Notable people. Over the past few decades, Ione Thorkelsson has been working quietly away in her studio on the edge of the escarpment, making the world a more beautiful place, one piece of glass at a time.
Ione Thorkelsson in her studio Photo: Cal Bailey
Ione studied architecture at the University of Manitoba in the late 1950s. After a few years working in the world of theatre, she became intrigued with glass. Apart from studying the basics of glass work at the Sheridan College School of Design in Ontario, Ione has been largely self-taught. She established her own private studio in 1973 and the rest, as we like to say, is heritage.
Starting with smaller glass-blown pieces such as paper-weighs and perfume bottles, Ione experimented with glowing, translucent colors, transitioning gradually into larger works of blown glass. She then began experimenting with a whole new world of natural forms and moulded glass. She has received due recognition over the years through provincial, national and international displays of her work. Among the more publicly recognized is her display of glass wings at Winnipeg’s International Airport. In 2010, she was awarded the Governor General’s Saidye Bronfman Award for Excellence in Fine Craft. For images of her creative works of art, browse online or check out websites such as:
https://saidyebronfmanaward.ca/ione-thorkelsson.
https://themusekenora.ca/exhibit/mundus-adaptat-ione-thorkelsson/
https://themusekenora.ca/exhibit/mundus-adaptat-ione-thorkelsson/