11/4/2020
Glass blowing artist Neal Drobnis, left, shapes a vase out of a hot bubble of glass in his studio at 102 Pole Bridge Road. Drobnis’ studio will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday. In the glass-blowing studio behind Drobnis’ home, assistant Mark Ducharne breaks a vase from its stem. If it breaks, Ducharne says, “c’est la verre,” meaning such is glass. (Breeze photos by Jacquelyn Moorehead)
SCITUATE – For glass blower Neal Drobnis, the Artist Open Studios held this Saturday, Nov. 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will be a reprieve from the isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, and also from life as an artist.
Drobnis said life in art is solitary by definition, but he and other artists find camaraderie in art showings and gallery nights, often from artist collectives.
One of those collectives is the Artist Open Studios group, which he said he holds dear to his heart. For him, the group keeps local art alive while raising awareness about it and showing the community creative options for making art.
“Over the years, this is one of the most important communities that I belong to,” he said.
In the first few years after Artist Open Studios was formed nearly 20 years ago, it consisted of 30 to 50 members, many of who would sell crafts at the Chepachet Grange.
Drobnis said the number of people participating in the Artist Open Studios this year is at an all-time low. Many pulled out due to age, immune deficiencies, non-COVID-19 illness or other health reasons.
“This year, there are only six of us. It’s the lowest number we’ve ever had,” he said, explaining that many Open Studios artists are in their 60s and 70s.
Drobnis said he would like to see the Artist Open Studios community grow again, and hopes those who attend this year will help spread the word and get more artists involved.
All but two art shows that he participated in previously, including the Artist Open Studios, were canceled for 2020 due to the pandemic. Drobnis said the artist community is suffering from the pandemic, and events such as this are “integral parts of making a living as an artist.”
Much of the difficulty comes from finding open spaces to share art with guests in a safe and socially distant way. Drobnis plans on having art displayed across his lawn at 102 Pole Bridge Road in North Scituate and in his glass-blowing studio in the back of his lot.
He is refraining from glass-blowing demonstrations this year, he said, due to pandemic regulations.
“You can’t blow glass with a mask on,” he said, laughing.
On any given day, Drobnis spends six to eight hours in the back of his studio blowing glass. He has several collections, including bird and globe lawn ornaments and his newest creation, smiley-faced vases and cups.
Drobnis said he began studying ceramics at the Massachusetts College of Arts in 1978. Trying to explore his options, he said he walked into the glass studio 44 years ago and “never walked out.”
All artists participating on Saturday ask visitors to wear masks and practice social distancing measures. Artists participating in this year’s Artist Open Studios include:
• Neal Drobnis, cast and blown glass sculptures and wall pieces, 102 Pole Bridge Road, North Scituate;
• John Femino, fine art and abstract photography, by appointment. Call or text 401-595-8635 or email feminophoto@gmail.com;
• Tom Grabbert, functional decorative high-fire porcelain, by appointment, at 401-821-5238 or grabbertt@aol.com;
• Valery Nardacci, impressionistic still-life paintings of observed nature objects, 26 Samuel Stone Road, North Scituate;
• Ann Rozhon, paintings and figurative sculptures, 88 Old Quarry Road, Harmony;
• And Earle Thurber, abstract acrylic and mixed media paintings and prints, 228 Ide Road, North Scituate.
For more information, visit www.ArtistOpenStudios.org .
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