Glass is unlike any other medium: Its ability to absorb and reflect light makes it an ever-changing opportunity to integrate both natural and artificial light into visually stimulating, artistic pieces.

Historically, colored or textured glass had to be functional, mostly utilized in stained glass windows and vessels. But now, its decorative and sculptural qualities stand on their own as pieces of art.

“Not that long ago, that wasn’t the case,” said glass artist Jared Davis, who combines the high-gloss shine of glass with powdered, sandblasted glass to create sculptures inspired by nature. “Now, glass stands as an actual piece of art.”

In the 1960s, American glass artists like Harvey Littleton began crating artistic glass pieces in small studios, rather than the traditional factory setting, which manufactured symmetrically, perfectly formed vessels. A decade later, Dale Chihuly and Ben Moore traveled to Italy to learn techniques from the masters, ushering in a new era of studio glass work. Chihuly founded the Pilchuck Glass School in 1971, introducing a whole new generation to glass art. Since then, the modern form has evolved — even beyond a decorative art.

“There are an infinite number of ways you can bend and shape glass.” Brian Raitman, gallery owner

“Contemporary glass has usually been thought of as a decorative art, but I believe it can have an interesting and powerful narrative,” said Nicole Davis, who co-creates glass sculptures, from antler chandeliers to colorful vessels depicting rivers and lakes, with her husband, Jared, at their North Rim Glass Studio in Crawford. Through their representational landscapes, they hope to connect viewers with the fragility of the environment, through the fragility of glass.

Meanwhile, Chihuly continues to stretch the limits of glass itself, generating pieces up to 4 feet in diameter to make “Macchia” or twisting 140 pounds of glass into 41″ x 18″ x 17” spirals of dynamic color in his “Rotolo” series.

“I want people to be overwhelmed with light and color in some way that they’ve never experienced,” Chihuly writes on his website.

Kyle Webb, principal of KH Webb Architects, has incorporated glass artists like Chihuly, Lino Tagliapietra and Joel Berman into the homes he designs.

Chihuly’s chandeliers and freestanding pieces become a focal point of an entryway, dining room or other home area. Webb has delineated special space on entryway walls and living rooms for Tagliapietra’s 3- to 4-foot elegant, glass canoes. And, he has incorporated the unique textures, patterns, shapes and graphic applications of Berman’s glass art, including glass stairs and textured privacy screen dividers, which break up open spaces.

“People want everything to feel open and light, especially in Vail, where square footage is often limited,” Webb said. “Glass walls are a ½-inch thick, whereas a normal wall is 5 ½ inches thick, so glass saves space.”

He often inserts glass walls into bathrooms, specifically toilet and shower enclosures, as one cohesive glass design. Glass dividers in stairways open up an often dark space by bringing light in. LED lighting on the edges of glass panels stand out as decorative pieces in kitchens and other main areas, as the glass transmits light.

He also employs Lynnel’s installations of suspended glass art, feature walls, railings and backlit panels. The company generates unique designs on their glass through photo printing.

“They take digital photos and blow them up for incredible detail,” he said.

Webb uses the CastGlass line, created by Berman and known for its artisanal, sculptural textures, in tiles. The tiles are inherently transparent and textured but come in a variety of colors and graphic interlayers.

Different techniques lead to a variety of glass art. Glass blowing involves inflating molten glass into a bubble with a blowpipe. Casting glass uses molds to create heavier, transparent, yet bronzy-feeling pieces. Lampworking is another method; it’s a historic term that fashions tiny glass tubes using a gas torch to create small details, like flowers, or to make smoking pipes. Fused glass is the simplest technique; it employs sheets of colored glass fused together into flatter sculptures or into panels to display on walls.

While glass sculptures — from small pieces for mantels and shelves to large, life-size focal pieces — are Piece Art Gallery’s main focus, the gallery also features seasonal décor, like snowmen, functional bowls and vessels, glass jewelry, fused glass pieces and glass balloons.

“Glass-fused pieces bring in the element of light,” said owner Eva Pobjecka. “Instead of a two-dimensional sensation, the glass has the extra third dimension, making it a little more exciting.”

Glass can lend a whimsical feel to homes, both indoors, and outdoors, in gardens and around pools. Cast-glass birds and glass balloons, the latter measuring 10-12 inches, are some of Piece’s best sellers, especially for homeowners who hang them from high ceilings or windows.

“The art should make you happy and give you a sense of visual satisfaction, and many times the balloons bring that,” she said.

She views glass art as collectible fine art that holds its value.

“When we talk about sculptural work, none of the other artistic mediums have the ability to absorb and transfer light,” she said. “This is glass’ best quality. Glass sculpture creates such a dramatic effect. You have a different view of the same piece in the morning vs. the afternoon — it reflects differently. It actually lives in your interior. The light gives it a certain movement, so it’s not just a steady piece.”

Raitman Art Galleries has focused more on glass art over the last year because glass adds so much color and shine to interior designs dominated by trendy white and gray tones.

“People are looking for contemporary art, and glass shines,” said co-owner Brian Raitman. “It looks new and sparkles and changes dramatically from night to day.”

Andrew Madvin’s “Thorn Vessel” series has seen “tremendous success,” with their delicate balance. Meanwhile, artists like the Davis’ reinterpret nature with their glass antlers and “Riverway” series.

“There are an infinite number of ways you can bend and shape glass,” Raitman said. “I’ve noticed that people who collect contemporary art have a ton of glass. They display it throughout their home or in a section of their home as a colorful statement, a glistening corner of color.”

Whether you incorporate glass into walls, privacy screens, lighting or as stand-alone pieces of art, glass has the ability to shine like no other material.

“There’s no other material that refracts, reflects and absorbs light like glass — and it can do that in the same piece,” Jared Davis said. “Whether it’s transparent, opaque or frosted, there’s no other material that has that play with light — it can add to a space like no other medium.”

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