Jak Brewer (aka John Harry Brewer)

Jak Brewer was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up in a foster family in Florida received a B.S. at the University of South Florida with a double major in art and education. Originally a potter, he attended Penland School of Crafts in 1968 and became a student of Mark Peiser, who sparked his interest in glass. In that same year, Brewer opened up his first studio in St. Petersburg, Florida and taught at Florida Presbyterian College. In 1971, he moved to North Carolina and opened a studio in Blowing Rock, working with Peiser under a Tiffany Grant. In 1973 Brewer moved his studio to Zionsville, N.C. He produced work independently and also assisted Peiser for over 40 years.

Using simple tools and hand labor, Brewer produced skilled glass work on a modest scale and sold his works for reasonable prices, believing that art should be accessible to all. An avid reader who was fascinated by Egyptology, Brewer often made reference to ancient Egypt in the titles of his works. Many of Mark Peiser's works also bear similar names due to Brewer's interest and influence. Like Peiser, Brewer made his own glass and experimented frequently with different chemical formulas. Their work follows a similar trajectory, starting with experimentation with iridescent surfaces and leading into work with cast, cut and polished glass.

Brewer was a founding member of the American Glass Art Society and an exhibiting member of the Piedmont Craftsman since 1974. He was also a master glass-maker of the southern Highland Handicraft Guild, and a member of the American Crafts Council. His work is in the collections of the St. Petersburg Museum of Art, Jacksonville Museum of Art, Mint Museum, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Chrysler Museum of Art, and the Birmingham Museum of Art.

[Source: Museum Staff]