From press release:
Asheville, NC – Join HandMade in America and Beverly-Hanks as they feature the glass works of Asheville artist John Almaguer at the Beverly-Hanks Discovery Center in Biltmore Park Town Square, located at 1 Town Square Boulevard, Asheville, NC 28803. The Artist Reception will be held on Thursday, July 31 from 5:30-7:30pm. John will discuss how he came to work with glass, his process, inspiration, and why he loves calling Western North Carolina home. The exhibition will be open to the public until August 19, 2014.
Almaguer works out of the Asheville Glass Center, and his work can currently be seen at Beverly-Hanks & Associates in Biltmore Park in Asheville, NC and the Ellis Nicholson Gallery in Charleston, SC. His works have also been featured in numerous galleries throughout the east coast.
Almaguer was first inspired by the work of Dale Chihuly at the age of fourteen. However, it wasn’t until after high school that he took his first glass blowing course at a community college in Virginia Beach, VA. He later received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus in glass from Tennessee’s Appalachian Center for Crafts and studied under various artists from California, North Carolina, and Murano Island in Venice, Italy. While living in Italy, Almaguer had the privilege of working with Maestro Oscar Zanetti and other glass artists such as Andrea Zilio, Arnaldo Zanella, and Peno Signoretto, where he sharpened his skills and became engaged to his now wife, Alicia. They moved from Italy to North Carolina to be closer to family, but chose to live in Asheville because of its rich arts culture.
“I am grateful to now be providing for my wife and new-born baby solely through my glass work,” says Alamaguer. “Beverly-Hanks and Associates encourages people to live the life they dream, and HandMade in America provides training for artists and entrepreneurs to do just that. Together they are promoting Western North Carolina and its artists, and I am incredibly appreciative for these two organizations’ work in supporting small business owners such as myself.”
Almaguer’s work will be featured at the Beverly-Hanks Discovery Center in Biltmore Park Town Square, located at 1 Town Square Boulevard, Asheville, NC 28803, now through August 19, 2014 with an Artist Reception on Thursday, July 31, 2014 from 5:30-7:30pm. HandMade in America’s partnership with Beverly-Hanks & Associates serves to showcase WNC’s fine craft artists, bringing exposure to the creativity and unique talent found within the region and demonstrating the potential for the handmade item within the home.
About HandMade in America:
HandMade in America grows economies through craft and creative placemaking, transforming both individuals and communities through entrepreneurship and economic development. HandMade in America has a 19-year tradition for pioneering innovative ways to empower the people and towns of Western North Carolina through programs that educate and facilitate the needs of creative entrepreneurs and communities. Additional information is available online at handmadeinamerica.org or by calling 828-252-0121.
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