A Glass Friendship: 
Mentor and Student
Karin Barr & Heather Kremen

31 March - 27 April 2026 | Awatea Gallery

Exhibition Opening Event:  Wednesday 1 April 5 - 7pm

All Welcome

This exhibition showcases the work of two friends brought together by glass. While both artists have long-standing glass practices of their own, Heather as a glass blower and Karin as a glass caster, these two have come together as teacher and student to help each other develop their work and learn new skills.

Heather owns and teaches glass blowing at Rotorua’s Amokura Glass. Karin took Heather’s first weekend workshop there back in October of 2020. Since then, she has been a frequent visitor and student of Heather’s in the art of blowing and sculpting molten glass. Karin has taken many classes over the past 5 years from Heather, as well as other artists Heather has invited to her studio to teach. While Karin learns from Heather, Heather in return often gets inspired by Karin’s boundless creativity and playful spirit. Glass blowing is not a solo activity; it needs teamwork to be successful. Both women work together to create objects that neither can achieve by themselves. Believing that no art practice exists in a bubble, Karin brings in her skills as a rock carver and research assistant, while Heather uses patterns from her early training as a weaver.

With frequent trips to art galleries and long talks over morning tea these two artists share inspiration from life overseas and travel, the beauty of this country and appreciation for the work of other artists around them.