Although
glass blowing was one of colonial America's first industries and
enjoyed great popularity during the Art Nouveau period of the
late 1800's, hand blown art glass had all but disappeared from
the American art and craft scene until the 1970's. Stuart Abelman
was one of a small group of artists across the country who saw
the magic and challenge in glass and set about taking the medium
further than ever before.
Stuart Abelman first saw the glass department in his fourth year
of a Bachelor of Fine Arts program at Carnegie Mellon University
in Pennsylvania. It was, indeed, love at first sight. He devoted
his entire senior year to glass blowing. He then entered the graduate
four year Master of Fine Arts program at UCLA, and proceeded to
study and blow glass for four more intensive years, receiving
his degree in 1976.
After a stint at teaching glass blowing and developing a stained
glass program at the College level in California, Stuart realized
that teaching did not allow him the time to create in glass all
of the ideas he found himself constantly sketching.It was time
to start his own studio, and in 1977 Abelman Art Glass was born.
The first year was spent building that studio: furnaces, pot furnaces,
glory holes, lehrs (annealing ovens), glassblowing benches, etc.
In late 1977, the first furnace was lit at Abelman Art Glass Studio
in Southern California.
Stuart's glass pieces are shown in galleries and museums around
the world and have become permanent additions to museum, private
and celebrity collections here and overseas. Recently, he designed
an angel ornament for the White House Christmas tree. He has done
glass commissions for the movie industry, and has pieces documented
in the Library of Congress.
Each Abelman Art Glass piece is signed, numbered, and dated at
the Abelman Art Glass Studio, and is an heirloom to hand down
from generation to generation.
Stuart uses his own formulas to ensure the purest glass possible.
Each piece is made entirely of hot molten glass and is worked
and completed at the furnace. All of the colors and design patterns
are formed from hot glass. No paint is used. Many of the beautiful
colors are actually made with precious metals, gold and silver.
And each piece is absolutely gorgeous.
We at Art for Wildlife Galleries in Coronado are proud to represent
the work of Mr. Abelman.
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