By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
When Ian Dawson traveled to Murano, Italy, to experience the art of glassblowing firsthand, he figured he would visit glass studios to learn some of the techniques or leave with some “cool glass souvenirs.”
Lucky for him and the art world, Dawson discovered he could do both.
The Italy trip was meant to be a jumping-off point for Dawson’s self-discovery at the age of 45. He left behind a life of drinking, bad relationships, depression, and art classes that weren’t the right format for his style of learning. In his travels, he hoped to find his passion and skill in Murano, known for its rich history of glass artistry.
With a family heritage in arts and craftsmanship—his mother, Mary, an accomplished artist in graphic design and clay (and now painting), and a great-grandfather with hands in a steel foundry—Dawson felt the art world would be his happy place.
He grew up surrounded by art and already had experience in metal work, but he wanted to expand into other media. Dawson studied glassmaking at Bowling Green State University, the Toledo Museum of Art and with other area glass artists.
He made the connections with glass artists in Murano and lined up opportunities to visit two studios on the first trip in 2024.
“Because I’m a visual learner, I just wanted to watch and learn,” he said. In one of the studios, Dawson spent the day talking with the maestro and taking pictures and videos. After that first day, the maestro invited him for drinks and conversation.
“I showed him some of my metal work, including the railroad spike bottle openers I made. He though they were really neat,” Dawson said.
As they talked, the maestro gave him some good advice about working with glass. “Watch the glass. You have to pay attention to what you are doing since glass is temperamental because of the heat.”
During the second and third day, he carefully watched the process and at the end of each day, he picked up a broom and helped clean the studio. On the fourth and final day, when one of the workers didn’t come in, he was told he would assist.
“I was super scared, but they worked with me really well. They knew what I didn’t know, and they said ‘Just relax. You’ve got this,’” he recalled.
The Murano experience changed his life’s trajectory. After returning to Ohio, he got serious about combining his newfound skills in glass with his previous metal work.
He was introduced to Jim Yarrito, a local veteran who is known for his metal artwork. Through their friendship, Yarrito taught Dawson how to bend metal.
“He started teaching me little things here and there, and we designed a project with one piece of his glass and one piece of mine,” Dawson said. Eventually, the lessons led to Dawson drawing project designs.
“You did glass first,” Yarrito told him. “You can’t match the glass to the metal, but you can match the metal to the glass.” That concept clicked for Dawson, who is on the autism spectrum.
Thanks to the lessons he learned from Yarrito, one of Dawson’s creations won a juried award at the Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition.
He was determined to continue the journey of self-discovery and vowed to invest in himself by returning to Murano for further exploration in the art of glass.
During his most recent return to Italy in September, he furthered his experiences in the maestro’s studio and in friendships.
He learned lampworking, which is different from glassblowing, Dawson said. Lampworking is a glass art form that uses a torch to melt and shape glass rods or tubes into smaller objects such as beads.
Dawson has also learned how to work faster and hotter. “I learned how to work bigger and not be scared of the heat.”
Through his experiences, he sees that his art is more controlled. “I’m not afraid to go in there and clip glass off or to work harder,” he said.
The Italians who he’s met have been intrigued by his art that combines metal and glass. Generally in Italy, artisans work either in glass or metal, usually not both. He believes he has created a niche market with his art.
Through the lampwork lessons, he was connected to a restaurateur who allowed Dawson to display some of his art pieces in the restaurant. He took a suitcase full of art when he returned in September for them to choose what to display.
“It’s even better in a restaurant than a gallery,” Dawson said. Restaurants don’t take a percentage, which is the norm for art sold through galleries.
“My strategy is to display my art in restaurants, because all restaurants want their place to look nicer. I can send people in there to look at the art, and then they eat there. And it’s a win-win for the restaurants and me.”
Italy has become his second home. He has a wonderful circle of friends and fellow artisans. He is booked to return in March for 80 days of experiential learning.
Though his art career started when he was 45, and he is now 48 and celebrating 14 years of sobriety, Dawson said he’s never been happier. He is currently working on projects for Bowling Green, Grand Rapids and several charity events. He knows his purpose is to create art and to share his story about finding his path through art later in life.
