FALLBROOK, Calif., June 26, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- For the past 11 years Merrill Everett and his company, Fallbrook Propane Gas, have given back to this community and the American glass blowing movement by sponsoring an annual glass show at the Fallbrook Art Center.
In addition to showcasing hand-made glass from regional artisans, the 11th Annual Galaxy of Glass celebrates the evolution and uniqueness of the American Studio Glass Movement and the contributions of artists such as Everett, who helped put American glassmaking on the map.
"I just wanted to give back to the community I have lived in for the past 22 years and help educate the public about making hand-made glass," said Everett, who will be exhibiting at the show along with his son, Chris.
This year's show, which runs from July 6 to August 10, includes works from nearly two-dozen artists from Southern and Central California, including eight first timers. Among the new faces are a number of female artists who are breathing new creativity into a craft that has its origins in the early 1960s.
Like many of his counterparts, Everett cut his teeth on ceramics but gravitated toward glass because the gratification was immediate and there was a true sense of cooperation and community among glass blowers.
After graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a business and arts degree and earning a Masters of Fine Art from Claremont Graduate School, Merrill taught glassblowing at Orange Coast College and hosted a variety of workshops. Eleven years ago he convinced Fallbrook arts patrons Bill and Helene Ross that the community needed to host a glass show, since many glass artists already lived in and around Fallbrook, a rural and unspoiled enclave 1 hour north of San Diego with about 40,000 residents.
"I called a bunch of my glass blowing friends and put together the first show," Everett recalls. "But back then the show was only two weeks long."
Over the years, the show has grown in scope and sophistication. Many of the exhibits in the current show reflect the uniquely "cowboyesque" approach taken by American glass artists compared to classically trained European counterparts.
"Exhibits in this show are a lot more representative than what you would see in an art magazine," said Everett. "Many of the pieces are different than what you see in mainstream glass blowing."
This year's show highlights a wide variety of hand-made glass, including sculpture, vessels, jewelry, lamps, paperweights, perfumers, and functional ware that are blown, torched, slumped, fused and cast.
Fallbrook and neighboring Bonsall and Rainbow have been very supportive of the arts. All three communities are home to dozens of resident artists and collectors who enjoy the laid-back community and the artistic ambience.
The 11th annual Galaxy of Glass Show at the Fallbrook Art Center is open Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sun. noon-3 p.m.