Another Way to Fly by Thomas Philabaum

Artists at the Artful Home make beautiful works of art for individuals—pieces that can be mailed or shipped direct from their studio to your home with relative ease. But our artists also create works of art in places enjoyed by many, including airports, hospitals, parks, hotels, restaurants, and spas. I’m happy to introduce a new blog series that identifies some of these fabulous public art projects. It’s just another example of the way our artists lend their creativity and craftsmanship to the world to make it a more beautiful and thought-provoking place.

These photos from the Tucson International Airport feature the work of Artful Home artist Thomas Philabaum. Created in 2008 from fused and slumped glass, “Another Way to Fly” is composed of thirty glass “carpets” arranged in an upward spiral. Ranging in size from 16”x 24” to 36” x 60”, the panels are suspended from the ceiling of the airport’s Central Pointe, in the middle of the airport’s terminal.

Photographs: Martha Patey

A Love Supreme
Guy Kemper

My husband and I live in Madison, Wisconsin, and we also have a small apartment in New York, which is shown in this photo. The architectural glass installation is what my husband and I gave each other last year for our 25th wedding anniversary. The piece is by glass artist Guy Kemper, and it has absolutely transformed our small space.

Guy is an old friend from Kentucky who uses ground-breaking techniques in his architectural glass. A painter who literally paints on a large scale with his glass, he creates award-winning installations for large public spaces such as airports and churches. Lucky for us, he also creates for small private spaces! Check out his website at www.kemperstudio.com.

There is a revolution going on in the glass world, and we are all the beneficiaries of it. Artists are etching glass, beveling it, sandblasting it, slumping it, fusing it, and making traditional stained glass in untraditional ways. Their amazing creations catch our imagination, floating like the air and sparkling like fire. Just as importantly, artists have figured out new ways to harness our precious light.

As a result, the world is a more beautiful place, whether you are looking out at it or in on it.

“Corner Window”
Arthur Stern

Arthur Stern was in his 30s when I met him in the 1980s. A talented young glass artist, he was creating exquisite screens and residential windows with designs inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School. He became involved with The Guild, and we have helped him market his commissioned artwork to architects and designers ever since.

As with all artists, Arthur has grown and taken on larger and more challenging projects over the years. Today, he is recognized as one of the leading liturgical architectural glass artists, designing windows that compliment and transform the churches and synagogues in which they live.

Recently Arthur was honored by Ministry & Liturgy Magazine with the Best of Show Award for an installation at the Holy Trinity Church in Menlo Park, CA. The 16’x12’ set of windows are created with 10 different types of clear handblown glass. The designs are sheer inspiration.

This is the story of our company. For over 20 years, The Guild has built friendships with artists; true partnerships that support and expand their careers. It is with great pride that we congratulate Arthur Stern on his accomplishments and present his award-winning work in the hopes that it will inspire you at the beginning of this new year.

“Untitled Entry”
Larry Zgoda
Photo by: Richard Bruck

It was in Paris, at the Notre Dame Cathedral, that I first fell in love with glass. Traveling through Europe, just out of college, I was too young to have a sense of my own aesthetics. Yet my reaction to the Cathedral’s great rose windows was immediate and visceral.

Glass is a magical medium. When used as an architectural element in windows, doors, and folding screens, the synthesis of light and color can have a dramatic effect. Architectural glass, as it is called, complements the space in which it lives, but it also has the ability to transcend it.

There are a number of talented artists working today who explore the integration of glass into the architecture of the home. Check out the website of the Stained Glass Association of America, www.stainedglass.org, or browse through the Architectural Glass section of The Guild’s online Custom Design Center.

Throughout the ages, glass has been used in temples, churches, and synagogues for inspiration and transformation. Our homes and workplaces, where we spend most of our time, deserve the same creative attention to the visual environment, whatever our beliefs or non-beliefs. For each of us deserves a daily dose of inspiration.