Chandell Popik is Alberta born and raised in a small farming community. The skill and inspired creativity of stained glass was passed on by her late grandmother, and that is where it all started. The craftsmanship and her glass expertise in the areas of stained glass, glass fusion, casting, torch, lampworking and glassblowing, expanding from a hobbyist as a youth to a part-time home based studio business that has been steadily growing over many years. Formal registration and sole proprietorship of the Under the Sun Glass Studio was filed on July 28, 2016 and in March 2019 the company became incorporated. It has been a long-term goal and passion to incorporate the business and establish a commercial studio space that is a hub of vibrant and creative energy for all to enjoy. 

 

A strong presence in education, best practice and knowledge sharing embraces the studio as her expertise has shifted from a 28 year career as an educator and provider of health care services into a new chapter solely in the direction of glass art education and manufacturing. Service above self has been a pillar of Chandell's integral being having received the Duke of Edinburg award as a youth to being recognized as Rotarian of the Year in her adult life for her humanities work in education and medicine. 

Chandell studied glassblowing at the Sculoa del Vetro Abate Zanetti Glass Academy in Murano, Italy and continues to receive mentorship from great glass masters that have learned from generations passed down to them dating back as far as 1100’s. Additionally, she is a member with both the Canadian and USA Glass Art Societies, and locally has served in the past as Chair for the NPO Leduc Arts Foundry, Leduc Downtown Business Association and volunteers her time and expertise to work with the City of Leduc, County of Leduc and other stakeholders in growing and advancing arts and culture in the community.

Chandell's glass art is currently with many fine art collators as far away as Australia, Italy, New York, and throughout many provinces across Canada and close to home.

John Krizan grew up in Iowa and Georgia. He became a professional automotive technician after graduating high school and enjoyed the challenge of diagnosing and repairing different makes and models of the automobile. Seeking to leave the automotive field John enrolled at Kirkwood Community College, earning an Associates Degree in Applied Science in 2014. Drawn to the Arts Department while attending KCC John took all of his elective courses in the Glass Area; sparking and nurturing a passion for working with hot glass. Since then John has continued to design and produce his own blown and kiln worked glass objects and installations, taught glass kiln-working and cold-working workshops, worked as a studio technician for KCC and The Iowa Glass Studio and Ceramics Center, and built and maintained studios in Montana, Iowa and Minnesota. John has taken classes at the Corning Museum of Glass and worked with artists such as Ed Schmidt, Mark Russell and Natali Rodrigues. In addition to educating the public about glass and promoting glass as a creative medium, John is interested in lighting, design, and making one of a kind functional and sculptural objects in glass.

 John is our Lead Glassblower supporting both the production and education portfolios. 

Phillip Murray Bandura joins us from time to time from Calgary Alberta. Phillip graduated with distinction from the Alberta College of Art and Design in 2005, receiving a BFA in glass. 

After graduating, Timothy Beliveau, Ryan Fairweather, and Phillip Murray Bandura established the art collective BeeKingdom Glass, which ran from 2005 to 2020 out of a home/garage studio in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood of Calgary. The BeeKingdom achieved great success as an art collective, winning the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award, making Avenues Top 40 Under 40, and exhibiting work locally, nationally, and internationally. Exhibiting their art in numerous nations, including the USA, South Korea, Germany, and Greece. BeeKingdom participated in the Unity and Diversity exhibition as part of the Canadian Pavilion in 2009 at the Cheongju International Craft Biennale South Korea in organization with the Alberta Craft Council. The Glenbow Museum featured an exhibition of BeeKingdom Glass in 2014, Iconoclasts in Glass. 

BeeKingdom and Phillip's works have been acquired by a number of eminent institutions and individuals, including the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the City of Calgary, the Tacoma Glass Museum, Elton John, and the Aga Khan.

Phillip has spent many summers throughout his arts career volunteering, assisting, and on scholarship at the world renowned Pilchuck Glass School. Phillip was a founding member of Berlin Glas e.V., Berlin's first glass-blowing studio. 

In 2020, Phillip went back to school to the Alberta University of the Arts and received his Master of Fine Arts Degree in Craft, specializing in glass. This  past summer Phillip traveled to Germany to attend the Bild-Werk Frauenau school with Stephen Paul Day and John Moran’s class Wonder-Land: Sculpting in Glass and Bronze with the help of a grant from the Alexander Tutsek Foundation.

Tracie was born and raised in Barrie, Ontario. She moved to Edmonton in 2015 and is a mother of one son. 

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Tracie has a business degree from Georgian College. Her love for glass art motivated her to leave the corporate world to pursue her next chapter.

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Tracie is our Materials & Production Support focusing her expertise in our glass tools and raw materials area. 

Ruth grew up in Nelson, British Columbia. She married and moved to Edmonton in 1976. She is a mother of two children; one daughter and one son.

 

Ruth is retired from a 25 year career at Telus Communication. While working at Telus, she attended the University of Alberta and acquired a Certification in Adult Education. She was a learning specialist teaching new hires for customer service.

 

Ruth's hobby was sewing in the past, but now her new love is working with glass. She feels truly blessed to be working at the studio with such great people. 

Victoria Popik grew up in the small town of Calmar, Alberta. She graduated from NAIT with a BBA in Business Management. Growing her career in Applied Research at NAIT Technology Access Center for Sensors and System Integration, Ms. Popik advises business growth. Aiding her expertise to enhancing our website, marketing, business communications, event coordination and more. 

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Victoria enjoys many activities from snowboarding, riding her 650R Ninja motorcycle, scuba diving, yoga, traveling and exploring Alberta's natural beauty with her tiny human and the youngest member of our studio, Owen!