As Chestertown becomes more of a destination for artists and art lovers, evidenced by the numerous galleries around town, it’s only a natural progression to also discover outdoor art appearing around the historic district.
A wonderful recent addition is metal artisan Rob Glebe’s sculpture located outside the Massoni Gallery at 203 High St. The colorful piece debuted on the recent Downrigging weekend, when throngs of visitors descend on the historic district to enjoy the nautical displays and activities, as well as take in the local arts, restaurants and shops.
Carla Massoni, who shows Glebe’s work inside her notable gallery, says this sculpture on High St. is part art, part physical experiment.
“Rob did a piece of sculpture for the front of the gallery to create a sense of art on the street. He is basically approaching the piece as a prototype. It will enable him to learn about the sensitivity of the metals to the elements. It’s a fun piece and we thought it would be a nice project to ask people to give it a name. I‘ll make a plaque with the name and the author when we select the winner.”
One can make a title suggestion through the Massoni Gallery Facebook page or email their moniker to [email protected] by Nov. 30th.
The roughly 300 pound, seven foot-high sculpture is comprised of seven metal-framed panels which have been etched in various designs and dyed with various methods. Each framed panel has a different type of protective coating applied to discern which method will hold up best to the elements so each of the panels can be replaced when needed. This will help Glebe to discover which materials and coatings are best for any future outdoor installations, such as the sculpture garden he plans to create adjacent to his home, or other custom outdoor art.
The installation took several weeks to create. Two of the panels are natural rust colored and baked, the others are colored using solid based dyes; all have some type of protective coating of either a lacquer or urethane coating.
Glebe observes, “It’s subtle, not really loud in its look of natural colors and images; it blends in really well with the look of Chestertown.”
It’s expected to stay at its current location for at least a year.
Until recently, most of Glebe’s metal art has adorned the interiors of professional offices, large public spaces and homes, including hospitals in Williamsburg and Boston, a large law firm in DC and another in Baltimore. His huge colorful metal panels typically grace hallways and reception areas.
“One commission was for a hospital cancer research wing doing cell tissue studies, I was sent photos of microscopic cells and I mimicked those images in the large scale rusted mono print panels,” recalls Glebe.
His metal vessels made of nature images like Ginkgo leaves and dragonflies or geometric patterns have been featured in galleries and shows nationwide. He uses a computerized cutter to create the shapes from sheet metal, then etches and dyes the metal and uses a wooden vessel template to shape and weld the pieces together.
With so much success and response, it’s hard to believe that Glebe has only recently ventured into this artistic endeavor.
“My leap of faith into a full-time artistic career began in January of 2006 and has from the start been an amazing experience. With a nudge from my sister-in-law, Christine, I found myself signed up for my first show in State College, PA. That was seven years ago and I’m still going strong.”
Prior to that, Glebe’s career had been much more practical than artistic, first as a toolmaker and then owning a yacht services business.
But no matter what he’s done, it has usually involved working with his hands and with metals in some capacity.
“I was encouraged at a young age to help with home repairs and some construction. With exposure to tools and guidance on how to use them, I developed confidence in my abilities,” Glebe recalls.
“During my early years, my brother Wes, a jeweler and exceptional craftsman was a real mentor; he began exposing me to his artistic endeavors and worked with me in his workshop. His mentoring has been more meaningful and educational than any traditional training offers. He encouraged me to attend arts and craft shows and we’d discuss the artists’ techniques or critique their work. It began for me what would be a lifelong quest to collect handcrafted art, especially unique vessels and pottery.”
It’s no surprise that in high school, he loved wood and metal shop classes. In the late 70’s tech schools were still abundant and it was a natural course for him to take. In his junior and senior years he had classes in welding, carpentry, electrical and machining. At the time, he believed that a career as a toolmaker was just right for him and embarked on a four -year apprenticeship as a toolmaker.
After working seven years as a toolmaker, Glebe sailed a friend’s Hobie Cat and became hooked on sailing. He then made a dramatic career change to work for a local Hobie Cat/boat dealer selling larger vessels.
After working for a yacht dealer involved with the America’s Cup who eventually closed the brokerage, Glebe relocated from Bucks County, Pennsylvania to the waterways of Kent County, Maryland to find work in some aspect of boating.
“One March weekend in 1990, we took a drive down to St. Michaels, by Sunday we were in Rock Hall and the owners of a boat dealer hired me on the spot. I stayed here while my wife Debby was back in Pennsylvania finishing her degree in business, Six months later we were here full time together. We love this area.”
A few years later he established his own yacht service, and for 14 years he applied his skills in fabricating and problem solving to create interesting projects for fastidious yacht owners.
“I discovered that no manuals existed for the tasks I was called on to do. I acquired many new skills and developed a passion for creating and yearned again for a new lifestyle.”
While still working in yacht services, Glebe took woodturning and other craft classes, and began a part-time effort at lamp making, furniture making and other decorative arts. He created many works that can be seen throughout his own home, and began participating in local art shows. Encouraged by the response and driven by his need to create, he fully embarked on his third career.
“I wanted to do something unique, I haven’t seen anything like my work at any of the art shows. “
Through it all, his wife of 24 years, Debbie, who attended the same high school in Bucks County, has been there as his emotional support as well as a business adviser, bookkeeper and partner. She travels with him to twelve art shows around the country every year, as far away as Chicago. Recently they spent 17 days in Japan, meeting other artisans and observing their sculptures and art.
Like the artists of Japan, Glebe’s inspiration often emanates from nature, although one of the design requirements is that it will translate into a flat image which can be cut out of the metal. He also enjoys creating vessels and objects from geometric shapes but admits they’re not as popular as the natural organic shapes.
“Mother nature is hard to compete with.”
Glebe’s other works can be seen in the Massoni Gallery and at: www.robglebedesign.com
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[…] Out of the Fire: Metal Sculptor Rob GlebeThe Chestertown Spy, on Mon, 25 Nov 2013 12:37:30 -0800His mentoring has been more meaningful and educational than any traditional training offers. He encouraged me to attend arts and craft shows and we'd discuss the artists' techniques or … After working for a yacht dealer involved with the America's … […]