After school program leads to future career in glass blowing
If you’re looking for a piece of art that will make you say “wow” every day, look no further than Eli Zilke’s newest glass pieces. Eli started working with glass in the after school programs at Water Street GlassWorks in Benton Harbor. Now, he is a teacher there.
Eli focuses on form and function with his pieces. His newest work, a selection of vases, are hand blown three separate times. They have a plaid pattern that is achieved by twisting strands of hot glass when they are hot and layering them. Each vase has a variety of colors, making them intriguing to look at. They are a combination of straight and curved lines and dots. This gives them an interesting texture, and they would be perfect for near a window or on a book shelf.
At one point, Eli spent time studying in Murano, Italy, an island of Venice that is known for producing masters of glass. There, he learned the historical techniques that guide his work today. Recently, he had the opportunity to organize new studio in Valparaiso. We can’t wait to see what is in store for this young artist’s future. Stop in to look at his new pieces today.
