Fay Ferraro, Nick Allen, Don Sander

FAY FERRARO

A founding member of the Artists’ Gallery, Fay has resided in Montana since the early 1970s. Always captured by art, she began drawing and painting at an early age. Riding her bike to the original Seattle Art Museum close to her home, she could view many exhibits. Apparently, children were free patrons. With a beginning in watercolor and later in oils, her subject matter focused on landscapes and florals. Attending workshops with Clye Aspevig and Robert Bateman has had a lasting influence on and direction for her art, leading to many one-woman and group art shows.

NICK ALLEN

After a decade working in IT, I encountered glassblowing for the first time and instantly knew my path had shifted. What began as curiosity quickly transformed into a calling—the immediacy of the process, the dance of heat and motion, and the luminous final form captivated me. I left behind a structured digital world for one shaped by fire, breath, and intuition.

Glass is unpredictable. It demands both presence and adaptability. My background in IT honed my problem-solving skills, which now serve me in the studio as I respond to the ever-changing nature of molten glass. It’s a collaboration between maker and material—one that rewards patience, quick thinking, and trust in the process.

I live and work in Livingston, Montana, where the natural beauty of the surroundings continually inspires my work. I create functional art: drinking glasses, bowls, vases, and jars designed to bring moments of beauty into everyday life. I believe that art shouldn’t be confined to galleries—it should live in kitchens, on tables, in the hands of people during shared meals or quiet rituals. By using bright, joyful colors, I aim to elevate the atmosphere of a space, making the ordinary feel extraordinary.

Glassblowing is where utility meets wonder. My goal is to create work that feels alive—objects that catch the light, invite touch, and quietly transform the way we experience the everyday.

DON SANDER

Don sander grew up in New York and California. He served in the U S Navy during the Vietnam War, and earned a bachelor's degree in Biology from California State University, Fresno, in 1974.

A naturalist, outdoorsman, and a history buff, Don fell in love with Montana's landscapes and rich heritage during his first visit in the late seventies. A few years later, he moved with his young family to Churchill, Montana, near Bozeman. Don began drawing and painting at a very early age, and has continued throughout his life, primarily as a watercolorist. In addition to becoming a popular landscape painter, he has done numerous commissions, and has won awards for portraiture in juried shows. Now retired after a career in the lumber industry, he devotes his time to painting local scenes, mountain men and other characters, both real and fictional,
and enjoying his grandchildren.