About Us
Filip Vogelpohl
“I have found my calling in the world of glass.”
Filip Vogelpohl, the owner of Boise Art Glass, was born in Prague, Czech Republic, and fled to the United States in 1987 as a refugee. He grew up in Boise, Idaho, and took numerous art classes throughout high school. After graduating, while traveling the Northwest, Filip visited Eugene, Oregon, where his instant attraction to glassblowing sparked. The first two years of flameworking involved extensive torch time and guidance. Filip continued to travel while taking classes all over the world. He studied with such greats as Robert Mickelson, Kevin O’Grady in Colorado, and Casare Toffolo in Murano, Italy.
Now, Filip works everyday blowing glass and teaching classes at Boise Art Glass. He has his glass art in gallerys throughout the country and his custom ordered chandeleirs can be found in many restaurants and homes.
“I have no doubt that I will never stop learning and forever be inspired.”
Chris Geile
“This is what I do, I couldn’t Imagine a better Job.”
Chris Geile was born in Boise, Idaho April 1975. Born to an artistic family he was encouraged from a young age to pursue creative outlets for his somewhat ‘scattered energies.’ After graduating High School in upstate New York, Chris attended New Paltz University where he studied both two and three dimensional design.
In 1996 Chris started working with glass picking up what he could from friends and other glassblowers. He has since taken classes and worked alongside glass artists such as John Kabuki, Filip Vogelpohl, and Bill Rasmussen. Chris has been the resident Instructor at Boise Art Glass since 2005 teaching both Beginner & Intermediate classes to students of all ages and skill levels.
Bill Rasmussen
“I’ve been blowing glass so long, I can do it with my eyes closed.”
When Bill Rasmussen was 12 years old, he was doing odd jobs in his father’s Glassblower shop. By the time he was 14 he was making very nice fish sculptures with colored lead glass on cross fires using natural gas and compressed air. After serving his time in the U.S. Navy at the end of World War II, he again took up glass sculpture. In 1951 he got his first wholesale order from the glass shop at Knott’s Berry Farm. He was paid 12.5 cents each for small swans. In 1955 Walt Disney saw his Mickey Mouse and Pluto sculptures and Bill opened a shop on Main Street, Disneyland in 1955. In 1968 he moved to Hawaii and opened The Little Glass Shack. In 1972 he opened WCR Glass Sculptor in Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco. Today you’ll find him mostly on the golf course and working in Boise Art Glass a few times a week.
Matthew Jordan
“Part of the thrill of this is the ‘fear factor’”
Matthew left Emmett, Idaho and ended up in construction around Seattle, Washington. When he was laid off, he took glass blowing lessons, something that stemmed from a childhoold fascination. He learned rapidly under some of the best artisans in the Seatttle area and soon found that he could support himself teaching their beginning and intermediate classes while learning more advanced techniques from them.
Matthew’s work is often organic and gracefully freeform. His colors and designs frequently reflect the natural world in rippling patterns of water, mysterious sea life and the brilliance of fall foliage. Matt teaches private classes at Boise Art Glass and his beautiful work is for sale in the gallery.
