Third Degree Glass will play host to the work of two stars from Netflix series Blown Away in their August exhibition, Beyond the Familiar.
John Sharvin and MiNHi England, both featured in season three of the popular reality series, have together created an exhibition exploring themes of grief and life transitions. The work, offering distinctive reflections for each viewer, will be showcased in the Delmar studio from August 1–September 27.
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In December 2023, Third Degree brought in England and Sharvin for a series of events and time in the studio’s hot shop to work on their own series. Nicole Dutton, glass sales director at Third Degree, says they knew at the time that their time at TDG would launch a future exhibition at the studio.
“We’re very proud of our local St. Louis glass community, and bringing these two glass artists who are internationally recognized from Netflix’s Blown Away has ignited our St Louis community even more,” says Dutton. “We had an amazing turnout in December, and we believe that this exhibition will bring in people who love the show.”
Following the December 2023 residency, Sharvin and England were able to incorporate new learned elements and personal artistic risks to create a unique exhibition for the St. Louis art community. According to Sharvin, this exhibit features his most advanced and difficult technique work to date. The work uncovers multifaceted themes of imposter syndrome and insecurity, masked by colors of playful nature.
“This work is a continuation of several themes that I am drawn to in my art practice. On the surface, my work is cute and playful, but underneath that layer is a lot more,” Sharvin says. “In the piece titled ‘Updated Programing,’ a small robot has a carrot strapped to his back that is just out of reach. This brings up several questions such as, Why was this poor robot programmed to chase a carrot that he can never grab?”
England credits her time on Netflix’s Blown Away for allowing her insight, travel, and life experience she has since incorporated into her work. Within the TDG exhibition, England has included influences of Korean mythology and botanical symbolism to complement personal life stories told through the art form.
“As I delve deeper into this exploration, I find a profound connection between my personal narrative and the broader human experience,” England says. “This is particularly pertinent in my desire to work collaboratively with other artists. Finding links which bind people together allows me to configure my placement among the community. The use of mythological and botanical elements serves as universal themes such as identity, resilience, and transformation. Through glass art, I hope to inspire others to reflect on their own stories and find meaning in the ‘dance’ that gets us from A to B.”
Third Degree Glass Factory, founded by Jim McKelvey and Doug Auer in 2002, offers a rotating selection of exhibitions, bringing a diverse range of glass-blowing artists and techniques to the community. TDG is the only publicly accessible glass art studio in the St. Louis area. The Beyond the Familiar exhibit will be open for viewing weekly from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. All pieces are available for purchase.
