Meet Mia Shea! She’s a tenured borosilicate glass artist who got her start on the torch at the Zen Studio in St. Petersburg, Florida, back in 2011. Since then, she’s done demos around the world, including Switzerland’s Cannatrade and at the Annual Degenerate Flame Off in Portland, Oregon.
This Glass Yogini currently calls Bellingham, Washington home. If you look closely, you might find her wandering the beaches on the shores of the San Juan Islands. You also might recognize Mia’s work from the cover feature in our Glass Issue back in April 2022. Since then, this amazing artist has continued to grow her craft and solidify herself as a prominent artist in the contemporary glass art movement. This representation is some of her most current work to date and highlights the range and intricacies of Mia’s translation from vision to physical art in the glass medium. Enjoy her description of this provocative journey into the past.
“In the Native American prophecy, White Buffalo Calf Woman came at a time of peril and brought with her the teachings of wisdom and peace so greatly revered in these ancient traditions. As the people circled around, she gifted them the Sacred Pipe so they could pray to all life. In regaining connection with ritual, balance was restored.” -Mia Shea
Mia brings reverence of days past and transparency to this vestige of ancient Native American legacy. This piece shines light on a story that is meaningful to the current times as we navigate our way through a changing civilization.
The ancients speak of a simpler time when the act of manifesting one’s success would ring true for the entire tribe. Be that of a physical construct like the piecepipe or the mindset of bringing individual empowerment to help society join as one. We all stand to benefit from understanding the history of our peoples’ great past. I, for one, hope that this piece transpires the realms of time. In closing, here’s another excerpt from Mia.
“My art is a vision of borosilicate glass born from the alchemy of inner power. Through my quest to understand the multidimensional universe and investigating the interior landscapes of the soul, the glass has become an instrument in which I express the beauty of these incredible forces, masculine and feminine, working together. For this art requires the marriage of softness and fierceness in equal proportion. Borosilicate glass has truly become my greatest teacher and I am grateful to have been able to learn from so many amazing flameworkers. It is an honor to make this art for the people and bring the mystical feminine to life.” -Mia Shea
To inquire about a class or purchase her work visit:
instagram/miasheaglass.com and miasheaglass.bigcartel.com
