About
Essential Glass Works was established in 1992, selling their work at art shows and wholesale shows. After moving between Moscow -- Boise -- then Moscow again, they re-opened their studio in 2010. As their studio began to gain popularity, they decided to expand and evolve into a studio/gallery. By 2013, Essential Glass Works drastically expanded their inventory to include work by many of the top-quality artists with whom they had met in art shows over the years. They made the leap to 203 S. Main Street where they run their gallery. Under their new name, Essential Art Gallery, you will find frequently changing window displays and new work arrives weekly from all over the country. They maintain their "Playfully Elegant" theme in all the work selected for their gallery.
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Michael McCoy, Buyer/Curator
Michael McCoy has the advantage of being a second-generation glass artist. Beginning at age twelve, he developed a passion for his medium through collecting art glass. Born in San Bernardino, California in 1948, Michael spent his childhood watching his father repair antique stained glass windows and developed an early appreciation for the beauty of glass. Talented in sculpting, painting, and drawing, Michael received his bachelors degree in Art at Sacramento State University in California.
In 1992, Michael established Essential Glass Works in Moscow, Idaho. Following in his father's footsteps, Michael built many stained glass windows to be featured in custom homes and businesses throughout the country. Michael taught stained glass classes for many years before discovering the dichroic medium. The freedom he discovered through fused glass launched the business into regional art shows and the wholesale market. From the glass studio within the gallery, he continues to create fine dichroic jewelry and sculptures and supplies not only his own, but other top galleries across the country, with his work. Always generating new designs and product lines, dichroic glass as a medium holds his interest as it "reflects nature, captivates audiences, and stimulates our creativity." Anastasia "Ana" Blaisdell, Gallery Manager
Ana joined the Essential Art Gallery as a part-time employee in December 2018. Since then she has proven to be a valuable asset, assisting with the website, e-newsletters, social media, sales and more. Her background is in administrative support, technology, and social sciences. She loves working with Michael and sharing all the great stories and artwork with new and returning customers. While not a self-proclaimed artist, she is very creative and appreciates the time and effort every artist puts into their work. You will always find her adorned with handcrafted jewelry from many of our artists and setting up puns for Michael to "hit out of the park."
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Discover the medium of
Dichroic, Greek for two lights, is a dynamic art-glass medium that transmits and reflects color. The medium is created through vacuum deposition. In other words, the glass is attached inside a controlled-temperature vacuum and spun. Chemicals are introduced, forcing an ultrathin quartz crystal structure to grow on the surface of the glass. The crystal structure literally bends light, creating a visual feast of movement between color spectrums.
Each piece of jewelry is individually made from this medium. First, we cut a blank from fusible-compatible art glass. Next, we cut pieces of dichroic glass, as small as 1/16 of an inch, and stack these pieces up to four layers deep on top of the blank and fuse at 1600 degrees F. Our sculptures are made in the same process, but are often stacked up to 7 layers. The work is so ornate many people think our designs are painted on. But they are not. The only mediums we use are glass and sterling silver/metal findings. Our clients tell us when they wear the jewelry, they are showered with compliments, and some are asked if their earrings are plugged in or battery operated due to the wild display of color and light. Check out our video below to see how the process works. |
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Hours
Monday: Closed Tuesday: 10:30am - 5:00pm Wednesday: 10:30am - 5:00pm Thursday: 10:30am - 5:00pm Friday: 10:30am - 5:00pm Saturday: 10:30am - 5:00pm Sunday: Closed Or by appointment: Call 208-571-5654 |
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