In honor of the 55th Annual Winter Antiques Show, held by the East Side House Settlement, a select group of students from Bronx Haven High School and Mott Haven Village Predatory High School were given a unique opportunity.
On Thursday, January 8, Eric Goldschmidt, a master glassmaker from the Corning Museum of Glass, located in Corning, New York, came to 210 Alexander Avenue to demonstrate the ancient art of glassmaking for the ‘You Design It/We Make It’ program.
Prior to this visit the schools were asked to design an image that represents their school, and as a special treat, flame worker Goldschmidt would turn their illustration into a glass sculpture to be put on exhibit at the antique show and then returned to the schools for display.
“My advisor came to us and asked for a design, and we have a basketball team called the eagles so I figured I’d do an eagle,” said Jonathan Malave, 17-year-old student of Bronx Haven High School, who may be looking into a career as an artist. “I was very excited and this was a good experience, I had no idea he was going to sculpt my design until right before. I never saw someone make something so beautiful from glass sticks.”
Goldschmidt had one hour per school to complete the design presented, and while creating the artwork explained to students all the components behind flame working and answered any questions they had, hoping to educate and inspire any future artists.
“Our program is to help overcome educational or personal issues that kept them from being successful in school. This is like being part of an extracurricular activist, exposing them to different experiences and opening their minds to the world,” said John Sanchez, executive director of the East Side House Settlement. “This demonstration is just an bonus to them being in the show, but it reflects their commitment to their art and to the community.”
