Sunday 2/8/26
On Sundays I reflect.
I didn’t drink alcohol this week. I had a few sips of wine last week on an auspicious occasion. Years ago I don’t think I could have had just a few sips.
I haven’t been able to write my blog the last few weeks due to being so busy or exhausted. There is a lot to catch up on today.
I’m honestly thrilled to be able to share what we have been working on right now. This is certainly the most exciting time of my life so far.
There’s not much snow here, you may have heard. I’ve been on my snowboard a few times but I’m eager to get more powder.
I’ve been driving quite a bit chipping away at my debt which is a good feeling, but requires sacrifice of my freedom. Right now it’s what I need to do.
Recently we hosted a team of artists for an incredible collaboration at the studio. Jen Stark returned, along with Eusheen, Ian, Alex Ubatuba, Matty B, and this time Gabe Renz joined us. We also fired up the furnace with Robert Burch and his friend Josh Raiffe.
It’s magical to be able to create these kind of sessions.
We got Jen on a snowboard for the second time in her life, and she’s learning the toe side heel side switch. Day one it started snowing and the next day we got over a foot of snow. Everybody had a blast riding together and hanging out at Two Arrows and around the village.
After our first session last Fall Jen received a commission for us to create her second stringer stack Millie and Ian created 50 marbles with a slice of the Millie in each one. We shipped glass to Austin Texas and to LA and back to Austin and then finished the project at my studio.
For this project we scaled up the size of our pull, and the yield was substantially greater. With the remaining cane, our team spent the week creating new work with Jen and her art. We made marbles and cup along with sculptures and experiments.
It’s a dream come true to be collaborating with some of my favorite artists and the energy at the studio is at an all time high.
Ian pushed me to spend more time on the torch this session, and I’m glad he did. I can get caught up in the role of producing with the team and lose sight of spending time producing on the torch. This time we made 6 twisty cups together featuring Jen’s dripping rainbow Millie image on the side. I don’t have words to express the gratitude for the support of my friends and clients who purchased all six of those cups before even being released.
Ben the artist is usually pushed aside for Business Ben and ultimately that’s something I’m ok with. It takes a lot of pressure off Ben the artist. In the rare moments that I get to make art these days it’s amazing to know there is an audience for my work.
For over a decade now, I’ve been representing and working with the most talented glass artists in the world. I hold myself to an incredibly high standard of quality when I’m blowing glass, knowing that my work reflects on the countless other artists I represent. I have no problem acknowledging that I am not as skilled or talented at blowing glass as my colleagues, and I know that I bring a different set of skills to the team.
I’m very proud of the cups I made during this session, and honored to be creating amongst legends.
The week was a balance of snowboarding and glass blowing and just having fun together. We made smoothies every morning. We pushed ourselves every day and by the time we got back to the house everybody crashed hard so we could do it again the next day.
I want to extend a special thanks to Bao You Like It for catering a Hot Pot dinner at the studio for 20 people including our whole team of artists and friends from the community. The food was incredible and the vibes even better.
There is a momentum happening in the Vail Valley around arts, and a few of the local artists and myself are creating programming and community to cultivate that. It’s a good feeling after a decade to feel like things are coming to life.
I partnered with Molly Eppard from the town of Vail and Art In Public Places to produce an art talk at the new Ford Art Studio. I interviewed Jen about her relationship to Vail and to glass since beginning her work with our team. We got to share some of the work we’ve been producing along with some of the pieces I have collected from Jen over the years.
The room was full and the excitement was high. I’ll be sharing a video of that interview soon, and want to thank everyone who showed up, especially Seth and Michelle who handled all our AV needs and the girls from Two Arrows who provided drinks and snacks. I look forward to seeing the new art space in Vail take life, and am so honored to have hosted the first art talk activation in the space.
At the talk, we showed for the first time ever some of the work we’ve began creating together during Jen’s first residency at my studio. Eusheen finished a decanter set which we drank from during the talk, featuring incredible renderings of Jen’s dripping rainbow created by Geoff Madeley specifically for this project. We also premiered the trio of mirrored glass stars made by Ubatuba and painted by Jen, which have since found a home with a collector from Brooklyn.
The remaining work is due to be released on Jen’s website the first week of March and we’re so excited to be able to offer new marbles and pendants and slices of Millie at a wide price range and representation of different styles.
We’ve also been invited to be featured at MibCon in Denver so the team will be getting together again next month for that. Ian will be back before then so we can work on developing curriculum and lesson plans for our workshop at Anderson Ranch this August. Spots have already begun selling and space is extremely limited. We will be bringing out some surprise special guests to share with our students and it’s going to be another monumental achievement for us being the first glass flame working workshop at the institution since it was founded in 1966.
In the background we have been working to develop future residencies at the Minturn Maker Space for other artists. The next few years are going to bring to life the culmination of the last decade’s efforts at the studio. We’re doing something special here, and I’m so grateful for everyone who has supported and helped us get here.
What a privilege it is to be on this journey.
I rarely comment on politics here, as it’s not really the space for that. In a time where tension seems to be growing around us, it’s important for artists to keep creating more than ever. I hope we can continue using our voices to express a positive message amidst this time of turmoil.
Another important thank you I need to express is to Alison Reid, our photographer at the Minturn Maker Space who captured some of the most special moments in the history of the space. One day we’ll be able to look back at these images and teleport in our minds to this moment in time and space, and for that I am eternally appreciative.
Something big is happening here in our little corner of the world. It’s something I’ve been working towards for nearly a decade and seeing it come to life is fulfilling beyond anything else in my life.
If you are interested in seeing what is available in the presale from this session, please reach out. I know I speak for the entire team when I say that your support right now means the world to us.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have been able to add a marble to my personal collection this time around from Jen and Ian. The marble I got is one of only two, and features both Jen’s Millies version one and version two back to back. Every time I look at that marble I’ll remember the look on Jen’s face, full of fascination and joy as she begins her exploration with glass. After being a fan and collector for so long, it’s hard to believe I have the opportunity to be the one to share this with Jen and the team.
Paulo Coelho wrote in his book The Alchemist “When you want something all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
Never give up and never stop working towards your dreams. Years ago I got so close to quitting I almost gave up. I’m so glad I didn’t.
As always thanks for tuning in and enjoy your Sunday,
BB
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