"Extra Extra Read All About It..."

Through the Glass

By Jen Faul
in the May/June 2008 issue of Celebrate Gettysburg

Tim Flagg's glass studio looks like any other craftsman’s garage--until he turns on the lights. Artfully shaped neon signs light the workspace with luminous, multicolored light. Flagg is a glass artist, working in stained glass, neon and fused glass.

"The technical term for this art form is 'glass bending,'" Flagg says of neon as he lights a propane heating element called a crossfire. The crossfire looks like two tiny blowtorches, welded to face each other to focus their heat on a five-inch space. Flagg pulls a length of glass tubing from under his workbench and marks off about two inches near the middle of the pipe. "These marks on the glass will tell me how far I need to heat the glass," Flagg says. He places the glass between the heating elements of the crossfire and begins heating the glass, constantly moving the pipe over the two-inch mark and carefully watching the glass for a sign of melting. "I keep 'gathering' the glass, or gently pushing the ends of the glass pipe towards the center, to get more glass in one spot. This will help prevent heated glass from thinning out and give me more glass to work with when I bend it," Flagg Says.

In moments the glass within the marks turns to the consistency of honey, and Flagg expertly bends the pipe into an angle. "You have about a two-second window to create the shape in which the glass will give," Flagg says. "After that, any forcing of the glass will create stress and could potentially break the piece."

The glass cools within a few minutes, with some parts cooling more quickly than others. Hand-eye coordination seems to be an important trait for any glass bender: the flame heats to 1400 to 1800 degrees. "I've been burned the hair off my arm before, it definitely gets hot!" laughs Flagg. "If you burn yourself, run your fingers through your hair. The oils will dull the pain." Flagg also uses a second heating element called a ribbon burner, which looks like a two-inch-by-six-inch block of blue flame. The ribbon burner allows for a longer length of glass to be heated at once, enabling a glass bender to create longer curves, spirals and flowing circles.

Coordination of time and temperature will allow a glass bender to manipulate the glass into any form. "The trick to neon is timing and practice," Flagg affirms. "A master glass bender can make any bend or twist look like a regular straight piece."

The design of a neon sign involves a complex thinking process. Flagg draws the shape of the sign, then lays out the functional twists and bends that loop behind the design. "It's like drawing with cooked spaghetti: you can't make tight bends that will inhibit the flow of electricity," Flagg Says. Glass piping with the diameter of 12 millimeters is a typical size for neon sign, while the diameter of the glass piping in commercial signs is slightly larger.

Once the glass tubing is bent to perfection, it's time to add the lights. "I head the glass shape to 250 degrees Celsius, which bakes the impurities out of the glass and vaporizes anything inside the piping," Flagg says. Electrodes are sealed to one end and a pump is attached to the other, sucking all the air out of the piping and creating a vacuum inside. "The term 'neon light' is really a misnomer," Flagg explains. "The gas inside most neon lights is a mixture of neon and argon and a little bit of mercury." After forcing this special gas mixture into the piping, another set of electrodes seal the end of the pipe.

"Turning the power on allows the electricity to flow through the gas and excite the molecules. The excited molecules that glow are known as plasma or the fourth form of matter," he says.

The mixture of gas inside the tubing, the color of the glass tubing itself or the phosphorous coating on the inside of the glass tubing determines the color of the light.

A neon light has many advantages over traditional bulbs. Compact fluorescent light uses the same technology as neon light: the only difference is compact fluorescent lights are machine made, while neon lights are hand made. Neon is an efficient lighting source as it needs less energy to light and remain running. Therefore, neon is also a cool-running light. The glass of a neon light is neutral to the touch; it only heats to 80 or 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Longentivity is also an important factor in choosing lighting and neon lights will last an average of 10 years.

Cutting and arranging glass pieces into an elaborate design is one of Flagg's specialties. From an expansive church window to a petite sun catcher, stained glass is the perfect medium to utilize natural light.

Tom and Susan Kolmer had a large window above their front door, like a blank canvas waiting for color. "Tom loved these two banners that hung in our church. We weren't looking for a stained glass piece; it was kind of like a light bulb idea that Tom had one day, "Susan Kolmer says. "We attended church with Tim and he had learned about our interest in the banners. Tim approached us about creating a stained glass panel that he could use in his portfolio." Flagg designed a 56-inch-by-58-inch stained glass panel for the Kolmer's Front entryway, combining elements of the two banners. "The project took some time, as we had to choose not only the color of the glass, but textured or smooth glass and opaque or transparent glass," says Kolmer. "I felt like we were in an optometrist's office when Tim asked us 'Do you like this glass or this glass?"

The process was a long one, but the final panel depicted a rainbow and a dove "looks amazing, and is definitely a conversation piece," Kolmer says. "We are extremely pleased."

Flagg also creates fused glass pieces. Fused glass is the art of laying a sheet of glass over a mold, often in the shape of bowl or plate. Heating the glass over the mold in a kiln melts the glass, forming it to the mold and creating a one-of-a-kind piece of art. "Glass is an amazing medium; it can be shaped, colored molded and manipulated in many different ways. After the glass is manipulated, it can be melted down and manipulated again. The ability to manipulate and recycle glass makes it the perfect medium." The process was a long one, but the final panel depicted a rainbow and a dove "looks amazing, and is definitely a conversation piece," Kolmer says. "We are extremely pleased."

Flagg also creates fused glass pieces. Fused glass is the art of laying a sheet of glass over a mold, often in the shape of bowl or plate. Heating the glass over the mold in a kiln melts the glass, forming it to the mold and creating a one-of-a-kind piece of art. "Glass is an amazing medium; it can be shaped, colored molded and manipulated in many different ways. After the glass is manipulated, it can be melted down and manipulated again. The ability to manipulate and recycle glass makes it the perfect medium to work in as an artist, "Flagg says.

Although Flagg creates a lot of commission-based art, teaching has always been his passion. While working toward his art education degree, Flagg took a class in glass blowing and stained glass and fell in love with the medium. Later, he learned the art of neon from a master glass blower in Baltimore. Relocating to a home studio in Gettysburg allowed Flagg to create glass art and to teach others his craft. Flagg currently teaches neon classes in his home studio and stained glass classes through the Adams Country Arts Council's Imagination Station, but his dream is to one day run his own glass school.

"Judging by past sessions, Tim's classes are very popular. People are enthusiastic," says Wendy Heiges, coordinator for the Adams County Arts Council Imagination Station. "Tim has the approach that anything is possible. Glass art takes good planning, a teacher that understands the tools and, most importantly, take the tools and applying the materials to the design."

In coming years, Flagg plans on branching out his studio into all glass forms, focusing on commission work in stained glass, neon art, fused glass, etched glass, mosaics, torch work (figurines), cast glass, cut glass (Waterford Crystal) and blown glass. "I want to create a one-stop shop for glass art nationwide," he says. Working mostly for architects and interior designers, Flagg expects that the commissioned glass pieces will help him to explore the art of glass further and will help him become a better educator.

• 12/16/07

Art Opening Titled - The Beauty of Glass

Glass Flagg represents Tim Flagg and his most recent vision. Tim uses the simple beauty of the glass to form beautiful lamps and fused glass forms.

• 10/11/07

Flagg Makes his mark in the Gettysburg Community

By Jen Bray
Gettysburgian

Hidden behind a house not far from campus, Tim Flagg worked attentively on a current project in his studio, located in a small garage. Glowing above him, it was hard not to notice the various signs hung on wall. I was curious as to how the simple tubing he was working on turned into the finished products hanging above him. Thankfully, Tim Flagg wasted no time and jumped right into demonstrating the process.

In just one short demo, Tim Flagg showed his precision, skill, and passion for creating and teaching. With his hard work and passion, it’s no surprise that Tim Flagg has made a name for himself with his business Glass Flagg and recently showcased his work in The Burning Man, the premiere fire sculpture event in the world.

Tim Flagg has been living in Gettysburg for five years with his wife Ande, who is the Assistant Director of Residence Life at the college, which was the reason they moved to Gettysburg in the first place. Tim Flagg had previously taught in an elementary school in Waynesboro, but found this teaching environment was not right for him. Flagg stated “I realized I wanted more interactions. I wanted to teach college so I built a portfolio.” While creating his portfolio, he began his business. However, Flagg stated, “My main goal is teaching.”

In an email interview, Ande Flagg commented on the success of her husband, stating, “It is amazing to me. He told me about three years ago that this is what he wanted to do most. I didn't see how he could do it, but he has a vision and makes it happen. He is truly an inspiration to me.”

Asked if art was always a passion of his, Flagg described some of his high school experiences. He felt he never fit one particular high school stereotype due to his interest in both art and athletics, two areas that do not usually overlap. Flagg commented, “I was the guy in art class wearing a jersey.” Influenced by his high school experience, Flagg stated his ideal teaching job would be teaching art classes and coaching high school sports.

Flagg went on to study Studio Art at Randolph-Macon. He did his thesis on three dimensional sculpture, explaining, “I’m drawn to three dimensional.” He received his Professional Neon Glass Bending Certification at the Savage Neon of Baltimore.

In just the ten minute demo alone, Flagg evidently had a knack for teaching, instructing a neon illiterate like me some of the basics of the art and giving me an entire new perspective on the art. For instance, I learned there are three ways to create color by different gases, phosphors, and glass colors.

In order to bend the tubing, Flagg explained that there must be a more concentrated fire to heat the glass, bend it, and then blow gas into it. At about 1800 degrees, glass bends, and at 2400 degrees, the glass becomes molten. Variations of bending that may all be used in just one sign include a ninety degree, drop, rise, and double back. Flagg also noted that a ribbon burner is used to produce curves in the tubing because of its longer, more gradual fire.

In addition to making signs, Flagg also expressed interest in torching and figurine work. Out of a narrow tube, he quickly sculpted a miniature swan with a few movements of his hands, guiding it through the fire. He also plans on working with fused glass in the future, a process where sheets of glass are heated together and then out over the figure in a kiln to mimic the figure’s shape.

In addition to the studio located in the garage for neon work, Flagg also gave me a tour of the attic. This attic held a fairly large studio for stained glass work, also used for when he teaches classes. He is currently teaching two classes from Adams County. He also said he recently taught a week long neon and stained glass class to a man from New York. He then pointed to a basic sketch of “Thicket Court” on the wall which would become a 30-by-45 foot sculpture that would have to travel out to Nevada for The Burning Man.

Flagg got the opportunity to go to this event basically by chance. In looking for a grant, Flagg did a Google search, and The Burning Man came up in the search results. Artists Matt Kilbert (whose backyard was used to build the sculpture), Jill Androwick, and Lucas Androwick, all designed the sculpture with help from Spencer Laughman. Gettysburg College student, Aaron Clark ’08 also went on the trip, as one of Flagg’s apprentices.

Held in Nevada, The Burning Man Festival is located on the Black Rock Desert on a dry, flat lake bed, completely void of living things, with white outs and dust devils. According to the Burning Man Official Website (www.burningman.com), the event “is a city in the desert, dedicated to radical self reliance, radical self expression, and art. Innovative sculpture, installations, performance, theme camps, art cars, and costumes...” In order to get the sculpture and everyone from Gettysburg to Nevada, Flagg decided to buy a bus.

This year’s theme was “The Green Man,” and how man relates to nature. Flagg stated, “We chose the way we relate to renewable resources of trees.” Consequently, his sculpture showed a cycle. First there is a tree, then the tree is cut down and used to build a house and then a tree has to grow again to start the cycle over. Flagg and his team set up bikes with computers attached and alternators to make the project self sustaining, and also reflecting the theme of renewable resources. The entire structure is made of neon on the outside and inside with tube supports and PBC piping. Each tree is on the four corners with a bike in front of each. Each tree and house is different, depending on their creator(s). Flagg states, “I went for a more organic shape for the tree and I had triangular doors and windows.”

Flagg was passionate about his plan to sell this sculpture to a museum, which is currently in the works. He even superimposed the sculpture in various museums on a poster board in his office to see where it would fit in the best. Flagg felt the sculpture definitely belonged in a Natural Science/ Discovery museum for kids. He thought kids would enjoy the interactive bikes, where by riding them, they would be the cause of lighting up the sculpture.

Students can see Flagg’s work on campus. The “ART” sign in Schmucker, as well as the open/closed signs were made by Flagg. Mark Warwick, an Associate Professor of Visual Arts Department, had approached Flagg about it, which is how it came about. There was need for such a sign to let people know that this is a Music and Art building. It also helps people to know when it is open, a 24 hour a day building. Flagg explained that it works by a scrolling transformer, which jumps voltage and transforms the current. He is also responsible for the blue Maimie’s Café sign outside of the Majestic.

Because of his connection and proximity to the college, I asked if he considered teaching classes to college students. Flagg stated, “I have explored that with Dean Ramsey. I could potentially teach classes.” He further explained that students wouldn’t get course credit for the class, but it could serve as an extracurricular activity if there was enough student interest.

The Flaggs have certainly made their mark in Gettysburg and with the college, whether by artistic details on campus, working at the college, or just being a part of the community in general. Ande Flagg commented, “We love the community - both the College and the greater Gettysburg /Adams county area. We have become connected to both and enjoy the relationships we have formed with students, fellow College employees, and friends through our community interests. Additionally, both of our families live within 2 hours away, so we appreciate being able to get to family and the city pretty easily.”

• 06/21/07

A Tree Grows in Orrtanna

By Tim Pratt
Evening Sun

With roughly two months until the Burning Man Project, a group of local artists is working hard to complete an elaborate glass sculpture for the eight-day gathering in the Nevada Desert.

Gettysburg glass artist Tim Flagg and five others recently began construction on a 30-by-45-foot sculpture dubbed 'Thicket Court.' The piece is being build in the back-yard of 19-year-old Matt Kibert, who will travel to the festival with Flagg and his four fellow artists this august.

When completed, the project will feature stained glass and neon lighting sculpted into a fenced-in grove of trees. Stationary bicycles, houses and mailboxes will also be featured.

The art theme for this year s festival is 'The Green Man' which encourages artists to examine man s relationship with nature. So Flagg and his crew are assembling the Thicket Court project to show how a forest gives way to a housing development.

During the day, patrons will be able to walk into a grove and be surrounded by a sculpted forest. The design will give the appearance of a cul-de-sac.

At night, patrons will be able to walk into the grove, which will be lit by solar lights on the fence, and can sit on a bike and pedal. The bike, which will be hooked up to a power generator, should create enough energy to light the 10-foot trees under construction at Kibert s Orrtanna home.

'It s all about renewable energy,' Flagg said on Wednesday from Kibert s backyard.

The lights will focus on the trees for about 30 seconds, then the tree trunks, then a house and then a mailbox, which will be outlined with neon lights.

So far, the frames of the three trees have been built with PVC pipe. The trees will soon be equipped with stained glass and neon lighting.

The sculpture s fourth and final tree is still being designed by artists Spencer Laughman, 20, and Aaron Clark, 20, both of Gettysburg. Laughman and Clark only recently joined the project after another artist dropped out for personal reasons. Construction of the fourth tree is expected to begin any day.

Clark and Laughman are excited to join the project. The pair has been friends with Kibert for years and jumped at the chance to travel to the Nevada desert.

'Im pumped. I eat, sleep and dream it,' Clark joked.

The group hopes to complete the sculpture by early August. But that will mean putting in a lot of work.

Flagg estimates the group has about 10 weeks worth of construction ahead of them. The problem is the group must leave for the festival in about seven weeks.

That means putting in more eight-to-10-hour days in Kibert’s backyard.

'It s scary because there is so much work to do in a little time, but it will be worth it in the end,' Kibert said.

The festival is scheduled to take place Aug. 27 through Sept. 3 in the Black Rock Desert, a dry lake bed north of Reno, Nev.

No members of Flagg s crew have been to Burning Man before, but they have researched what to expect.

Temperatures could soar above 100 degrees during the day, then drop 50 or 60 degrees at night, Flagg said. And each person who attends the festival is expected to bring their own food and water.

That will mean packing lots of supplies into the school bus the group hopes to purchase for the trip west. They have yet to buy the bus, but are counting on it to haul the sculpture.

After an open house Aug. 11 to display the finished piece, the group will disassemble it and load it on their bus for the cross-country trip.

Flagg said the group received an $11,000 grant from The Burning Man Festival for materials and travel costs. He said the grant will cover most of the group s expenses.

Though Flagg admits the project is slightly behind schedule, he is confident all the pieces will be in place by early August.

'It will be done, even if we have to stay up for two weeks straight,' Flagg said.

• 05/03/07

Glass Flagg Receives a Grant to Make Thicket Court.

The Burning Man Project awards grants for artists to make sculptures and various artworks for the Festival every year. The Burning Man Project is an artistic experience that is an "experiment in temperary community," "radical self expression," and "extreme self reliance." This festival is held in the Black Rock Desert in Arizona for the week before Labor Day.

Learn Mor about Thicket Court: http://www.glassflagg.com/Main/ThicketCourt

Learn More about The Burning Man Project: http://www.burningman.com/art_of_burningman/bm07_theme.html

• 03/01/2007

Casino fight secures its place in history

By MEG BERNHARDT
Evening Sun

The battle fought over a failed proposal to build a casino near Gettysburg is now history. Literally. Ben Neely, the collections manager of the Adams County Historical Society has been gathering items from No Casino Gettysburg and Pro Casino Adams County to document the recent controversy. He will place them in the society's archives for study, and predicts they eventually could become an exhibit.

"There is a lot of emotional response from seeing these items," Neely said. "We will wait for more time to pass before putting it on display."

On Wednesday, he made a trip to Gettysburg Antiques at 15 Baltimore St. to pick up a neon sign that reads "No Casino" and has hung in the window since April 2005.

Tim Flagg, the owner of stained glass and light shop Glass Flagg, volunteered to build the sign. Paddock looked for a shop owner near the downtown square who was willing to hang the sign. Gettysburg antiques owner Di Anne Smith was a passionate No Casino member who volunteered.

The bright sign was pictured in television broadcasts and magazine and newspaper articles, including one Las Vegas gaming industry magazine, said No Casino chairwoman Susan Star Paddock.

For the most part, Smith heard little about her sign until after the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board voted to deny a license to the proposed casino on Dec. 20. Then, those in favor of the casino started coming in and saying she ruined the town, she said.

So she didn't take the sign down until Neely wanted to take it. Neely is looking for items representing both sides of the debate that are unique and have "enduring historical value."

The society archives contain a collection of items from the Gettysburg Electric Railway, a trolley system once built across the battlefield. It was eventually was taken by the National Park Service by eminent domain and the case went all the way to the Supreme Court, who affirmed the seizure. The trolley system was taken down, and represented the conflict of entrepreneurs and preservationists in much the same way as the casino, Neely said.

The preservation of those artifacts help modern historians understand that controversy, and he hopes the casino artifacts will serve the same function.

The light will be one of the few things in the archive that actually plugs in, Neely said. Most of the society's archives are paper documents – like a manumission paper for the slave Francis Scott Key freed in Gettysburg, or a 1786 map of the town created by James Gettys.

This will be the most modern piece in the collection, he said.

Neon lights are traditionally associated with casinos, which is why Flagg created the light. "I made it because of the humorous idea of it," Flagg said. "This is a neon sign that says No Casino."

He built the sign by bending straight glass tubes into the shape of letters and then blacking out portions of the tube he did not want to light. He filled the "No" with neon gas to make a red light and "Casino" with argon and mercury to create a bright blue. It took him about two days to build it.

Neely plans to wrap the sign in acid-free foam and place it in a wooden crate for storage. The State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg has also taken some items from the controversy, like T-shirts, bumper stickers and signs to place in their political and social memorabilia archives, Paddock said.

Contact Meg Bernhardt at mbernhardt@eveningsun.com.

• 2/25/07

Festival sculpture sends environmental message

By TIM PRATT
Evening Sun Reporter http://www.eveningsun.com/localnews/ci_5303030

In 1986, a group of artists and free spirits gathered on a San Francisco beach and set fire to an 8-foot wooden sculpture of a man. Few people are sure what inspired these events, but one legend says that Larry Harvey, founder of the Burning Man Project, discovered his girlfriend in bed with another man. Rather than do bodily harm to either of the two, Harvey set fire to a wooden sculpture on the beach, the legend says.

Another legend says that a local sculptor held a party during the summer solstice each year and burned a wooden sculpture of a man. When the sculptor stopped holding the parties, the legend says Harvey continued the tradition.

Harvey has kept the Burning Man Project's origins a mystery since he became involved in 1986, but one thing is certain: Under Harvey's direction, the event grew with each passing year.

That popularity forced Harvey and other organizers in 1990 to relocate the Project from San Francisco to the Black Rock Desert, a dry lake bed north of Reno, Nev. Thousands of people have since made the pilgrimage to the desert, and the event has evolved into an eight-day extravaganza where artists, musicians and other free spirits congregate and construct a temporary city in the desert.

Nearly 40,000 people attended the festival in 2006. This summer, four local artists are making the trek for the first time.

Glass artist Tim Flagg of Gettysburg – along with fellow artists Matt Kibert, 19, Jill Androwick, 20, and Lucas Androwick, 22 – is currently designing a 30- by 45-foot stained-glass and neon sculpture to be displayed in the Nevada desert.

"It's an idea I had for a couple years now to do a project for the Burning Man festival," Flagg said. "Having this past fall worked with Matt and Jill, we decided that this would be something fun and challenging to go ahead and do." Lucas Androwick just recently began working with Flagg.

The art theme for this year's festival is "The Green Man," and encourages artists to examine man's relationship with nature. So Flagg and his crew are working on a project dubbed "Thicket Court."

"It's basically about the idea of resource replenishment," Lucas Androwick said. "We have the basic idea and are working out the designs now, but it basically deals with lumber and deforestation for houses and buildings."

The sculpture will feature stained-glass and neon lighting sculpted into a fenced-in grove of trees. Stationary bicycles, trees, houses and mailboxes will be featured.

During the day, patrons will be able to walk into a grove and be surrounded by a sculpted forest. The design will give the appearance of a cul-de-sac.

At night, patrons will be able to walk into the grove, which will be lit softly by solar lights on the fence, and can then sit on a bike and pedal. The bike, which will be hooked up to a power generator, will presumably create enough energy to light the 10-foot trees, then the tree trunks, then a house and mailbox which will be outlined with neon lights in the tree sculpture.

It is meant to show how a forest gives way to a housing development.

"I'm not a picketer or anybody like that out there saying 'stop building,' but this is a way to get the message out there," Kibert said.

Although the artists have yet to begin sculpting Thicket Court, they are currently working to find the best possible glass prices. Flagg is also searching for scholarships or sponsors to help curb the cost. He estimates the sculpture will cost about $11,000 in supplies.

Flagg plans to begin sculpting at Kibert's Orrtanna home in May with a completion date of late July or early August. Flagg said he plans to hold a ceremony to display the sculpture before the group leaves for the desert in mid August.

The group will then rent an RV and trailer, and haul their disassembled sculpture more than 2,000 miles from Adams County to Nevada.

"I'm excited," Flagg said. "I like meeting other art people and seeing how they express themselves. It's just going to be a great time."

Contact Tim Pratt at tpratt@eveningsun.com.

• 2/25/07

Sculptors build talent in glass

By TIM PRATT
Evening Sun Reporter. http://www.eveningsun.com/localnews/ci_5303029

Stained glass and neon lights line the attic walls of Tim Flagg's Gettysburg home. Tables, stools and chairs are spread throughout the third-floor art studio.

Artists Matt Kibert, 19, Jill Androwick, 20, and Lucas Androwick, 22, cut stained glass designs at their respective work stations. Large paper designs cover tables. The designs are layouts for stained glass windows and other projects the artists are currently working on.

Music hums from a CD player and the atmosphere is relaxed. But beneath the calm exterior is a sense of urgency.

The artists aren't working on stained glass projects for their homes or for a class; they are working with Flagg on commissioned projects for his stained glass and neon light business, Glass Flagg. The four artists cut glass for private homes, churches, bars and other businesses.

And this spring, the quartet will begin a 30 x 45-foot stained glass and neon light sculpture for the Burning Man Project – an eight-day gathering of artists and free spirits scheduled this summer in the Nevada desert. The sculpture is in the planning phase now, so the artists in the meantime are working with Flagg on projects in his two home studios: one in his attic, another in his garage.

But the group doesn't consider the work a "job" in the traditional sense of the word. Working for hours at the Flagg residence is a chance for the trio to build their portfolios and become familiar with another art medium.

"(Stained glass) is a lot more complicated than I expected it to be," Lucas Androwick said. "There is a lot more thought and planning than you would think. Look at a stained glass window and the designs are pretty simple. But once you find out exactly how it's done, it's a lot more complicated to work the glass than you would think."

For stained glass, the time it takes to finish a project depends on the size of the design and the shape of each piece of cut glass. Big pieces are easy, they say, but smaller, more detailed designs take extra time.

Creating neon signs is a different animal altogether and requires heating, bending and manipulating glass. The sculptors are relatively comfortable doing stained glass projects, but are still learning the neon light process.

Kibert, of Orrtanna, and the Androwick siblings, both of Gettysburg, have only started working with Flagg in the past few months, but their creative energy didn't just spring up out of the blue. Each has their own preferred medium and has been involved in art in one way or another for years.

Lucas Androwick enjoys ink drawings and domestic graffiti on canvas. Jill Androwick designs tattoos for friends and hopes to one day do the inking herself. Kibert has been into drawing and painting for as long as he can remember. "Art's always been my thing," Kibert said. "I can't really picture myself doing anything else."

The artists say they hope to eventually work more hours at Glass Flagg as business picks up. Currently, they typically work between 20 and 25 hours per week. And Flagg has been there to guide his proteges so they can one day come work with him full time.

"You always have room to improve," Kibert said. "You learn stuff every day no matter how long you're doing it."

Although the sculptors are enjoying their work so far, projects don't always go as planned. Sometimes glass for a neon project doesn't bend as expected, or a piece of stained glass might crack.

And like many businesses, the group has deadlines to meet. They are all too familiar with the stress of rushing to finish a project.

The group deals with hazards, as well. Tiny shards of glass, many of which are invisible to the eye, sometimes pierce the skin of the unsuspecting sculptors.

"I've spent weeks without cutting myself then spent a day just shredding my hands," Flagg said.

The artists also use their sculpturing as a stress reliever.

"I get to let out some art frustration," said Jill Androwick, who graduated from Gettysburg Area High School in 2005. "Not being in high school anymore, it kind of sucks because Gettysburg High School had a really good art program. Jewelry, metal, anything you wanted to do, you could do. But not being in school anymore for a couple of years, I haven't been able to have any artistic outlet."

Contact Tim Pratt at tpratt@eveningsun.com.

• 10/14 and 10/15/06

Glass Flagg participated in the Catoctin Colorfest.http://colorfest.org/ in Thurmont, Md., at booth number 114 in the park. It was great to see everyone there. I was also able to meet many new people and talk about exciting new projects.

• 9/21/06

"Flagg Turns Glass into Light Art" by Ashley Andyshak
Gettysburg Times; September 21, 2006; Page: B12

Artistic skill runs in Gettysburg resident Tim Flagg's family. For example, Tim is a descendent of James Montgomery Flagg, the designer of the Uncle Sam "We Want You" (* "I WANT YOU FOR THE US ARMY") poster promoting military enlistment from the late 1800s until the mid 1900s (* during WWI).

This past summer, Flagg used his love for art and his enterprising spirit to open his own business, The Glass Flagg (* "Glass Flagg"), on East Lincoln Avenue, offering custom-made neon signs and stained glass design. Many Gettysburg area residents will recognize Flagg's work, which includes the Blue "Mamie's Café" sign on Carlisle Street.

Flagg grew up in Indiana and Virginia and attended college in Nebraska (* BFA Randolph-Macon College, VA '99 and Chadron State College, NE '03), and when his wife got a job at Gettysburg College, the couple moved to Adams County. "I was training to be an art teacher, got my bachelor's degree in studio art (* RMC), and fell in love with glass (* CSC)," said Flagg.

When Flagg found that a teaching job at a school in Waynesboro wasn't the best fit for him, "I started working on just building my portfolio so I could eventually get my masters of fine arts degree, which I would need to teach college," he said. "I like teaching the older kids because I can interact with them more and challenge them," he said.

However, Flagg took it a step further and opened his own design business. "My family is a family of entrepreneurs, so I decided to start my own business," he said. Flagg has come to find that patience is a virtue when it comes to glass design. "You have to be patient," Flagg said. "If you push too hard on the glass, it causes stress and makes the glass thinner, so it's more likely to crack. (* While glass bending) "If you can get the bend to be the same diameter as the tube, that's the sign of a master glass bender," Flagg said.

The neon signs Flagg creates are often misnamed, he says, "as the signs glowing red are the only tubes with neon gas." "The blue lights actually contain argon gas, while the red ones contain neon," he said. "People have just come to know all lighted signs as neon." All of Flagg's signs start with a straight glass tube, which is heated to over 2,000 degrees, at which point the glass will bend freely. "I've always been fascinated with glass, but it's absolutely frustrating," he said. "It's such a hard material (* When it is cool), but when you heat it you can manipulate it and it will take whatever shape you give it," he said.

Flagg says he is able to make one neon sign per day, depending on the complexity of the design, and cost runs anywhere from $400 to $700. A stained glass design, however can take anywhere from two to six months to complete (* Est. time for a set of two windows that are 28 x 58 inches. Typical stained glass panel can take around a week to complete). "If I am able to devote all my time to a design, I can get it done in two months," (* for the large 28 x 58 inches pair of windows) he said. "If I have other projects to work on at the same time, it can take six months, it's tedious, but it's fun." Flagg's neon sign designs can be found in restaurants and other businesses establishments in Adams, Virginia, and other States.

Flagg is also starting to teach classes at his home studio on Lincoln Avenue, both privately and in cooperation with the Adams County Arts Council. Despite, having both art and enterprise come naturally to him, Flagg says it is not always easy to develop a passion into a self-sustaining business. "The most difficult part is having all the hats that you have to wear," he said. "Since I'm the sole proprietor, I am in charge of design, fabrication, sales and office management," He said.

Flagg will be showing some of his designs at the Catoctin Colorfest in Thurmont, Md., in October, and says he eventually wants to have his own glass blowing studio.

"It's not easy, but it's fun," he said. "I love this art and I'm happy I'm able to do something with it." The Glass Flagg, Located at 34 East Lincoln Ave. in Gettysburg, can be reached at 752-5974 or http://www.glassflagg.com (Contact Ashley Andyshak at aandyshak@gburgtimes.com)

• 9/9/06

Friends of Glass Flagg Help Celebrate the Open House. From Left to Right: Bob, Walner, Me, Ande, Alexandra, and Ed.
Glass Flagg held its first open house to celebrate the centralization of all of the studios to one location. Now the stained glass and neon studios are in one location. The event was a great success with about 30 people celebrating.

• 8/4/06
  
  Our neon sign "NO CASINO", was featured in the Central Penn Business Journal. The article "Slots Plan Polarizes Community Businesses" starting on page 3 and continuing on page 14. The article outlines the proposed casino issue from the local business perspective.

• 7/25/06
  Borough of Gettysburg grants Glass Flagg a variance to allow the business to centralize the studios to one location. 34 East Lincoln Ave. will be the official location of Glass Flagg.

• 5/08
  Glass Flagg has moved to a location in littles town and hired a few new members of staff. Their new location is 921 Frederick Pike, Littlestown, PA 17340. The website will soon be updated with all of the current information.