When I first walked into the Bern Gallery, it was almost sensory overload...

Every part of every wall was covered with artwork from local artists in Burlington, VT. Most of the artists were college students, and the fresh young look definitely shone through. Some work was done on salvaged material, like cardboard and old wood panel.  Other unique designs were stenciled right onto vinyl records. There were also huge framed canvases hanging right above the display cases.  The variety of styles and mediums were balanced very well.  The Bern Gallery not only displays artwork, but also the many display cases showcase the glass pipes that were made right inside the galleries glass blowing workshops.

It is an art gallery, tobacco shop, hookah lounge and much more. There are also three separate stations that contain studios with torches, tools and materials where people learn and perfect the art of glassblowing.  They have professional glassblowers in house always ready to teach the molten art to beginners through advanced enthusiasts. I was informed by one of the employees about the competition that the galley holds every year, The Pipe Classic. Twelve out of thousands of the nation’s best glass blowers are invited to compete.  The rules of the competition are simple and straightforward:

1. The pipe must me made from scratch.
2. The pipe must be made in the Bern Gallery.
3. The pipe must be functional.
4. The pipe must be made within twelve hours.

Shortly after my visit, I spoke with Tito, the owner of the Galley. He gave me a little history of the event which has been running since 2006. Last year's Classic (2008), was the first year they documented it with a professional film crew and released the must see DVD "Bern Gallery Presents: Form and Function Pipe Classic 2008". If you have ever had any interest as to how glass is worked and transformed into the out-of-this-world pipes, this is a great place to start. The visual and audio assault will leave you wanting more.  The DVD is for sale at the gallery right in Burlington, VT, I highly recommend it.  Tito went on to explain that the week long event is split up into Heats for the competitors.  Artists get six hours split between two consecutive days to complete the pipe.  There are three work stations right inside the Gallery, so there are six artists at the most on any given day during the competition working on their pieces.  The Gallery is open to the public while to competition is happening, so there is a lot of spectators looking on to the heated battle that is going on. With a hookah lounge out front and a few comfortable places to relax inside, it is very accommodating to people wishing to just soak in the whole atmosphere of the competition. Upon hearing this, I was intrigued to hear more about this Gallery and see how we could possibly get involved and tell more people about it.

We were invited up to get a firsthand look at the competition, and Ryan and I graciously accepted the honor of being judges in this very unique competition. The positive attitude mixed with the competitive spirit of all the artists involved set the tone for the whole week of the Pipe Classic.

One of our goals with the magazine was to explore all mediums of art that are pushing the boundaries of what people actually consider art.  Glass blowing is an age old art that has roots in metallurgy, alchemy and holds its place among artisans since approximately 50 B.C.

I recommend to everyone that happens to be in the Burlington, VT area to stop in and see what's going on in the Bern Gallery.

Bern Gallery
135 Main St
Burlington, VT
05401

Contact:
myspace.com/theberngallery

http://www.pipeclassic.com/

Make sure you get the 2008 Form and Function DVD
and keep an eye out for this years DVD, only at The Bern Gallery