Sebastopol glass artist brings breathtaking creations to The Barlow

There are black holes at The Barlow in Sebastopol.

Lucky for us, these aren’t the black holes you find in space, the kinds that are cosmic bodies of intense gravity from which nothing can escape. Instead, these are breathtaking creations that encase nebulas of gold and silver vapors into a perfectly spherical glass marble.

The holes are the brainchild of glass blower Michael Dickinson, a 27-year-old artisan who recently opened an eponymous studio and showroom across the parking lot from Acre Pizza.

In addition to the one-of-a-kind show marbles, Dickinson uses the 740-square-foot space to make and sell wine glasses, champagne flutes, brandy snifters, ornaments and other brilliant creations out of glass. When he’s not creating, he’s teaching, offering regular classes to locals and visitors interested in learning more about blowing glass. He even rents out bench space to aspiring artists.

“I see this is the ultimate space to share a passion for glasswork,” said Dickinson, who lives in Novato. “Being able to create, working with my hands, and the meditative aspect are all reasons I love what I do.”

Glasswork is in his genes

It’s really no surprise that Dickinson became a glass artist.

He grew up on the Peninsula in San Mateo, where his parents owned a commercial glass business named Burlingame Glass. Over the course of his childhood, he watched mom and dad create shower doors, glass windows and other accent pieces for customers all over the Bay Area.

Most of the parents’ glass was (and still is) flat. Dickinson himself gravitated toward more three-dimensional work.

So when he took a glass-blowing class in Berkeley at age 19, Dickinson was hooked. He began renting a bench at a studio there, learning the craft from his teachers and other artists who’d been working longer than he. He devised a signature pattern for glassware. He started selling work and eventually, he got a little 250-square-foot studio of his own. The rest, as they say, is history.

“It’s always been so cool to me that you can melt glass and change its form,” he said. “I’ve been lucky to be able to build a career around it.”

Clear focus, no boundaries

Dickinson signed a lease on The Barlow space in the early summer of 2021; he and his wife Nicolette visited friends in Sonoma County and fell in love with the vibe.

They opened the gallery in July, but the studio took longer; that opened in October.

In just over six months, Dickinson has amassed quite a local following. Customers love the way he creates clean, clear glass pieces with incredible attention to detail. Dickinson works mostly with tubes and rods of Borosilicate glass, which is stronger and harder than typical glass because it contains the element boron. He heats it with propane oxygen torches that shoot out 4,500-degree flames.

His favorite thing to create: Glasses of every shape and size. He likes these because they require full and total concentration. He also relishes the challenge of making all of them a uniform height.

“If you’re not focused, it gets messed up and you have to start over,” he said, noting that he makes the vessel, stem and foot separately, then fuses them together. “I come in here to make glasses and I’m totally zoned out of everything else when I’m working.”

Dickinson’s glasses are exquisite — most are detailed with wavey lines inspired by mathematical graphs. They sell for $42 to $250 apiece. Recently, the Hollywood director Jerry Bruckheimer bought 80.

Of course, the black-hole marbles are a thing onto themselves. Dickinson creates them by heating clippings of gold and silver coins and trapping the smoke vapors inside multiple layers of glass. Each marble takes anywhere from two to eight hours, depending on the size. Though some customers use these as toys, they’re really designed to be art pieces; hold one in your hand and it looks like the black hole goes through your body into oblivion.

Inspired with ‘fiery enthusiasm’

Education is another key part of Dickinson’s operation. Half the space is a showroom; the other half is a studio in which he works and teaches classes once a week. (As an aside, the spaces are separated by a glass wall made by Dickinson’s father.)

Liz Platte-Bermeo was one of the students in a recent class, and spent a Tuesday morning using flames to heat, bend and shape glass.

Afterward, the Petaluma resident could barely contain her excitement.

“Visiting (Dickinson Glass) is like walking into another world: one of peace, beauty, and a lot of eye-catching glass,” she said. “I had no experience with glass blowing before but I left with new knowledge and fiery enthusiasm for getting back into the studio.”

Jacques Beauvoir agreed. Beauvior lives in Santa Rosa and signed up for Dickinson’s class because it intrigued him.

“Michael is an amazing teacher with a calm demeanor and an ability to break down the glass blowing process into simple and easy steps,” Beauvoir said, adding that he generally gravitates toward experiences that seem like they would be unique. “It was fascinating, meditative, fun. The whole experience was a blast. I can’t wait to take my second class.”

Even management at The Barlow seems to be excited about what Dickinson delivers.

“The Barlow was founded with one of our core missions being to create a place that brings people together to enjoy art,” said Property Manager Jennifer Adametz. “Dickinson brings a true artisan maker to our Barlow community where guests can not only come see and take home a beautifully crafted one-of-a-kind piece, but can also sign up for a class to learn how to make something of their very own.”

Branching out his art

Currently, Dickinson is teaching only one class — a four-week beginner course held every Tuesday.

Eventually, he hopes to add another class for more advanced students or students who have completed the first curriculum and want more.

Dickinson also aims to provide more of a resource for the community. In recent weeks he has been renting out bench space to aspiring artists and beginners who have taken his course and want to continue sharpening their skills. He was able to rent space like this when he got started in the craft, and said he was excited to offer a similar opportunity to others.

On the product front, Dickinson said his goal for 2022 is to branch out into lighting and, specifically, chandeliers. His first foray into this form hangs over the register in the gallery — it incorporates a metal base and 12 goblet-shaped pendants that shine light. He said he has others in the works.

“What I love about glass is that there’s really no limit to what you can create,” he said.