Fine Line Creative Arts Center members, volunteers, art students, and St. Charles Chamber members gathered outside on a warm, dreary afternoon Friday, September 6, 2019, for its first-ever ribbon cutting commemorating 40 years of art offerings and continual expansion of art training. Located at 37w570 Bolcum Road in St. Charles, the multi-building Center offers a wide-ranging array of classes running the gamut from art history and blacksmithing to glass blowing and fusing to lampwork, weaving, and so much more. See info@finline.org.
GLASS BLOWING DEMO AT FINE LINE’S NEW GLASS STUDIO
At the new glass blowing studio building, instructor Alan Shontz, gave a start-to-finish demonstration of creating a vase. Joking as he went through the many steps required for such a delicate piece, he said, “Glass design is the art of fixing mistakes!” Once the piece is finished ending at a temperature of 950-degrees Fahrenheit, it slowly cools down to “room temperature” -- a process that takes about 8 hours.
FINE LINE’S EXPANDED NEW KILN AREA
Volunteer and student, Barbara Dyche, poses with the new kilns now ready for making glass jewelry – and located indoors in the Kavanagh building adjacent to the metals/glass jewelry studios.
HELPING CELEBRATE THE RIBBON CUTTING
Board Member Sister Mary Boyd (L) stands with volunteer Louise Ioder at the ribbon cutting. Sister Mary teaches Art History at the Center and Louise has been a dedicated volunteer for many years actively supporting its mission.