MEET JOHN BASSETT: John Bassett Recycled Glass

John Bassett will tell you he’s fascinated by light, structure, line, texture, balance, and color … in that order. Growing up in a family of both artists and thinkers, it’s not surprising that he can articulate his creative process in such exacting terms. What might surprise people is that he can also beautifully articulate what he does for an audience of five-year-olds. And for someone who has recently exhibited his work at the Children’s Museum, he’s has a lot of practice doing just that!

Big question first: So what are you doing to reduce your global footprint?
I make art from recycled stuff.

That works! Now, onto what we’re all wondering: How do you explain your profession to a five year old?
“I melt bottles and make things for people to look at.”

Have you always been a glass artist?
No, I actually worked most of my life as a carpenter, but I’ve been doing glass since 1979.

What is it about glass that you find so interesting?
I’m happiest in the rich, associative world of recycled glass and other found objects. I find myself focused on that most conventional quality of glass—its transparency.

Any early influences?
I was a kid who drew and painted. My uncle, Richard Bassett was a painter, but I think it was really my grandmother’s gardener who was my biggest influence. His name was Joseph LeBeau. Today, he might be considered a “naïve artist.” He also made fantastic, wonderful moving toys for kids using brightly painted Popsicle sticks and discarded lumber. He gave them all away. I have only a very small toy he made and don't know if there are any others left. I think the kids who enjoyed his toys were the only people who appreciated what Joseph made.

That seems sad.
Joseph LeBeau's story isn't really sad, I think. He was loved and is still remembered by me and probably by his family and a few other kids. A lot has changed for the better since the 1940's and 50's when he made his toys. People have learned to see and to value naive artists and the things—buildings, signs, manufactured stuff—we see every day. And people have also learned to value kids’ art. I remember when I was an architecture student about 1963 going into a public elementary school in Cambridge and asking for kids drawings and paintings. Teachers were surprised by my interest and many didn’t save the art—and neither did the kids. That wouldn't happen today.

I’ll bet Joseph be happy that kids are enjoying you’re work.
I think he would!

Visit John at www.basglas.com.


Interview by Anna Goldsmith of the Hired Pens.

Staycations are hot this summer

Above: Boston at sunset. Taken from a friend's roof deck. It's always fun to crash friends' houses in different areas of town - just be good and bring a host gift.

When I started my own business my budget was tight, so there was no chance of a big vacation in a far-away exotic place. When I took time off I would venture into Boston or take the bus to NYC for an urban day off, and travel up to VT and NH for hiking and fresh air. I have recently learned that the high price of gas (and therefore air travel) has affected tourism in the US. Staycations, vacations close to home, are in.

After googling staycations I was surprised to see how much chatter is happening about this subject. It really is hot this summer, so there are many resources and opinions out there. The article in the Globe today by Nicole Wong instigated this blog entry and below are some of D2E's favorite local attractions.

D2E list of Boston area stuff-to-do
- Walk Boston
Check out this website to find events that involve walking and Boston. The group has a higher mission to make Boston more walkable, and while doing this they offer some fun Boston walks. It is well worth checking out.

- Boston Public Library
Julie visited the library last night and saw two great exhibits. One on WWI posters and the other was called Movingline. According to Julie it is well worth the visit. The library offers something for everyone, at every age, so definitely check out their website. You will be pleasantly surprised.

- The New England Aquarium
What would a tourist day in Boston be like without a stop at the aquarium? My husband and I like to go on late night urban bike rides and we always stop at the aquarium to say hello to the seals. They are definitely distant relatives of Lucy, our labrador.

- Lobstah!
A few weeks ago my husband and I decided to explore the north shore after work. We had never been to Gloucester and wanted to check it out. While driving around we discovered The Lobster Pool in Rockport and loved having our steamers outside while the sun was setting. If you want to stay in metro Boston, there are plenty of options.

- Urban Bike Rides
Get out your bike, your helmet and tour the city. Check out Boston Bikes to see what the city has going on. And Urban Adventours will take you on a guided tour with other bicyclists. If you do not have a bike, you can rent one from Urban Adventours - so no excuses!

For a more comprehensive list, visit the City of Boston's website. It is amazing how much this city has to offer.

Policy and Art are alive in Boston

While reading the Globe this morning, in my effort to be more informed of our policy makers, I was again heartened to read not only about progress in our local government and non profit sector, but also I read about some great art. So this Monday morning I am feeling all warm and fuzzy about living in a city and state that is taking action and growing culturally. In this morning's Globe I found two articles I'd like to pass on. One about Green Collar Jobs and one about a local heavy metal artist, Skunk who makes robotic sculptures out of old bicycle parts.

In regards to the green collar jobs, our job panel from this past year's show was a direct response to Van Jones' call for action. We at down:2:earth are trying to use our show as a forum for discussion and a resource center. So we brought together some young people working in the green sector with Galen Nelson from the City of Boston to talk about opportunities and to inspire people. We were surprised to see how many people over 20 years old attended the workshop, and that taught us that we should expand our job related event this year. D2E can't be the answer for every sustainable issue, but we offer a great opportunity for people to talk and learn. So please let us know if there is an issue that you want to be covered. We are working on our programming for the April 2009 show, and we want to hear your thoughts.

On Social Justice from today's article:
"We're going to need to see a lot more of this stuff on a much larger scale than we have before," says Penn Loh, executive director of Roxbury's Alternatives for Community & Environment, an organization focused on eradicating environmental racism that is also a member of Community Labor United. "This could be as big as the New Deal and the restructuring of the economy after the stock market crash and the Great Depression. We're at a turning point in human history."

On Skunk:
We love Skunk.