Glassblowing was initially invented by the Phoenicians at approximately 50 B.C. when collections of waste were collected from mikvah, “a ritual bath in the Jewish Quarter of Old City of Jerusalem dated from 37 to 4 B.C.”

Some of the sediments collected included glass tubes which were “fire-enclosed” on one side and inflated by blowing through an opening to form a bottle. Tube blowing was a revolutionary stepping stone that produced a change in conception and a deep appreciation and understanding of glass works.

Recent developments

In 1962, Harvey Littleton, a ceramics professor, and Dominick Labino, a chemist and engineer, held two workshops at the Toledo Museum of Art.  During their experimentations, they discovered that melting glass in a furnace could create blown glass art.  “Littleton and Labino are credited with being the first to make molten glass available to artists working in private studios.” This approach to glassblowing produced some of the most  extraordinary and prolific artists of today including Dale Chihuly, Dante Marioni, Fritz Driesbach and Marvin Lipofsky.

Indianapolis Children’s Museum

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In 2006, world renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly installed a four story glass sculpture inside the central atrium of the museum. This installment is called “Fireworks of Glass” and is accompanied by an exhibit of Chihuly’s glass blowing methods.

Dante Marioni

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Dante Marioni grew up among many artistic influences like his father, Paul Marioni. Paul was involved in the American “studio glass movement” and, as a result, Dante was perpetually exposed to the glassblowing artists of the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1979, the Marioni family migrated to Seattle and Dante began to study glassblowing at The Glass Eye. Marioni learned the art of glassblowing from masters like Lino Tagliapietra, Benjamin Moore, and Richard Marquis. He has taught in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Europe.

Botantical Gardens in St Louis

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“Glass in the Garden ended its eight-month run at the Missouri Botanical Garden on January 1, 2007. The exhibition drew 950,000 visitors and helped increase overall attendance to 1.2 million and membership to a record 41,000 in 2006.” The exhibition presented works by world renown artist Dale Chihuly.

Victoria and Albert Museum

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“London is the world’s largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects. ” The museum is of course named after Prince Albert and Queen Victoria and it was founded in 1852. The collection of pieces spans 5000 years of history, from ancient times to the present day from the cultures of Europe, North America, Asia and North Africa.

National Botanical Gardens Washington DC

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The Botanic Garden in Washington is supervised by the Congress through the Architect of the Capitol, who is responsible for maintaining the grounds of the United States Capitol.  It is the oldest continually-operating botanic garden in the United States.

Marvin Lipofsky

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Lipofsky was credited for introducing glass as an art form into the Design Department of the University of California at Berkeley as an assistant professor, where his influence was significant. Later, he headed up the Glass Department in the California College of Arts and Crafts in 1967, where he taught as a full-time professor until 1987. Lipofsky’s works are colorfully constructed”bubbles” of glass, often semi-translucent to allow the viewer to examine their depths. He is also known for works inspired by pop culture he crafted in the 1970s including the “Great American Food Series,” a collection of sculptures including hamburgers and pickles crafted from glass. He is known for his surface treatments and for the organic form of his pieces.

Chihuly Blown Glass Exhibit – San Francisco

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Chihuly’s  fascination with the abstract nature of forms comes not only from his mother’s garden in Tacoma, Washington but, his passion for the marine habitat. Over the past forty years, Chihuly’s glass sculptures have explored color, design, and gatherings of multi prolific pieces. Dale is best known for his multifaceted blown masterpieces.

Glassblowing is a form of art that requires prolonged training and intense concentration. Many individuals engage in glassblowing as a hobby. In fact, it is one of the fastest growing hobbies in North America.