about
capturing this moment in vitality
Description
J Draper Glass is an artistic, educational and entertainment studio, dedicated to providing hands on opportunities.
Mission
J Draper Glass offers a complete understanding of hot glass as a studio movement in America by engaging the community through hands-on opportunities, classes, tours, team-building workshops and open houses. By encouraging in-depth exploration of this beautiful medium, J Draper Glass cultivates a deeper understanding of the art of hand blown glass.
JEREMIE DRAPER
INSTRUCTOR and OWNER OF J DRAPER GLASS LLC
ARTIST STATEMENT
Glass is the dance in still life. Capturing this moment of vitality, an instant of inspiration and epiphany; marrying it with the delicate skill of blowing glass, result in a still piece — fluid, and somehow moving. Since I learned to hand blow glass, I have been enthralled with the amorphous nature of the medium; its potential to breath and flow with the rhythms of the artist.
Biography
Under the tutelage of Che`Rhodes, Jeremie became a passionate student of glass, curious about the most primitive processes of Roman & Egyptian forms and honoring the great traditions of Italian color decoration. Her influences are Lino Tagliapietra, Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslave Brychotva, Fritz Dreisbach, William Gudenrath, Mary Schaffer, William Morris, Andy Goldsworthy and Javacheff Christo.
background
A Central Illinois native, Jeremie received her B.F.A. in Glass from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 2002. She was a Rickert-Ziebold winner in spring ’02. She had the privilege to travel and work with other glass blowers in Oregon & Washington before moving back to IL. Her studio, J Draper Glass LLC is now located at The Studios on Sheridan, located at the corner of Main and Sheridan. Jeremie’s entire collection can be viewed at her studio by appointment or any time at General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport Gift Shop, Exhibit A Gallery and Peoria Riverfront Museum.
Brandie Centi-Fislar
Instructor and Studio coordinator at J draper Glass LLC
ARTIST STATEMENT
Everyday objects and designs influence my desire to create glass. Whether I am walking down the street, reading magazines or sitting in a park, I can see colors, patterns and designs. Seeing and crafting those ideas into drawings begins the journey of morphing those designs into beautiful glass vessels and utilizing glass, whether it is clear, pastel or bold hues, gives me the opportunity to create a unique piece of art that is shared with others so that they, too, will enjoy the beauty of glass.
Biography
Brandie was born in the small town of Clearfield, PA, in 1992. Growing up she was very involved in sports. Soccer and swimming consumed her life but she always loved to draw. Since she was young she had always planned on becoming an art teacher.
background
Brandie attended Lincoln College in Lincoln, where she played soccer and swam on scholarships. She was also a lifeguard and a student ambassador in her free time. Once she graduated with her Associates in Art, she then transferred to Illinois State University where she would pursue a teaching career. A week before classes started, Brandie was having second thoughts and dropped the program out of fear of student teaching. She then switched her major to drawing.
After taking fundamental classes, she took glass blowing as an elective class. Half way through the semester, she changed her major to glass. Her love and passion for this new art grew so much, so fast. In the winter of 2014, Brandie graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelors in Science in Studio Art with a concentration in Glass Blowing. Since then she has worked for Africano Studios and currently works as an instructor and Studio Coordinator at JDraper Glass.
Olivia Petta
Instructor and Studio manager at j draper glass LLC
Biography
Olivia is a 28-year-old female artist born and raised here in Peoria, Illinois. Holding a lifelong passion for the arts, she attended Illinois State University as a Metalworking and Jewelry major. It was during this time that she decided to add a glassblowing class to her curriculum and became completely enthralled.
In 2020 Olivia moved back home to Peoria and rekindled connections that led her to her first introduction to the J. Draper Glass studio. A little over a year later Olivia is a full-time employee with the title of Hot Shop Manager.
Olivia’s current focus is honing in on foundational skills and becoming proficient at teaching classes at the studio. She enjoys experimenting with color combinations and applications and hopes to bring more inspiration from her daily nature hikes into her future work.
‘”To say this is my dream job is an understatement, this is my home.” -Olivia Petta
