Glassblowing is an ancient art, tracing its origin's back to the Phonecians in the first century B.C. This method thrived under the Roman Empire and soon became the predominant method for working with glass, eclipsing casting and core forming.
The glassblowing tradition continued to grow in the Middle Ages after the collapse of the Roman Empire. The Renaissance, with its new emphasis on science and technology, saw the application of new techniques to the glassblower's craft. Perhaps the most important of these was the mould blowing technique, as employed by Venitian glass blowers.
The modern "studio glass" movement began in the United States in the early 60s and continues to thrive. Today, places like the Toledo Museum of Art and the Corning Museum of Glass are synonymous with studio glass and glass art.
The Artist:
I first became interested in the art of glass blowing on a school field trip to the Sofa Show in Chicago, IL. When I was accepted into the University of Illinois Fine Arts program I planned to major in glassblowing. However, once school began, I was informed that the glassblowing program was being cancelled and the current sophomore class would be the last to complete the program.
Fortunately, I learned of a glass blower in Farmer City, IL who offered classes. I began taking classes with Todd Manicki beginning in my freshman year and continuing throughout my four years of college. During my first two years at the university, I majored in Metals/Jewelry Making. Later, I switched to Communication. I graduated from the University of Iliinois with a Bachelor Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences in May 2009. I opened Starved Rock Hot Glass, in my hometown of Ottawa, on June 5, 2009.