"A Day in the Life" with Vancouver glass maker Maria Struk

Maria Struk grew up in the shadow of the North Shore mountains, pogo-sticking, swimming and trading stickers. She still loves water and stickers; less so pogo-sticks. Her love of fire emerged early, too. She almost burned down her family home at eight; a serious talk on the dangers of indoor camp fires followed. Maria found a less troublesome outlet for her dual loves – fire and water – when she discovered Venetian glassblowing on a high school trip to Italy.

Maria is cagy about her time as a zine author. (Would you want other people to read your teenage musings?) But zine culture is important to Maria’s artistic development: the DIY creation and distribution; the open-hearted vulnerability. Her creations covered serious topics such as addiction and family breakdown, and are are included in the Seattle Library zine archives. She was a fine teenage artist.

Maria decided to become an adult in her early 20s and pursued various careers – butcher, baker and, in a break with convention, a medical office administrator. Luckily, she was pretty terrible at all of them. Then she found Terminal City Glass Coop, and fell in love with water and fire and glass and making and art all over again. Today Maria makes her living as a glass artist and entrepreneur. She makes colourful, organic shapes. She is expert at online marketing and community building, working with local designers and store-keepers to build their brands together. She is happy.