Glass blowing studio fills niche in Columbia art scene
The One Eared Cow, just slightly removed from the Gervais Street art galleries and situated upon the corner of Huger and Pendleton streets, looks unremarkable from the outside. Surrounded by warehouses and unfinished construction, the building sits contently on the outskirts of the city, but the building houses a unique corner of the Columbia art scene.
Mark Woodham and Tom Lockart started the glass blowing studio and gallery immediately after they got their degrees from USC back in 1991. Back then, they were just looking to do something that no one else was doing. When they decided to start a studio based entirely on hand-blown glass, they had little idea that by now they would be the longest running independently owned art studio in Columbia.
The two began their alliance after being paired together in a studio art class. Neither of them had any business background, but the unique idea of their studio has served them well.
“Nowhere else would have glass blowing,” Woodham said. “We get a hands-on feel with our work and we get to be creative.”
That creativity cannot be under-emphasized as they have separated themselves from the rest of the Vista art galleries, in location and artistic medium. The two men blow all the glass themselves by hand. Viewers are welcome on weekdays.
“A lot of people can’t appreciate our gallery until they see the studio,” Woodham said. “We have a 2,100-degree furnace in which we stick clear molten glass. We later add colored glass to it through a variety of furnaces.”
The process then becomes fun and challenging. “You’re kind of fighting time,” Woodham said. “If it cools down too quickly, it’s going to crack.”
The One-Eared Cow hosts a Saturday workshop from 10 a.m. to noon. Woodham and Lockart are there to assist and help you pick out colors.
“It’s a fun time. We are there to assist you, because frankly you can’t learn glass blowing in an afternoon,” Woodham said.
As the owners of the longest running independently owned art studio in the area, it is not surprising to see how involved they are in the Columbia community. The gallery has had an ongoing exhibit at the Riverbanks Zoo, where a display in the botanical gardens shows off their outdoor lighting.
The Artista Vista showcase is coming up soon and One Eared Cow is sure to be there.
“In the evening of those events we will be blowing some glass and interacting with the crowd as we work and take questions” Woodham said.
The guys at The One Eared Cow are always branching out. Currently they are working on yard ornaments and outdoor lights. They are also looking to interact more with students, and are forever working on custom orders.
“We’ve always been dreaming up new pieces and big challenges” Woodham said.“We are always trying to keep our store fresh and have one of a kind items.”
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