International Glass art show kicks off summer-long gallery in Royal Oak
ROYAL OAK, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - An international specialty art gallery celebrates its opening for the summer on Friday night. The world's oldest and largest display of glass art takes to Habatat Gallery in Royal Oak.
"What's sort of unique about the metropolitan area of Detroit [is] there's a lot of wanting everyone to succeed, particularly, if a person is developing good work. We get excited when someone does something new even though they're going to be competition," says Herb Babcock, who has been creating art with glass since 1969.
The Ann Arbor-based glass artist is one of the hundreds of artists featured in the gallery.
"When you come in here, you're seeing so many different processes by so many talented people from around the world and they each have spent a lifetime perfecting their art, says Aaron Schey, the vice president of the gallery.
Tickets are free to view this art and it kicks off Friday night with displays being visible throughout August.
Artists like Babcock, a professor emeritus after 40 years as the glass department chairman for the College of Creative Studies in Detroit, tells CBS News Detroit he recalls his home videos made for his students showing off his studio during the pandemic.
Fast forward to now and he says seeing art shows come back to full force has been a breath of fresh air. Not only for the artists participating in this particular show but all around Detroit.
"If you're looking at a piece and not only does it give you joy, but also it questions you as to what is actually going on, and there's a give back, then I think that's the reward," Babcock says.
