Wes Hunting + Tanner Weiss Second Saturday Artwalk

Join us in the hot shop with our featured exhibitors, Tanner Weiss and Wes Hunting for a Special Hurricane-postponed Double Artist Feature!

Second Saturday Artwalk from 5pm-8:30pm.

More information can be found about Artwalk through the Saint Pete Art Alliance

WES HUNTING :

I never had an early interest in glass in particular but always had an interest in creativity.  Sometimes, I’m not too sure where it’s going; but for me, it’s all about being able to make  what I want, when I want, and keep it moving until I can no longer do so. I took the scenic route on the way to working with glass. I was always interested in the visual arts and music, and in 1976, I started my education at Kent State University with a major in painting. During this time, I had a weekend job as a groundskeeper at Hale Farm, an early American historical village just outside of Kent, Ohio. It was there that I was literally thrown into glassblowing.

TANNER WEISS : Growing up along the California coast during my adolescence, I was deeply immersed in the ever-shifting rhythms of the ocean. Raised by my Colombian mother in a household celebrating my dual heritage, I found profound inspiration in the intricate patterns formed by waterways. My artistic endeavors are a reflection of these ubiquitous water patterns, visually captured through the meticulous craft of glass cane and coldworking techniques. Each piece I create serves as a sculptural homage to the ebb and flow of coastal tides. Motivated by the transformative power of waves and currents, I am captivated by their gradual yet relentless shaping of landscapes over time. It is this natural phenomenon of continuous sculpting that fuels my artistic vision, which seeks to translate the essence of water currents into tangible form. Through the deliberate placement of linear cane and textural elements, my art endeavors to map the perpetual movement and fluidity of water, offering my own interpretation of this mesmerizing force of nature.

Tanner Weiss was born and raised along the coast of Hermosa Beach, California. Weiss grew up in a household full of art. His Columbian mother instilled a love of art and helped foster his love of glass by sending him to a highschool that taught glassblowing. It was here that Weiss found his true love of art making. Weiss’s work continued to develop at Pilchuck Glass School during the summer workshops as a student, teaching assistant and cold shop coordinator. In 2017, Weiss made Seattle his home and has continued working as a freelance glass artist. Weiss has worked with artists such as Nancy Callan, Janusz Pozniak, Preston Singletary, Martin Blank, and more. In the fall of 2021 Weiss worked as an assistant to Jen Elek and Jeremy Bert during their neon and glassblowing concentration at Penland School of Crafts. As an artist pursuing his own work, Weiss has developed his love of glass through aquatic and environmental inspirations found in California and the Pacific Northwest.