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Drawings WV Piece 2013

Fresh out of the lehr, Blenko 2015 WV Pieces,

Gaffer Randy Rider with WV 2015 Piece. Photo: Tom Hindman, Charleston Daily Mail

Daniel Chapman, Blenko Mold Maker

Arlon Bayliss in Blenko Design Studio. Photo: Tom Hindman, Charleston Daily Mail

Cherry Wood Mold, Blenko WV Piece 2015. Photo: Tom Hindman, Charleston Daily Mail

Blenko West Virginia Birthday Piece, 2015. H: 13"

Drawings and Model WV 2015

WV Piece 2011

WV Piece 2011

Drawings WV Piece 2011

WV Piece 2009 in progress

WV Piece 2012

WV Piece 2012

Blenko Glass – West Virginia Birthday Pieces


OVERVIEW

Designing and sampling the annual West Virginia Birthday Piece for Blenko Glass was a privilege and a
pleasure. The edition total for the design is equal to the state’s birthday, so for 2013 it was 150. I spent
many happy hours visiting with collectors who camped in the parking lot. Some started lining up three
days early. All the pieces were usually be sold by noon. Some came from as far away as the West Coast
and Texas. Blenko has been doing this since 1980, and to my knowledge, only 5 complete collections
exist.

Yet there were also challenges each year. “Any thoughts on what you’re going to design next year?”,
loyal folks at Saturday’s WV Celebration and Visitors Center opening would ask. Many followed quickly
with suggestions. Their questions get me thinking, and thinking led to ideas.
Even in the factory, and this I love, the people who made those limited editions were always interested in
what challenges next year’s design might bring. Not that they’re afraid of the challenges, quite the
reverse. They love to show what they are capable of.

I saw this special project as an opportunity to play with new techniques and push the skills of workers.
Sometimes we created WV Birthday pieces that would not be sensible for long-term production, other
times we discovered things we could apply to new line items. Most importantly, we made each Birthday
Piece different from its predecessors and every one expressed the skills and style that only Blenko Glass
can offer. – Arlon Bayliss

RELATED WORK:
Blenko Glass
Light, Words, Life
Word Netting
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