Arts & Entertainment
The Birth of a Snow Child
Artists at Martha's Vineyard Glassworks are hard at work delivering these babies in time for the holidays
Sometimes you know the minute you see something that it would make the perfect gift. One look at this year’s snow children at and you may be sold yourself.
This is the fourth year that the snow people have been a part of MV Glassworks holiday offerings and according to gallery manager, Kirstin Hoffman, they change a little every year.
“They started off made of clear glass with just a scarf and a top hat. Then they were white with a top hat. This year, after many requests from customers, we’ve added snow babies to the collection.”
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The original snow people were a result of one of the glass blowers making a Christmas present for a family member. “Then we had a number of customers request them and in 2008 we did our first run.”
A run of snow people is no small feat. This year’s production started on Sunday morning with a team of five glass blowers working together throughout the day to produce a total of twenty snow kids.
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“The snow people are especially tricky because they’ve got eyes, a nose, a hat and buttons. Normally a piece of glassware takes a minimum of two or three people. The snow people take five glass blowers. One makes the shape of snowmen and the other glass artists are simultaneously adding the hat, eyes and nose.”
Andrew Magdanz, his wife Susan Shapiro, and Mark Weiner started MV Glassworks in 1992. The West Tisbury studio is a facility for glassblowers to work everyday. At the same time, it is a gallery that allows customers to watch a work of art come to life through this amazing art form.
The four core glass artists working on this year’s snow children are Mark Weiner, the head glass blower and co-owner, his wife, Michiko Weiner, Russell Carson and Ian Whitt.
“All of the artists live here,” said Hoffman. “They and other glass blowers like Robert Phillips who is a senior staff member, make work for MV Glassworks and for themselves all year.”
Snow children and other original works of glassware are available at Martha’s Vineyard Glassworks and online at www.mvglassworks.com
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