A Wave of Creativity: Renowned Glass Wave Sculptor David Wight Brings His Bold Art to Stone Harbor
With smooth edges and brilliant color, glass sculptures have the unique ability to freeze time, to capture color in motion, to mold power into fluidity.
And no one does this better than David Wight, the world’s premier glass wave sculptor who’s back by popular demand with an exclusive exhibit at Ocean Galleries on Friday, May 23 and Saturday, May 24. Artist receptions are scheduled for both days, from 6-9pm.
“David Wight’s sculptures are spectacular,” says Ocean Galleries owner Kim Miller. “They have a lot of movement and energy – just like him!”
Wight masterfully coaxes the molten liquid of hot glass into timeless shapes, harnessing the beauty, grace, and volatility of water in its most powerful form. His creations are captivating – solid objects that shimmer with movement, light to behold, drenched in color.
With his sculptures in demand at galleries and on display in exquisite homes throughout the world, Wight has also been commissioned to create incredible pieces, including showstopping light fixtures. In fact, one of his most recent achievements is a stunning 14-foot long, 700-pound chandelier of twisting tendrils in brilliant blue hues that he created for homeowners in Sarasota, Fla., an achievement that took 2½ years to create and a team of artisans and craftsmen to install.
All of this creativity and more will be on display at Wight’s return to Ocean Galleries, after a wonderfully successful show last year.
“This time he’s created wall sculptures, and jumbo waves, and sharing pieces outside of his regular inventory,” Miller explains. “We’ll still have the classic waves people love, but we’ll also have exclusive pieces that aren’t being sold everywhere else.”
Certainly, David Wight is a lively attraction in his own right, as engaging and personable as he is talented.
“He’s full of life, and you feel that in his presence,” says Miller. “He’s so gracious and appreciative. He’s just fun to be around, he’s not bound by any generation. He connects with everyone.”
Wight even takes the art of exhibits up a notch with some interactive fun with patrons.
“He puts on a little show,” Miller notes. “Last year he heated up a Jolly Rancher and made a tiny wave out of it. He also does pieces with light boxes that have luminescent powder in the glass. You can wave a special wand over them, and they glow for hours. There’s a lot of showmanship involved.”
Between the artist and the artworks, Memorial Day Weekend 2025 will be a dynamic one at Ocean Galleries. “This exhibit is a great way to start the summer,” shares Miller. “So much energy, beauty, and power. We’re really looking forward to having David Wight here again!”
A Conversation with the Artist
If effervescence had a human form, it might be David Wight. A pure burst of creative, kind energy, Wight practically embodies his art – bold, light, and memorable. Appearing at Ocean Galleries in Stone Harbor in an exclusive new exhibit over the Memorial Day Weekend, David Wight will delight patrons with his spectacular art and welcoming demeanor.
A native of Bellingham, Wash., Wight was always surrounded by water. Yet, his path to becoming a water sculpture master is as interesting as the artist himself.
Indeed, there is no better way to share both his story and his enthusiasm for his upcoming exhibit at Stone Harbor’s Ocean Galleries than in his own words. So, here are excerpts from a fun and lively conversation with the world-renowned sculptor, David Wight. (Lightly edited for context).
How did you become a glass sculptor?
Well, I went to college and got a degree in business and English. I had never taken an art class, never been in a gallery or seen glass sculptures. After I graduated, I decided to take a month and backpack through the Caribbean. When I was 99% through with that trip, I was on the island of Dominica and went to this waterfall called Trafalgar Falls. I was the only one there all day. As it got dark and I walked away down this little rainforest path, the sound of the waterfall faded behind me – and it felt like everything stressful just washed off me. I realized the sound of the water was nourishing, nurturing, and healing. That’s what I wanted to bring into the world. If I was going to have a job, I needed to believe in it – and this was it. I knew then I needed to work with water.
So, how did that inspiration turn into art?
I wanted to bring the sound and feeling of water into people’s home and work environments. When I got back home, I opened the newspaper and saw an ad for a glassblowing open house that weekend – just a couple blocks from my apartment. I thought, ‘I’m supposed to go.’
I’d never been to a glass shop, but something told me that was it. I saw people blowing glass and thought, ‘That’s how I’m going to make water fountains.’
Glass is liquid and fluid in nature – translucent, like water, but you can shape it. I started learning to blow glass by trading time for lessons with a local shop owner. That was perfect.
Do you come from an artistic family?
It’s funny, people often ask if my parents were artistic. I say “Yes, but in different ways.” My dad’s a real estate agent, and I told him, “We’re both artists – you’re just an artist in real estate.”
Working with hot glass to capture fluidity and movement felt like what I was meant to do. It was challenging, but also like coming home to something I was always supposed to be doing.
Was it hard to learn something so new?
There were plenty of times I was encouraged to stop and do something more traditional. But this felt like what I was meant to bring into the world – to help people reconnect with the fluid nature of themselves and life.
I often remind myself – and others – that if you’re feeling freaked out, if you’re scared, you’re probably exactly where you need to be. You’re growing. You’re stepping into who you’re meant to become.
How did you perfect your craft?
Once I learned to blow glass, I started making fountains, and as I got more into the glass world, I saw what others were doing. And I wanted to do something uniquely my style. So, I went to the Pilchuck Glass School (a world-renowned school in Washington) and took a class with Therman Statom (notably known as a pioneer of the contemporary glass).
He encouraged me. I had made fountains. But he said, ‘Just make the water.’
So I asked myself, “What does water look like?”
That started a beautiful evolution – trying to figure out how to make water in glass. That’s how it evolved into waves. They started off different than they are now, but the idea was always to capture the movement of water in glass.
Did you find success early on?
Pretty quickly. But the more sculptural pieces weren’t selling at first. I realized I needed to make them more recognizable – something people could connect with. That’s when I developed the classic wave form. Once people could recognize it as a wave, they connected with it, because water means something personal to so many people.
After 30 years of success with your sculptures of waves and water. How do you continue to find new inspiration?
It’s everywhere. It doesn’t even have to be water. About 10 years ago in Barcelona, I saw a flamenco show and the dancer’s dress rippling. That led to a piece inspired by flamenco. Same with tango – what would the essence of that movement look like in glass? That’s how new ideas come.
What was your first experience at Ocean Galleries like last summer?
It was all new. When I walked into Ocean Galleries, everyone smiled at me – and I felt this sense of, “Ah, this is wonderful.” It was the perfect place for my work. I loved meeting so many people and seeing my pieces find homes with folks who really connected with them
Also, I love Josh and Kim Miller as people. And their gallery just exudes the gracefulness they walk in life with. And that’s what I try to bring into my work and also into my being. It’s nice to resonate with people you’re working with and the space they’ve created. Everyone working with Josh and Kim, and their family, it was such a treat to get to know and meet them all.
What can visitors expect from your exhibit this Memorial Day weekend?
The next evolution. I’m creating new things – unique color combinations, new water and wall sculptures that haven’t been shown elsewhere. I want to offer something special, even to people who saw my work in other galleries.
I also just realized I need to bring a wall sculpture I’ve never shown before. It’s called “Balance.” It’s been waiting for the right gallery, and this is it.
Could you have imagined all of this back when you were at Trafalgar Falls 30 years ago?
Not at all. Telling the story brings it all back. I haven’t returned yet, but I want to. What I remember is that feeling: the water was a clue. Then I saw the ad for glassblowing. Then I saw people doing it and thought, ‘This is it.’ I had no idea it would turn into solid sculptures that captured the essence of water.
David Wight Exhibit
Who: World-renowned glass wave sculptor David Wight
What: Exclusive collection of sculptures and wall art.
Where: Ocean Galleries. 9618 Third Ave., Stone Harbor
When:
Exhibit: Friday, May 23 and Saturday, May 24. Art on display throughout the weekend. Patrons are welcome to peruse the exhibit anytime during gallery hours (10am-9pm).
Receptions with David Wight: 6-9pm each evening.
The exhibit and receptions are complimentary and open to the public, though RSVP is encouraged. RSVP for artist receptions at oceangalleries.com or by calling 609-368-7777. Walk-ins welcome.
