Art of Glass, The

Long known for producing glass, West Virginia inspires artists who shatter the mold.

A delicate bowl caught in elegant midflow shimmers at the end of Marilyn Holt's glassblowing pipe. More bowls grace the shelves in her studio, and paperweights flecked with goldstone reflect ribbons of red, blue, and yellow. It's hard to pick just one to take home.

More than an hour's drive away, I admire a "cosmic burst," an orb of copper wire studded with myriad shapes and colors of glass. Seated at her worktable, Kathy M. Hanby fashions jewel-like glass into yet another one-of-a-kind creation.

New Breed of Artists

Marilyn and Kathy rank among West Virginia's finest artists, inspired by a once-thriving glass industry. When factories across the state began closing, small studios sprouted in the mountains.

In her workshop, Marilyn blows and spins molten glass to fashion her distinctive designs (prices range from $35 to more than $200). Originally a watercolorist, she put away her paints after visiting a hot shop for the first time.

Kathy, on the other hand, likes to work with iridescent glass. Using her decorative soldering technique, she makes every work look like a piece of jewelry, often incorporating antique gems or colored glass stones as accents (prices range from $49 to $2,500). -KAREN LINGO

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Dec 2006
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