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Vail Cup Collector’s Club returns to Minturn with live glass blowing demonstrations

Watch live glass blowing and artistry at the fifth annual Vail Cup Collector’s Club in Minturn

Glass blowers and artisans from around the country will spend a full day crafting original projects at the Vail Cup Collector’s Club this February.
Colin “Skinny” Hagan

Local artist Ben Belgrad, a glass blower and head of Bat Country Studios in Minturn, is hosting the fifth annual Vail Cup Collector’s Club on Saturday, Feb. 26.

The annual event brings glass artisans from around the country to Minturn to participate in a day-long interactive show that features live glass blowing, painting and collaborative projects. Around a dozen artists will be creating at the event, and attendees will have the opportunity to see one-of-a-kind pieces crafted right before their eyes.

Belgrad is the founder of Drinking Vessels, which creates and curates handmade drinkware from around the world. The selection includes mugs, stemware, shot glasses, flasks and other vessels, which Belgrad distributes via his website, drinkingvessels.com.



Belgrad started the Vail Cup Collector’s Club five years ago, just after opening his studio space.

The original idea was to create an opportunity for artists and collectors to form deeper connections in the valley’s mountain environment.

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“I wanted the glassblowers to be able to come out and enjoy Vail and my studio,” Belgrad said. “I also wanted the collectors to come and be able to ski or snowboard with their favorite artists. It’s kind of a special experience to have that, plus the studio time – watching us work, watching us collaborate and create the pieces that they are ultimately purchasing.”

Belgrad has opened the annual event up to the public to share the craft of glassblowing with the broader community.
Colin “Skinny” Hagan/Courtesy photo

Over time, the event has grown to include more artisans, and Belgrad has opened the event up to the public to share the craft of glassblowing with the broader community. On Saturday, Feb. 26, Belgrad will open his studio from 1-10 p.m. and invite ticket holders to get an up-close look at the technique and processes of artisanal glassblowing.

“The show is just a much more affordable way to get initial access to see what’s going on,” Belgrad said. “For just $25, you can come watch live glass blowing for nine hours if you want, whereas it’s quite expensive to do lessons and demonstrations, just because of the overhead of running the studio and the amount of time it takes out of my day.”

Ticket holders can also purchase the works of art that they watch being created during the day. Belgrad said that the glassware produced during the event is unlike any other, as it results from the merging of ideas and techniques from many different artists.

Attendees can purchase the art that they watch being created during the event.
Colin “Skinny” Hagan/Courtesy photo

​​”We’ve had one-of-a-kind pieces of art created here over the last four years by artists who may have never collaborated otherwise in their lives, and only were able to work together by being here at the event,” Belgrad said. “Many of them have sold and are in private collections now, some of them are in my collection and on display here at the studio, some are still available for sale.”

Belgrad’s vision for the Vail Cup Collector’s Club reflects his larger mission to bring more artisans to the valley to work in his studio space. His company Bat Country Studios offers short-term and long-term rental options that furnish artists with the space and tools they need to produce art while enjoying the mountain lifestyle.

Experience the art of glass blowing.
Colin “Skinny” Hagan/Courtesy photo

“Over the five years that I’ve been in this space, we’ve had over 50 artists come through here from around the country,” Belgrad said. “It’s really a multimedia space. We can adapt the space to accommodate most types of artists, especially local artists who are looking for some studio space to work on projects that isn’t their living room or their bedroom.”

General admission tickets are available for $25 a person and are on sale now. All VIP tickets are already sold out. For additional information on the upcoming event, visit drinkingvessels.com, or contact Belgrad directly at info@drinkingvessels.com.

IF YOU GO:

What: Fifth Annual Vail Cup Collector’s Club

When: Saturday, Feb. 26, 1-10 p.m.

Where: Bat Country Studios, Minturn

Price: $25, tickets available online at drinkingvessels.com

Contact: info@drinkingvessels.com for more information


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