JP CANLIS

Art has always been J.P.'s greatest passion. He first picked up a glassblowing pipe in 1991 during Introduction to Glassblowing as a junior at Punahou School, in Honolulu, Hawai'i. Little did he know the class would open the door to a medium he longed to explore the rest of his life.

Throughout that first class he was constantly pushing ahead of the class--itching to try new ideas. His enthusiasm prompted his professor and dean, Hugh Jenkins, to encourage J.P. to pursue glass art in both college and as a career. He was accepted to Alfred University's School of Art and Design program in New York, his first choice as a college to study glass art.

At Alfred, he majored in Fine Art with an emphasis on glass. The study of glass art at Alfred was more conceptual than his previous technical experience at Punahou. Alfred was an opportunity to create objects based on his ideas.