Where Were You in ’62?

How It Really Started: An Anecdotal Account of the Early Years of American Studio Glass

Fritz Dreisbach, The Johnny Appleseed of Glass, to speak at San Juan Community Theatre – Contributed photo

Called the “Johnny Appleseed of Glass,” Fritz Dreisbach is one of America’s glass royalty. The effervescent Dreisbach will spin stories of the studio glass movement in the U.S. on 7 p.m. Friday, March 13, at the San Juan Community Theatre.

Presented by the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (IMA) as part of the Art As A Voice lecture series and arranged by its exhibition committee, the talk broadens the discussion of the art of glass. The evening is open to all interested in the art of glass-the curious, beginners, the expert and students are welcome.

Dreisbach’s Where Were You in ’62? How It Really Started: An Anecdotal Account of the Early Years of American Studio Glass is a playful and joyous take on glass blowing and a unique perspective on modern glass in the Pacific Northwest.

Tickets are available at IMA and the San Juan Community Theatre for $16 general admission, $13 for IMA members and $8 for students.

Fritz Dreisbach lives and works in Freeland, on Whidbey Island. He is developing a series of wheel-carved and cameo-cut glasses, in addition to his singular exhibition pieces: playful goblets, trick glasses and toy vehicles.

Dreisbach was awarded the 1993 Corning Glass Museum’s Rakow Commission and elected a Fellow of the American Crafts Council in 1988.

The Art As A Voice series has been presented in the past to the island community and has included such art and artists as Kurt Wenner, Art Wolfe, Ansel Adams and Ernie Brooks.

Combining his two loves of glass and travel, Dreisbach continues to create art, consult for glass factories, teach workshops, and present lectures around the world.

He has presented hundreds of lectures and demonstrations in over 180 institutions the past 48 years in North America, Europe and Asia.

His work is represented in numerous global public and private collections, including the Corning Museum of Glass, The Smithsonian and Toledo Museum of Art. Learn more at www.fritzdreisbach.com.

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