Arts In

Marlene Rose is a glass artist who doesn’t make vases. Instead, she creates large sculptural works using the technique of sand casting. Developed in the 1980s, the process involves hours spent carefully carving a mold in sand, then pouring in molten glass heated to 2000 degrees. It takes a week in an oven to cool the finished piece down to room temperature. Sand casting is a physical and dangerous process, expertly carried out by Marlene and her team. The work she creates is unexpected, and you might not always think it’s glass - until you see the light hit it. Marlene talks with Barbara St. Clair about the surprises and challenges of practicing a technique so new that there’s no reference manual, and you’re figuring out how to do it as you do it. But, it’s so new nobody can tell you what’s impossible. Find out more about Marlene Rose’s work at - marlenerose.com. Explore St. Petersburg’s new Imagine Museum - imaginemuseum.com.