The moment you enter Vermont, something about the air just feels healthier. The moment you enter Bern Gallery during Pipe Classic, something about the air just feels headier. North America’s best functional glass artists descend upon Burlington, Vermont once a year for Pipe Classic to create some of the most incredible functional art year in and year out.
If there is one thing to mention about Pipe Classic, it is not a wholesale tradeshow, the focus is the Flame-Off. Every year there seems to be some confusion about the purpose of Pipe Classic, where stores come down. As always, any event is a great networking opportunity with artists; but you will be hard pressed to find much wholesaling going on (just a note for our storeowner readers).
This is our second year attending Pipe Classic, and once again it completely blew us away as far as what artists can do in such a small window of time! Artists have two 8-hour heats to complete their competition pieces; once you see the quality of work output it truly becomes mindboggling how they can do it. This year’s competing artists were as follows: Gordman, Danny Camp, AKM, Corinne Winters, Elbo, Micro, JD Maplesden, Eusheen, BMFT, Berzerker, KIND, and Etai Rahmil!
Once the dust settled from the flame-off, it came time to see the incredible finished pieces and do the judging! There were some incredible entries, from Etai’s Chromatic Bowhorn to KIND Goddess Functional LAMP; the artists brought their A-Game. As always the pieces were displayed in the theatre and judges had a chance to view and cast their votes for the winner. The voting was very tight, with some decisions varying by only a few votes. When all was said and done, this is how everyone placed!
Eusheen – First Place
KIND – Second place and Artist’s Choice
Gordman – Third place
Another year, another set of intricately complex and beautiful pieces of functional glass! We want to give a huge thank you to Bern Gallery for an amazingly hosted event and being a true leader in the industry. 10 years of running this flame off is no easy task, and our hats are off to them!
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