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ABOUT THE ARTIST  AND FUSED GLASS

Glass arr studio in our barn

Where the 'magic' happens:

  • The barn wherein lies the glass studio, and my second home.

  • The kilns, where the glass fragments become 'one' over several days of firings at up to 1410°; 

  • The molds, where the glass is shaped in the kilns at up to 1260°;

  • Me- Midway in production of a 9' tall mural for CA home.

  • And a typical adventurous glass day in the studio!

Large glass kiln
Molds to shape glass
Glass studio work in progress
Working table in Glass studio

My Story

 

I have had a long-term commitment to dynamic, creative, yet balanced design and composition.  

I combine this with the glass forming techniques I have developed.

​All of Bonnie's pieces have titles and stories to tell.. feel free to ask!

 

My Professional Experience:  Design, design, design. 

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* design /landscape architecture- advanced degree in urban

* site planner and designer-for projects in NY, OH, CO and MN, including Beaver Creek Ski Resort, CO 

* intricate sculpted  jewelry - which at stores and art galleries nationwide. (i.e. Saks Fifth Ave.). Featured in top designer fashion and trunk shows. 

* EcoSource, Inc., environmental consulting, founder - sustainability programs for  commercial sector, Twin Cities, 1990- 2020. Clients include: Target Corp., MSP Int'l Airport, Andersen Corp., Cargill Corp., Lunds/ Byerly's.

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But it was glass that always pulled at me.  Mesmerized by clarity, color, and light playing its games with the medium, I dove in; from studying glass blowing at the Toledo Museum of Art, where Harvey Littleton created the studio glass movement, to creating stained glass art, and neon at Minnesota Institute of Art.

 

I then built my glass-fusing studio in a funky former big ol' dairy barn in Wisconsin.  Visitors are welcome, but please call in advance!

                            

​Why Fused Glass?

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It is the medium of fused glass that allows an artist to integrate specific composition into the glass that remains intact in the kiln when properly monitored, so the design outcome is controlled. Many of the featured elements in the art are created over a week or two, and formed in layers prior to firing in the kiln. I integrate metaphor, fantasy, and nature in the design concepts. My urban design background shows itself in the 'scapes’ that appear in the work.  

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My Goal...

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To make the process easy for you!  To bring glass art to public and private spaces in ways unseen before. ​To integrate 'character' into the glass/ metal work with intention, and to make these crafts 'speak' to those who experience it. ​ To make your space, that serves as the glasswork’s new home more elegant and exciting.   This is fulfillment!

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Bonnie Rubinstein Studio | Decorative Glass Art for Sale in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Environmental Stewardship

 

Bonnie has performed environmental audits for many other companies through EcoSource, Inc. since 1990. So, she naturally monitors her studio's waste stream and materials sourcing. The studio is as close to being a zero-waste shop as possible, and is sustainable in many ways.

 

  • glass scraps are used in future pieces. 

  • water is needed to run the saws, cutters, and grinders, but used minimally.  

  • Bonnie picks up the large sheets of glass in her van in quantities; avoiding need for shipping boxes, bubble wrap.

  • heating- only when in use, and by an efficient gas heater, never set above 60, even in frigid weather.

  • cooling- cool and comfortable in the lower level of a large former dairy barn, doors kept open for cross ventilation, the concrete floor we poured helps retain the coolness. In the colder months, we unroll a carpet to insulate against the cold. 

  • cabinets, table tops, desk, chair, carpeting, and large florescent lights were all procured from office remodeling projects, where they were headed for the dumpster. 

 

Supporting sustainable values is a priority!

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