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BEAUMONT — The Art Studio, Inc. is hosting an exhibition this month of kiln-formed glass by Ed Esclovon and Eddie Markey.

A reception for the exhibit is planned from 5-8 p.m. Thursday in the Maudee Carron Gallery. The “Kaleidoscope of Glass” exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.
The artists, known as “Ed and Eddie,” retired to Nederland two years ago after living in California for 38 years.

While Markey has been working with stained glass for nearly 30 years, the couple have been working in kiln-formed glass for several years, both self-taught and with classes at Harmony Glass in Pasadena.

“Our exhibit will offer a variety of unique and different types and techniques involved in Kiln-Formed Glass work. Some of these beautiful pieces will simply be art and some functional for everyday use,” according to the duo. “We hope to show the beauty of glass whether it’s a functional or an art display piece.”

The exhibition includes serving plates, bowls, platters to votive holders and vases, as well as tabletop and wall hanging artworks.

“Each piece is fired at least once in one of our kilns, usually taking 20 plus hours with several stages to heat up and cool down,” Esclovon said.

“Most pieces are complex with several steps, including design, cutting glass, set-up, and kiln firings. They have multiple firings to complete each step; with each step involving different kiln temperatures,” Markey said.

The Art Studio’s galleries, located at 720 Franklin St. in Beaumont, are open for viewing by the public from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

“When a piece we have been working on for three days cracks in the kiln because we heated it up too fast, we say, ‘That’s OK, it’s just glass.’ However, when a piece works out as planned or gives us something new to work with, we are humbled by glass and how it behaves when heat and pressure is applied,” Esclovon said.
All the pieces in the exhibition will be for sale.

The artists have chosen to donate all of their sales to benefit the local arts community, with 50 percent of the proceeds going directly to The Art Studio, Inc. and the other 50 percent directly to Beaumont Community Players.

For more information, email info@artstudio.org, visit artstudio.org or follow The Art Studio, Inc. on Facebook and Instagram

About Art Studio

The Art Studio, Inc., founded in 1983, is a cultural organization dedicated to fostering creativity in the visual and performing arts in Southeast Texas. Through the subsidized rental of artists’ studio space, equipment, exhibitions opportunities and arts instruction, TASI provides opportunities for visual artists and performers to avail themselves of educational, performance and learning opportunities.