We’ve been binge watching Blown Away on Netflix, and we hope you have, too. Has the fiery cast of amazing glassblowers inspired you to see glass in a new light?
We recently asked the contestants what being involved with Blown Away has meant to them. They also weighed in on the potential impact of broader global awareness of this material they all love, and what it means for artists who make a living working in glass.
What has being involved with Blown Away meant to you?
“I was ready for an adventure related to my work because I have been shifting away from design-oriented projects toward art endeavors. I knew that working on Blown Away would be demanding in unpredictable ways and was curious where that would take me creatively. I wanted to innovate new ideas through the challenges.” Deborah Czeresko – New York City, New York
“Being involved with Blown Away has been a great opportunity to work in the same studio as some really talented and well-known glass artists.” Kevin Kiff – Santa Cruz, California
“Being involved with Blown Away is an amazing opportunity to promote the possibilities and challenges working with this material provides.” Benjamin Kikkert – Vancouver, Canada
“Blown Away has given me the opportunity to share my passion for glassblowing with the world.” Leah Kudel – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
“Being involved in Blown Away was an opportunity to get my work seen by a much bigger audience and it challenged me in ways and directions I would not otherwise have gone in.” Janusz Poźniak – Seattle, Washington
“Being involved in Blown Away meant going out of my studio and comfort zone. It has been an incredible challenge and an opportunity for my abilities to gain visibility. It represented a chance to promote my work to a wider, less niched, public.” Patrick Primeau – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
“My decision to compete on Blown Away was driven by desperation but resulted in a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Surprisingly, it ended up on a short list of professional endeavors I have participated in that I feel exceptionally well qualified for and I think that feeling comes through on screen. I’m pleased that my approach to glass as an artistic medium was represented on the series.” Alexander Rosenberg – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“I was scouted by the casting director, and I carefully weighed the possible pros and cons of a never-before-seen reality show. Seeing its affiliation with the Corning Museum of Glass helped me realize that this is an incredibly unique opportunity to become a face of the glass community, to the general public, and on an international scale.” Momoko Schafer (aka Momo) – Boston, Massachusetts
“It has been a fantastic opportunity for me to reconnect with the amazingly creative and supportive glass community while being given the platform to espouse the importance and complexity of a normally overlooked material.” Annette Sheppard – San Francisco, CA
“Being involved with Blown Away has connected me with a number of outstanding artists, presenting even more opportunities for my future.” Edgar Valentine – Tacoma, Washington
What do you hope Blown Away does for artists working in glass?
“Watching an amorphous molten blob of glass turn into a myriad of exquisite forms instigated through the various challenges is an excellent introduction to glass as an artistic medium. Glass is a material that most people have very little contact with it in its molten form. I hope that Blown Away will illuminate the realities and complexities of glassmaking and show its unlimited potential for creative expression to a mass audience.” Deborah Czeresko
“Blown Away can serve as a way to educate more people about the process of glass art on a larger scale. I hope it helps perpetuate that knowledge to the next generations and get everyone stoked on glass. For artists working with glass, this has the potential to increase the importance of the art we are creating.” Kevin Kiff
“I hope Blown Away introduces the audience to the passion and intensity of a career with hot glass.” Benjamin Kikkert
“I hope Blown Away will bring awareness to the wonderful craft of glass blowing.” Leah Kudel
“I hope the show will open the eyes of people that had no idea, that glass was such a versatile and challenging material to work with. I hope it will show that it is being used as an art form and encourage new collectors to buy work and support the makers.” Janusz Poźniak
“My hope for artists working with glass is to show to the public how glass is an incredible sculptural material. Glass is versatile and dynamic and artists working with it are also intense and devoted to the material. Blown Away could be a way to demystify glass processes to a larger public.” Patrick Primeau
“It is my sincere hope that Blown Away helps to expand the public’s understanding of glass as a sculptural medium, and inspires future collectors, patrons, and institutions to support the medium.” Alexander Rosenberg
“I believe that this show will not only bring light to the craft but foster a greater understanding and appreciation for those who work with this material.” Momo Schafer
“I hope that Blown Away inspires more artists and people to explore the medium of glass while shedding light on the complexity of the process and the passion and skill required of the artists.” Annette Sheppard
“I hope Blown Away can open doors for young, underground glass artists and give them the exposure they deserve.” Edgar Valentine
Watch Blown Away now on Netflix!
And make sure to stop by the Museum this summer to see our display Blown Away: Glassblowing Comes to Netflix, which tells the story of how the Museum found its way into the global spotlight. Visitors can see work created on the show by each competitor and watch a behind-the-scenes documentary with interviews conducted on the set and footage captured of the Museum’s Hot Glass Demo Team taking part in the finale.
*Artist photos by David Leyes, courtesy of marblemedia
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