Gallery displays artwork made from molten glass

The artist travels to many glass studios to teach and create new works.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Glass sculptures based on shells that protect delicate plant and animal life are featured in an exhibit by a Mahoning Valley artist in a gallery at Mill Creek Park's Fellows Riverside Gardens.
"Glass Shell" is the title of the collection of wall pieces, vessels and vases made from molten glass by J. David Taylor of Warren, which will be on display there through Nov. 20.
The public can meet Taylor from 6 to 8 p.m. today at a reception in the Andrew and Carol Weller Gallery at the D.D. and Velma Davis Education and Visitors Center, 123 McKinley Ave., where the exhibit is being shown. Regular center hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Titles of the works on display include "Flower Friezes," "Clear Growth," "Amber Study," "Two Halves," "Waterfall" and "Clear Study."
"I'm hoping that they'll walk away with a greater awareness of what you can do with the glass, instead of just a vase or just a dish," Taylor said of exhibit visitors.
Career
A Howland High School graduate, Taylor attended the University of Montana and received his bachelor of fine arts degree with honors from Kent State University.
Having studied under some of the country's most talented glass artists, he travels to numerous glass studios to teach and create art for clients.
Taylor, 27, has given workshops on glass art at the Pittsburgh Glass Center, the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, N.Y., and Kent State University. His work has been exhibited several times at KSU.
He works with blown and shaped molten glass in a Kent studio and has a workshop in downtown Warren, where he assembles and stores his creations.
Most recently, he was commissioned to create four glass pieces for the "Extreme Makeover Home Edition"'s Boardman episode.
Versatile medium
Although it's breakable in its solid form, Taylor finds glass to be a colorful and versatile three-dimensional art medium that can easily be shaped and fused in its molten form and that is adaptable to many avenues of creativity.
"There's a lot of opportunity to do things with the material when it's hot. Even when it's cold, you can carve into it," he explained. The glass can be sanded down or sandblasted. A variety of surface textures can be imparted to the finished product, and paint or enamel can be applied to it.
However, he quipped: "It doesn't like to bounce."
The "Glass Shell" display features organic forms that focus on the protective characteristics of the shell and the delicate life it shields.
"This body of work is an expression of the building ability of glass. This is achieved in both the way the panels were formed hot and when they were combined cold," Taylor wrote in a summary of the exhibit for visitors.
Taylor said his interest in glass art developed when a friend invited him to a glass art studio while Taylor was taking art classes.
"I was mesmerized by it. The idea of actually coming out with a finished product -- something that I made with my own hands -- really attracted me," he recalled.
Working with glass art is a lifelong learning experience, he said.
Taylor, who exhibits his work at many arts and crafts shows, will be showing his work at the holiday art fair Dec. 3 and 4 at the Butler Institute of American Art.
milliken@vindy.com