Amid a welding shop, paint store, auto parts store and 24-hour laundromat in an industrial area of Lahaina is a fine-art oasis spotlighting the ancient art of glass blowing. Moana Glass’ gallery is filled with beautiful glass sinks, vessels, lighting and ocean-inspired sculptures, most designed by Ryan Staub, the company’s owner and lead artist.
“Glass is primarily silica sand and soda ash, with a number of other metals and elements added for color, clarity and workability,” Staub said. “The soda ash makes the silica melt at a lower temperature than it would on its own. It becomes glass at about 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit.”
A stained-glass class Staub took during his senior year in high school in Woodinville, Wash., 30 miles northeast of Seattle, piqued his interest in glass. Even as a teen, he displayed an artistic flair, and he wanted to explore options beyond the donated glass in limited colors that his school provided.
Checking out a supplier in a neighboring town, Staub saw a poster with pictures of a man making a glass goblet. He had been thinking of becoming a surgeon but seeing that poster changed the course of his life.
“I was blown away and wanted to learn everything I could about glass blowing,” he said. “I called at least a dozen art galleries, and someone finally told me about a studio in downtown Seattle that offered classes. I enrolled as soon as I graduated from high school in 1997, and I was hooked.”
Staub took lessons for six months and was subsequently hired as a teacher. He went on to work for other glass-blowing artists in Seattle, including renowned Dale Chihuly, and to learn from masters in 11 countries as far away as China, Italy and Iceland.
He first visited Maui in 2000 and fell in love with it. After four more visits over the years, he moved to the island in 2014 and opened Moana Glass in December 2017. Since then, it has become one of Lahaina’s biggest attractions.
“Our classes offer visitors a unique Hawaii experience,” Staub said. “They’re private and personalized. You will never be put with people you didn’t come with. They’re also hands-on; we tailor the lesson to each person, letting you do as much or as little as you’re comfortable with. The instructor is there to ensure everything is done safely and that your piece comes out great!”
Glass blowing often requires teamwork, especially for large creations. The biggest piece Staub and his staff have made is a whale sculpture that weighs about 70 pounds and is more than 3 feet long.
Whether you’re working on something big or something small, Staub points out you’re always moving when you’re blowing glass. You’re shaping your piece in 30-second spurts because you have to continually reheat it to keep it pliable. It’s important to be alert and careful because you’re working close to furnaces, handling blowtorches and other tools and giving form to a molten substance that could cause serious injuries.
“I love everything about glass blowing,” Staub said. “It takes everything I have physically, mentally and emotionally. It is the single most difficult thing I have ever done, and the fact that I continue to learn new things about glass after 22 years keeps me as enthralled as the day I started.”
It’s a passion he enjoys sharing at Moana Glass. Hectic as it is overseeing the business, he reserves time six days a week to meet and “talk story” with visitors in the gallery and classes. He loves seeing students’ joy and excitement as their work of art develops.
“Even people who swear they don’t have an artistic bone in their body are thrilled when they see their finished piece,” Staub said. “It’s an original, one-of-a-kind keepsake that will last forever along with their memories of making it.”
MOANA GLASS
>> Where: 1000 Limahana Place, Suite N, Lahaina, Maui
>> Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. A complimentary glass-blowing demonstration runs from 6 to 9 p.m. once a week; the day changes, so call to find out when it will be held during the time you’re there.
>> Info: 808-763-6338 or moanaglass.com
>> Notes: Private glass-blowing classes are offered daily. Participants must be at least 5 years old and wear cotton clothing and closed-toe shoes. Bottled water is provided; you may bring your own snacks.
Cost for the classes is per piece, starting at $150. FedEx shipping is available for an additional charge if you don’t want to pick up your piece (it will be ready at about 3 p.m. the following day). Private functions can be arranged. Call for details.
ABOUT GLASS BLOWING
Glass blowing, shaping glass that has been softened by high heat, dates back to the first century B.C.; however, the exact location is debated. Vessels said to be the earliest examples of the art have been unearthed in Syria, Greece, Iran, Lebanon and Israel.
From that general area, it spread to Italy, and Rome became a major glass-blowing center by the middle of the first century A.D.
Interestingly, the basic glass-blowing process hasn’t changed over the centuries. A hollow metal pipe is dipped into molten glass in a furnace that’s kept heated at around 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit. The glass, which has the consistency of molasses, collects on the end of the pipe as a round blob.
When the artist blows into the pipe, a bubble is created. It is then shaped with tools such as paddles, tweezers, shears and pads of water-soaked newspaper. Molten glass can be added to the bubble in a variety of ways to make a bigger piece.
Because glass hardens as it cools, the artist must continually reheat the piece in a second furnace, called the glory hole, so it remains malleable and does not break. Colors and patterns can be added in many ways, including rolling molten glass in powdered or granulated color.
When the piece is finished, it’s cooled slowly in an oven known as an annealer. This step removes internal stress from the glass, so it is stable and does not break spontaneously. Annealing could take a few hours to a few days, depending on the size of the piece.
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiserhave won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.
