The Sandra Ainsley Gallery: The Art Of Glass

Oct 16 2024

The Sandra Ainsley Gallery celebrates 40 years of diverse artistry in the evolving glass world.

The beauty of art is that it can be expressed through endless forms and materials, be it painted canvas, sprayed walls in an urban environment or sculptures fashioned from paper, plastic or metal into all shapes and sizes. One of the most intricate and creative forms of artistry is glass art. Glass-blowing dates back to Egypt as early as the 1st century BC.

One of the leading and most respected contemporary glass art galleries in the world has been Toronto’s Sandra Ainsley Gallery, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this autumn with a Special Exhibition running from September 21 to November 15. The gallery has been at the forefront of the contemporary glass movement for decades, representing internationally renowned artists in the medium while offering an exceptional selection of artworks that push the boundaries of art and design. It is a reflection of the passion that owner Sandra Ainsley has for the medium and the artists from around the world who create the exceptional works she features.

“I don’t know where my business life begins and where my personal life ends. It just all comes together,” says Ainsley, in a recent interview with Dolce Magazine. “Business is all about relationships, and I represent more than 60 artists. And with each of them it’s important that I have a good relationship. It’s not only important but it is something I enjoy as it gives me satisfaction with what I do. So I know every artist very well. I know their families, and we talk often. So I feel I’m very lucky to have a kind of business where I get that type of pleasure, and it all comes together as one. My mantra is to just be honest with everybody. Being honest with my collectors and being genuine is so important to me, as well as appreciating and believing in my artists.”

Sandra Ainsley

Sandra Ainsley, founder of the esteemed Sandra Ainsley Gallery, is celebrated for her commitment to showcasing cutting-edge glass art from around the world. | Photo By Emad Mohammadi

Artists participating in the 40th anniversary exhibition include some of the most celebrated figures in contemporary glass art, including Dale Chihuly, Lino Tagliapietra, Dante Marioni, Toots Zynsky and Dan Dailey. These artists along with many others have created beautiful pieces that challenge the boundaries of glass art and design, making this exhibit a must-see event.

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Dolce Magazine, a long-time supporter of arts and culture in Canada, is sponsoring the Special Exhibition as a tribute to Ainsley and her enormous contributions to the art world. “Sandra’s tireless dedication to promoting global artists has made a profound impact, and I am honoured to be able to support her work as a publisher and artist,” says Michelle Zerillo-Sosa, co-founder and publisher of Dolce Magazine. “Her legacy is a testament to the power of art to unite and inspire us.”

“I am thrilled to team up with Dolce for this Special Exhibition as I have enjoyed reading their magazine for many years,” says Ainsley. “They are the leading luxury lifestyle magazine in the country, and it is an honour to partner with them.”

Unlike a canvas painted by a solitary artist, glass art is distinctive in that it takes a team to form these beautiful creations. “Artists who work in glass work in teams, so it is different than a lot of other art forms, such as painting, which can be a rather solitary profession,” explains Ainsley. “For a glass artist to create a piece, they could need anywhere from three to 12 people to make just one piece. So, the one thing glass artists have is that most of them have really great people skills. If you are the person designing the piece you have to have all those people on your side, on your team, working for you, so it’s great to work with people like that.”

Sandra Ainsley’s contribution and her impact on the world of contemporary glass art cannot be overstated. For four decades she has provided the leading glass artists from around the world an elegant home to showcase their creations.

“It’s really hard for me to believe that I opened my first location 40 years ago,” says Ainsley. “I think I contributed — or I think the gallery contributed — by giving artists a way and a venue to show their work and to show it in an elegant way, and in a way that features them individually and not as a whole group. What I tried to do with this gallery is to have enough space to display the artists’ work. So when you come in you can see one artist, then move on to another artist. You can feel the separation and see the contrasts and the different techniques. That’s important to me. I’d rather have less work in the gallery but be able to show every artist at their best.”

“MY MANTRA IS TO JUST BE HONEST WITH EVERYBODY. BEING HONEST WITH MY COLLECTORS AND BEING GENUINE IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME, AS WELL AS APPRECIATING AND BELIEVING IN MY ARTISTS.”

The anniversary exhibition took place at the renowned Sandra Ainsley Gallery at 100 Sunrise Ave., Unit 150, its location a hidden gem tucked away among warehouses in the east end of Toronto. Unassuming on the outside, the gallery inside is a beautiful explosion of creativity, art and design.

More than 20 artists came to Toronto for the exhibition, and visitors were able to meet them and discuss their works. “A big part of my job is to educate my clients and introduce them to this wonderful world of contemporary glass art,” says Ainsley. “The anniversary will be very emotional for me, but the biggest thing is to be able to share all of these artists with my clients because I know what terrific people these artists are and how important they truly are. When I look back and look at what I’ve done, I’ve just done what I love.”

INTERVIEW BY MARC CASTALDO

sandraainsleygallery.com
@ainsleygallery

The Sandra Ainsley Gallery: The Art Of Glass

The Sandra Ainsley Gallery celebrates 40 years of diverse artistry in the evolving glass world.

The beauty of art is that it can be expressed through endless forms and materials, be it painted canvas, sprayed walls in an urban environment or sculptures fashioned from paper, plastic or metal into all shapes and sizes. One of the most intricate and creative forms of artistry is glass art. Glass-blowing dates back to Egypt as early as the 1st century BC.

One of the leading and most respected contemporary glass art galleries in the world has been Toronto’s Sandra Ainsley Gallery, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this autumn with a Special Exhibition running from September 21 to November 15. The gallery has been at the forefront of the contemporary glass movement for decades, representing internationally renowned artists in the medium while offering an exceptional selection of artworks that push the boundaries of art and design. It is a reflection of the passion that owner Sandra Ainsley has for the medium and the artists from around the world who create the exceptional works she features.

“I don’t know where my business life begins and where my personal life ends. It just all comes together,” says Ainsley, in a recent interview with Dolce Magazine. “Business is all about relationships, and I represent more than 60 artists. And with each of them it’s important that I have a good relationship. It’s not only important but it is something I enjoy as it gives me satisfaction with what I do. So I know every artist very well. I know their families, and we talk often. So I feel I’m very lucky to have a kind of business where I get that type of pleasure, and it all comes together as one. My mantra is to just be honest with everybody. Being honest with my collectors and being genuine is so important to me, as well as appreciating and believing in my artists.”

Sandra Ainsley

Sandra Ainsley, founder of the esteemed Sandra Ainsley Gallery, is celebrated for her commitment to showcasing cutting-edge glass art from around the world. | Photo By Emad Mohammadi

Artists participating in the 40th anniversary exhibition include some of the most celebrated figures in contemporary glass art, including Dale Chihuly, Lino Tagliapietra, Dante Marioni, Toots Zynsky and Dan Dailey. These artists along with many others have created beautiful pieces that challenge the boundaries of glass art and design, making this exhibit a must-see event.

Article Continued Below ADVERTISEMENT


SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT

Dolce Magazine, a long-time supporter of arts and culture in Canada, is sponsoring the Special Exhibition as a tribute to Ainsley and her enormous contributions to the art world. “Sandra’s tireless dedication to promoting global artists has made a profound impact, and I am honoured to be able to support her work as a publisher and artist,” says Michelle Zerillo-Sosa, co-founder and publisher of Dolce Magazine. “Her legacy is a testament to the power of art to unite and inspire us.”

“I am thrilled to team up with Dolce for this Special Exhibition as I have enjoyed reading their magazine for many years,” says Ainsley. “They are the leading luxury lifestyle magazine in the country, and it is an honour to partner with them.”

Unlike a canvas painted by a solitary artist, glass art is distinctive in that it takes a team to form these beautiful creations. “Artists who work in glass work in teams, so it is different than a lot of other art forms, such as painting, which can be a rather solitary profession,” explains Ainsley. “For a glass artist to create a piece, they could need anywhere from three to 12 people to make just one piece. So, the one thing glass artists have is that most of them have really great people skills. If you are the person designing the piece you have to have all those people on your side, on your team, working for you, so it’s great to work with people like that.”

Sandra Ainsley’s contribution and her impact on the world of contemporary glass art cannot be overstated. For four decades she has provided the leading glass artists from around the world an elegant home to showcase their creations.

“It’s really hard for me to believe that I opened my first location 40 years ago,” says Ainsley. “I think I contributed — or I think the gallery contributed — by giving artists a way and a venue to show their work and to show it in an elegant way, and in a way that features them individually and not as a whole group. What I tried to do with this gallery is to have enough space to display the artists’ work. So when you come in you can see one artist, then move on to another artist. You can feel the separation and see the contrasts and the different techniques. That’s important to me. I’d rather have less work in the gallery but be able to show every artist at their best.”

“MY MANTRA IS TO JUST BE HONEST WITH EVERYBODY. BEING HONEST WITH MY COLLECTORS AND BEING GENUINE IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME, AS WELL AS APPRECIATING AND BELIEVING IN MY ARTISTS.”

The anniversary exhibition took place at the renowned Sandra Ainsley Gallery at 100 Sunrise Ave., Unit 150, its location a hidden gem tucked away among warehouses in the east end of Toronto. Unassuming on the outside, the gallery inside is a beautiful explosion of creativity, art and design.

More than 20 artists came to Toronto for the exhibition, and visitors were able to meet them and discuss their works. “A big part of my job is to educate my clients and introduce them to this wonderful world of contemporary glass art,” says Ainsley. “The anniversary will be very emotional for me, but the biggest thing is to be able to share all of these artists with my clients because I know what terrific people these artists are and how important they truly are. When I look back and look at what I’ve done, I’ve just done what I love.”

INTERVIEW BY MARC CASTALDO

sandraainsleygallery.com
@ainsleygallery

ew World Time with Date Reference 5330G-001 watch
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