40-Foot Glass Sculpture Dedicated at SteelStacks

As the prepares for its first anniversary celebration later this month, the contemporary performing arts center located on the former Bethlehem Steel plant is also celebrating another milestone, the completion of the building with the installation of the “The Four Elements,” a stunning glass sculpture that features hundreds of pieces of handmade glass and stands 40 feet tall.

Located in the center of the ArtsQuest Center’s three-story-tall spiral staircase, The Four Elements is a dynamic work of art that features more than 900 custom-crafted glass pieces, each one made at ArtsQuest’s Hot Glass Studio at the , the only hot glass studio in the region. The work of art, dedicated during a special ceremony Wednesday, was designed by ArtsQuest glass studio artists John Choi and Dennis Gardner and took more than six months to create.

“With The Four Elements, we wanted to represent something that is universal to everyone while looking at it in a spiritual way,” says Choi, glass studio director for the Hot Glass Studio at the Banana Factory. “It’s our hope that this work of art encourages people to think about what’s important in life - to celebrate life and being alive and appreciate everything that’s around us.”

Made possible through the support of principal donors Hal and Terri Lubsen of Center Valley, The Four Elements weighs approximately 3,700 pounds and is illuminated by hundreds of LED lights, highlighting the unique characteristics of each piece of glass.

The sculpture was created using a variety of glass making techniques including hot glassblowing, glass sculpting, flameworking and stained glass techniques.

Since early fall 2011, Choi and Gardner, along with glass artists Dan Getz, Brian Toseland and students at the Banana Factory’s hot glass studio, have put hundreds of hours into the project, with the goal of completing the work of art for the ArtsQuest Center’s first anniversary celebration, set for April 26-29. 

All of the 900-plus glass pieces were hand-set on the sculpture, a process that took more than two weeks to complete.

“When viewers look at The Four Elements, I hope it gives them a sense of excitement and reminds them of what’s really important in life,” says Gardner, ArtsQuest’s glass studio manager.

“One of the reasons we created this work of art is to highlight the fact that the ArtsQuest Center is a cultural arts center that showcases a variety of art forms. While many people visit the building for concerts, we want this piece to remind them of the important role the visual arts play in our lives."