BELLA VETRI GALLERY

Bella Vetri (“Beautiful Glass”) features the stunning studio art glass of Dale Chihuly. Chihuly co-founded the Pilchuck School, and has led the avant-garde in the development of glass blowing as a studio art and the broader contemporary interest in glass as an expressive medium. His work is included in over 200 permanent museum collections worldwide. The gallery also features fluid and stunning works by renowned artists such as Richard Royal, Hiroshi Yamano, James Nowak, David Bennett and more than 50 other artists. The gallery features pieces for the accomplished collector or for anyone looking for a beautiful piece of glass for their home. Visit our new location at 744 Front Street, Lahaina. (808) 661-4646. Website: www.mauiartglass.com.

FIRE & SAND

Glass has been around since ancient man, probably first discovered on a beach and created by a bolt of lighting striking into the sand or as a byproduct of volcanic activity. The first shapes were undoubtably misshapen shiny lumps that evoked wonder in those that picked them up. Men of the Stone Age made cutting tools of obsidian created in violent volcanic eruptions.

Centuries later, after the discovery of fire, the first recorded "accidental" creation of glass was by Phonecian Merchants. Using blocks of nitrate to rest their pots on, the intense heat of the cooking fire eventually melted the blocks and mixed with the sand, forming a crude glass.

Glass was first used as a craft around 3500BC by Egyptians and Macedonians in the construction of beads for trade and ornamentation.

It wasn't until around 27BC that Syrian craftsmen developed the art of glass blowing. The metal tube used in the blowing process has changed little since that time. The Romans next began using molds to blow the glass into, which allowed for more diversity in hollow vessels.

Glass blowing as an organized craft/art took shape in Venice Italy during the 12th century. It was later moved to the island of Murano to protect Venice from fire, but also to isolate the artists from sharing their secrets with the outside world. These artists and others throughout Europe continued to experiment and perfect their techniques and styles. Over time artists from different countries became known for particular creative styles.

An artistic revolution occurred in 1962 in Toledo, Ohio at an event dubbed the "Toledo Seminar". The seminar, led by Harvey Littleton, was attempting, for the first time, to create blown glass using a small, high fire furnace to "batch" or melt glass for blowing. Up until that time all glass blowing was done in large factories with big furnaces. When Littleton's small furnace failed to heat sufficient to melt the glass it looked to be the end of the seminar. However, in attendance was Dominic Labino. Labino was working for a nearby glass factory. He had developed a small high fire furnace of his own which he offered for use at the seminar. It was successful and that event became known as the birth of the Studio Glass Movement, as it allowed individual artists the ability to work in small studios instead of large factories. Modern day glass artists such as Dale Chihuly owe much to early glass artist pioneers Littleton and Labino. Bella Vetri Gallery in the Kapalua Shops carries a stunning array of creations in glass by modern masters of the medium. Stop in to see works by Chihuly, Mainland artists, International artists and especially local Hawaiian artists. For more information, call (808) 661-4646.