As the fire and temperatures heat up, an artistic masterpiece is created using only one's mouth and hands.
As a well-known artist who many Ball State students have come to admire, Dante Marioni visited Ball State and held a lecture and glass blowing demonstration.
Marioni filled the room with students, faculty and adults Monday night in the Art and Journalism Building and explained to them where his artistic inspirations come from. Students were able to view a slideshow consisting of people, work and objects that have influenced Marioni's work and all that he has accomplished.
Marioni recounted back to his younger days and his admiration for Lino Tagliapietra, an Italian glass artist.
During the years of 1979 and 1980, much of the glass blowing work that was being made was "loose and goopy," Marioni said.
"It was at this time that Lino showed up and showed all these people how to do stuff," he added.
This is when Marioni said he truly fell in love with glass blowing and knew he wanted it to be his career.
After the lecture, attendees walked over to the Marilyn K. Glick Center for Glass to watch Marioni produce one of his pieces of art.
Students and adults watched as heat and oxygen worked together to create a piece that Marioni shaped to look like a leaf.
Much time, patience and hands contributed to making this piece. Marioni was able to work with his apprentice to place the glass into the heat and then roll it out on tables as well as contribute to blowing the piece and forming it into a shape.
Students said they were honored to be given the opportunity to hear such a legend within the art world speak and then create a piece right in front of their eyes.
Tracy Jarrett, a sophomore, was in attendance at the lecture and glass blowing demonstration.
"Getting to have Dante here is just incredible," she said. "He's one of the best glass blowers in the world. It's just such an honor to be able to see him. He's such a great artist."
Marioni expressed his appreciation for the students and said he hopes students were able to truly understand his deep appreciation and love for his art.
"I was very lucky that when I was young, I did find something that I was very passionate about and it's a rare thing, particularly at a young age," he said.
Some Ball State students who attended said they had also found a love within art and hope to do something with this major upon graduation.
Mikaela Mcmillen, a freshman art education major, said she believes art is a very important part of her life and has thought about her future within art.
"I've thought about having my own studio and doing ceramics and glass blowing, but I've also thought about being a high school teacher," she said.
Marioni said he hoped to encourage art students to pursue their dreams and not worry about the career field upon graduation.
"Work super hard, show up on time, be passionate and be lucky, too," he said during the lecture.
Brent Cole, director of the Glick Center, said Ball State hopes to have more well-known artists visit Ball State and speak to students about this career field in the future.
"I think it's really important for us to bring in high-caliber artists to the facilities for students to have a different outlook on what goes on outside of academia and a different approach," Cole said.
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