Statewide Blog

State Fair University: A history of glass blowing

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Brian Ethier demonstrating glass blowing at the Minnesota State Fair, Aug. 29, 2013. (MPR Photo/Jeff Jones)

The Minnesota State Fair is a great place for artisans to show off their work in front of people who typically might not see it.

MPR's Morning Edition crew has been seeking out those experts this week. They ventured recently to the hottest spot at the fair — a rumbling 2,100 degree furnace used to demonstrate the ancient art of glass blowing right outside Heritage Square. Once every hour, members of the Foci Minnesota Center for Glass Arts show off their glass-making skills.

Jeff Jones spoke with Foci board chair Bryan Ethier.

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Examples of blown glass at the Minnesota State Fair, Aug. 29, 2013. (MPR Photo/Jeff Jones)