Xa On The Go: This place blows… other island activities out of the water! A visit to Lava Aruba Glass Studio.
As my first non-restaurant “Xa on the go” feature, this art gallery, and accompanying activity I was unfamiliar with, blew my mind.
I know it’s a showroom with beautiful works of glass art. But other than that, I was drawing a blank. Glass blowing is not at the top of the list when you think about on-island activities in the Caribbean. What is glass-blowing anyway, right? Well glass-blowing is a glass-forming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble with the aid of a blowpipe. Molten glass, you may ask? Yup. Lava you can play with! Sounds exciting, no? My visit to Lava Aruba Glass Studio left me in awe. It was fun, exciting, and even educational. Let me tell you a little bit about it!
My first impression of the studio was, “How is this state-of-the-art factory not more popular?!” And “How did this studio end up on a random little happy island in the Caribbean?” I spoke to Bruno, the director and carrier of his family's glass-blowing legacy, who filled me in on the history of Lava Aruba. His family has been in the glass-blowing business for over three generations. His grandfather moved to Venezuela from Valvasone, Italy. In 1957, he started the Murano glass factory, selling lamps. That business has grown tremendously, with about 30 furnaces, and has built a good reputation. Because of the crisis in Venezuela, though, Bruno thought it would be a good idea to find another location for their headquarters. That led him to the Caribbean, specifically Aruba, because of the potential growth, tourism, and safety. It didn’t hurt that Aruba is so close to Venezuela.
Fun fact: The glass-blowing process has many similarities to welding and ceramics. Like welding, glassblowing is quite an industrial process.
In 2017, Bruno moved to Aruba, purchased land, and began constructing what would become Lava Aruba Glass Studio, the best studio in the Caribbean and South and Central America. In November of 2022, doors opened, and outside inventory was needed to get started. In the coming months, more and more pieces were produced in-house. Equipped with two double furnaces, one giant 350 furnace, and the, wait for it, Glory Hole (that’s the name, and I’m not making this up). What’s funny is that Bruno looked for its Italian name, “fornace del buco della gloria,” so we can avoid using “glory hole” in this post, but that wasn’t much better…
The furnaces that go up to 1300-1400 Celsius (2372-2552 Fahrenheit) when melting raw material have to be on 24/7. The studio always tries to have a “resident” artist who stays for more extended periods and visiting artists who only stay for a couple of months. Right now, Luca Vidal, a maestro from Murano, Italy, is creating works of art in the studio along with Garrett Hampton, a resident artist from Chicago. During my visit to the studio, the artists were working on a hotel production. Beautiful and unique wall lamps, ceiling lamps, and bottles were being produced for a soon-to-open new hotel on the island.
While I could stay and admire the process all day, Bruno wanted to show me the gallery, where pieces range from $20 to $50,000. The lower range priced items are souvenirs, such as starfish, hearts, turtles, flamingos, and wanglo flowers, which can all be purchased at the studio. Do you want to know something cool about these “lower priced” pieces? You can also make them yourself! The studio offers glass-blowing classes, which are given by the resident artist. You can select from 3 tiers, from easier pieces like bowls and vases to more complex items like turtles.
Tip: Murano glass art makes the perfect housewarming or wedding gift. Unique, tasteful, and will be passed down for generations.
For classes, you need to book an appointment in advance. Please note that your creation(s) need to cool off. Your pieces, and those of the artists, do the cooling off in an anhealer, which takes the temperature from 400-600 Celsius to 0 in 12, 24, or 36 hours. So plan your studio visit accordingly so your pieces have time to cool off before your return home. Set a reminder to pick up your artwork! Alternatively, they can also be shipped to you, but the costs may be high for such small pieces. We’ll talk more about classes in a little bit!
Tip: If you purchase sculptures or bigger pieces for your home, it is recommended to have them shipped so they don’t get damaged during your travel back. They are made of glass, after all.
One of the cooler things I saw, well cool for me, were the beautiful glass plates. Forget fine China. These are works of art you can bring out at your next dinner event. The special occasion glassware is not only beautiful, but it is also an excellent talking piece when you have guests over. Not to mention, it's a good excuse to brag about your trip to Aruba! It’s art you can use. And to me, that gives it an extra layer of value. Dinner parties just got a whole lot fancier and modern. *curls moustache*. Now, if your food is bad, at least they got to eat it on art! And I think that’s beautiful.
An entire 18-piece collection is not available as inventory but can be made as a special request. The studio will provide a quotation, and the pieces will be created once the artist is on-island.
The next pieces that caught my eye were the elephants. Now, for me, elephants always represent good fortune. In Buddhist religions, they are a symbol of loyalty, power, wisdom, and fertility. In the Bible, elephants represent strength, intelligence, and loyalty—just a cool, interesting fact for you there. My point is I need some of these elephants in my home! Apart from their symbolism, they are pretty cool animals, no?
Bruno tries to bring as many top-level artists as possible to produce beautiful, high-end pieces. Some artists collaborate, while others try to explore and determine what the market is looking for since all markets differ. Venetian gondolas, for example, are less popular in Aruba than in Venice.
Tip: instead of bringing your loved ones a regular souvenir they may or may not keep, why not give them a locally-made art piece for their home?
Aside from the local animals, some crowd favourites are vases and centerpieces. One thing that most buyers/collectors appreciate is the fact that they are locally made. There’s a difference between decorating your home with mass-produced items from Ikea and unique works of art made in Aruba.
Next up, I got to enter the VIP/luxury room. The high-end pieces are stored here. These are works from the best artists from Murano, along with some really exquisite work made locally. Even Bruno assisted in creating the pink flower chandelier pictured below. If you are an art collector or appreciate the effort and years it takes to master any art, you don’t want to skip this place on your trip.
After looking at the beautiful pieces I want in my future home, the most exciting part of my visit was that I got to experience a class with Garrett Hampton. I did not expect to blow glass and work in such warm conditions for this interview, but it was a happy surprise and an experience I will never forget.
Fun fact: Each piece undergoes a meticulous process that involves shaping, colouring, and decorating. The intricate techniques involved require immense skill, precision, and time.
First, I got a little tour of the workspace, the ovens, and the tools we would use. I appreciate the patience Garrett had with this clumsy gal. I’m a writer and not a glassblower, okay? I made a tier 1 piece (the easiest of the three levels).
I got to pick the three colours I wanted and added them to a metal tray. Garrett then showed me what he would do next and how I had to hold the pole/pipe. My photographer also enjoyed all these little tidbits of the experience. Holding the pole. Turning the pole. Blowing the pipe. You can hear his giggling now, right? The worst part for me is that he has photographic evidence of me blowing said pipe. And you might get to enjoy these, too. Well, we’ll see how this post goes.
So, while Garrett grabbed some glass from the crucible in the furnace, I anxiously waited, worried about how much I would sweat… Did I mention it is HOT in that studio? POP QUIZ! Do you remember what the temperature was in those furnaces that have to be on 24/7? Exactly. That huge fan you see below was my best friend that day, and we will always have those memories. Anyway, I keep getting sidetracked. Back to the glass-blowing class!
We rolled the hot molten glass into the bits of coloured glass I picked earlier and moved on quickly back to the furnace. The key here is to keep turning the pole so that the molten glass doesn’t, well, melt off. Being in front of that furnace, I was happy that I already had minimal eyebrow hairs because WOW! That was hot! When the glass was hot enough, I quickly moved to the workstation, where I had to twist the glass and coloured glass together to create little coloured patterns. Then back to the furnace!
As you can imagine, going back to the furnace and reheating the glass was important between each step so that the glass stays maleable. Next, we rolled the glass in 2 different-sized round molds to make the bowl/vase nice and round. The molds had to be dipped in water in between, so you can imagine how graceful I looked as I splashed steamy water around and on the floor… Poor Garrett…
Next up, Xa had to blow in the pipe… Yeah, not showing that image. Sorry. But feel free to picture it, though. This expands the glass into a bubble, which can then be turned into a bowl by creating an opening at the top.
Fun fact: Molten glass that is ready to mold is a bright orange colour and is clear when it cools and hardens.
This is then reheated and manipulated until it’s the shape you want. Luca then helped Garreth remove the vase from the pipe to take it to the anhealer to cool off. At that point, I couldn’t yet see the colour outcome—only the shape of the vase.
That was an incredibly unique and fun experience. 2 days later, I got to pick up my vase, and it’s now sitting on my desk. This experience is something I will never forget. I will always have this vase, which will be my first decoration piece in my future home. It was molten glass that I got to play with. It’s unique. It’s made in Aruba. And it’s a physical memory of my time at Lava Aruba Glass Studio. I can’t wait to go back (dressed more comfortably, of course) to make a tier 2 piece. Maybe a turtle, who knows!
Fun fact: The art of Murano glass-blowing can not be mass-produced. So, all pieces are handmade and unique.
I hope you also experience the magic of playing with lava one day. Not only will you have a cool, unique, and personal souvenir to take home with you, but you will get to experience what these amazing artists go through and the incredible skill it takes to make these works of art you see in the gallery. It was an honour to “play, turn, and blow” alongside these two talented artists.
Having these fantastic art pieces in your home would also be an honour for you. Because it literally takes a whole lot of sweat and manual labour to make these. It’s like taking a piece of the artist’s soul with you… A piece of Aruba. Like heat changes glass, Aruba changes you, and you will never be the same again.
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Xa On The Go is a series in which I explore, taste, and experience all Aruba has to offer, one spot at a time. Join me as I try some of the most hyped restaurants on the island, experience fun activities, and explore Aruba’s wonders.
