Flux: A Glass Exhibition
October 22nd, 2008 | by Malamalama Staff | Published in Events
Instructor Rick Mills, at right, works with student Mark Nowicki in the university’s glass studio
University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa Department of Art and Art History’s glass program presents Flux, an exhibition of student work highlighting an array of glass-working techniques including blown, kiln formed and hot cast glass.
Of the delicate yet intense process of blowing glass, instructor Rick Mills explains, “You are heating glass to 2,300 degrees. You can’t let it cool too much or you risk cracking your piece. The molten glass is the consistency of honey. You have to rotate it constantly to hold its shape.”
Blowing glass solo has many limitations, so teamwork and trust are key. “Students give as much assistance as they receive, helping each other during their studio time each week, often up to eight hours,” says Mills. No other medium in the art department demands such an ongoing partnership.
The glass program was launched at Mānoa in the 1960s and attracts 40 to 50 students a semester to the art department studio, which is the largest glass melting facility in the state.
Flux: A Glass Exhibition, is free and open to the public and through Fri., Oct. 24th. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10:30 am to 4:00 pm.
Find out more about the glass program at UH Mānoa in Mālamalama magazine.
