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Grant and Erin Garmezy at home in their Varina cabin. The wood-burning stove and stone backdrop form the living room’s focal point, with a photograph by Bob Schatz of the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville above it — a housewarming gift from Grant’s brother.
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WORLD MAP: Above the couple’s bed hangs a map with pins marking countries they’ve visited for glass blowing: Belgium, Japan, South Korea, Scotland and Turkey.
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ASH CAIRNS: The couple runs a business called Emberstones, glass sculptures incorporating human or animal remains. Grant made one using the ashes of his grandmother, who supported his artistic path.
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BOOT COLLECTION: Both Erin and Grant love cowboy boots and have a decent collection between the two of them. Whenever they visit Nashville, Erin can’t help but leave with a new pair.
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“QUARREL: ”The couple’s latest series of sculptures is about storytelling. In “Quarrel,” are the two male birds fighting over a female bird, the key to the kingdom or just something shiny they found?
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THE DRAGON: The couple’s glass studio houses The Dragon, a mobile furnace that they also take on the road to do glass-blowing demos.
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DREAMHAUS SPELL: After a tiring search for a new home, Erin and Grant used a Dream Haus Spell Kit to help them find one. A week after casting the spell, Erin found their cabin listed on Zillow.
Feeling down on their luck after two years of unsuccessful house hunting, glass artists Erin and Grant Garmezy took matters into their own hands. The couple figured some “magic” might do the trick, so they unearthed a dream-house spell kit to find their future home. They followed the spell’s directions: They lit a candle and incense, made a wish list, held on to a skeleton key, and meditated about finding their perfect home. A week later, Erin found their house on Zillow.
A 15-minute drive from downtown Richmond, the couple’s Varina cabin magically has many of the features included on their wish list: plenty of land, a fireplace, natural light and an artist studio. With Grant growing up on a farm outside of Nashville, Tennessee, and Erin in rural Culpepper, they knew they wanted to end up back in the country.
On 6.5 acres of wooded property, the 1,800-square-foot ’90s log cabin was move-in ready. Behind the house, the couple has converted a garage into an artist studio, where they collaborate on glass sculptures. They share their cozy compound with a roost of chickens, friendly feline Charlie and Blue Heeler Abigail.
The duo met in 2006, while they were both studying glass in Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Craft/Material Studies, and over the past 12 years, they have grown together in their practice, marrying Erin’s flame work and Grant’s glass blowing.
In high school, Grant apprenticed with Tennessee metalsmith Ben Caldwell and sculptor Alan LeQuire, and his dynamic portfolio gained him acceptance to VCU’s art program. In 2015, VCU awarded Grant with a “10 Under 10” award, which honors the school’s most successful graduates in the past decade.
While in high school, Erin worked at Sperryville’s Glassworks Gallery in exchange for lessons and later worked for glass artist Parker Stafford. At VCU she double-majored in craft/material studies and art education. While working full time as VCU’s director of admissions for the School of the Arts, she also creates glass sculptures with Grant.
Today, the couple travels the country doing high-end craft shows and displaying their work in galleries. Their glass demonstrations and lectures have taken them around the globe to countries like Japan, South Korea and Turkey. Closer to home, they were part of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond’s Craft + Design show in November 2017, and they teach workshops at The Glass Spot.
While their cabin in Varina is a peaceful refuge, it also is a gathering place where they entertain fellow artists and blow glass. In the future, the couple plans to expand their studio to include a small residence for hosting traveling artists.
“As artists we never turn it off,” Grant says. “We’re always working, making a plan for the next piece or discussing new ideas. The inspiration never stops.”
