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JOURNEY inABY CORINNE LUTTERAPEGA Public Relations Coordinator

(story & photos)

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When APEGA sought something contemporary and unique to symbolize the Summit Awards, Edmonton’s Keith Walker got all fired up. So did his furnaces

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Earning an APEGA Summit Award takes creativity, skill, hard work

and knowledge. So too does turning a blob of molten glass into a

stunning work of art for winners to take home.

“Glass sculpting is not unlike engineering in some respects.

You have a set of tools and you have to take this raw material and

turn it into your design,” says Alberta artist Keith Walker.

The raw materials used to make glass — sand, soda ash and

lime — bring geoscience into the picture. Mr. Walker’s creations

start with cullet, a recycled glass mixture, which he melts in a

furnace at temperatures up to 1,300 C.

Summit Awards are presented annually to recognize and cel-

ebrate creativity, achievement and excellence in engineering and

geoscience. APEGA decided to redesign the award itself in time for

the 2012 presentations. The new version, staffers hoped, would re-

flect the meaning of the awards in an interesting and contemporary

way, while maintaining the gravitas and classiness of the annual

Summit Awards Gala.

From initial concept drawings to prototypes to finished pieces,

the design evolved over several months until just the right form was

achieved. Mr. Walker designed the new award. Then he brought the

designs to life in his custom-built Edmonton studio, Blow in the Dark

Glassworks.

“I think it’s great that organizations like APEGA are willing to

work with local artists to support arts and culture in the commu-

nity,” says Mr. Walker. “As an artist, it means a great deal to me to

have that support.”

Mr. Walker often finds visual inspiration in nature. That held

true for his new Summit Award. He’s created a three-dimensional

sculpture shaped like a mountain’s summit to symbolize the high

level of achievement attained by members. Inside the clear glass are

swirling green and blue ribbons, symbolizing energy and innovation,

and reflecting the colours of APEGA’s logo.

While very similar looking, no two awards are exactly alike.

Beautiful and timeless, they were created for the same cost as the

previous Summit Awards.

HOBBY BECOMES PASSION BECOMES BUSINESS

Mr. Walker has always had a creative side, working as a wedding

photographer and journeyman carpenter before discovering glass

blowing about 10 years ago. He started off making vases as a hobby,

but soon glass blowing became a serious passion.

It’s a passion he acted on. First, Mr. Walker volunteered as an

assistant at a local glass studio to get hands-on training in the art of

glass blowing. Then he further honed his skills by volunteering as

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FEATURE

“I think it’s great that organizations like APEGA

are willing to work with local artists to support

arts and culture in the community. As an artist, it

means a great deal to me to have that support.”

PEAK PERFORMANCE

From far left: throughout the sculpting process, the glass is reheated several times in a furnace to keep it at a workable temperature; Mr. Walker begins shaping a Summit Award

by rolling it on a steel table, in a process called marvering; a torch and various hand tools are used to bring the design to life.

-photos by Corinne Lutter

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“Working on a new piece and seeing it

evolve right before your eyes — all the

while knowing one false move will send

it crashing to the studio floor — is a

thrill ride which I will never tire of.”

THE ARTIST IN BRIEF

• Keith Walker’s pieces have been

on display at various glass and art

shows.

• His first public art commission was a

permanent blown glass installation at

the Central Lions Senior Recreation

Centre in Edmonton. It features 500

individual pieces that together make

a cluster of glass vines, flowers and

fruit.

• Look for his latest art installation in

the U.S. departures lounge at the

Edmonton International Airport.

SIDEBAR

a pole-turner at the Pilchuck Glass School

in Seattle, an international education centre

for glass artists. Mr. Walker also attended

courses at the Pittsburgh Glass Center.

Five years ago, Mr. Walker decided

to take a risk and turn his passion into a

business. With the encouragement of his

wife, Edmonton fashion designer Sabrina

O’Donnell, he began building a studio in his

backyard.

“I built it from the ground up over a

five-year period,” says Mr. Walker, who put

his carpentry skills to work to get the job

done. “There was a point when I wondered

if it would ever happen, if I was crazy to be

investing so much time and money into the

studio.”

It’s now a bright, airy space where

Mr. Walker spends many hours working

on various projects, from whimsical and

intricate art installations to more functional

pieces, like glass tumblers, light fixtures and

bowls. And yes, he still does vases. He also

teaches glass blowing to aspiring artists.

The studio’s state-of-the-art

equipment includes a crucible (a furnace

that holds the molten glass) and a second

furnace for reheating the glass as it’s

being worked on. He assembled the

second furnace himself, learning how

to weld so he could save on costs. After

many months of construction, the studio

opened for business in June 2011.

THE JOY OF GRUELLING WORK

Glass is an unforgiving medium. The

art of glass blowing requires creativity,

of course, but also mental and physical

stamina and technical skill. In Mr. Walker’s

book these are satisfying challenges

rather than negatives. “My attraction to

this medium is that it fills my desire to

push my limits physically and creatively.”

He continues: “You really have to

think about the steps you’re going to

take to turn this blob of glass into your

creation. Once you start there’s no going

back. You’re committed from start to

finish.”

Even a small project can take several

hours to complete. Each Summit Award, for

example, takes about three hours to sculpt.

The process begins when Mr. Walker

gathers molten glass on a long metal pole.

From there, he is in constant motion,

moving back and forth between his work

bench and furnaces, moulding, reheating,

shaping and cutting, until the final design

slowly emerges.

“The possibilities with glass are limit-

less. It always keeps you on your toes and

guessing. Working on a new piece and

seeing it evolve right before your eyes — all

the while knowing one false move will send

it crashing to the studio floor — is a thrill

ride which I will never tire of.”

Mr. Walker hopes his art evokes

emotions from those who hold it and look

at it. “It doesn’t matter if it’s positive or

negative, as long as they have a reaction,”

he says. “I want people to feel a connection

to the art. If they feel a connection, that

means it’s a success.”

A GLASS ACT

Glass sculpting requires concentration and attention to

detail. Each new Summit Award took Mr. Walker about

three hours to sculpt in his Edmonton studio.

-photo by Corinne Lutter