Welcome to Vulcan Glass Art Studio
Vulcan Glass Art Studio has been producing glass for the art world and the glass pipe business for over 18 years. It started as a studio located in Barry Stevens’ garage in Aurora Illinois and moved to Buena Vista Colorado in 2016. During the pandemic, as the demand for glass pipes increased, the company grew and now employs three full-time glassblowers, including Barry Stevens, Chantell Locke and Steve Dyke.
Vulcan Glass Art Studio has always had a strong focus on high quality production work at competitive prices. All Vulcan Glass Art Studio artist are held to exacting standards with the work that we send out. All Vulcan artists are trained as production artists and we are able to handle high volume orders with quick turn around. All our pipes are wholesale only, and so Vulcan Glass Art Studio doesn’t compete with any of its customers for sales via retail outlets or social media. Our artists also produce work for larger distribution companies, so whatever your glass blowing needs, Vulcan Glass Art Studio has you covered.
Barry Stevens
Artist Barry Stevens began his glassblowing career in 2008 after apprenticing in the Chicago area. He specializes in lampworking using borosilicate glass and draws much of his inspiration from nature as well as his enthusiasm for budo martial arts. His Buena Vista Studio is equipped with several torch stations, full ventilation and oxygen generation system, glass lathe and a supply of glass blowing tubing for any lamp-working project.
While in Chicago, Stevens was accepted into numerous prestigious juried art shows including the Chicago Botanic Gardens Art Fair, Cantigny Art in Bloom and the Geneva Fine Arts Fair.
Stevens’ artwork was accepted by the Illinois Artisans Program and has been on display in Chicago at the James R. Thompson Center. He won an Award of Excellence at the Deerfield Art Show in 2014 and a Second Place Award at the Cantigny Art Fair in 2013. His art was shown in January 2013 at the Fine Line Creative Arts Center in St. Charles in a juried glass and metals show titled, “Molten.” Stevens’ marbles have also been on display in the Modern Marbles Exhibit at Indigenous, A Handcrafted Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Stevens was one of a select group of glass artists who were selected for the Summer 2020 Issue of Flow Magazine which was the Marble and Paperweight Issue. The Flow Magazine is the Glass Journal for the Flameworking Community. Stevens’ entry feature his Vortex marbles in 2” and 3” sizes.
While in Buena Vista Stevens won Judges Award in 2019, Second Place Sculpture in 2021 and First Place Glass in 2022 at the Chaffee Arts Open Awards Show.
“I’ve always had an attraction to things that are difficult. I’ve never found things I was immediately good at engaging. With glass, I found a medium that will constantly challenge me. There are no glass prodigies, and becoming a glass maestro is all about dedication to the craft. After making glass my life for 18 years, I’m just beginning to feel like I can truly explore my artistic vision. Taking inspiration from nature as well as Zen philosophy and budo martial arts, I have begun to combine my passions into a cohesive body of work.”
Chantell Locke
Chantell’s career began when she started working with glass full time in 2021 at Vulcan Glass Art Studio. From working primarily with clear glass to learning the applications of colored glass and deepening her understanding of glass color theory, Chantell has advanced her career quickly. Her work as a prep artist and production lampworker has led to very exacting standards and attention to detail in her work.
“I enjoy the dichotomy of the material: solid yet malleable, fragile yet sturdy and soft yet sharp. I look forward to continuing this learning process throughout a long career in glass and exploring all the wonderful aspects of this material.”
Steven Dyke
Steven Dyke moved to Buena Vista, Colorado in 2019. He started working at Vulcan Glass Art in 2020 after a chance meeting with one of Vulcan's artists. After meeting with Barry, the owner of Vulcan, it was only a matter of time before Steven began his career as a glass artist. He has been with Vulcan for over 2 1/2 years.
Steven's life as a glass artist has some interesting beginnings. Never having worked with glass before, he was put on the lathe as everyone felt it would be the quickest path to producing sellable work. Steven is now proficient at all types of lathe work and continuously seeks to improve. Most artists do standing work first, and then lathe work, but Steven has never been one to follow the easy path. He is very excited to learn standing work in order to become a well rounded artist. He enjoys listening to jam bands, especially Phish, which helps his creativity and fosters a joyous attitude within his work environment.
Tiabeanie Mariabeanie de la Rochambeau Grunkwitz (Bean)
Bean began her career at Vulcan Glass Art Studio as a freelance pest control specialist in 2020. Excelling at her job she was hired on full time quickly and has since become the Manager of Rodent Mitigation. She also has the distinction of having never broken a finished and sellable product, putting her above all other employees of Vulcan Glass Art Studio.
Leeloo Tagliapietra
Leeloo began working for Vulcan Glass Art Studio in 2022. She heads up the Human Resources department specializing in Employee Relations. There has been a marked decline in employee complaints since she started the job.