GLASS ACT
Gene Hester creates shimmering treasures for the table

We first learned of Gene Hester Studios through his stained-glass doors and windows, which adorn homes, offices, and churches across Houston. Then we discovered the brilliantly colored fused-glass objects he creates for the table. Fusing is a process by which an artisan melds two layers of glass-one clear, one a color-by heating them to 1500 degrees. A second 1350-degree firing and gravity allows the glass to "slump" into a stainless-steel form. The gleaming results seem to glow from within.

This month, Hester is part of a three-man exhibition at the brand-new Gallery 101, along with painter Chaz and Gary Kosmas, who works in porcelain and mirror. The opening-night reception at the gallery (1011 Washington Ave.) is November 9. The shops at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, the Houston Potters Guild Shop, and the Galveston Arts Center also display Hester's work. -TB

Fired up: Extraordinarily high temperatures produce Gene Hester's glass plates.
GENESIS ART GLASS STUDIO