Featured Artist:
Darren Goodman: Glass Blowing Experience
Vivid color and natural forms swirl in organized chaos at the hand of the talented and entertaining glass artist, Darren Goodman. Darren took an interest in blowing glass as a young man excited by after school “extracurricular activities”, but it wasn’t until college that he made a switch in his course of study and began to really hone his craft. Under the guidance of the respected glass artist and Bowling Green University professor, “Bud” Hurlstone, Darren learned the fundamentals of glass blowing, began to push his technique and started to pursue the craft as a serious artist. He quickly found more fulfillment and inspiration in the process and became passionate about finding new ways to manipulate shapes and inject color.
After school he apprenticed under hot glass master, Leon Applebaum, in Corning, New York. Darren returned to Ohio to establish his own studio in 2005, and shortly after was tapped by Ferrari North America to create trophies for its International Challenge Races.
As Darren worked his craft and continued to develop new ways to form glass, he began adding natural elements to his exhibits and bringing his small furnace on the road to blow glass in unorthodox locations. His travels took him to Hawaii where he blended a spectrum of blown glass tears with the natural environment and began photographing massive installations. While in Hawaii Darren worked inside Volcanoes National Park educating and demonstrating glass blowing live to the crowds of visitors. Over the past two decades Darren has continued to chase technical proficiency while arriving at new combinations which continue to bring more to the craft.
Today Darren has merged his art form with storytelling, his passion for music and energetic performance art where he animates the connections between glass blowing techniques and life’s more valuable lessons. What Darren calls the Glass Experience was born out of the energy and extremely physical attributes of glass making. Through the Glass Experience Darren is able to expose the art of glass making to more people and share a message about working together and connecting with each other. The first Glass Experience was performed at the Toledo Museum of Art, the traveling interactive exhibition required the teamwork of 20 and showcased around the country. The next generation version of Glass Experience is set to launch in 2021 and involves a futuristic vehicle juxtaposed with a covered wagon.
Darren Goodman Hand-Blown Glass Centerpiece, 2020
Darren Goodman Abstract Fused Glass Wall Sculpture, 21st Century
Darren Goodman Hand-Blown Glass Sculptures from "Fantasia" Series, 2020
Darren Goodman Handblown Glass "Ferrari Vetrobottle," 2009
