Glassblowing was introduced to Palo Alto High School by former art teacher David Camner in 2002. Nowadays, this art program is nationally recognized.
Paly is one of the few high schools in the country that provides this unique art class to its students. Upon introduction, glassblowing sparked a an interest in the art community.
The program continues to expand each year, but still hardly anyone outside of the art community knows who these talented students are.
Paly’s current glassblowing teacher, Steven Ferrera, began glassblowing in 1995, and soon afterwards, began teaching others his passion.
“In a relatively short period of time students can make paperweights and flowers,” Ferrera said. “It’s nice to see kids excited about their work and progress.”
Many Paly students walk past the gated glassblowing area on their way to Town and Country everyday.
They seem to mindlessly ignore the continuous clinks of the glass and pipes hitting the metal table, the shuffling of feet and the music coming from within the closed-off gates.
The artists diligently perfect their art pieces all day: in the morning, during lunch and after school. They transform little glass bits into vividly colored creations. From pumpkins and floppy bowls to simple flowers, glassblowers can create unusual, yet fantastic pieces.
But who are these glassblowing artists handling the heat of this dangerous art form?
Through
the Glass:
Glassblowing
One of Paly’s best glassblowers is Senior Alex Gomez. His interest in glassblowing originally stemmed from his interest with fire.
“I saw Chihuly [a ground-breaking glass artist] exhibit one time. [This experience] really [inspired] me to [begin] glassblowing,” Gomez said.
His fascination with glassblowing transformed from a simple interest to an outlet for his unusual interest in fire.
Gomez began to actively pursue glassblowing, traveling as far as Oregon to learn new techniques and skills and search for inspiration while visiting retired Paly glassblowing teacher, Mr. Camner.
In glassblowing, one cannot make the same piece twice, unlike any other art form.
Each piece is different from the one before due to the fact that there are no boundaries when creating a piece with a malleable material like glass. This attracts many different artists to the medium.
Gomez feels that the only downside to glassblowing is that the artist cannot directly shape the glass with their hands.
Although glassblowing comes along with many hazards, there is only one critical factor.
“The most dangerous part is actually freaking out about the heat itself,” Gomez said. “If you are able to teach yourself to not worry about the heat and figure out the problems with it later it [is not] an issue.
Junior Martin Ehrensvärd was instantly drawn to glassblowing during his first year at Paly as a transfer student from Sweden in 2011.
“Glass is such a wonderful material in so many ways,” said Ehrensvärd. “Just like a candle, it calms you down. You have to work in harmony with [the glass].”
Ehrensvärd’s intense passion for glassblowing has led to his extensive collection of glass pieces.
“It is hard to say [which is my favorite]. But sometimes when you think about making a piece [and] it comes straight from the heart, it feels so natural,” Ehrensvärd said.
Along with the satisfaction of creating an art piece so unique, Ehrensvärd finds that working with others is key to a successful piece.
“While working with glass, teamwork plays a big part,” Ehrensvärd said. “You can really extend and push your limits if you have people assisting you. By watching other great glass artists create pieces every time you blow glass, you improve and become more confident in what you are doing.”
While glassblowing is a passion of Ehrensvärd’s, he feels as if it could not sustain his future lifestyle.
“[The] only con is that it’s hard living as an artist unless you are really famous so I might just keep it as a hobby,” Ehrensvärd said. “[However,] I’ve gotten so into it now I can’t imagine myself not doing it.”
By Sam Newell, Sophia Moss, Pauline Na
Alex Gomez
Martin Ehrensvärd
