The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

cu : ' Buying a piece of First Nations art from a glass shelf cannot be compared to witnessing the context in which it was created. Watching and meeting the artist and hearing about their methods can add an extra dimension to one's enjoyment of the item in the days and years to come. Perhaps something of yourself will find its way into the piece. Experiencing Art in its Element The North Shore is rich in First Nations Artists and some of them are willing to open their studios to the public. Jfwa Lack Tun (Rick Harry) i»--'*169Whonoak Rd. Capilano Reserve, North Vancouver, 604.990.9464, 604.728.9464 Rick is a carver who has produced some major projects, including doors at B.C. Hydro and Harrisson Hot Springs Hotel, the council table at the Squamish Nation Band Office, plus many poles and masks. He likes to work in different media, engraving silver jewelry and etching glass with his fluid designs. Some pieces combine media, such as light stands and headboards sculptured in wood and glass. A visitor to his home studio should phone for an appointment. Rick often works in schools where he stimulates young minds with drumming and stories. Then he will carve a piece to leave behind. His carvings have been commissioned for schools and private homes in the Whistler area. Children recognize him from his appearance on Sesame Street. Rick plans to spend part of this summer in Scotland where he will be collaborating with local carvers on a totem pole project. Raised in Squamish, Rick became interested in art when he started painting classes. He received further training at Capilano College, Emily Carr and the school of "trial and error." Sol Maya Solarts, 200 Keith Road, West Vancouver, 604.983.6903, Wednesday - Saturday afternoons Pulsing with positive energy, Sol Maya is happy to welcome people into his studio to see his glass work on display and in the making. In the tiny gallery, light from outside is captured in bright, globular spheres that refract and reflect in patterns that change with the progress of the sun across the sky. These galaxies of glass feature side rings which are a trademark of Sol's. Easily added on to a piece of ceramics, the rings must be drawn from the glass during the blowing process. They can be circular or dip in and out from the item like handles on an ancient Grecian urn. Sol's work is not delicate; his bowls and vases are solid and vividly hued. He likens them to the universe, amalgams of fire and rock. People like to watch Sol use his equipment and maneuver the molten glass in various stages of progress, music surging in the background. It's a dramatic performance and he is not self-conscious about doing the dance of his craft with panache. "Everybody in the room becomes part of the piece. It becomes a mystic experience," he says. Sol is a Maya Indian and political refugee from Central America who learned his craft in California. He taught at the University of Santa Barbara and used to demonstrate glass blowing at Granville Island.