We first met Joe when he came to
Pittsburgh Glass Center in 2010(!) to teach a summer glassblowing intensive with Adam Holtzinger. This was before our business was an official entity, but during his artist lecture that week, when he said, “The work isn’t done until it’s been photographed,” it crystallized something for us.
Since then, in our officially incorporated business capacity, we've quoted Joe approximately 1.9 zillion times to communicate just how important photo documentation is for artists and makers. (And not just to get people to hire us, though it helps with that too.)
We've continued to stay in touch with Joe, and follow his career. He maintains a
thriving studio practice in El Segundo, CA, mentoring young glassblowers, winning awards, and shipping his work off to all corners of the globe. Even if you've never heard of Joe before today, you've probably seen his work in some beautiful places, or even on your TV.
Joe shares our deep commitment to supporting the development of creative studio practices among artists and makers of all kinds. Earlier this year, after 30 years of studio work, navigating contracts, and building reliable systems, he launched
Perpetual Practice.
From his website:
Perpetual Practice is a project dedicated to the realities of creative studio life over time. Not the highlight reel of making, but the systems, decisions, and structures that allow your studio practice to thrive.
Built from decades inside the studio, it explores the mechanics behind sustained making. How artists organize their work, navigate contracts, build reliable systems, and stay in action.
The goal is simple: share practical studio and business minded perspectives, so Makers can spend less energy guessing, and more energy focusing on their work with intention.
