barry fairbairn

Available at the Alberta Craft Gallery - Edmonton & Calgary

“I have always been passionate about art; as a young lad painting with oils, then as a young man attending Art College. It was at college when I explored hot glass as an art medium, and I was immediately hooked. I was lucky enough to begin working as a glassblower for Robert Held at Skookum Art Glass, as I completed college.  I worked 10,000 hours to become a very skilled glassblower, working eight hours a day, five days a week, for five years in a production glass studio. I was fortunate to work with some of the best glassblowers during my time at Skookum, which was an education in itself. After Skookum shut down the Calgary studio, I was lucky to buy half of Double Struggle glass studio and start my own company and run the studio in partnership with Jim Norton for 27 years.

Seven years of springtime visits to Pilchuck glass school in Washington state was another amazing experience! Working as a gaffer on teams creating centrepieces for auction, I gained a ton of experience and made wonderful friends with amazing artists. Throughout most of my career, I've been an instructor of glass. First at the college, as the only night instructor for four years. Then also summer weeks at Red Deer College's Series program and 27 years for the City of Calgary's parks and recreation program. All of which gave me the distinct pleasure of starting passions in glass for other artists. After Jim's passing, I ran the studio for three more years but then shut it down. I am now delighted to be in my new smaller studio Doragon Zuden, Japanese for Dragons Den. In my den(studio), I have a baby dragon furnace which I have named Minilla, son of Godzilla. I'm back doing what I do best and striving to become more evolved and involved as an artist.”