Bead Classes For The Masses at Bavin Glassworks
August 1, 2011
By K. Leah Duperreault
There are many reasons that you may have heard of Bavin Glassworks. It has been a family-run hotshop and gallery for the past 22 years. It is located in Invermere, BC in the beautiful Columbia Valley and it is a place where you can find local and regional art as well as a handful of local artists. One reason in particular though is their ability to involve and include the community that they are a part of. Being located in a resort town means that tourists and locals alike are a part of that community. Having the hotshop open to the public allows the thousands of visitors every year to learn a little bit about glass and what goes into glass making.
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In late 2002 Pat, Bonnie and Ryan Bavin, together with Leah Duperreault began working on a different way to educate visitors to the glass shop and in early 2003, Bavin Beadworks began offering classes in glass beadmaking. The Bavins came from a ski industry background so it made perfect sense to run Bavin Beadworks much in the same way that a ski school runs at a ski hill.
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The classes were developed and taught by Duperreault, and she, in turn, trained the instructors that followed, ensuring that each of the more than 3,000 students they have taught over the years received the same level of instruction. In 2005, the Bavin Glass Cabin opened up at Panorama ski hill which provided two locations to offer bead classes.
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The three-hour introductory bead class is the core of the Bavin Beadworks program, and can be taken by anyone over the age of 16. Three students at a time allows for each student to receive personal attention; rental space is available after having taken a class. As well as making beads, students are encouraged to try making jewelry or accessories from their beads with help from the knowledgeable staff.
Given the fact that Invermere is a resort town and Bavin Glassworks is a destination, the bead classes offer something to do while on vacation in the Columbia Valley. Also offered are intermediate classes, private lessons and soon they will offer five-day workshops.
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