Cool Cleveland Commentary
Cleveland Blows

Nicole Bryson leads the way into the artisan's realm of glass
blowing in Cleveland, its culture, how it developed here, and what its past and
future look like. Read on to familiarize yourself with the personalities of the
glassblowing world, and its underground culture of creatives. The first week in
February, Burning River Glass will have a sculptural chandelier show in their
gallery featuring Brian Bencheck and other emerging glass artists.

You're starving for something new, something different to do in a downtown
striving to capture the bustling nightlife of a modern metropolis; and the
constructive and arcane world of glass blowing feeds this need - it flourishes
within Cleveland's decrepit structures. When most people think of art, they
think of paintings. For many, walking around a cluster of galleries perusing a
myriad of canvases is not the way to spend an evening. These so-called works of
art are just canvases of indiscernible subject matter splashed with color and
aligned with the laws of chaos. So, some may think indulging in a trendy,
overpriced drink is not so impractical after all. An alternative to all this is
Burning River Glassworks, one of numerous hot glass studios in Cleveland http://www.burningriverglass.com. Brian Bencheck, 28, is the
sole proprietor of this public access studio. He is one glass blower with the
younger generation revolutionizing this art. The inception of Burning River
Glassworks was in October, 2003, and after five months of preparation, the
studio opened. Brian offers classes in glassblowing to beginners, intermediates,
groups, or private lessons. He caters to the professional glassblower by
offering an Electroglass furnace. This digital electric furnace provides better
temperature control for glass blowing. Most hot glass studios use propane
furnaces. He proudly states that he uses a better quality glass than that used
at the Corning Museum of Glass in New York. He also provides studio rental for
blowers and studio tours...
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