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December 2015
Interview Tom Philabaum Interviewed by Diane C. Taylor |
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Tom Philabaum, Tucson’s Premier Glass Artist
by Diane C. Taylor
by Diane C. Taylor
Tom Philabaum
If you’ve ever wondered about the upended aircraft tail in front of the building at 711 South 6th Avenue, but haven’t gone in, you’ve missed a real treat. This is the studio and gallery of Tom Philabaum, Tucson’s best known glass artist. On an overcast day in November, Tom took some time from his busy day to talk to me.
Diane C. Taylor (DCT): How did you end up in Tucson?
Tom Philabaum (TP): I was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. I got a B.A. in studio art and art education at Southern Illinois University in 1969 and an M.A. in the same areas at the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1973.
Madison was cold. I was teaching in middle school in Chicago and came to Tucson to visit a cousin who lived here. Growing up in Ohio, we used to watch Hopalong Cassidy, filmed in the area. The first time I was here and saw Gates Pass, I fell in love with the area. Because of some personal issues, I wanted to reinvent my life. I felt like Tucson was in many ways like Madison, which I liked except for the cold. Along with that, we have Mt. Lemmon, we’re close to Mexico and we’re not far from the ocean. I’ve been here 40 years now.
Diane C. Taylor (DCT): How did you end up in Tucson?
Tom Philabaum (TP): I was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. I got a B.A. in studio art and art education at Southern Illinois University in 1969 and an M.A. in the same areas at the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1973.
Madison was cold. I was teaching in middle school in Chicago and came to Tucson to visit a cousin who lived here. Growing up in Ohio, we used to watch Hopalong Cassidy, filmed in the area. The first time I was here and saw Gates Pass, I fell in love with the area. Because of some personal issues, I wanted to reinvent my life. I felt like Tucson was in many ways like Madison, which I liked except for the cold. Along with that, we have Mt. Lemmon, we’re close to Mexico and we’re not far from the ocean. I’ve been here 40 years now.
T.Philabaum_Fused Collage Painting 42_
DCT: Today it seems that glass is often considered more craft than art…
TP: Glass is both. Some glass is craft, some is art. Ceramics entered the art field in the 1950s and ‘60s. Glass arrived in the ‘70s and ‘80s. In Wisconsin I studied under Harvey Littleton, considered the founder of the American Studio Glass movement. He always said, “It’s what you do with it that counts.” His idea was that glass is an art medium, and it needs to be pushed as an art medium, not just a production technique.
I graduated in 1973, which put me in the second generation of glass artists who studied under him. Harvey was a professor; he had an income, so he could afford to make art. The first group of his graduates, like Dale Chihuly, went on to set up glass programs at other schools. When my group came along, the professorships were pretty much taken up. We had to find another way to make a living.
DCT: How did you do that?
TP: I started doing production work, wine glasses, tumblers, vases, paper weights. In the ‘70s, I did a lot of fairs. In the ‘80s and ‘90s I did trade shows all over the country. In the process, I developed a following, but I was on the road all the time. I always wanted to be a college professor, so I got an M.F.A. in ceramics here at UA under Maurice Grossman in 1983. This never worked out, but I’ve taught workshops around the US, in Iceland, Germany, Japan and Mexico.
In 1998 Dave Klein and I founded the Sonoran Glass Foundation, today the Sonoran Glass School.
About 10 years ago, we decided to stop all the travel and concentrate on being local. From 2002 to 2007, my wife, Dabney, and I had two galleries, one at St. Philip’s Plaza and one here, which was just too much. When the lease was up, we closed the second gallery. Right after that, the economy went downhill fast, so we were really lucky we got out when we did.
TP: Glass is both. Some glass is craft, some is art. Ceramics entered the art field in the 1950s and ‘60s. Glass arrived in the ‘70s and ‘80s. In Wisconsin I studied under Harvey Littleton, considered the founder of the American Studio Glass movement. He always said, “It’s what you do with it that counts.” His idea was that glass is an art medium, and it needs to be pushed as an art medium, not just a production technique.
I graduated in 1973, which put me in the second generation of glass artists who studied under him. Harvey was a professor; he had an income, so he could afford to make art. The first group of his graduates, like Dale Chihuly, went on to set up glass programs at other schools. When my group came along, the professorships were pretty much taken up. We had to find another way to make a living.
DCT: How did you do that?
TP: I started doing production work, wine glasses, tumblers, vases, paper weights. In the ‘70s, I did a lot of fairs. In the ‘80s and ‘90s I did trade shows all over the country. In the process, I developed a following, but I was on the road all the time. I always wanted to be a college professor, so I got an M.F.A. in ceramics here at UA under Maurice Grossman in 1983. This never worked out, but I’ve taught workshops around the US, in Iceland, Germany, Japan and Mexico.
In 1998 Dave Klein and I founded the Sonoran Glass Foundation, today the Sonoran Glass School.
About 10 years ago, we decided to stop all the travel and concentrate on being local. From 2002 to 2007, my wife, Dabney, and I had two galleries, one at St. Philip’s Plaza and one here, which was just too much. When the lease was up, we closed the second gallery. Right after that, the economy went downhill fast, so we were really lucky we got out when we did.
T.Philabaum_Hands On_cast glass
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T.Philabaum_Opal Blue Bag 57, Reptilian Bag series_
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T.Philabaum_Scavo Wing 1, Scavo series_
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 T.Philabaum with _Seeing Both Sides_ A Precarious Rock series_
T: How has “local” worked out?
TP: Going local was a great decision. Recently, both the gallery and our home were on the Armory Park Home Tour. Dabney and I have always lived in this neighborhood. Our two children grew up and went to school here. We like being part of this neighborhood. DCT: Looking around, I see a variety of styles or series. TP: Yes, I have several series. I like designing, re-designing and tweaking pieces. Glass gives pretty immediate results: I can make a piece today and see it tomorrow. The colors are rich, exciting, vibrant. I tried to get that in my ceramics pieces, but I needed more time and the colors just weren’t as bright. However, my background in ceramics really helped with glass. I learned about heat, working with kilns, the chemistry of glazes. DCT: The Precarious Rock series is one I’ve seen a lot…. TP: Yes. I blow the various “rocks,” then decide how to put them together. I cut and polish the areas where the rocks will go together and join them with an adhesive. |
TPhilabaum_Tilt_Precarious Rock sculpture_
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T.Philabaum_Arriba_dalle de verre, University of Arizona dorm
CT: But you do more than just glassblowing?
TP: Yes, I work with fusing, dalle de verre and cast glass as well.
DCT: Dalle de verre?
TP: ‘Dalle’ is French for ‘slab’. I take slabs, or pieces, of glass, about one inch thick, and lay them in a mixture of epoxy and sand. We have some examples of garden art in front of the gallery.
DCT: And you’ve been in your current building now for 30 years?
TP: Yes. When I first got here, I had space in a couple of other buildings. The building I was leasing for a gallery and studio at 55 E. Congress was sold. The new owner tried to force me to move, but because of the lease and his desire to develop the property quickly, I was able to negotiate moving expenses and the purchase of this building, which had been a Tastee-Freeze restaurant.
DCT: And the gallery gives you a chance to show your work here…
TP: We’ve done our part to promote glass as art. During the 30 years our gallery has been here, we’ve shown the work of more than 600 artists in 150 exhibitions. We continue to spotlight glass artists, but we’re now down to two exhibitions a year.
TP: Yes, I work with fusing, dalle de verre and cast glass as well.
DCT: Dalle de verre?
TP: ‘Dalle’ is French for ‘slab’. I take slabs, or pieces, of glass, about one inch thick, and lay them in a mixture of epoxy and sand. We have some examples of garden art in front of the gallery.
DCT: And you’ve been in your current building now for 30 years?
TP: Yes. When I first got here, I had space in a couple of other buildings. The building I was leasing for a gallery and studio at 55 E. Congress was sold. The new owner tried to force me to move, but because of the lease and his desire to develop the property quickly, I was able to negotiate moving expenses and the purchase of this building, which had been a Tastee-Freeze restaurant.
DCT: And the gallery gives you a chance to show your work here…
TP: We’ve done our part to promote glass as art. During the 30 years our gallery has been here, we’ve shown the work of more than 600 artists in 150 exhibitions. We continue to spotlight glass artists, but we’re now down to two exhibitions a year.
Tom Philabaum in the studio
DCT: And what’s next?
TP: We made a business plan in the ‘80s. We looked at it recently and realized that we’d achieved it all. People ask me about retiring, but I don’t see it. I still like to research and develop pieces and make cool art. I’m heading more toward commissions and municipal and private installations.
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The next time you’re in the Five Points area and drive by the upended airplane tail, take a few minutes and check out the Philabaum Gallery. If you’re in luck, you may be able to watch him and his staff making some of their creations.
http://www.philabaumglass.com/
Gallery open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 to 5
TP: We made a business plan in the ‘80s. We looked at it recently and realized that we’d achieved it all. People ask me about retiring, but I don’t see it. I still like to research and develop pieces and make cool art. I’m heading more toward commissions and municipal and private installations.
~~~
The next time you’re in the Five Points area and drive by the upended airplane tail, take a few minutes and check out the Philabaum Gallery. If you’re in luck, you may be able to watch him and his staff making some of their creations.
http://www.philabaumglass.com/
Gallery open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 to 5
