On the Floor: Founding to Future

By Benjamin Cobb, Hot Shop Director

A large part of what makes Museum of Glass such a special place is the people who work here. As anyone who has visited MOG knows, one of the most dynamic parts of the guest experience is the live glassblowing demonstrated daily in the Hot Shop. The MOG Hot Shop Team is one of the most visible and tightly knit departments in the Museum. Their daily displays of talent and technique invite audience members to witness the fascinating process of glassblowing and gain insight into how the works of art in MOG’s galleries have come into being.

Twenty-two years of making glass…in one studio. It is kind of amazing. I never thought I would be making glass at all, much less in the same hot shop, with many of the same people. As a 14-year-old kid set on entering the marine science field, it took an afterschool job in glass production to change my outlook, put me on the track to art school, and eventually lead me to the Museum of Glass Hot Shop Team. Twenty-two years is a long time. The crew, as it stands now, has been working together for the better part of that. We have all grown and matured. We have started families and put down roots. I admire all we have been through – the progress and the change.

For me, the Museum of Glass Hot Shop means sacrificing personal endeavors to be part of something larger than myself. We work toward a common goal each week, and at the end of the day (or week, or month), we completed the project, not I. I feel very lucky to be a part of a team that performs so well together, understands each other, and operates selflessly. As a few of my friends have written in the preceding pages, our connection is special, and each of us brings a different attribute to the table. For those of you who remember the animated TV series Voltron, our team is very much like the space explorers in the show. Each of us is unique, with their own specialized area of expertise. But when we come together, we become more. We can become Voltron!

I have been part of the Museum’s Hot Shop for its entire existence. As we embark on a plan to significantly improve our building — to create the Museum of Glass of the future — it is hard not to feel a little nostalgic about both this place and these people which have defined my career and my artistic practice. When the Museum first opened, no one really knew what role the Hot Shop would play. It started as a place to educate and entertain, where visitors could understand the history and complexity of the glassmaking process. It is certainly still these things, but contributing to what it has evolved into has been nothing short of incredible.

The MOG Hot Shop is now a major player in shaping the future of glass. When we began, I never believed I would be blowing glass alongside (and sharing with our audience) our idols and mentors in the field — Dale, Lino, Bertil Vallien, Pino Signoretto, Dante, Therman Statom, and my dear friend Charlie Parriott. The list goes on. The presence of artists like these in our Hot Shop feels so natural now, but upon reflection, it is quite unexpected and remarkable.

Nor did I think we would play such a vital role in the uplifting of emerging artists, even those who do not primarily create in glass. Our Visiting Artist program now regularly features over 35 artists in our facility every year. We give these makers an opportunity they previously could only dream of (the Hot Shop has now even provided a space for lamp workers!). The time spent with these folks – seeing their processes, learning about their influences and inspirations – has been immensely valuable to us. Getting to know the people behind the artworks is what I relish and hold closely. We are immersed in their excitement to be here, as is our audience. For this kind of engagement, the Museum of Glass Hot Shop is the venue.

This is the growth, and these are the things that bounce around my head as I reflect upon the past and look toward the future. We are stewards of glass, and, as we embark on the ambitious goals of the upcoming capital campaign, I dream about how we remain a prominent one. As Sarah correctly observed earlier, the Hot Shop is always changing. How can we continue to be strong in the future? What will the next 10 years look like in our space?

I know the Hot Shop will continue to create and inspire wonder, with its unique position to bring glassmaking to the diverse community of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. With a building expansion on the horizon, I hope we can improve our audience’s access to hands-on experiences in a new teaching space, and I hope that we can grow the Hot Shop Team with a stronger intern program, as we continue to foster the next generation of glassmakers.

The Hot Shop will continue to be the place to make glass – the place where every artist who dreams of working with the material will want to be, because it is that good. And I hope that the team and I will continue to push ourselves to realize these hopes and dreams. 

Benjamin Cobb. Photo by Chelsea Tornga Photography.

About the Artist:

Through 25 years of working in glassblowing, Benjamin Cobb has honed his mastery of glass, traveled across the globe, and worked with hundreds of artists. An East Coast transplant, Cobb holds a BFA from the Rochester Institute of Technology and has been a demonstrating artist at glass studios as far afield as Sweden, the Czech Republic, Italy, and France. He’s taught at Penland School of Crafts, Pilchuck Glass School, and many other glass programs in the US. He’s a recognizable leader and voice in the glass community and has contributed to the success of countless works of art. In his own work, Cobb draws inspiration from the natural world as well as scientific process. His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Northwest Art in LaConner, WA, Museum of Glass, and dozens of galleries across the country.