People

"My goal is to share the appreciation of the art of glass blowing through teaching and the creation of beautifully crafted works."

Erik was introduced to glass blowing while attending Santa Monica College in Southern California. It was then that the connection between his Swedish heritage and the art of glass blowing came to light. Erik soon left to study with the Swedish glass masters at the Orrefors Glass Factory. After 2 years of perfecting his technical skills he decided that California College of the Arts (CCA) would round out his education. While attending CCA Erik was introduced to the Italian styles of glass blowing. He further pursued this interest by working with Italian glass master Lino Tagliapietra at the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington and again Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle.

After teaching glass blowing at CCA for 3 years in Oakland California Erik has gone on to work with other glass artists exploring the medium and exhibiting his work internationally.

Ian Whitt grew up in Hattiesburg, MS about an hour away from the Gulf Coast. He first discovered glass blowing on a family vacation to Hawaii. “From the first second I saw glass blowing I was hooked, I was fascinated with the way the glass flowed and moved, it almost seemed to be alive.” Ian then began taking introductory glass workshops at the New Orleans School of Glassworks and Printmaking for a year. The Glass Art Society held their annual conference in New Orleans that same year and for the first time Ian was exposed to huge glass pieces being made by large teams of glass workers. Ian attributes this one weekend as the pivotal turning point where glass became his main focus and took over his life.

Ian received a BFA from the Appalachian Center for Crafts in Smithville, TN. He has worked for various glass artists around the Penland, NC and Asheville areas and has completed multiple private commissions for collectors all over the Southeast. He has recently moved from the island of Martha’s Vineyard, MA where he worked for Martha’s Vineyard Glassworks to the San Francisco Bay Area in California where he freelances as a production glass assistant where his work continues to focus on the fluidity and aqueous nature of molten glass.