As Denver's Arts and Cannabis Scenes Grow, Where Does Glassblowing Fit in?

For all the attention that Denver's cannabis space receives, the glassblowing scene doesn't get much love. But it does have plenty of talent, according to Explore Glass Gallery owner Vinny Oley.

The Virginia transplant moved to Colorado in 2010 as a self-described ski bum, and quickly gravitated toward Denver's glass scene. He and three high school friends opened Explore in 2014, and Oley says he's now the "last man standing." As the sole operator, he's ready to make some changes at 224 Santa Fe Drive.

Explore recently received a permit from the city to conduct live glassblowing sessions and classes, which Oley plans to offer soon. He's also pushed Explore into Denver's growing pop-up scene, hosting local cooks and artists while planning a pop-up of his own at the Source in October. We sat down with Oley to learn more about glassblowing and how the burgeoning art form is viewed in Denver.

Westword: Does Denver have many permitted glass studios?

Vinny Oley: No. We're one of the only fully permitted glass studios, but we're about to do live sessions with open flames, so it'll be a little different here.

How do you think the public views glass studios and galleries?

It's gray. You're selling paraphernalia, but it's starting to be viewed as art more and more. That's why it's been cool to see these restaurants take us in. The owners are into it after they see how cool the glass is. If it's presented to the eye in the correct way, they'll see that we're so much more than stoners.

How did restaurants become a route for exposure for your glass gallery?

I love food, and I love Denver. There's so much going on out here. Being able to blend everything together  that we love is really fun. We just did a big skate show with [Colorado glassblower] Eusheen in RiNo, called Kickflip. We base it off a skate trick and then drop new glass with Eusheen. Both of our first loves were skateboarding, so we combined that together. We had skating pros flying out to judge it, like Clint Walker, Ben Raybourn and John Worthington, who's a glassblower who will also be a pro skater soon. It's all about combining those passions.

Is glassblowing kind of stuck in between what's considered art and counterculture?

Glassblowing is kind of like the graffiti scene: underground, outlaw stuff. Glassblowing has been that way for so long, but it's finally coming to light. There's going to be a million-dollar pipe sold one day soon, which is exciting to think about. There are six-figure pieces sold in Colorado and elsewhere right now. There's a show Everdream Studio holds at Space Gallery every year, and someone bought a piece for $250,000 at the most recent one.

Are people actually smoking out of these pieces? I'd be scared that my stoned reflexes would break them.

Yeah. Maybe not that $250,000 one, but yes, I've smoked out of a few $100,000 pieces. It's a little scary, but glass is glass, and the pieces are strong. It can withhold a lot of pressure. These glassblowers are so dialed in with what they're doing and what the wall needs to be.

Is there a line where glass crosses a point from functionality to art? How would you define it?

Something can have a cool function and still be art. But when you get to colors, mixing colors, adding dichroic glitter to make it sparkly or doing a disc flip to draw on the glass, there are a lot of techniques to be used to make this art. There are these things that are thousands of tiny little pieces of glass, called stringers, that get stretched out and form an image in the piece. There are a ton of techniques out there.

What goes through your mind when you see a nice piece of glass with dirty bong water or a bunch of black tar?

It hurts me inside. But my friends make fun of me because my dabbing nails aren't always super clean, but dabbing takes a lot more work than it used to [laughs]. I keep my pieces clean. The nails are a different story.

Where are the glassblowing epicenters of the U.S.?  How does Denver stack up?

I'd say Denver's up there, for sure. There are so many artists out here, both established and up-and-comers. That's why we're so excited about this new studio situation. To have a fully permitted studio for glassblowing was a grind to get, but now we can open doors and do demos with open flames. It'll hopefully bring in a lot of new artists.

How do you think the rest of Denver's art community has accepted glassblowing?

It's still so new. I think people like it, though, and are generally mind-blown by it when they learn more — especially when they hear what some of the prices are. It's cool to see what it was and what is has become. We're doing a show October 8 at Temaki Den, called Coalescent. It'll have some big artists coming together, and everyone loves Temaki Den's sushi.

What do you think of Denver's cannabis space right now?

I feel like Denver is still a trendsetter. Our hash and flower are still great. A lot of brands, like 710 Labs, still have those quality standards that we thrive on. Just because you have a bunch of money behind you doesn't mean people will like you.