When I was a child, my father was already well into his art collection days. He had no problem bringing my mother onto his journey, and our home was filled with unique and interesting pieces from all over the world. Art on the walls, sculptures in the hallways, and antiques covered the furniture. It was a wild childhood sometimes, with so many interesting stories of their lives, their travels, and their love of art and artists.
When I was around 7 or 8, my parents opened a small non-profit museum in my hometown. It was an interesting place, housing their unique collection, but also served as a place for traveling shows to exhibit in the area. My parent’s business and a large part of the collection and building burned down on December 31, 1984, when a diorama’s lighting component set fire after arcing in the walls for over three years.
I struggled as a student overall and bounced around a lot before I found glassblowing in college. I did not understand until much later in life, how much being able to control heat and fire in such a way was truly healing. I never looked back, and I am grateful I had the opportunity to be a glassblower and share such an amazing craft with all kinds of people for the last several decades of my life. It has been a privilege to be able to participate in the art form.
In April, my husband and I traveled to Milwaukee to bring a 26-foot truck of art and antiquities back to North Carolina. We stopped in Illinois to pick up art that has been in storage for almost 20 years and some pieces that have never been seen by the public. It is now November, and we are getting ready for our first launch event as Artful Unlimited, a business that is all about old and new, yesterday and tomorrow, art and life. It sounds cliche and a bit grandiose, we know, but such is art.
When the glass studio closed in 2020, it was simply one of many transitions and shifts I have had to make in my life. After I took a break from glass for several years to focus on ALS and documentary film with my brother Ben, I found the experience and education I received to be sacred, and irreplaceable. I am not sure how this next chapter will go, the world is a constantly changing and chaotic place. Starting a business anytime is a challenge, now is no different. However, I am excited about this next chapter and where it can take my life. If nothing else, my world will be one filled with art, and I can certainly live with this as a product. – rb
