ORANGE BEACH — The Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach celebrated its annual Light up the Arts event, which showcased demonstrations of hot glass and pottery creations from The Hot Shop and the …
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ORANGE BEACH — The Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach celebrated its annual Light up the Arts event, which showcased demonstrations of hot glass and pottery creations from The Hot Shop and the Clay Studio, on Dec. 12.
The Hot Shop is the first stop for those walking up to the Coastal Arts Center, and a consistent crowd was held for most of the event. Attendees seemed to find this station the most attractive with the furnace, which was being used to create a glass ornament, warming the room on a cold night.
The Hot Shop team busily worked in a fenced off area in front of a live audience as they explained the process of creating the glass creations that were on display for purchase.
"No, we do not get burned very often," a sign in The Hot Shop read. "The most common way to get burned is by grabbing the wrong end of a hot pipe or tool, so we are very cautious when handling equipment."
The next stop toward the gallery was the Clay Studio where Maya Blume-Cantrell was seated at a pottery wheel working on a project. She explained why there were so many options for pottery glaze displayed on the wall behind her.
"It's not like red and yellow make orange," Blume-Cantrell said, "the color you end up with depends on which color you put on the clay first."
While The Hot Shop could hold a bigger audience, Blume-Cantrell maintained a steady flow of viewers in the cozy studio as she worked at the wheel. She told attendees how her pottery could be found in the Center's gallery to be purchased as Christmas presents.
The next, and final, stop on the Light up the Arts trail is the gallery itself where live music was played by saxophonist Rod Pittman as guests could dine on snacks and enjoy the wine bar provided by Friends of the Arts, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Gulf Coast art.
A raffle was also held inside the center surrounded by the many products on display for purchase from The Hot Shop, the Clay Studio and other local painters and artists. The items available for purchase were recommended as "gorgeous" Christmas gifts.
The Orange Beach Coastal Arts Center is located at 26389 Canal Road. According to the Center's website, admission to the gallery is free, but classes have fees starting at $95, and the art itself varies in price.