David New-Small was fascinated by glassblowing ever since his very first encounter with it in a chemistry lab in college, but he didn’t take it up as a career until the late 1970s. When a Granville Island space became available, he jumped at the chance to build a studio and gallery.
He teamed up with Nora Sterling and they opened New-Small & Sterling Studio Glass Ltd. in 1984, which today is known as New-Small & Sterling Glass Studio. Many glass artists have come to work and learn here over the years, and have gone on to open their own studios. Today, David can often be found working away in the hot shop, using the simple, traditional tools he began with to create art out of molten sand. The gallery has expanded over the years and is now a partnership between David, glass artist Benjamin Kikkert and David’s daughter Alannah, who manages the gallery.
In addition to the art created in the studio, you’ll discover the work of 35 talented glass artists from across British Columbia and Alberta, each with their own unique style. The diverse collection boasts one-of-a-kind creations including jewellery, tableware, sculptures and much more.
“We have a diversity of styles to suit different budgets. Most of the work is very contemporary and modern and a lot of it is inspired by the sea or by nature,” says Alannah. “We also have the coloured drinking tumblers that my dad first started making in his first home studio in Crescent Beach in the 1970s. I have people come who first came into the studio when they were kids with their parents and are now buying them as wedding gifts for their friends, so there is some nice tradition there too.”
