Glassblowing Art, Where?
You Won’t Believe Where This Artist has Been Working and Teaching Art Glass
You may do a double take when you encounter Ryan on a cruise ship, but that is precisely where she has been working at her art for the past 5 years.
The Corning Museum of Glass has joined forces with Celebrity Cruises to give passengers a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn about premium glassware and watch Ryan at work.
While some glass blowers might find working aboard a ship daunting, Ryan loves working int he middle of the ocean.
Ryan took up glassblowing at Virginia Commonwealth University where she was majoring in ceramics. She fell in love at first blob, you could say and quickly changed gears and majors. After University she moved to Seattle where she worked for various “glass heroes.”
Learning how to blow glass takes the same repetitive practice as learning to play a musical instrument. In 2010, the Corning Museum of Glass hired me to embark on my first ‘Blow Glass at Sea’ adventure on the Celebrity Equinox and I’ve been cruising the world ever since. This is my 5th anniversary and loved every minute.
What will you see onboard? The Hot Glass Shows are 2 hours long. They may make one intricate piece or up to 6 different pieces. They mix it up and create something different for each show. There are three Glassblowers on board, while Ryan serves as the Team Leader.
If you are lucky, you can even go home with one of the pieces that you watched being created. An auction is held before the voyagers depart with proceeds going to a great cause that will no doubt stimulate many new artists’ careers: Scholarship Fund and Residency Program that affords many people a chance to take glassblowing classes at our teaching facility in Corning, NY.
One piece, the last to be auctioned on each cruise goes to raise money for a cause dear to the heart of Celebrity Cruises: Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Another special feature that happens during the shows is there is a special opportunity for the kids onboard. They draw a picture which the glass artists translate into a 3D piece of art.
The benefits for Ryan to this traveling studio?
The view is always stunning and it’s where I saw a humpback whale breach several times after one of our shows when we were sailing in Alaska. I’ve also seen several double rainbows from that spot and hundreds of epic sunsets. And I have to mention, our glassblowing studio is outside on deck 15 in the back of the ship right next to the real grass lawn. Needless to say, our office view as we are sailing gives us the best view in existence.
Not to mention the many glassblowers she has met and studios she has been able to visit while traveling around the world.
Want to experience glassblowing art at sea? Learn more about Ryan Doolittle and her team and Celebrity Cruises.
Are you a glassblower looking for the best office in the world? Learn more about how you could be part of Ryan’s team.
