Outlaw Glass

Organized by David Bienenstock

When a subculture goes mainstream, what goes up in smoke?
Ask the “godfather of glass” Bob Snodgrass.  

To better understand what authentic underground cannabis culture has to offer, Outlaw Glass examines work from leading functional glass artists. Tracing the history of this legally grey art from its birth, through the coordinated arrests of some of its leading practitioners, and on into a new golden age of increasing acceptance, the exhibition features an array of incredibly advanced works.

Bob Snodgrass pioneered the craft, building his legend by selling one-of-a-kind hand-blown glass pipes outside Grateful Dead concerts as the band endlessly toured the country. When Snodgrass finally settled down in Eugene, Oregon, in the 1990s, hordes of young artists flocked there to learn the craft and trade knowledge. Today, this new generation of practitioners pushes the art form to new heights. With the rise of the internet, some of the most talented and entrepreneurial of these next-wave flameworkers built successful business empires selling their work to head shops and online retailers.

Outlaw Glass honors Bob Snodgrass’s legacy and presents the incredible achievements of subsequent generations of glass artists. The gallery show includes a retrospective of Snodgrass’s work and a new video feature shot at his home studio, plus a selection of pipes from a diverse range of leading contemporary flameworkers. In addition to historic pipes by Bob Snodgrass, the exhibition showcases pieces from Alex Aitken, Joseph Aitken, Stan Alba, B$, Kurt B, Ben Barocas, Colton, DIET, Dwreck, Elbo, Kiva Ford, Dan Getz, Jonathan Gietl, Michael Helt, Richard Hollingshead II, Garry Lauderman, JD Maplesden, Dylan Matthess, LIGJoe, Micro, Jeff Newman, Jupiter Nielsen, Stevie P, Redsnapper, Joe Sandler, Miguel Santamaria, Rob Scarpati, Snic, Bobby Snodgrass IV, Virginia Snodgrass-Gietl, Phil Sundling, and others. This includes several pipes that were created at Brooklyn Glass as part of a timed Mystery Box competition using limited materials.  

For just as author Michael Pollan once described black market cannabis growers as “the best gardeners of my generation,” the most exciting movement in art glass today comes from those creating innovative, high-end artifacts that just happen to double as tools for getting high.


Competition Mystery Box Pipe Build was held March 10–11 at Brooklyn Glass. 15 flameworkers made the most interesting pipe they could with four hours and limited materials.

How to Smoke, Properly: March 31, 7pm at apexart. David Bienenstock and Justin Allen review cultural variations, etiquette, and techniques associated with smoking in this performative demonstration.

Outlaw Kitchen: April 29, 4:30pm at apexart. Learn tips and tricks to improve your culinary skills in this demonstration/presentation.