Water Street Glassworks will be hosting an opening reception for the exhibit “Unattainable” from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10. Featured artists Jonas Sebura and Alex Gartelmann will be in attendance to speak with visitors about their exhibit and their experience working the studios at Water Street Glassworks. Water Street Glassworks is located at 140 Water St. in the Benton Harbor Arts District.

Jonas Sebura and Alex Gartelmann are both students of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Jonas having received his master of fine arts degree and Gartelmann currently enrolled for his master of fine arts degree.

Both artists, having met at the SAIC, have been working collaboratively on installation exhibits throughout the country.

For Gartelmann and Sebura, the process is their art form and the end result is a way of sharing that experience with others.

Both spent time in the studios at Water Street Glassworks to create pieces for the exhibit, creating a physical component to their process of “site specific” installation work.
Sebura has worked in various glass studios including the Penland School of Crafts, the Cleveland Institute of Arts and the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Wash., studying the different methods of working with the medium.

He also has experience in foundry work and is the co-owner of Red School Foundry in Dansville, N.Y.

Gartelmann received his bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Arts in Philadelphia with a specialty in sculpture in 2007 and is currently studying at the SAIC for a master of fine arts in sculpture.

He has exhibited both as a solo artist, as a collaborative and has participated in group exhibitions in the Midwest and the East Coast. He also co-founded My House Gallery and artist run exhibition space in Philadelphia and is a member of Little Berlin, also an artist run gallery and exhibition space in Philadelphia.

“Unattainable,” an exhibit formed upon Mallory’s failed attempts to master Mount Everest runs a familiar stream with the artists’ recent work in the perception of loss.
Sebura said, “My conceptual practice often starts at a point of loss, and evolves through a search for a renewed purpose.”

“Unattainable” will be on display today until April 14 in the Dorris Aker’s Gallery at Water Street Glassworks.

Call (269) 925-5555 for more information or a class schedule.