hues and geometric possibilities of fused and slumped glass. Classes at The Crucible led her to explore form and color as a sophisticated sensory expression. Hard lines and defined boundaries are transformed by vibrancy and the interplay of opacity and translucency, surface texture and depth. Responding to a personal philosophy that art can make every day more extraordinary, Gabrielle designs tableware for serving, entertaining, displaying and enjoying.

Green and Orange Frit Bowl

2010
Black Cast Glass with Glass Frit
19" diameter

$2,500

As a graduate student in architecture at the University of California at Berkeley, JOHN LEWIS was introduced to blown glass by professor Marvin Lipofsky. He later founded the first private hot glass studio in California and then received his MA in design. John’s early work in blown glass led to an interest in glass casting, and with the help of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, he built an experimental facility to explore the possibilities of cast glass. At his state-of-the-art casting studio in Oakland, John designs and produces cast glass sculpture, tables, vessels, and site-specific architectural projects. He has completed numerous commissions for private and corporate clients and is represented by galleries internationally.

johnlewisglass.com

Knight of the Rueful Figure

bronze

$1,000

KIER LUGO creates art in both metal and glass, primarily foundry and glassblowing. As the son of an art teacher, he grew up taking art classes and working in a multitude of different art media. Kier’s early focus was in glass until he discovered the countless possibilities of metal and shifted to foundry and life sculpture. After relocating to the Bay Area, he received his BFA in Sculpture from San Francisco State University and started volunteering at The Crucible. He currently teaches Foundry and Glassblowing.

Pitcher

earthenware, slips, glazes

$235

ALLEGHANY MEADOWS is a studio potter in Carbondale, Colorado. He received his MFA from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University and his BA from Pitzer College. Alleghany apprenticed with Takashi Nakazato in Karatsu, Japan; received a Watson Foundation Fellowship for field study of potters in Nepal; and was an artist-in-residence at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, CO. He has presented lectures and workshops at venues across the country, including Penland School of Crafts, Archie Bray Foundation, Alfred University, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Arrowmont School Utilitarian Clay, and Anderson Ranch Arts Center. He exhibits nationally, and is the founder of Artstream Nomadic Gallery, co-founder of Harvey/Meadows Gallery, and co-founder of Studio for Arts and Work. He will have a two-person exhibition this November at Trax Gallery in Berkeley. This donation is from the artist and Trax Gallery, 1812 5th Street, Berkeley.

art-stream.com

traxgallery.com

Bed Head

2010
mild steel

$375

ROB NEHRING received his BFA from the University of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in Inter-arts, which included theatre, dance, and sculpture. After professionally dancing for 17 years and 18 years in the candy business, he dropped everything to take a class at The Crucible. Driven by the definition of sculpture as “something you back into when looking at a painting,” he strives to produce thought-provoking, yet whimsical work in three dimensions. An accomplished artist, Rob’s sculptures are in galleries and private collections throughout the United States. His sculptures are created from 99% recycled materials. Through found scrap materials, Rob lets the materials dictate what they will become. Rob runs Rusty Noodle Studios and also teaches and is the Adult Program Director at The Crucible.

rustynoodlestudios.com

Ruby Red Bowl

glass

$125

DAN REILLY is a glass artist, just opening his own glass shop in downtown Sonoma. His handblown glass lozenge-shaped light fixtures can be seen in the cafe at the Herzog & de Meuron-designed de Young Museum in San Francisco. Daniel has been involved with The Crucible since its founding.

Brick Red Amphora with Orange Design

2008
blown glass
8" x 4"

$220

Since 1997 ZACHARY RUDOLPH has been developing his unique style of glass art. He interprets age old traditional form and technique, while creating modern works of art. Zachary is dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of glass, and his vessel designs continue to evolve. A Bay Area native, he has traveled extensively to mentor with some of the world’s most accomplished glass artists, including Dale Chihuly, Richard Royal, Paul Desomma, and Michael Davis. Zachary also teaches at The Crucible.

zachrudolphglass.com

Sasori

2010
cast bronze, steel, bronze, copper

$3,500

ALEXANDER SMITH was born in Berkeley to a family of teachers, machinists, and craftsman. At an early age he realized he had the knack to form materials and quickly got his hands dirty in his family garage. Alex earned his BFA at the University of California at Santa Cruz. He has taught the tradition of bronze casting for the past nine years at The Crucible. For eight years he has been apprentice and project manager to world-renowned metal sculptor Fletcher Benton in his San Francisco studio. Alex’s cast and fabricated works, inspired by his travels and love of form and nature, can be found at the Sculpturesite Gallery in downtown San Francisco.

alexanderthesmith.com

Motion #6

2010
sculpted glass

$1,100

Winner of the 2005 Niche award for blown glass, RANDY STRONG, artist and designer in hot glass for 40 years, has worked throughout his career to produce innovative designs that continually influence the ever changing and growing community of studio glass artists. Randy is one of a handful of American glass artists to help revive the studio art glass movement. He first began working in glass in 1969 at the California College of the Arts, where he studied ceramics and was fortunate to have as his mentor the renowned ceramicist Peter Voulkos. Upon graduation Randy received a scholarship to the prestigious University of Art in Osaka, Japan. In 1970, he was with Dale Chihuly when he and the Haubergs selected the location for the now renowned Pilchuck Glass School. His work, ranging from his distinctive crystal and gold goblets to his imposing cast sculptures, has been acquired by collectors internationally and is a part of collections ranging from The Corning Museum in New York to the Louvre in Paris. In 1970, Randy established his own studio and gallery in Northern California, where he continues to create, design, and teach.

rstrong.com

Art-i-choke

2010
bronze

$1,200

MICHAEL STURTZ, Crucible Founder / Creative Director, is a fixture of the Bay Area arts community, and is recognized for his ability to make the seemingly impossible come to fruition. Michael has worked as a sculptor, teacher, and facilitator since the late 1980s. He received his BFA from Alfred University and MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and studied stone carving at Studio de Sem Ghelardini in Pietrasanta, Italy. His sculpture addresses both concept and form through the creation of intriguing kinetic machines and strong material contrasts that often include mixtures of stone, cast and fabricated metals, glass, kinetics, light, fire, liquid, and video. Michael’s sculptural works are in collections throughout the United States and in Italy and England.

michaelsturtz.com

Barca

2008
blown glass

$650

UNION STREET GLASS Guy Corrie, designer, glassblower, and master craftsperson, with the help of his wife and business partner Leanne, carved out their vision for a contemporary art glass studio, and in 1980 Union Street Glass was born. By fusing innovative design concepts with old world glassblowing techniques, Guy, Leanne, and their studio continue to forge new interest in and appreciation for their unique art form. Through Guy’s commitment to creating fresh innovations and his obsession with hand blown glass, Union Street Glass has grown into a 10,000 square foot studio in Richmond. Guy’s award-winning designs have been seen in many prestigious galleries and museums in the United States and abroad.

unionstreetglass.com

Christine

2009
wood, metal
18" x 36" x 16"

MATT WOLPE graduated from The Evergreen State College with an emphasis in Urban Studies. His experience includes working for an architecture firm specializing in refugee housing made out of recycled shipping pallets, a Post-Katrina Design/Build project providing experimental relief structures to refugees, and the Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Vermont. He currently teaches at The Crucible.

justfinedesignbuild.com

PETER KROPF has a technical background in software engineering. Fromhis very first Crucible class in 1999, he knew immediately that welding was what he wanted to do. Dramatically different from his work with computers, the physical aspect of welding inspired Peter to create small sculptures and later self-illuminating sculptures usingneon, LEDs, and El Wire. He started volunteering at The Crucible in 2003, where he now teaches.

Plumbing Pipes

2009
carbon pigment print

$1,250

DURWOOD ZEDD photography celebrates the beauty of simplicity in natural and man-made design. A long-time art collector, auctioneer, and fitness trainer, Durwood’s passions are evident in his work. His appreciation for art and design, his curiosity about the objects that shape and bring enjoyment to people’s lives, and his respect for the human form are clearly visible in his photographic images. He prints in silver gelatin and iris, as well as pigment on canvas. A self-taught photographer, Durwood began experimenting with 35 mm in 1999 and quickly moved to larger format cameras. Well received by the San Francisco art community, his work was immediately sought after by private collectors and designers across the country. He has exhibited in local galleries, and those as far as New York and Connecticut, as well as at the San Jose Museum of Fine Art.

Glass Chalice

2010
kiln-cast and cold worked glass

$350

WARREN has been cold working and kiln casting glass for more than 20 years. His education includes four years of study at the California College of the Arts, one semester of study in the Czech Republic, and Kiln Casting with David Reekie and Glass Engraving with Jiri Harcuba, both at Pilchuck Glass School. Warren acquired cold working experience as Clifford Rainey’s assistant for nearly four years. Warren teaches glass engraving and other cold working techniques at The Crucible. For nine years he has offered cold working services at his own studio, where he works full-time creating his own kiln cast and engraved art work.

rabbitdenstudios.com