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DaFactory's hotshop crew creates a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, to honor Furthur.
Portland June 19th 2008. Portland, Oregon
DaFactory Glass Studio from Maui, Hawaii is bringing their show on the road, with an exciting evening of live glassblowing, spoken word and musical entertainment. The Merry Band of Pranksters, a group originally formed around Oregon author Ken Kesey in the early 1960!s, will be bringing the Furthur bus to Portland for a very rare appearance.
Furthur, in psychedelic livery, served as the vehicle used to spread the Merry Pranksters! social, intellectual and artistic movement. Author and Prankster Ken "The Intrepid Traveler" Babbs will be on hand to read excerpts from his forthcoming novel. Ken Kesey!s Son, Zane, along with many other Merry Pranksters will be in attendance with memorabilia from past and present along with a bus full of psychedelic energy.
Beginning at 7:00 pm, master glassblower Charles Lowrie will lead DaFactory!s hotshop crew in the creation of a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, to honor Furthur and the history she represents. Joining DaFactory!s team will be guest artists from a variety of disciplines; glass, mixed media, painting, music, poetry to name a few. The theatrical glassblowing demonstration will be accompanied by the music of the Lost Creek Gang.
The event will coincide with the Glass Art Society conference June 19th - 21st, 2008. Portland, Oregon was chosen to host the event this year and is considered a hub for the international glass community. DaFactory!s event will be hosted by Molly Brown!s Magpie glass studio, located at 2119 Kerby Avenue. Magpie is in the middle of "glass alley," home to world-renowned glass and creative businesses such as Uroboros and Savoy Studios.
DaFactory is led by Bobby Smith, Jason Harris, Joey Scalgione, and Ben Strebel. These long time Oregonians met in Eugene in the early nineties and have collaborated on many projects in a wide array of creative ventures.
Harris played a large part in the emergence of the glass scene in Eugene. His businesses included Jerome Baker Design, as well as being a founder in the Eugene Glass School and having the honor of designing, opening and operating the University of Oregon glass program.
"Our vision of DaFactory was to be a gathering place of glassblowing and multi-media artists who together would create a unique creative energy and magnificent works of art in glass", says Harris. "We have been able to have members of the community and their families participate in this creative process and watch our artists make amazing art pieces in front of their eyes and with them being an integral part of it."
Da Factory has been hosting a wonderful monthly "First Saturday Art Walk," a night of food, refreshment, music and theatrical glassblowing hosted in participation with other local artists and businesses. A taste of the energy from the event can be found in this video, on Da Factory!s YouTube channel.
A sculpture of Hawaiian goddess Hi!iaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele, a great example of the quality of craftsmanship that will be brought to this project, is shown below and in this YouTube Video. In April of last year Da Factory also had the honor of making a piece of art for his Holiness the Dali Lama.
All of these masterpieces were created by Lowrie, an Oregon glassblower who, with his amazing craft, has been blowing minds all over the world for years. Portland, June 19, 2008
"We are so grateful to be able to come back to our home state to celebrate the Glass Art Society conference with all of our friends, family and business associates in our own special way of fusing our work with entertainment. We now this evening will be enjoyable and enlightening to all who attend," adds Smith.
DaFactory is based in principal on Andy Warhol!s infamous Factory of New York City in the late sixties. Blending the ultimate Hawaiian vibe with the excitement of an art party, DaFactory is constantly buzzing with an art influenced energy. With its state-of-the-art equipment and the industrial setting of the studio lending itself to create large-scale works in all media, DaFactory is the creative mecca for a variety of artists to create incredible works of mixed media art with the focus being glass. DaFactory is located at 375 West Kuiaha Road in Haiku!s historic Pauwela Cannery.
For Additional Information or Press Invitations:
Bobby Smith
Mobile: (808) 283-4731
bobby@mauiglassblowing.com
