Boulder Bend Glassworks demonstrates art at 2,000 degrees

LEAVENWORTH—Tucked along US-2 in Peshastin, Boulder Bend Glassworks welcomes passersby to stop in and witness art being carefully crafted at over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

“We want them to kind of have an appreciation for how things are made and that it takes a lot of equipment, it takes a lot of time and dedication and skill to make things. It’s a unique situation to be able to invite people in and hopefully educate them about this craft,” said Delvo.

Boulder Bend Glassworks is owned and operated by Jori Delvo and Craig Sorensen, who work as a team to create intricate, glass-blown artwork. After building out their space over the course of ten years, the two opened the studio in 2020. The duo works together to create anything from simple ornaments to complex murrine mosaics and cane work.

The two must work swiftly and harmoniously on each piece to ensure the molten glass is warped at the right time and temperature. Careful consideration must be given to how different colors will affect viscosity or how cooling too fast may ruin the work.

“Every step is critical. An analogy I frequently use is, you can think how complex an airplane is, right? We have Boeing in our backyard, but they can go back years later and fix a part to make it work. We don't get to do that in glass. If we mess up at the beginning as an artist, we're always going to see that,” said Delvo.

In glassblowing, making something as small as an ornament may take minutes, but learning how to do it well can take a lifetime.

“As an industry like we like to say, that takes us, you know, 30 years, plus 10 minutes,” said Delvo.

Sorensen started his glassblowing journey back in college, during his first quarter as a chemistry student. He took a class on laboratory glassblowing and was hooked. He later moved on to glassblowing for art and never stopped. 

“I enjoy making things, and I enjoy making things that are challenging,” said Sorensen. 

Sorensen went on to study at The Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass, Kurashiki University of Science and Art in Japan, and California State University Fresno.

“There's nobody who has completely mastered glass in all aspects. There are definitely people who are extremely talented with certain things, and for me, myself, I want to learn as much as possible,” said Sorensen. 

Delvo, who has a background in business, came to glassblowing more recently. After owning a German restaurant in Leavenworth for over a decade, Delvo learned how to build the glassblowing hot shop from the ground up, then became a full-time glassblower once it was complete.

Delvo and Sorensen’s work is often inspired by nature, such as salmon, owls, and the night sky. Their favorite work, however, is their tedious murrine work, which creates detailed designs of fine lines of colors within the glass. The process of completing a piece typically takes about 14 days.

“We try to dedicate a portion of our time to making the things that we love, and the things we love are the more challenging pieces,” said Delvo.

Boulder Bend Glassworks is located at 8210 US-2 in Peshastin. The studio typically does live glass-blowing demonstrations on Saturdays, and make-your-own glass-fusing workshops on Sundays. Visitors are welcome to stop by anytime during business hours.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media