Pismo Fine Art Glass - Sandy Sardella

CH&L: Clients come to you for…
Sandy Sardella: Clients come to PISMO for the best selection of glass art in the Rocky Mountain region and because they know we’ll be honest with them.  We’ve been in business for 22 years and clients have come to depend on us to give them an honest opinion about how a piece looks in their home or business or whether it’s a good value.  We want our clients to feel great about their choices.

CH&L: Your best tip for collecting art is…
SS: Buy what you love.  Art doesn’t need to match your couch – it needs to make you feel good or feel engaged.  Art is something a person should want to live with for an extended period of time.  It doesn’t need to be expensive; it just needs to “speak” to you - whether it’s just a small whimsical piece that makes you laugh or a museum quality piece that you want to invest in.  Buy with your heart.

CH&L: You’re passionate about…
SS: Glass art.  I love glass as an art medium.  I love its fluidity, its transparency, its ability to reflect light, the artist’s ability to transform it from a liquid state to an amazing sculpture; that it can be elegant or whimsical, that the art is constantly evolving as artists push it to the limit. If you’ve never been in PISMO, I encourage you to come-in just to look around.  It’s a feel good environment with colors and textures that will amaze you.  As one client says, it’s “visual vitamins”.

CH&L: The most inspiring thing you’ve seen lately is…
SS: That’s a hard one because there are so many.  I like coming to work every day because I always notice something new.  How a piece looks can change instantly based on how the light hits it – sometimes making it look like an entirely different piece.  I’m constantly enthralled with the talent of the artists PISMO represents and their desire to constantly evolve.  I’m inspired that even two of the biggest names in glass, Dale Chihuly and Lino Tagliapietra, are committed to pushing the envelope.  Both are now in their 70’s, but they’re still going strong.  I don’t see either one retiring – but why should they when they have such creative, active minds?  

CH&L: Share with us one of your favorite pieces in your showroom right now.
SS: In addition to glass art, Dale Chihuly does original paintings.  Right now we have two red, abstract paintings in the gallery – I would take either one (preferably both) home with me in an instant!

CH&L: How do you select the artists you represent?
SS: I strive to find artists who do quality work.  The work doesn’t need to be expensive, but it must be well-crafted and it cannot be a knock-off of another artist’s work.  PISMO has a national reputation for artistic excellence.  We review hundreds of artists annually and when adding new, emerging artists we look for innovation and ability to grow in their field.  The experienced artists we work with do museum quality pieces that will help add to the value of a collector’s portfolio.

CH&L: What do you bring to the table that’s new and different?
SS: We bring a strong variety of art in all price ranges.  We’re constantly looking for new artists or new work by current artists so that every time you come in the gallery you’ll find something new and exciting.  We also bring a well-trained and friendly staff; one that can assist the novice or the collector to find the right work.  We have an approval program where clients can take pieces home (or we’ll deliver) to try them for a few days to make sure they’re right for them.  We love bringing education, inspiration, and fun to everyone who visits PISMO.

To learn more about Pismo Fine Art Glass visit pismoglass.com.