WE SHOW YOU HOW IT'S DONE!
Visiting Artists from around the globe repeatedly say our Hot Shop Team is one of the best teams of glassblowers in the world. Any day you come to the Museum, you’ll be able to see them in action. When you’re in the Hot Shop, you won’t see staged demos, but an authentic artistic process. You may see a chalk sketch turn into a beautiful sculpture, the artists changing course mid-stream or occasionally—as we push the limits—a piece crash and become a “floor model.”
The Team
Benjamin Cobb, Hot Shop Manager/Gaffer
Originally from Newport, Rhode Island, Ben has been working in glass since 1993. He earned a BFA in Glass & Sculpture at Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of American Crafts. He has worked at The Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine, The Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass in New York, Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State and Bacchus Glass in Sonoma, California. To the disappointment of many visitors, Ben’s a happily married man.
Gabe Feenan, Gaffer
Gabe has been working in glass since 1996. Prior to joining the MOG Hot Shop Team in 2002, Gabe worked in and around the California Bay area, both at Smyers Glassworks in Benicia and Bacchus Glass in Sonoma. Rarely will you see Gabe without a smile on his face, and this spirit of fun is evident in his personal designs. When he’s not turning a blow pipe, he’s likely to be holding a fishing pole.
Niko Dimitrijevic, Starter
Niko is our newest Hot Shop Team member, coming to MOG in October 2010. He earned his BFA at New York’s Alfred University in 2004 and has been working in glass ever since with artists including Randy Walker, Ross Richmond, William Morris and Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen. Rumor has it that Niko has a sweet tooth, with a particular affinity for cake.
Sarah Gilbert, Head Technician
Sarah was raised in Rochester, NY, and began working in glass in 1999. She earned a BFA in glass and sculpture from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2005. She’s the one who ensures the Hot Shop runs smoothly. A former Philly resident, Sarah sides with Geno’s in the all-important cheesesteak debate.
Greg Owen, Hot Shop Interpreter
Greg began working in glass in 1986, studying at Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle, the Experimental Glass Workshop (now Urban Glass) in New York and California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. He has worked with a number of artists including Ben Moore, Preston Singletary and Richard Royal and exhibits his work at the William Traver Gallery and Vetri International. When he is not in the Hot Shop, you might find him leading yoga classes in his home studio.
Conor McClellan, Cold Shop Technician
Conor’s from right here in Tacoma and began working in glass in 1998 under local artist Jennifer Holmes at Off Hand Glassworks. He works behind the scenes cutting, etching and polishing to put the finishing touches on glass pieces once they’ve cooled. Conor likes his music turned up to eleven.