About Bee Kingdom
Bee Kingdom was reincarnated after the passing of Mecha Glass in 2007. This glass-based studio collective was originally conceived by Ryan Marsh Fairweather, Tim Belliveau and Phillip Bandura in 2004 and has evolved since its birth. The three men graduated from the Alberta College of Art and Design from the glass program in 2005 and decided they wanted to pursue an artistic lifestyle\career and built a hot-glass studio in their backyard garage in the northwest of Calgary, Alberta.
Ryan, Tim and Phil live communally and work collaboratively in their studio home. After a couple years experience, trials and errors the three have a sharper focus which includes a fine balance between select designs known as "studio series", custom sculpture\installation and fine art. Collaborative works share aesthetics contributed by the three artists and are also informed by the characteristics of their glass studio.
Bee Kingdom is named so for a couple of reasons. Ryan, Tim and Phillip live and work communally at a seemingly constant non-stop pace. When relating the quality of hot glass it is appropriate to describe it as the same as flowing honey. We also run our own glass blowing studio which we consider our kingdom.
Our attraction to glass is drawn from the natural beauty of glass. Glass as a medium is unique and working with the raw, molten material has limitless possibilities. The process is exciting, team oriented, physically demanding, requires precise coordination and demands your mind's complete presence; it is a richly rewarding medium to work with.
Pilchuck Centerpiece Designers
Bee Kingdom has been selected as Pilchuck's 30th Anniversary Centerpiece Designers. In May they traveled to Stanwood, WA, home to world-reknowned Pilchuck Glass School; operating with an amazing team of volunteers, aka the Poleturners, and 10 days, they completed 130 glass centerpieces designed by Bee Kingdom. The glass pieces are made for the school's annual auction which is held in Seattle on October 30th, 2008 and helps fuel Pilchuck's annual running costs. Thank you Poleturners!!!