October 30, 2014
5:30PM to 8:00PM
At Aurora - 276 Westminster Street
This month’s lead presenter is glass artist and craftperson Tracy Glover
Tracy Glover
Tracy Glover’s exuberant glass lighting and decorative accessories are visually arresting refined, glamorous, with a deliberately controlled color palette that elegantly functions in a universe of spaces. Her skill is first as expert craftsman, using time-honored Venetian glassblowing techniques. Then there is her color sense: playful, lighthearted,… Show more fresh; marrying hues in triplicate for her wonderful a cane striped patterns. There is, as well, the collection’s infinite customizability: Glover has conceived her lighting (table and floor lamps, wall sconces and ceiling pendants) as a system of interchangeable parts offering a multiplicity of choices for the proportion and shape of base components, glass color, lampshade fabric, metal finishes and lamping.
The accessories decorative hardware, vases and area rugs likewise are offered in a wealth of color combinations. This allows optimal room for the specifier’s input: each piece can be site-specific, and, depending on the elements selected, quietly tasteful, dramatic, stately, or whimsical. “I love the way glass sparkles and reflects light, and the way the color of the glass affects what you see through it,” Tracy comments. “Art glass in a room is so eye-catching; it effortlessly adds beauty and color to the space, while its transparency keeps the interior from feeling overcrowded or cluttered.” She delights in the physicality of the glassmaking process, and the challenge of working with such a malleable, fragile material. It’s no coincidence that she is an avid oarsman, rowing daily on Narragansett Bay at sunrise. On the water, inspiration is everywhere; faceted, prismatic, transformed by the meeting of sunlight and tides.
Tracy was an architecture student at Virginia Tech when first mesmerized by a glassblo wer’s photo in a RISD catalogue. Soon she had applied for a transfer and moved to Providence for the glass BFA that would change her life. She has honed her craft in such diverse locales as a 13th century Belgian convent’s crystal factory and Dale Chihuly’s renowned Pilchuck School of Glass, where she was mentored by Venetian maestri-in- residence.
The furnace burns 24 hours a day with molten glass at the ready. Colored rods, varying in thickness, are cut, fused, rolled and mouthblown in a dance of heat, urgency and vision. Every piece
is made to order; Tracy is the sole designer. She and her assistants blow the glass onsite before assembling the components into finished commissioned pieces.
New Clambake Feature: Emerging Designer Showcase
This month, Clambake is introducing a new feature to showcase emerging designers in our community. These talented folks will give micro presentations to introduce their work and make new connections. Kicking off this new series is Lukas Scheurer. Lukas is a recent RISD grad and along with a partner, recently ran a successful Kickstarter campaign, raising more than $200K to create Linkmount, an incredible new iPhone accessory. In one simple mountable tool, Linkmount lets you tether your phone to your belt loop, purse or wrist while a 360° grip ring allows you to spin, flip and grip your phone like never before. Then with a simple twist, the grip ring is transformed into an instant phone stand in both portrait and landscape mode.
Tickets are FREE but RSVP is required.
We'll see you on October 30 at 5:30PM!
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