BRIAN KERKVLIET operating Gossamer Glass Studio
619 E. Laurel Rd.
Bellingham, Wa. 98226 ph. (360) 319-2029
Representing Galleries --------- Artist statement
Abridged Biography
Brian Kerkvliet has worked with glass since 1977. He has taught workshops in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the U.S., including Pilchuck Glass School, Penland School of Arts and Crafts and Red Deer College. Currently, he runs Gossamer Glass Studios at Inspiration Farm, a hot glass/flameworking studio in Bellingham, Washington. He focuses on several different aspects of glasswork, recently exploring Italian furnace techniques with a contemporary twist. He is also known for his Flameworked goblets, sculpture, beads, and his furnace blown goblets, with an emphasis on incorporating flameworked imagery onto the pieces. Since 1994 Brian has hosted a series of glass workshops at his studio at Inspiration Farm, where he and other nationally recognized glass artists instruct aspiring students.
Brian's style is fairly diverse, encompassing many facets of glass art. However, the fun and whimsy expressed in his work shines throughout the entire spectrum of his pieces. From intimate cosmic and vessel beads to sculptural figurative goblets and the Cosmic Kid series, a joy for life and technical expertise is expressed in each and every piece. Brian has taken many age old classical glass working techniques and added his own contemporary, childlike enthusiasm and blended it together where it works to bring joyful glass into existence.
EDUCATION
1989 Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA, furnace sculpture under Italian Prima Maestro, Pino Signoretto.
1993 Teaching Assistant for "Gathering of Glass," Penland School of Arts and Crafts, NC. Richard Ritter, Mark Piser, and Paul Stankard.
1987/88 Teaching Assistant for Ginny Ruffner at Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood WA
1985 Pilchuck Glass School on Scholarship for two sessions, Stanwood, WA, flameworking under Ginny Ruffner and hot glass under Dick Marquis & Thurman Statum.
1984 Pilchuck Glass School on Scholarship, Stanwood, WA, flameworking under Ginny Ruffner.
1983 Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA, flameworking under Pavel and Josef Molnar.
1975-80 Apprenticeship Program, Hellebore Glass Studio, Langley, WA.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2000 Phoenix Rising, "Bellingham Meets Murano" with Italian Maestro Elio Quarisa, Seattle, WA
1997 Beaver Gallery, Canberra, Australia
1996 Kitrell Riffkind, Dallas, TX
1995 Vetro Marmo, Gahanna, OH
1986 Glass Gallery, Bethesda, MD
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2000 "Hanukahs and Menorahs: Magic and Ritual," Boco Ratan, FL
1999 "Hanukahs and Menorahs: Magic and Ritual," Steinbaum Kraus Gallery, NY
1998 SOFA Show, Chicago represented by, The Glass Gallery, Bethesda, MD
1996 SOFA Show, Chicago represented by, Bill Warmus, Ithica, NY
1995-03 Glass House Annual Goblet Show, Seattle WA
1994 Habatat Gallery, Aspen CO
1989 "Neon" Borgward Gallery, Hanau, Germany
1992-94 Chicago International New Art Forms Expo, represented by Maurine Littleton Gallery
1992 "Glass Jewelry" traveling show, Borgward Gallery, Hanau, Germany
1992 "Figurative Sculpture" Mindscape Gallery, Evanston, IL
1991 Maurine Littleton Gallery, Goblet Show, Washington DC
1990 "Seattle Plus" Foster White, Seattle WA
RELATED ARTS EXPERIANCE
2003 Working in my studio on combination hot glass/flamework pieces and having fun!
2000 Traveled to Murano Italy on sabbatical to learn and experience the historical roots of glass.
1995 Founded Inspiration Farm, a glass and creative workshop space with summer programs and visiting artists, Bellingham, WA.
1988 Established first Hot Glass studio in Whatcom County, Bellingham, WA.
1985 Started small glass business, Gossamer Glass, Bellingham, WA.
1981 Our Glass Co., Bellingham, WA. Freelance artist and collaborator with owner/artist Deena Matlack on large-scale commissions.
1975-80 Hellebore Glass Studio, Langley, WA. Apprenticeship program. Advanced leading and foiling techniques, slumping, beveling, painted glass commissions.
Aug. 1963 Born into this crazy world and began trying to make sense of it.
AWARDS, HONORS, RESADENSIES, COMMISIONS
May 2003 Demonstrated at the Glass Art Society Conference, Seattle WA
May 2003 Taught flameworking workshop, Red Deer College, Alberta.
May 2001 Taught flameworking workshop, Red Deer College, Alberta.
June 2002 Taught flameworking workshop, Penland School of Arts and Crafts
June 2001 Assistant to Italian Maestro, Elio Quarisa at Pilchuck Glass School furnace blowing class.
Nov 2000 Hosted Prima Maestro Elio Quarisa for a weeklong workshop and a two week residency
Aug. 2000 Installed 2 large chandeliers in the Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas, NV.
May 2000 Taught flameworking workshop, Red Deer College, Alberta.
May 2000 Presenter, Glass Art Association of Canada Conference, Red Deer College, Alberta.
March 1999 Taught flameworking workshop, Cal Polly, San Luis Obispo, CA
Apr. 1999 First showing of our daughter Rosalie, first one was so good we did it again!
July 1997 Award of Excellence, Bellevue Art Museum Show
Sep. 1997 Taught several workshops at Sydney College of Arts, Sydney Australia
Oct. 1997 6-week artist in residency at Canberra School of Fine Art, Australia.
Aug. 1997 Taught workshop "Dance with the Furnace and Flame," at The Studio, Corning, NY.
1995-99 Author of a series of technical flameworking articles for Glass Art.
July 1996 Taught at Pilchuck Glass School, "Flameworking for Glass Artists."
Mar. 1996 First showing of our daughter Marisa, collaborative effort with my wife Alexandra.
July 1995 Lectured at the Corning Museum of Glass for the opening of the Miniature Mosaics Exhibition
July 1995 Taught mosaic cane workshop at Hands On Glass, Corning NY.
April 1994 Toured Australia on a teaching crusade, Sydney College of Arts and Canberra School of Art.
Mar. 1994 A key speaker at BEAD EXPO '94, "Modern Mosaic Glass Cane"
June 92-94 Instructor of flameworking at Penland School of Arts and Crafts, Penland NC
Oct. 1990 Lecturer at the Second International Bead Conference, Washington, DC.
Aug. 1989 Instruction of Flameworking workshop at Incite Conference, Saskatchewan.
Dec. 1988 Taught a workshop at Sheridan College, School of Craft & Design in Toronto, Ontario.
May 1986 Instruction of a hot glass four day workshop, Avalon Glass Works, Punikaiki, New Zealand
COLLECTIONS
1999 Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY
1994 Glass Museum, Waga Waga, Australia
1986 The Bead Museum, Prescott, AZ
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2003 Included in "Formed of Fire" by Bandhu Dunham, Salusa Glassworks
2001 Included in "Contemporary Marbles & Related Art Glass" by Mark P. Block, Schiffer Publishing
1999 Skagit Valley Herald 1998 "Dancing with the Elements" By Mary Evitt
1997 Included in "Paperweight Signature Canes" by Andrew H. Dohan Paperweight press
1995 Featured in Lapidary Journal, "Something Borrowed, Something New," October
1994 Featured in Glass Art, "The Beads and Sculpture of Brian Kerkvliet," July/August by Shawn Waggoner
1993 Featured in Ornament, "Glass Beadmaking, Ring of Fire," Summer
1989 Featured in Ornament, "Mosaic Face Beads," Spring
1988 Featured in The Bellingham Herald, "Zen and the Art of Glass Blowing," 5/27/88
1983 Featured in The Bellingham Herald, "Arts & Entertainment" section, 7/29/89
1983 Featured in Art Glass Quarterly with Our Glass Co., Spring/Summer
